HIp-Hop Theater

media release: The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program for the 2022–2023 academic year will engage a partnership with the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI), presenting a series of short-term residencies with interdisciplinary artists. Each artist-in-residence in the series will represent the three pillars of OMAI: academics, arts and activism. 

The residency series launches with collaborators Jay Adana and Zeniba Now, in residence at UW–Madison October 6–16, 2022. The duo will be accompanied by Jess McLeod (“Hamilton”), Blu Rhythm Collective (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Christian Thompson (“Devil Wears Prada”, “Ain’t Too Proud”) Le’Asha Julius (“Random Acts of Flyness”), Tyler Fauntleroy (“Tambo & Bones”), Alessandra Valea (“West Side Story”), Jason Simon (Metropolitan Opera), Andrea Yohe and Kelsey Baehrens for a performance of “The Loophole” at the 16th Annual Passing the Mic (PtM) Festival. The residency will also include participation in the first Just Bust! Open Mic and Workshop events of the academic year along with guest lectures, workshops and open rehearsals.

The theme for the 16th Annual Passing the Mic Festival is Love & Revolution: how we revolutionize the ways we care for ourselves and each other across generations, languages, abilities, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, identities. Everyday is another revolution around the sun. We have seen the pandemic revolutionize the ways we can connect with each other, work together, access space and stories. We have seen and felt people across the globe call for revolution, demand revolution, fight for revolution of the status quo. All are invited to join for this intergenerational hip hop festival dedicated to this conversation: how does our love span borders? How does our love create change? How does our love save us? How far does our love motivate us to go?

Public Events

Friday, October 7 | 8–10 p.m.  Just Bust! Open Mic, Wisconsin Historical Society (816 State Street)  

Madison’s longest running all-ages open mic, Just Bust! Open Mic, includes community performances, First Wave and alumni spotlight performance, and performances by Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program Artists-in-Residence Jay Adana and Zeniba Now. Interested in performing during the open mic portion of the event? Sign up (in-person) begins at 8 p.m. and goes on throughout the night until all slots are filled. Make sure to arrive early to guarantee a spot in the lineup! Free, all ages and open to the public.

Saturday, October 8 |  1–3 p.m. Just Bust! Hip-Hop Theater Workshop, Wisconsin Union Theater’s Play Circle Theater, Memorial Union (800 Langdon Street)

Just Bust! Hip Hop Theater Workshop led by Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program Artists-in-Residence Jay Adana and Zeniba Now. This workshop centers around an upcoming performance of "The Loophole" at the 16th Annual Passing the Mic Festival (October 15). A sci-fi adventure musical set in The American Civil War with Book & Bars by Zeniba Now and Music & Lyrics by Jay Adana, "The Loophole" is the story of the self-liberation of Polly Danfield, a black scientist and cartographer stuck at a crossroads. As The Civil War rages and the call of the mysterious Alligator Queen beckons, Polly must choose: safety in hiding or love and revolution? With a folk/rap score, verse and body percussion, this swampy epic recasts the American hero. Free, all ages and open to the public  

Saturday, October 15 | 7–9 p.m. Passing the Mic (PtM) Public Showcase

Wisconsin Union Theater’s Play Circle Theater, Memorial Union (800 Langdon Street)

The theme for the 16th Annual Passing the Mic Festival is Love & Revolution: how we revolutionize the ways we care for ourselves and each other across generations, languages, abilities, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, identities. We have seen the pandemic revolutionize the ways we can connect with each other, work together, access space and stories. We have seen and felt people across the globe call for revolution, demand revolution, fight for revolution of the status quo. All are invited to join for this intergenerational hip hop festival dedicated to this conversation: How does our love span borders? How does our love create change? How does our love save us? How far does our love motivate us to go?

This year’s festival features a performance of "The Loophole" by Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program Artists-in-Residence Jay Adana and Zeniba Now. A sci-fi adventure musical set in The American Civil War with Book & Bars by Zeniba Now and Music & Lyrics by Jay Adana, "The Loophole" is the story of the self-liberation of Polly Danfield, a black scientist and cartographer stuck at a crossroads. As The Civil War rages and the call of the mysterious Alligator Queen beckons, Polly must choose: safety in hiding or love and revolution? With a folk/rap score, verse and body percussion, this swampy epic recasts the American hero.

Free, all ages and open to the public

Artist Biographies

JAY ADANA (she | her) is loud and shy. “The Loophole” (Public Theater Studio, music and lyrics), “The Jordan & Avery Show” (The O’Neill Theater Center, book, music and lyrics), “The Woodsman” (New World Stages, lyrics), “Notes From Now” (59E59, contributed music and lyrics), “Fingerpaintings” (Playwrights Horizons Downtown, music and lyrics), “LeFay” (Musical Theater Factory, book and lyrics), “The Last Tiger in Haiti” (Berkeley Rep/La Jolla Playhouse, contributed music and lyrics). Currently developing “The Jordan & Avery Show” as a musical movie. 2020 Richard Rodgers Award, 2021 Vivace Award, 2018 Jonathan Larson Award, 2019 Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow. Work featured by PBS, The American Theater Wing, Joe’s Pub, and The Dramatist Magazine. Residencies: Public Theater #BARS residency writer under Jeanie O’Hare, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, SPACE on Ryder Farm. Education: #BARS workshop founded by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, Acting BFA SUNY Purchase Conservatory.

ZENIBA NOW is a musical storyteller and artscientist from Los Angeles. Millions of people have enjoyed her performances online and on stage. As a writer of musicals, her work includes “Beloved” (PBS, #BARS at The Public), “Human Resources” (St. Louis Rep, Woolly Mammoth), “The Loophole” (The Public Theater) and “Take the Lead” (forthcoming). Her one-woman specials “IQuit: Millennial Retirement Gala” and “Sincerely, Z” can be seen on TIk Tok and Youtube. Z has also collaborated with Buzzfeed, The New York Times, Mixed Blood, NYU Playwrights Horizons, Goodspeed Musicals, NYMF, Theatre Raleigh, Theatre by The Sea, RWS & Associates, La Mama, The Dramatist Guild Foundation, The American Theatre Wing, Joe’s Pub, The GreenRoom42, 54 Below, The Gibney, Ring of Keys, Democracy Now, Caveat, SPACE on Ryder Farm, SpeakEasy Stage, Signature Center, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Rhinebeck Writer's Retreat and more.

Zeniba is passionate about the effects of heart and brain coherence on human consciousness and has completed Alpha Brainwave Training 1 at Dr. James Hardt’s Biocybernaut Institute and two advanced retreats on piezoelectricity with Dr. Joe Dispenza. She has a degree in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee with an emphasis in Directing. Additional training in antiracism and leadership from Urban Bush Women, and graduate coursework in Trauma & Communal Suffering, The Shape of The Story, and Artist Identity from NYU Gallatin where she briefly pursued an Independent Masters in Musical Film and Television. Zeniba is the winner of the 2021 Jonathan Larson Award, 2021 Vivace Award, the 2020 Richard Rodgers Award and West High’s Funniest Senior.

About the Work

A sci-fi adventure musical set in The American Civil War with Book & Bars by Zeniba Now and Music & Lyrics by Jay Adana, “The Loophole” is the story of the self-liberation of Polly Danfield, a black scientist and cartographer stuck at a crossroads. As The Civil War rages and the call of the mysterious Alligator Queen beckons, Polly must choose: safety in hiding or love and revolution? With a folk/rap score, verse and body percussion, this swampy epic recasts the American hero. Winner of The 2020 Richard Rodgers' Award, developmentally produced in Public Studio at The Public Theater, Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellowship, #BARS at The Public Alumni Residency, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat Winner and featured commission at the 50th Anniversary of HAIR! gala.

About the Presenters

The Division of the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program (IARP), originated through the Cluster Hiring Initiative of the Office of the Provost, brings innovative, world-class artists to the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Since 1999, the program has hosted over 40 residencies involving more than 100 guest artists from 20 different countries, engaging over 60 university units and community organizations.

All residencies center interdisciplinary arts, recognizing that interdisciplinarity can break down barriers and silos, advance intellectual artistic diversity and give opportunities to people who do not fit into the traditional modes of inquiry and practice (see the Division of the Arts’ guiding principle of The Arts for Everyone, Everywhere). The program often brings together artists, faculty, staff and students from various disciplines across the arts, sciences and humanities. Integrated with curricular activities, all arts residencies in this program are proposed by academic departments or officially recognized interdepartmental programs, centers or institutes at UW–Madison.

While in residence, artists teach interdisciplinary workshops and participate in public programming with campus and Madison communities. The program provides students with extended learning experiences with a working artist, including options to earn course credit; increases diversity of teaching staff on campus; and strengthens programmatic ties among individual departments, programs and other campus and community arts entities.

The Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI) within the Division of Diversity, Equity, & Educational Achievement provides culturally relevant and transformative arts programming to promote positive social dialogue and to give cultural art forms a legitimate academic forum. By harnessing the broad cultural influence of spoken word, hip hop and emerging as well as traditional art forms, OMAI’s events and programming create learning environments that directly affect UW–Madison’s campus climate, improving retention and graduation success, preparing future leaders to reinvest in their communities. By continually refreshing this paradigm that integrates traditional academics and cutting edge arts activism, OMAI empowers transnational leaders with new tools for inclusive community building.

One of OMAI’s most prominent initiatives is the First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Learning Community, a cutting-edge multicultural artistic program for incoming students which offers a four-year full tuition scholarship to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Bringing together young artists and leaders from across the United States and beyond, the First Wave Learning Community offers students the opportunity to live, study and create together in a close-knit, dynamic campus community. First Wave is the first university program in the country centered on urban arts, spoken word and hip-hop culture.