The Mayhem Poets
courtesy Overture Center
The Mayhem Poets on stage.
The Mayhem Poets
A traveling troupe of poets combining theater, comedy, improv, and hip-hop for a stimulating evening of spoken word. Founded in 2000, the troupe has taken its show all over the world.
media release: “Let’s go see a poetry show.” That is a sentence rarely proclaimed and usually responded to with cringes and excuses. The Mayhem Poets are on a mission to change that. Experience The Mayhem Poets for yourself on Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Capitol Theater. Tickets ($25-35) are available at overture.org.
Having been dubbed “an amazing ride” by the New York Times, this mind-boggling performance has been described as “The Simpsons meets Malcolm X at a Notorious B.I.G. concert.” These theater-trained, comedically gifted, lyrical virtuosos seamlessly blend raw elements of hip hop, theater, improv and stand-up comedy to tell gut-wrenching truths that leave audiences forever changed.
The Mayhem Poets’ unique approach to spoken word has landed them feature spots on the Today Show and Eyewitness News after winning first place and a grant for $100k in the Microsoft Idea Wins Challenge in 2006. Since then, they’ve been touring internationally and spreading their mission to reshape society’s view of poetry.
Sponsored by American Family Insurance, and underwritten by Jeff and Tiffany Mack
OVERTURE CENTER FOR THE ARTS in Madison, Wis., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and four galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in nearly 700,000 educational and artistic experiences each year. With the vision to provide “Extraordinary Experiences for All,” Overture’s mission is to support and elevate our community’s creative culture, economy and quality of life through the arts. overture.org