Rodney Hicks' MS. PEARL'S CABARET Will Premiere with CreateTheater's Monday Night Reading Series- Watch at 7pm!

Rhymes Over Beats Hip Hop Theater Collective is premiering its third new play for Black History Month, Rodney Hicks' MS. PEARL'S CABARET, as part of CreateTheater's Monday Night Reading Series on Monday, February 22 at 7PM/EST, 4PM/PST. This Zoom reading is directed by DeMone Seraphin. The reading will stay available to the public until Friday, February 26.

A 2019 Eugene O'Neill Playwriting Conference Semi-Finalist, MS. PEARL'S CABARET is based on Hick's own coming of age told through the eyes of a Black Drag Kween named Ms. Pearl. Jamal and Louis are brother's growing up in the 1990's. Children of divorced parents, their young father is raising them and himself the best he can while their misguided mother spins. MS. PEARL'S CABARET is a story of survival, finding your You to live your best life despite the original cards that were dealt. The reading features Jennifer Fouche, T. Oliver Reid, and J. Cameron Barnett as Ms. Pearl.

Rodney Hicks (writer) is an actor/playwright based in Denver, CO. His play FLAME BROILED. Or the ugly play was awarded the 2019 Eulipions Fund on behalf of The Denver Foundation. The play has since been reworked and retitled THE FLAWED PLAY. His other plays, JUST PRESS SAVE and MS. PEARL'S CABARET, were a 2018 and 2019 Semi-Finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Conference. JUST PRESS SAVE had a successful Zoom workshop presentation as part of the PRIDE Plays Festival of New Plays on June 20, 2020 and was directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT). As an actor Rodney has co-starred on Broadway as part of the Original Cast of COME FROM AWAY and was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical. Rodney also originated the role of Clarence Norris in John Kander & Fred Ebb's THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS and originated the role of Paul, a Cop and Others in the Landmark musical RENT, among many others. He also received the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical for the 2012 Philadelphia Theatre Company production of THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman as recreated by Jeff Whiting.

DeMone Seraphin (director) is a Helen Hayes Award nominee for his direction of TOPDOG UNDERDOG. Other directing credits include the Off-Broadway revivals of SPLIT SECOND and THE EXONERATED, the world premiere musical "ONCE UPONZI TIME: A Tale of An American Scheme" at the McCarter Theatre, Off-Broadway premieres of "YOURS TRULY, ELLA! A Celebration of The Ella Fitzgerald Songbook", the German premiere of August Wilson's JITNEY and the musical RUNAWAYS. As an actor DeMone has appeared nationally and internationally in MISS SAIGON, RENT, RAGTIME, J.C. SUPERSTAR, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN, and MAN OF LA MANCHA.DeMone is the Founding Artistic Director of The New American Theatre Co. NY. and a Producing Partner at Avant Bard Theatre in Arlington, Va.

Rhymes Over Beats is a collective of hip hop and theater artists who share a passion to create and produce theater with a hip hop aesthetic to tell seldom-told stories of our diverse, culturally-rich community. Founded by Off-Broadway Producer Patrick Blake in 2015, the mission of the collective is to increase the number of roles for a diverse pool of actors and to provide a safe and supportive environment, especially for younger artists, to express their creativity in their own style of music and theatrical vision. Rhymes Over Beats has produced The Assignment (co-produced by Houses on the Moon Theater Company) and My Father's Daughter starring Ursula Rucker.

CreateTheater is an online community founded by Off-Broadway producer, director and dramaturg Cate Cammarata. It is dedicated to developing and producing new plays and musicals.

Cate's producing credits include Off-Broadway: THE ASSIGNMENT, MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER. Regional: MY LIFE IS A MUSICAL (Bay Street Theater), BRAN CASTLE (Porchlight Theater), CRUDE (Cape Cod Theater Company), and numerous early developmental productions and readings in NYC. In development: AUSTEN'S PRIDE, ATLANTIS, and a hip hop musical by the recording artist Masta Ace. www.CreateTheater.com, www.CateCammarata.com