Promotional poster for ‘Breakin’ Down the Beat.’
Tomorrow (Aug. 7), the Skirball Cultural Center presents Breakin’ Down the Beat: A Night of Spoken Word. The program, produced by Elena Muslar (Theater MFA 14), pays homage to the Beat Generation—the literary movement that brought us the writers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder, among others—by showcasing the work of a new generation of poets.
Among the featured poets are CalArts alumni Mayda Del Valle (Critical Studies 14) and Aleshea Harris (Theater MFA 14) and Alpert Award winner Marc Bamuthi Joseph, along with Ise Lyfe, Rachel Kann and Traci Kato-Kiriyama.
From the website:
The lyrical performances of these acclaimed poets reveal the intersections between text, song, movement, and media. Questioning social consciousness, ringing voices of justice, and promoting cultural awareness in their communities, this eclectic group demonstrates the visceral power of poetry.
Breakin’ Down the Beat begins at 8 pm with a musical performance by Patsy Moore and Friends.
In addition, two art exhibitions currently on view at the Skirball, which also feature the work of CalArtians, are open late for the event. Photographer Robert Landau’s (Art BFA 76) Rock & Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip features more than 20 photographs of hand-painted billboards that dominated the Los Angeles landscape for almost two decades. Allen Ruppersberg (Chouinard 67) pays tribute to Allen Ginsberg’s Howl with The Singing Posters: Poetry Sound Collage Sculpture Book, an installation of 200 vibrantly colored commercial advertising posters installed floor to ceiling on the Skirball’s gallery walls.
Event Details
Breakin' Down the Beat: A Night of Spoken Word
Aug. 7, 8 pm
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Dr., Los Angeles
Tickets: $12 general, $10 members, $8 student