Courtesy photo
By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — Rickérby Hinds has made a name for himself as one of the pioneers of hip hop theater.
His “Daze to Come,” which debuted in 1989, was the first-ever full-length play to use the founding elements of hip hop as the primary language of the stage. The show introduced the genre of hip-hop theater to the world.
Other shows include “Blackballin,” “Dreamscape,” “Keep Hedz Ringin’,” “Straight from the Underground,” “Birthmark” and “Buckworld One.”
A Honduran native, Hinds, who immigrated to South Los Angeles at the age of 13, has recently completed what he insists is his “last play.”
Not surprisingly, he aptly named it “The Last Play by Rickérby Hinds.”
The show, commissioned by the Latino Theater Company, is a testament to his innovative approach to storytelling and his ability to challenge conventional notions of the stage.
In “The Last Play,” Hinds, 60, a professor in the Department of Theater at UC Riverside, explores the complexities of creativity and identity through a meta-theatrical lens that was developed in the company’s Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group.
The play follows an Afro-Latino playwright who, struggling to write what he believes will be his final play, summons characters from his previous works for inspiration.
What ensues is a chaotic and comedic exploration of the playwright’s identity and the true meaning of success.
Khalif J. Gillett plays Rickérby, with Rogelio Douglas III, Jasmine Gatewood, Lee Harris, Darius M. Johnson, Celia Mandela Rivera, and Breayre Tender taking on characters from various plays by Hinds.
Hinds, a married father of one, combines hip-hop with traditional theater, creating a distinctive voice that resonates with audiences.
The world premiere of “The Last Play by Rickérby Hinds” will be April 26 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown Los Angeles. Performances continue through May 25.
I recently spoke to Hinds about his “Last Play.”
DD: What is your attraction to hip hop?
RH: I’m 60, which means when I was coming up, that was the space where I enjoyed my entertainment. I didn’t want to be a DJ or break dancer. It’s the enthusiasm and the level of creativity. Creating something from nothing. For me, it was enjoying yourself. When I began writing, I found myself drawn to incorporating these elements into my stories.
DD: Tell me about the show.
RH: In “The Last Play,” Rickerby Hinds has been commissioned to write a play. He gets stuck. He brings characters to life from previous plays to see if they can inspire him. When they come to life, they have a moment of realization that they are not being produced; they live in the middle of nowhere. The characters don’t want to bring others into nowhere, so they decide to kill him. He then tries to persuade them that he should be allowed to live.
DD: How did this show come about?
RH: It came about because I was actually commissioned to do a play, and I was stuck. I pulled pages from previous plays that haven’t been produced. Then the actual idea for the play came about.
DD: The idea was to write about being a writer who is stuck?
RH: I never thought about writing about being a writer. At the time, I was writing “Duppy Child,” a term for a spirit or ghost in the Bay Islands. I was working on that play, and it wasn’t working. It’s incomplete. It’s the catalyst behind this show. You get to see excerpts from the other five shows.
DD: Is this your last play?
RH: Yes, it will be.
DD: Why?
RH: I’m doing it because I don’t have that drive to sit down and write a play in hopes that the play gets produced. I have about five plays I have not completed. I will complete them. This will be my last because of the amount of energy, research and thought it takes. It’s going to be the last because of what it takes out of you.
DD: As a professor in the Department of Theater at UC Riverside, part of your mission is to share your craft, so you have been using this new play as a teaching tool in your classroom, giving each new draft to your students to read, and taking their feedback as part of the development process. Why did you decide to do it this way, and what have you found out about each draft?
RH: That has been a great thing I have never done before. It has provided me with a point of reference that my students can all refer to when I discuss topics, and it gives students an understanding of the importance of rewriting. I break down the basics of writing a play.
DD: Can you walk me through your creative process for developing this show?
RH: When I write, I need to be in a room by myself. I write at home. I can’t write in my office. I write everything out by hand. I can’t write on a computer. I have to see it written down by hand. I also believe completely in research. I have to research a play so well that I know every aspect of what I’m going to talk about. I need to be able to discuss this with you without referring back to a previous reference. I walk around saying the dialogue out loud. I don’t think the character comes to life for me, but I can hear how they speak.
DD: How do you balance your role as playwright, director and performer in this production?
RH: I learned many years ago that I’m not an actor. I can speak. I can emcee, but I don’t have what it takes. We have a fantastic cast. I watch them become the characters, but I’ve never become the character.
DD: What themes and messages do you hope audiences take away from “The Last Play by Rickerby Hinds?”
RH: That’s always an odd question. For me, this play is about how one might define success, or not define it at all, and how one perceives oneself as successful. In the play, the character don’t see themselves as being successful. It plays around with are we successful if we affect other people’s lives? It explores identity. Am I Black or Latino? How do you define someone, and is it necessary to define them as that thing, and then how do you interact with them?
DD: Why did you choose Daphnie Sicre to direct?
RH: I try to find directors who understand how and why I’m telling stories. The complexities of being Black and Latino. She is someone who does non-realistic work. We work well together.
DD: As a pioneer of hip-hop theater, what do you hope your legacy will be, and how do you see “The Last Play by Rickerby Hinds” fitting into that narrative?
RH: I don’t know … is my instinctive answer. I hope this play finds a theatrical life that goes beyond the hip-hop theater genre.
DD: What advice would you give to emerging playwrights and artists looking to make a mark in the world of hip-hop theater?
RH: To write something so that whatever you come out with is something you believe an audience 50 years from now will be impacted by.
“The Last Play by Rickerby Hinds,” opens at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles; at 8 p.m. April 26 with performances thereafter on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. through May 25. Tickets range from $10-$48, except opening night, which is $75 and includes a post performance reception. Information: latinotheater co.org or 213 489-0994.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
