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THIs IS MODERN ART

Due to COVID-19, all scheduled programming is currently on hold.

We are reviewing input from public health experts and evaluating our options. we hope to return to the stage as soon as it is safe for our artists and patrons. we will be in touch soon with additional information. Thank you for your patience and support.

Written by by Kevin Coval and Idris Goodwin

Directed by Dr. Corlis Hayes and Sean Kimbro

 

July 30-August 1 and August 6-8, 2020 at 8:00pm

Duke Energy Theatre at Spirit Square

345 N. College St, Charlotte, 28202

Tickets available now through Carolina Tix

$22 in advance, $28 at the door

Groups of 10 or more- $18 in advance through the Blumenthal Box Office

Discounted pricing available for students, teachers and ASC Connect with Culture cardholders. Learn More

 

Other Fees: All tickets are subject to 7.25% NC Sales Tax and a $3 Facility Fee, a 13.5% service charge applies to all internet and phone sales

To redeem 2019-2020 Season Flex Passes,
please call the Blumenthal Box Office at 704-372-1000

This Is Modern Art contains adult language and themes, recommended for ages 16+

Based on the true story of the graffiti bombing of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing

Graffiti crews are willing to risk anything for their art. Though people call them vandals, criminals, and even creative terrorists, they're determined to make their voices heard and alter the way people view the world. So when a young graffiti artist named Seven comes up with an big, audacious idea to shake up the Chicago art scene, his crew is all in. But the biggest graffiti bomb of the LOH Crew's careers may also have serious consequences, for some of them more than others. This is Modern Art takes you racing over the rooftops, through the history of graffiti art, and face-to-face with a question of the moment: Where does art belong?

What People Are Saying

“…sharp, exciting and stimulating, both visually and emotionally. It will entertain, educate and is guaranteed to prompt heated discussions about the nature of art and the place for graffiti in our world."

-Chicago Theatre Review

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"A romantic ode to the art of graffiti and the act of tagging, a piece that demystifies authorial signatures and charts the storied history of graffiti art in Chicago, shouting out its great artists and their canvases, from Kennedy underpasses to CTA train yards."

-Chicago Tribune

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Chicago Tribune
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"This is a piece about the overwhelming urge not just to create art, but to get it seen—if only by a scant few before the sandblasters come along."

-Time Out Chicago

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About the Playwrights

Kevin Coval is a poet and community builder. As the artistic director of Young Chicago Authors, founder of Louder Than A Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival, and professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago—where he teaches hip-hop aesthetics—he’s mentored thousands of young writers, artists and musicians.

 

He is the author and editor of ten books, including The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop and Schtick, and co-author of the play, This is Modern Art. His work has appeared in Poetry Magazine, The Drunken Boat, Chicago Tribune, CNN, Fake Shore Drive, Huffington Post, and four seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam.

Idris Goodwin uses the written and spoken word to incite and inspire. An award-winning writer/performer who coined the term “break beat poet,” Goodwin is the author of the Pushcart–nominated essay and poetry collection These Are The Breaks (Write Bloody). He’s had several publications with Haymarket Books including Inauguration (cowritten with Nico Wilkinson),winner of the 2017 Literary Arts Award from the Pikes Peak Arts Council, Human Highlight: Ode to Dominique Wilkins, and the controversial play This Is Modern Art, both cowritten with Kevin Coval. His poetry was featured on HBO Def Poetry, Sesame Street, NPR, BBC radio, and the Discovery Channel. He’s received support from the NEA, the Ford, Mellon, and Edgerton Foundations, and the Playwrights’ Center’s McKnight Fellowship. An accomplished playwright, his widely produced stage plays include And In This Corner: Cassius ClayHow We Got On, and Hype Man: a break beat play. A frequent public speaker at conferences and educational spaces, Idris is one of the leading voices in his field, committed to more diverse and equitable spaces for all. Idris and his family live in Louisville, KY where he is the producing artistic director of Stage One, a professional theater company for young audiences.

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