Rooftop Poets to present Breaking Even showcase of four Hartford-area performances

The Rooftop Poets LLC will present the Breaking Even Cohort 1 showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Loft Events Lounge, 266 Prospect Ave., in Hartford. The evening features four original performance pieces by Greater Hartford artists. The company announced the showcase Oct. 8.

Audiences can attend one or more of the four new productions, which are still in development. “HartforDays” by The RapOet, also known as Self Suffice, opens the evening at 6 p.m. “Raw Naked Soul” by Dana O’Neal follows at 7 p.m.

“The Flag I Sing to…” by Laugh Sanchez of The Rooftop Poets begins at 8 p.m. The final piece, “Skeletons of Men (Scheletri di uomini)” by NJ Euphrates, whose name is Nayarr Taylor, starts at 9 p.m.

The showcase is the inaugural presentation of Breaking Even Cohort 1. Breaking Even is a 10-week production readiness program and live presentation challenge for emerging self-producing artists working in spoken word, hip-hop, theater, and other forms. It is supported by the Assets for Artists Greater Hartford Capacity Building Grant.

The program gives emerging producers administrative backing, technical infrastructure, venue access, and promotional coaching. Each participant presents an original 30-minute work to a live audience.

Showcase Schedule & Featured Lineup

The cohort features four distinct original performances running sequentially from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

6pm Showcase: HartforDays

Producers & Performers: RapOet & ZiggySage

Sponsor: One Love Harvest Jubilee™ & Ruth Thibodeau Kelly

Genre: Hip-Hop & Theater

Tickets: $15 to $30 plus fees reserved in advance at rooftoppoets.com. Optional add-on craft bag of art items by One Love Harvest Jubilee available.

HartforDays is an original Hip Hop Theater production written and performed by the RapOet. Walk into a production that transforms lived experience, music, and Hartford history into a powerful live performance. This production is an invitation to see Hartford through the journey of a young Hip Hop artist into becoming the nation’s first Hip Hop Troubadour. It is a celebration of the artist’s journey and reminder of the value in making your passions full time.

7pm Showcase: Raw Naked Soul

Producer & Performer: Dana O’Neal

Genre: Theater

Tickets: Free with reservations recommended via rooftoppoets.com.

Raw Naked Souls is not a class on how to audition. It is a performance that exposes the work of finding the soul of the piece before the memorizing, before the audition, and before the audience ever sees the finished work. Through each monologue, Dana reveals the emotional preparation, personal truth, and courage that lives beneath the words. This powerful piece will resonate with theater lovers and students.

8pm Showcase: The Flag I Sing To…

Producer & Performer: Laugh Sanchez

Genre: Poetry & Theater

Tickets: $15 plus fees reserved in advance via rooftoppoets.com.

An original 20 minute theatrical experience that explores identity, allegiance, and the symbolism behind the flag Laughter sings to through Spoken Word. Written and performed by Laugh

Sanchez. The Flag I Sing To picks apart the life of a youngish Puerto Rican man who juggles with defining his allegiance. If the government decides the erasure of his citizenship and there is no homeland left, what flag does he sing to?

9pm Showcase: Skeletons of Men (Scheletri di uomini)

Writer & Director: NJ Euphrates (Nayarr Taylor)

Genre: Crime Drama & Theater

Tickets: $30 plus fees resererved in advance via rooftoppoets.com.

Skeletons of Men centers around Terri, Randal, and Martin, three men bound by a history of brotherhood, crime, and an unspoken code to protect one another. Their fragile loyalty begins to fracture after they become entangled in a dangerous criminal operation involving a looming betrayal. When Don Sergio, a powerful and notorious figure, is killed, the men believe they may finally have an opportunity to

escape the life that they have been consumed by.

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Rooftop Poets to present Breaking Even showcase of four Hartford-area performances