PAIGE IN FULL
a b-girl’s visual mixtape
The one woman show that started it all!
Get a sneak peek through the PAIGE IN FULL PRESS KIT.
Ready. Set. Record. Your life in 60 minutes. What tracks would you share from your life’s mixtape?
PAIGE IN FULL is a blending of poetry, dance, media and music that tells the tale of multicultural girl’s journey through hip-hop to self-discovery. Since its premiere in May 2010, Paige in Full has packed theaters, had exceptional reviews, successful events, unique workshops and sold out performances throughout the country.
MORE FROM PAIGE…
What can I say? This is the show that started it all. I had no idea that this show would launch my company, take me all over the world and help me connect with thousands of people over the past ten years.
With PIF (Paige in Full), I aimed to create what I wanted to see on stage: a positive story from a woman of color that is both uplifting and insightful. The show needed to blur cultural lines with infectious music, choreography that moved the story forward, poems that defied structure, accessible emotion, and a strong narrative of love, pain, and triumph. I wanted a story that would help to reclaim the positive energy that hip hop was once known to create. I wanted a story that was all at once international, and “around the way”. Lastly, I wanted a story for little girls of color. I want them to know that no matter where they fall in the rainbow, their voice is interesting, unique and needs to be heard.
I credit a lot of the show’s inspiration to my younger brother and collaborator, Nick tha 1da. He gave me a CD of his beats and my creative wheels started turning. The music inspired 20+ characters, 18 poems, 7 live music (DJ) sets and 8 dance routines. The hip hop experience has evolved from records to cassettes; cds, to ipods; and now to the stage. Enjoy the visual mix tape.
PRODUCTION PERSONNEL
Written, choreographed and performed by Paige Hernandez
With original music by Nick “Nick tha 1da” Hernandez
Director: Danielle Drakes
Dramaturgy: Bryan Joseph Lee
Touring Set Design, Bass: Kris Funn
Projections: Paige Hernandez/Tewodross Melchishua
Illustrator: Bryan Davis
TOURING INFO
RUNNING TIME
60 minutes with optional talkback
PERSONNEL
PIF TEAM: TWO PERSONS (One performer, One Technical Director/Stage Manager)
FROM VENUE: Light board op, sound op, crew to set backline and sound requirements
TECH/REHEARSAL/LOAD IN
Between 4-6 hours, rider and light plot upon request
WORKSHOPS
YES! More details about workshop offerings upon request.
PAIGE IN FULL is available for week long engagements of workshop, residencies and performances.
WHAT FOLX ARE SAYING…
[Check 1=”out” ] Hernandez‘s chronicle of growing up with a mixed race identity. As she chats to the audience and executes urban-cool hoofin‘ routines, and he generates beats and sampling at a table behind her, their mutual respect reverberates in sync with their enthusiasm for hip-hop. Such pointed moments will prompt theatergoers to ruminate a little about identity politics and the molding of the self in a multicultural world. Chiefly, though, Paige in Full‖ will leave audiences hoping more work by Hernandez and Nick tha 1da, too — comes along soon.
– Celia Wren, The Washington Post
The multi-layered story sparkles with contemporary urban flair, tantalizing terms and expressions, and move yo body rhythms in this beat-filled portrait of an artist as a young girl. Totally at ease and in command of her material, Hernandez shows how hip-hop and dance shaped her earliest memories and became the bedrock of her existence. It‘s stunning… In another innovative segment, she depicts ―B‘More‘s‖ neighborhoods in ―haiku‖, reflecting diverse sights and sounds in just a few well placed words, inflections, even mimicry. She just nails it. Throughout, Hernandez is mesmerizing and leaves you wanting more.”
– Debbie Minter Jackson, DC Theatre Scene
The verdict: Paige Hernandez represents the truest voice of what hip-hop theatre can be for our generation: nonlinear, dynamic, personal, intense, community-oriented in content and tone, and fondly nostalgic. The distinct moments of Paige‘s life in this 60-minute act allowed us a window into all of our own lives, love, loss, triumphs and missteps, all with a hip-hop lens through which to examine them. There is no doubt in my mind now that #hiphoptheatreisreal and that #visualmixtapesdoexist.‖
– Simone Jacobson, Couch Sessions
Paige‘s is pure hip hop. She breathes it. It‘s a part of her DNA. She can connect the songs and the culture to her entire being. More importantly, she can explain it to the rest of us. She is beautifully articulate in her storytelling… she is enticing in her mastery of her body and movement. This performance is a delight.
– Genevieve Williams, Discovery Theatre