Spoken word, an art form whose medium is simply voice, is coming to Dartmouth on Feb. 20 at Moore Theater. The event, which is part of Dartmouth's celebration of Black History Month, will be hosted by SoulScribes, and will feature professional spoken word artists Bryonn Bain, Jason Carney and Staceyann Chin.
Spoken word, which emerged in the 1990s, can involve poetry, stories or political commentary, but the main ingredients are the speaker and the audience. Performances can use choreography, background music, props, body language and tone of voice to add further expression to their poems. Unconfined by iambic pentameter, sonnet form or rhyming couplets, slam poets draw on many different influences, but its roots are in hip-hop and African-American culture.
Special guest Bryonn Bain combines social justice, spirituality and African-American rights in his work. Wrongfully imprisoned by the New York Police Department while he was a student at Harvard, he draws on his past experience by performing at state prisons, as well as on over 100 college campuses and talk shows.
Jason Carney, a self-proclaimed "redneck superhero," uses his poetry for reform, healing and to help the elimination of intolerance. After committing racist and homophobic violent acts as a young adult, Carney was sent to a juvenile detention center, which, he says, radically changed the way he saw other people.
Staceyann Chin is both an artist and a political activist, and often talks about immigration issues during her performances. Chin has toured internationally, given her own one-woman show on Broadway and has received a multitude of awards.
The expressiveness of spoken word makes it a medium in which artists can address social awareness issues.
"Our focus is on using words, not just as entertainment but as an expression of change and [a way] to get other people to think," said RuDee Lipscomb '08, president of SoulScribes. "Usually [SoulScribes'] performances are open mic, but this time we've rehearsed, choreographed ... really structured the performance. It'll really help with our showmanship, and we hope the audience can appreciate that."
