Spit Dat in Residency
January 23, 2023 - May 15, 2023
On Monday, May 15th, at 8pm, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Spit Dat bring you “Intellectricity” featuring Dr. Rebecca Dupas and Nerd the Poet! Add to the energy as an audience member or share your own talents on the open mic. Hosted by Drew Anderson and Dwayne Lawson-Brown. (641 D St NW DC)
Dr. Rebecca Dupas
Dr. Rebecca Dupas is an educator, author, photographer, ‘artrepreneur’ and award-winning poet. Rebecca’s passion for the arts and artist development led her to found and host several art-based events in the Baltimore and DC-area, such as Coffee & Critiques, a monthly writer’s circle; the host retreat, a quarterly workshop for event hosts; and a host of open-mic venues and closed-mic showcases. She is a writer, performer, event producer, and commissioned poet whose work has appeared on Centric, Fox 5, and most recently on C- Span, PBS News, WEAA, in The Washington Post alongside President Clinton, and in the DC Black Film Festival. Rebecca has published four CDs, two books of poetry and was recently named a Baltimore Legend at the 2021 Crown Awards.
Nerd the Poet
Nerd the Poet is a talented Black creator, spoken word artist, and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, CA. He has put his views on growing up in the inner city between two households, Hip Hop music, being a social outcast, college experiences, and more on paper and created everything from screen plays to magazine articles. His passion comes from serving the community, especially through the arts. By writing from his heart and what he sees and hears, he hopes to be a “change agent” to the unheard. He plans to travel spreading his creativity and influence to all whom are willing to kindly receive his messages as well as manage and mentor others who decide to walk the same path.
SPIT DAT IN RESIDENCE
“We all have a goal of bringing people together by challenging their biases and perspectives, amplifying the voices of folks often unheard, and making space for all types to be. To simply be. These things make me feel joy to officially bring Spit Dat to Woolly Mammoth.” – Dwayne B!, co-host of Spit Dat
ABOUT SPIT DAT
SPIT DAT is the longest-running open mic in the nation’s capital. A profoundly intimate artistic and spiritual experience which has fought to remain a safe space through nearly two decades of societal changes, Spit Dat combines world-class talent with a living room vibe. As much a “venue” as it is an “event”, Spit Dat has won multiple awards for its contribution to the growth of generations of acclaimed international artists. But perhaps its most valued accolade lives in being renowned among its staunch community as no less than “Church”.
DREW ANDERSON, a science teacher turned teaching artist, poet turned parodist, and marathon runner turned motivational speaker, is as hard to define as he is to ignore. Known lovingly throughout DC’s performing arts world as “Droopy the Broke Baller”, Drew is founder and co-host of Spit Dat, the longest-running open mic in DC. Recipient of the prestigious DC Arts and Humanities Fellowship presented by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Drew has recently merged his decade-plus of artistic acumen and educational expertise to develop Spoof School, a dynamic arts education integration residency which teaches students of all ages how to make learning fun by “making fun” of their learning.
DWAYNE B!, aka the “Crochet Kingpin” is a DC native poet, activist, breakdancer, and fashion designer. He is one of the hosts of DC’s longest running open mic series, Spit Dat, as well as Host-Captain for Busboys and Poets’ 450K location. In addition to featured readings at every Busboys and Poets location, SAGAfest Iceland 2015, Spirits and Lyrics NYC and Manassas, Woolly Mammoth, and the C2EA “We Can End AIDS” march, Dwayne’s short form poetry prowess led him to win the Best Haiku Award at the 2011 National Underground Spoken-Word Poetry Awards (NUSPA). His work to increase HIV awareness through spoken-word garnered recognition from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, BBCAmerica, the Discovery Channel, and The Washington Post. Ultimately, his goal is to force his audience to feel. His recent collection of works, One Color Kaleidoscope, is a testament to self-definition and change. When not documenting his life through poetic meter, he can be found on the metro making scarves and hats, or singing karaoke.