RAP MONOLOGUES
Shakespeare meets hip-hop in a lyrical showdown in a solo performance
by Dr. Austin Dean Ashford.
July 26 & 27

What if Shakespeare met hip-hop in a storage unit break room? Rap Monologues is a razor-sharp solo performance where classical verse and rap lyrics go toe-to-toe in a rhythm-fueled showdown. With humor, swagger, and an undeniable love of language, this one-person powerhouse cracks
open the shared DNA of iambic pentameter and 16-bar verses. 

Dr. Austin Dean Ashford is a multidisciplinary theatre maker, playwright, and performer whose work blends classical forms with hip hop, Afrofuturism, and poetic storytelling. A two-time MFA graduate and recent Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Arts, Austin’s award-winning solo and ensemble work has toured nationally and internationally, earning recognition from the Kennedy Center, Amazon Prime, and the U.S. State Department as a Hip Hop Cultural Ambassador. He currently serves as Director of Interdisciplinary Arts at Flanner House and as an Artist in Residence at Z Space.