The Realness a break beat play by Idris Goodwin

(3)
Productions (6)
Drama
|
90 - 100 minutes
2 W, 3 M,  (5-10 actors possible: 2-4 W, 3-6 M)
Content Notes: Some adult language.
Set: Flexible.

1996 is an incredible time to be a hip-hop fan, so the moment T. O. escapes the suburbs, he plunges into the scene, eager to experience the culture for himself. It doesn't get much more real than Prima, a super-dope MC supporting her family, and the moment he meets her, T. O. falls madly in love. But when he becomes tangled in the lies he tells to get closer to her, he's forced to ask himself: is he after real love, or fulfilling a middle-class fantasy of rap? Idris Goodwin takes on tough questions of authenticity and class collision with humor, heart, and killer rhymes in a coming-of-age tale set to the beat of hip-hop history.

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $85
Standard Edition $12.99
eScript Digital Edition $17.5
Stage Manager Edition $24.99
Archival Video License $125

*The per performance fee begins at $85. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.

eScript Digital Editions are not printable.eScript Printable Editions are available as cast sets with performances only. See "eScript Details" below for more information.

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Play Details

1996 is an incredible time to be a hip-hop fan, so the moment T. O. escapes the suburbs, he plunges into the scene, eager to experience the culture for himself. It doesn't get much more real than Prima, a super-dope MC supporting her family, and the moment he meets her, T. O. falls madly in love. But when he becomes tangled in the lies he tells to get closer to her, he's forced to ask himself: is he after real love, or fulfilling a middle-class fantasy of rap? Idris Goodwin takes on tough questions of authenticity and class collision with humor, heart, and killer rhymes in a coming-of-age tale set to the beat of hip-hop history.

  • Drama
  • |
  • 90 - 100 minutes
  • 2 W, 3 M,  (5-10 actors possible: 2-4 W, 3-6 M)
  • Content Notes: Some adult language.
  • Set: Flexible.
  • Standard Edition ISBN: 978-1-68069-980-7

Published Reviews

"[Goodwin] is a playwright of unmistakable skill and ambition who astutely recognizes that hip-hop has been a potent cultural force for so long that its history is loaded with dramatic possibilities."

The Boston Globe

"It's for those who remember what it's like when you're young and falling in love."

OnStage Review

"At its core, The Realness is a love story - as viewed through a time period's love of emerging hip-hop culture."

Nashua Telegraph Review

"The play draws the audience into the culture's embrace."

Broadway World: Boston

Production History

FEB 25, 2023 - FEB 25, 2023
B-Side Studios
Schaumburg, IL United States
B-Side Studios Schaumburg, IL United States
JUN 09, 2022 - JUL 31, 2022
Marietta's New Theatre in the Square
Marietta, GA United States
Marietta's New Theatre in the Square Marietta, GA United States
JUN 17, 2021 - JUN 26, 2021
Hangar Theatre
Ithaca, NY United States
Hangar Theatre Ithaca, NY United States
APR 08, 2021 - APR 18, 2021
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Urbana, IL United States
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Urbana, IL United States
JAN 17, 2019 - JAN 26, 2019
New Manifest Theatre Company
Austin, TX United States
New Manifest Theatre Company Austin, TX United States
MAR 16, 2016 - APR 10, 2016
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Lowell, MA United States
Merrimack Repertory Theatre Lowell, MA United States
No upcoming productions.
JUN 17, 2021 - JUN 26, 2021
Hangar Theatre
Ithaca, NY United States
Hangar Theatre Ithaca, NY United States
JAN 17, 2019 - JAN 26, 2019
New Manifest Theatre Company
Austin, TX United States
New Manifest Theatre Company Austin, TX United States
MAR 16, 2016 - APR 10, 2016
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Lowell, MA United States
Merrimack Repertory Theatre Lowell, MA United States

eScript Details

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