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Clay (musical)
Encyclopedia
Clay is a 2008 Hip-hop musical
loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts 1
and 2
and Falstaff
written and performed by Matt Sax. The first performance was at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Clay's real name is Clifford Keys. His father is an emotionally-absent businessman, and his mother is a depressed chain-smoker
. When he is seven years old, Clifford's parents decide to divorce
, and his father manipulates the boy into asking to stay with his father. After missing three of Clifford's birthdays in a row, Clifford's mother commits suicide. His father quickly remarries.
Years pass, and Clifford is sixteen years old. To escape his dysfunctional family
, he begins going to open-mic nights at a small bookstore. The MC
is Sir John, a talented rapper whose face was deformed in a car accident
and has no chance of getting signed to a record label
. Clifford begins weekly hip-hop lessons with Sir John, and he begins his transformation from awkward novice
to confident storyteller. When Sir John asks Clifford to rap about the girl he loves, Clifford reveals that he is in love with his stepmother, and they have slept together. Sir John begs Clifford to come live with him, but Clifford refuses.
Clifford's father returns one night to find his wife and son in bed together. He throws Clifford out of the house, and Clifford goes to live with Sir John. Three years pass, and under Sir John's wing, Clifford has become the successful rapper Clay. His song about his family life is a radio hit. On the night of his on-stage debut, Clifford's father tracks him down and reprimands him for embarrassing his family, telling him, "Your mother is rolling in her grave." In the ensuing fight, Clifford nearly kills his father, but he decides to let him go.
After Clifford recounts the fight, Sir John tell him that he is proud of Clifford for letting his father go. They get him cleaned up in time for him to come out on stage and give a triumphant debut performance.
During a short run at Northwestern University
in 2004, Eric Rosen of About Face Theatre saw Clay, later sending it to an About Face production in Chicago under his direction, and later the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. A year later, Clay was brought to Rosen's new theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, before going to the Lincoln Center in New York.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts 1
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
and 2
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
and Falstaff
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In the two Henry IV plays, he is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, and is...
written and performed by Matt Sax. The first performance was at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Synopsis
The show opens with Sir John presenting his protégé, Clay, for his first major concert. Clay shows up an hour late, blood covering his face. In an attempt to stall for time, Sir John tells the audience the story of Clay's life.Clay's real name is Clifford Keys. His father is an emotionally-absent businessman, and his mother is a depressed chain-smoker
Chain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
. When he is seven years old, Clifford's parents decide to divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, and his father manipulates the boy into asking to stay with his father. After missing three of Clifford's birthdays in a row, Clifford's mother commits suicide. His father quickly remarries.
Years pass, and Clifford is sixteen years old. To escape his dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
, he begins going to open-mic nights at a small bookstore. The MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
is Sir John, a talented rapper whose face was deformed in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
and has no chance of getting signed to a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Clifford begins weekly hip-hop lessons with Sir John, and he begins his transformation from awkward novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
to confident storyteller. When Sir John asks Clifford to rap about the girl he loves, Clifford reveals that he is in love with his stepmother, and they have slept together. Sir John begs Clifford to come live with him, but Clifford refuses.
Clifford's father returns one night to find his wife and son in bed together. He throws Clifford out of the house, and Clifford goes to live with Sir John. Three years pass, and under Sir John's wing, Clifford has become the successful rapper Clay. His song about his family life is a radio hit. On the night of his on-stage debut, Clifford's father tracks him down and reprimands him for embarrassing his family, telling him, "Your mother is rolling in her grave." In the ensuing fight, Clifford nearly kills his father, but he decides to let him go.
After Clifford recounts the fight, Sir John tell him that he is proud of Clifford for letting his father go. They get him cleaned up in time for him to come out on stage and give a triumphant debut performance.
Lincoln Center Production at The Duke on 42nd St.
Developed in collaboration with and directed by Eric Rosen- Sound Designer: Joshua Horvath
- Orchestrator: Joshua Horvath
- Music Producer: Joshua Horvath
History
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 2004, Eric Rosen of About Face Theatre saw Clay, later sending it to an About Face production in Chicago under his direction, and later the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles. A year later, Clay was brought to Rosen's new theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, before going to the Lincoln Center in New York.