Dan's Papers - September 26, 2008

It used to be that, if you lived on the East End, you schlepped your kids to the city for "culcha." If you lived in the city, you gave the kids a good dose of it there before coming out to the Hamptons to enjoy "naycha."

But in the last several years, there have been incredible developments within the realm of children's theatre and performances in the Hamptons. City dwellers can enjoy the convenience (and lower ticket prices) of East End venues, and we East End residents can take a leisurely, relatively short, gas-frugal drive to another Hampton to see first rate productions at places like The Children's Museum of the East End (CMEE), Bay Street Theatre, Gateway Playhouse and the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. These venues offer a wide range of productions and shows, mostly one or two performances by professional groups that travel throughout the area, if not the country or the world, catering to age groups from K-12.

This Sunday, there's a very cool, unusual, high energy show for the older kids (8 and up), as Bay Street Theater kicks off its fall KidStreet Series. The Mayhem Poets is an outrageously entertaining trio of Slam Poets, who blend verse that is jam packed with social-minded issues, with mind-boggling hip-hop rhythms. The group has performed in venues from Broadway to Ireland, from stages to schools - last year, they did a run at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street. While they may look like bad boy homies, they are artsy nerds in disguise. According to The New York Times, "Their only weapon is words, specifically the snappy, streetwise art known as slam poetry. And they deploy it brilliantly."

The name of the game for the Mayhem Poets is language and word play. They'll start with one word or sentence, then morph it in the most unexpected and amusing ways. Call it tongue twisters for the young brain. It's an improvisational approach that expands a child's concept of the written and spoken word in creative, unrestrictive ways. The Poets, who met as students at Rutgers, use dynamic theatrical techniques, and rely on audience participation. They bring volunteers onstage, and show them how, word by word or even action by action, a line of people can create a poem. It is, according to the Times, "an amazing ride."

The three poets include Mason Granger, Kyle Sutton, and Scott Tarazevits. Granger's intelligent yet accessible style has been called "pure, unmitigated genius." Always mindful to keep the fun in poetry, Granger seamlessly blends whimsy with social commentary to produce his own brand of poetry.

Kyle Sutton has led writing and performance workshops around the globe. His smooth flowing, hard-hitting hip-hop style and dynamic theatrical presence make him a big hit with children and adult audiences. Scott Tarazevits thinks in rhyme. His unique brand of humor mixed with an acerbic wit of Weird Al wordplay elicits enthusiastic audience response.

In addition to their shows, the Poets often conduct workshops at schools for students in conjunction with performances. Their love of the spoken and written word brought them together. And this Sunday, they'll share that passion to inspire young writers and poets lucky enough to take part in the show at Bay Street.

Mayhem Poets, Sunday, September 28, 1 pm, Bay Street Theatre. www.baystreet.org, or 725-9500.