‘Hype Man: A Break Beat Play’ @ Jubilee Theatre
Graphic/photos courtesy of Jubilee Theatre
—Jan Farrington
Right off the bat, it ought to be noted that the two Onstage NTX contributors who know something about hip hop were unavailabe. I’m winging it here, just a bit—but like most writers, I still know what I want to say.
The best thing about Jubilee Theatre’s area premiere of Hype Man: A Break Beat Play is its cast, three performers who squeeze a lot of juice from a compressed story (directed and paced well by Charles Jackson Jr.) that flies past us in under 90 minutes.
Black playwright, poet, and popular speaker Idris Goodwin cuts some Big Issues of race, friendship, and ambition down to size in his compact look at a striving hip hop group—two longtime friends and a newcomer—trying to move the needle of their career toward fame and fortune while not blowing up too soon over personal, stylistic, and political views.
It’s tough going and as we know, plenty of talent ends up scattered in pieces along the road.
Verb (Donavon Murphy) and Pinnacle (Dylan Todd) grew up in the same tough city neighborhood and schools, hung out at each other’s family homes (Verb is Black, Pinnacle is white)—and have stuck it out as music partners too. It feels like they’re right on the edge of a jump forward: to bigger venues, a national TV spot, wider recognition. Peep One (Hailee Dyer) is a recent addition, an experienced deejay and talented beat maker, trying to fit in with Verb, the group’s intense hype man, and Pinnacle, their success-obsessed main rapper.
They’re in a good place as the play opens, with some exciting new opportunities coming up. But a police chase and shooting on a nearby highway breaks open their rehearsal and their fragile relationships. An unarmed young Black man’s been shot 18 times in the chase, and immediately, Verb moves into “how to we protest?” mode, Peep follows him first, then pulls back trying to keep the group balanced—and Pinnacle’s first instinct is the need to stay focused on their next career moves. “You’re acting unusually Caucasian right now,” Verb tells him bluntly. “Why can’t you be patient?” Pinnacle asks Verb. “Why can’t you hurry up?” Verb snaps back.
Dyer does fine work as the sad but resilient Peep, trying to live between the cracks that are forming. She doesn’t want the group to destroy its chances—but Verbs makes a good case that Peep needs to jump in with him on his “Justice for Jerrod” campaign. Todd as Pinnacle skates on the edge of losing the audience—”All this race stuff,” he scoffs; he’s hurt that Verb doesn’t understand their lives have been just alike, “raised on the same welfare.”
The scenes shift from increasingly edgy talks to concert and rehearsal events, and attempts to come back in sync. Rap consultant Chris Murdaugh’s work shows, with strong rapping from both Dyer and Todd, and clear sound from designer Crescen Haynes. (Everyone take a turn hauling electronics around the stage, designed by Gabrielle Mallbrough, and backed by artist Jennye James’ hazy urban panorama.) Raven Lazuna-Brown’s costumes feel natural, but a second look shows plenty of imagination loaded into each outfit.
I won’t tell you what happens in the end. The tying-up of the plot felt sudden—did I maybe miss some shifts that happened in the music, not the dialogue? But Idris Goodwin’s given us a thoughtful story made livelier by its music world setting—and this good cast sells it well.
WHEN: February 6-28, 2026
WHERE: Jubilee Theatre, 506 Main Street, Fort Worth
WEB: jubileetheatre.org
