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Axios
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Hip hop collides with Silicon Valley in new SF musical "Co-Founders"
A new hip hop musical tells a uniquely Bay Area story: A young Oakland coder hacks her way into San Francisco's most competitive startup accelerator, intent on saving her home from gentrification. Driving the news: " Co-Founders" draws from the region's hip hop roots while incorporating traditions from soul, gospel, funk, jazz, R&B and more to pay homage to the people who make Silicon Valley what it is. Zoom in: The musical explores the tension underlying a Black woman trying to enter circles she's long been excluded from while investigating the perils of tech when it comes to grief. The brainchild of Ryan Nicole Austin, Beau Lewis and Adesha Adefela, "Co-Founders" is now playing at American Conservatory Theater's Strand Theater (1127 Market St.) through July 6. What they're saying: The fingerprint of historical figures like the Black Panthers is reflected in the music and parallels the grit needed to pave your way in the tech world, according to Austin. "That's where the synergy is with the spirit of the entrepreneur," she told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's like, 'Hey, I gotta make something out of nothing, and even though everything around me says no, I know that I have it within me to say yes.'" My thought bubble: This musical tackles head-on the intersections of tech, race and class, reminding us that seemingly siloed corners of the Bay are never as disparate as they seem. Fun fact: The production includes interactions between on-stage actors and a holographic avatar controlled by an actor backstage via live-motion capture.
San Francisco Chronicle
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘Co-Founders' is the musical to see with your start-up (or your hip-hop) buddies
'Co-Founders' playwrights Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela and Ryan Nicole Austin sit for a portrait during a technical rehearsal for the production at American Conservatory Theater's Strand Theater in San Francisco on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle Nine years ago, Beau Lewis created an unusual weekly therapy group for struggling tech founders. Instead of sitting in a circle of folding chairs, participants freestyled — as in hip-hop. 'There was a pressure for us to keep up an external veneer of success and not actually be open and vulnerable about all of the challenges and fears that we had,' recalled Lewis, who co-founded toy company GoldieBlox and serves as CEO of media company and would-be musical theater disruptor Rhyme Combinator. Those feelings, he continued, came out in 'whatever your subconscious brain bled out over this beat.' Choreographer Juel D. Lane works onstage during a technical rehearsal for 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle All the angst released during those rap sessions has now evolved into 'Co-Founders,' a musical about Bay Area start-up culture whose world premiere begins performances Thursday, May 29, at American Conservatory Theater's Strand Theater. But it's no longer just Lewis' baby. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Co-playwrights Adesha Adefela and Ryan Nicole Austin, who also star in the show, pushed the production to ask broader questions. It investigates how tensions might multiply for a Black female coder from Oakland — someone who's never assumed part of, or invited into, tech's inner circle — and it explores how the Bay Area's inventive spirit extends beyond tech to rap and activism. The 'Co-Founders' production team tinkers with Dadvatar during a technical rehearsal on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle 'I consider myself a techie,' Adefela told the Chronicle during a group interview in the Strand Theater's lobby, which is outfitted with a grandma-style living room, complete with a twist-dial TV set and garish-print sofa, in an effort to help new audiences feel more at home. More Information 'Co-Founders': Written by Adesha Adefela, Ryan Nicole Austin and Beau Lewis. Directed by Jamil Jude. Performances begin Thursday, May 29. Through July 6. $25-$130, subject to change. ACT's Strand Theater, 1127 Market St., S.F. 415-749-2228. As an independent artist, Adefela produces her own music, records her own videos and builds her own website, she pointed out. And her relatives, too, might jury-rig a giant sound system from a couple of boombox speakers. 'I'm like, wow, that's engineering,' she said. 'How come that isn't seen as engineering? How come I don't see my cousins and the like in places like Apple?' Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the show, a song titled 'Valley to Vallejo' works to bridge that gap, thanks especially to lyrics by Austin that put La Raza and Black Panther Party activists as well as Oakland rappers Too Short and MC Hammer on par with Silicon Valley tech giants Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. The number asks, as Lewis put it, 'Does it take the same hustle to sell a tape out of a trunk as it does to sell a computer out of a garage?' Aneesa Folds rehearses 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle Austin points out that the drive of artists from San Francisco rapper JT the Bigga Figga to Vallejo Hyphy pioneer E-40 was 'inspired by the grit and the unapologetic nature of the Black Panthers.' 'That's where the synergy is with the spirit of the entrepreneur,' she continued. 'It's like, 'Hey, I gotta make something out of nothing, and even though everything around me says no, I know that I have it within me to say yes.'' Aneesa Folds, left, and Adesha Adefela rehearse 'Co-Founders' at the Strand Theater on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle In the show, Esata (played by 'Freestyle Love Supreme' star Aneesa Folds through June 22 and Angel Adedokun for the rest of the run through July 6) has an astonishing start-up idea that she's pitching to an elite accelerator: a 'Dadvatar' that creates a simulacrum of her dead father whom she's mourning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 'If you are a technologist, what does that look like to deal with your loss?' Adefela explained. Choreographer Juel D. Lane works onstage while Dadvatar, an avatar controlled by live-motion capture from an actor backstage, is projected on a holographic scrim during a technical rehearsal for 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle Onstage, Dadvatar appears as a hologram interacting with flesh-and-blood actors, and he's operated in real time by actor Tommy Soulati Shepherd, who stays in a backstage booth. ACT is billing this use of technology as the first of its kind, noting that previous stage interactions between humans and holograms, as when Celine Dion sang with Elvis on 'American Idol,' have been recordings. The show's projection wizards are David Richardson, of Los Angeles' famed theater-projection-pop music hybrid 'Cages,' and Frédéric O. Boulay, who splits his time between the East Bay and what the team jokingly calls 'the East East Bay,' or France. Dadvatar, a a hologram who can react spontaneously in real time next to onstage actors, is projected on a scrim during a technical rehearsal for 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle 'I love the things that are not supposed to work,' Boulay said, of his attraction to the project. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Richardson casually whips out sentences such as 'We've built a MetaHuman in Unreal Engine,' referring to an avatar and computer program well known in the gaming world. The resulting Dadvatar, in yellow shirt and jeans, resembles a video game character. When he appears next to human actors onstage, the result scrambles the brain; your eyes keep darting from one to the other, trying to make sense of it. Actor Tommy Soulati Shepherd, who plays Dadvatar, demonstrates the live-motion capture technology that allows him to puppeteer an avatar with his facial reactions from backstage at 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle Dadvatar gets projected onto an invisible screen, and to manipulate him, a motion-capture camera grabs and mirrors Shepherd's facial expressions: raised eyebrows and gaping jaws, micro-shifts in cheek muscles. 'I had to get contacts,' Shepherd revealed, noting that the camera can't read his eyes through glasses. New to the experience, it takes him an hour to get his contact lenses on every morning. Actor Tommy Soulati Shepherd, who plays Dadvatar, demonstrates the live-motion capture technology that allows him to puppeteer an avatar with his facial reactions from backstage at 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle To control Dadvatar's body movements, Shepherd uses an Xbox controller. Thankfully, he was already familiar with the gaming console, so he said that helped. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Also of unlikely assistance: being a drummer. Shepherd has to keep one eye on a monitor displaying the Dadvatar, another on monitors displaying what's onstage, so he can react as if he's really there. He has to emote realistically with his face while operating with his hands a pressure-sensitive controller whose left-right movements don't correspond to Dadvatar's physical location but to gestural intensity. Actor Tommy Soulati Shepherd, who plays Dadvatar, demonstrates using an Xbox controller to manipulate a holographic character in real time for 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle On his second day in the booth, he told the Chronicle, 'I'm going to get good at this.' But the bells and whistles aren't in your face, Boulay pointed out. 'The last thing you want is for audiences to walk out and say, 'That was a lot of cool technology,'' he said. Still, the show taps into debates about the supposed evils of tech that date back to 'Frankenstein' and Prometheus. Director Jamil Jude observes a scene during a technical rehearsal for 'Co-Founders' on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Jessica Christian/S.F. Chronicle 'This show reminds us that it is not technology's fault. It is the way in which we are trying to use it,' said director Jamil Jude. Ryan echoed that sentiment. 'Technology is a tool, and that tool is imbued with the power and the personality of the people that use it,' she said. 'So do you use that hammer and nail to build a concentration camp, or do you use that hammer and nail to build a temple or a theater?'
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
How to have a hella Bay Area summer
Like foggy summer days, there are certain things that are quintessentially San Francisco. Here are some uniquely Bay Area ways to soak up the season. BottleRock Napa Valley Memorial Day weekend will once again be marked with musical and culinary excellence as BottleRock Napa Valley gets underway in Wine Country. The three-day tradition, set for May 23-25, plans to welcome East Bay rockers Green Day, pop artist Justin Timberlake and singer-songwriter Noah Kahan as headliners at Napa Valley Expo. More than 80 additional acts are slated to take the stage over the course of the festival. — Zara Irshad 'Co-Founders' Since tech companies controlling our brains got started in garages, accelerators and hacker houses in our backyard, the Bay Area is the perfect place for new theater that explores the broader social ramifications of the industry: When you start up, who or what gets left behind? Enter 'Co-Founders,' a hip-hop musical written by locals Ryan Nicole Austin, Beau Lewis and Adesha Adefela making its world premiere at American Conservatory Theater's Strand Theater on May 29. The production runs through July 6. Ilana DeBare discusses 'Shaken Free' To hell and back. So travels the protagonist of 'Shaken Free,' the sequel to Oakland author Ilana DeBare's offbeat 2023 debut novel 'Shaken Loose,' which followed the high-temperature challenges facing a Bay Area woman who finds herself in the underworld. Along with San Francisco writer Audrey Ferber, she plans to talk about her protagonist's not necessarily eternal damnation when Green Apple Books hosts her book launch on June 4. — Kevin Canfield David Nayfeld discusses 'Dad, What's for Dinner?' David Nayfeld's new cookbook offers numerous answers to the question asked in its title. On June 5, the chef and co-owner of Che Fico in San Francisco comes to the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco to discuss 'Dad, What's for Dinner?' (written with Joshua David Stein; foreword by Gwyneth Paltrow). His kid-centric collection of recipes includes the Best Fricking Meatloaf in the World. It's not bragging if you can back it up. — Kevin Canfield SoSF A new Pride Month celebration is hitting San Francisco's Pier 80 this summer. Oakland R&B star Kehlani, 'Nasty' singer Tinashe and Grammy history-making trans pop artist Kim Petras are set to headline the event, dubbed SoSF. It is set to take place June 28, a day before the city's official Pride Parade, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the nonprofit organization Lyric Center for LGBTQ+ Youth. — Zara Irshad Outside Lands San Francisco's biggest musical tradition is returning to Golden Gate Park on Aug. 8-10, for its 17th edition. This year, rappers Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator and alternative folk singer Hozier are slated to headline Outside Lands, which is also set to offer attendees unique experiences such as on-site weddings, a performance area dedicated to LGBTQ communities and more. — Zara Irshad
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Denzel Washington ‘emotional' after receiving surprise award at Cannes
Denzel Washington was genuinely stunned after receiving a career achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival. The two-time Oscar winner and American Conservatory Theater alum made a brief stop in France on Monday, May 19, for the world premiere of Spike Lee's 'Highest 2 Lowest.' When Washington and Lee were onstage, festival director Thierry Frémaux surprised the Oscar winner with an honorary Palm D'Or. Washington, 70, is only the 21st person to receive the award at perhaps the most important film festival in the world. 'This is a total surprise for me, so I'm emotional,' Washington told the crowd. 'It's a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again, my brother from another mother, Spike, and to be here once again in Cannes. 'We're a very privileged group in this room that we get to make movies and wear tuxedos and nice clothes and dress up and get paid for it as well. We're just blessed beyond measure. I'm blessed beyond measure. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.' 'Highest 2 Lowest,' a morally complex ransom thriller that is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic 'High and Low,' is the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington but the first in nearly two decades. Washington, who studied at ACT's prestigious San Francisco training program in the late '70s, is currently starring on Broadway opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Shakespeare's 'Othello,' so the 'Highest 2 Lowest' premiere was scheduled for Monday — traditionally an off-day for Broadway productions. 'Highest 2 Lowest' will be released in theaters Aug. 22 before streaming on Apple TV+ beginning Sept. 5.
San Francisco Chronicle
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘Trump won't stop us': Bay Area arts groups vow to fight back after NEA cuts
Jessie Amoroso, costume director at the American Conservatory Theater. left, and Costume and Scenic Designer David Zinn, right, adjusts a costume on cast member El Beh during a fitting ahead of the musical 'The Wizard of Oz', at the theater's costume shop in San Francisco, May 16, 2023. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Ravi Coltrane performs during the 2023 SFJAZZ gala on May 4, 2023 in San Francisco. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. Michaela Vatcheva/Special to The Chronicle House Speaker Nancy Pelosi greets well wishers after the concert while attending the SFJAZZ Gala 2019 at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. Laura Morton/Special to The Chronicle Jarvis B. Manning sings and dances with fellow cast members Derrick Baskin (center) and Jared Joseph (left) during a rehearsal for 'Ain't Too Proud: The Temptations Musical' at the Berkeley Rep rehearsal studio in Berkeley, on Aug. 2, 2017. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. The abrupt move, which stripped local theaters, festivals and nonprofits of vital financial support overnight, reflects a shift in federal priorities aligned with President Donald Trump's vision for national identity — one that seeks to eliminate what he terms 'woke' influences. Dozens of organizations, including some of the Bay Area's most prominent cultural institutions, were notified Friday evening that their grants have either been rejected or canceled. In addition, an NEA official reported on Monday that staff members have been asked to either resign or retire. Advertisement Article continues below this ad For many in the local arts community, the cuts have created deep financial and creative uncertainty. Jason Veasey, foreground, and Ana Yi Puig, from background left, Seth Hanson, Molly Hager, A.J. Holmes and John-Michael Lyles in American Conservatory Theater's 'Nobody Loves You.' Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. Kevin Berne/American Conservatory Theater Among the organizations affected are the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and SFJazz. ACT, which had been awarded $40,000 for its world premiere of 'Co-Founders,'a hip-hop musical, now faces an uncertain future with its funding in jeopardy. 'We are incredibly disappointed to receive notice that the NEA is changing funding priorities mid-year,' said Jennifer Bielstein, executive director of the theater, in a statement Monday. 'These changes not only hurt ACT. but also have far-reaching consequences for arts organizations throughout the country. NEA funding supports jobs in arts organizations and among artists, as well as indirectly in adjacent businesses such as restaurants, parking, transportation, and redirection has an expanded impact on the entire arts ecosystem.' Advertisement Article continues below this ad Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which had secured $40,000 for its Ground Floor program, a nationally recognized incubator for new works, also finds itself grappling with the fallout. The company's Managing Director Tom Parrish expressed concern about the future of American theater. 'This move represents not merely a funding cut, but an attempt to undermine the very existence of the NEA and the shared civic value it embodies,' he said in a statement Monday. 'The loss of this support endangers not just Berkeley Rep's pipeline of new work but the future of American theatre writ large.' Cast members of the upcoming American Conservatory Theater production 'A Whynot Christmas Carol' are seen during a rehearsal in San Francisco, Oct. 30, 2024. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle The impact extends beyond major institutions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Smaller organizations like Circo Zero, which promotes BIPOC and LGBTQ+ participation in theater, and Frameline, which has showcased LGBTQ+ films for nearly five decades, are also feeling the weight of the changes. 'To lose the NEA is to concede that the arts no longer matter in this country,' Parrish added. 'We refuse that premise and remain steadfast in our commitment to creative ambition, cultural relevance, and broad access.' Frameline's Executive Director Allegra Madsen criticized the move as 'nothing short of an attempt to censor our art, control our history, and erase our lived experiences.' Organizers shared a letter from the NEA, saying grants are redirected toward projects with more narrowly defined goals that prioritize 'the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs' and 'make America healthy again,' among other things. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 5, in Washington. Bay Area arts organizations are reeling after the National Endowment for the Arts rescinded crucial funding as part of the Trump administration's sweeping cultural overhaul. Alex Brandon/Associated Press The agency has also redirected resources to fund Trump's proposed 'National Garden of American Heroes,' a monument featuring statues of historical and contemporary figures like Benjamin Franklin and Kobe Bryant. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The move is part of a broader agenda to reshape cultural funding under the Trump administration, which previously advocated for defunding the NEA during his first term. But Congress ultimately restored the agency's budget at that time. Despite the setbacks, Bay Area arts leaders remain resolute. 'Trump will not stop us,' Andrew Wood, executive director of the San Francisco International Arts Festival, which also lost funding just as international artists were set to arrive, said in an email Sunday. 'The show will go on.'
