PLAY
stage presence // STIK FIGA
local musicians, feel free to swoon.
Stik Figa's lanky appearance isn't a sign of weakness. This raw-boned rapper uses his lyrics as ammunition to stand out among the abundance of commercially sold music.
"I don't make things up," Stik Figa says. "I've never shot anybody. I don't sleep with 88 exotic women in one day." From making social commentaries to figuring out his path in life, Stik Figa describes his music as honest and passionate.
Stik Figa was born in Fort Campbell, Ky., as John Westbrook Jr., but spent most of his adolescence in Topka. As a child, he heard LL. Cool J rapping "I Can't Live Without My Radio" on a videoacoustette tape. "That's when hip hop got a hold of me and didn't let go." Stik Figa says.
At age 19, he got his rap name from his mother,
who said he resembled a stick figure.
Stik Figa says the art of writing lyrics is a poetic outlet for him. His other musical influences include Johnny Cash and Andre 3000.
The 27-year-old took his rapping from the halls of high school to the stage of 2007 KJHK's Farmer's Ball, the station's annual music contest. Stik Figa says he was terrified being the only rapper among a sea of bands. "I thought they were going to throw tomatoes and cabbage at me," he says. But he won the competition, which helped him
gain confidence to pursue a career in rap.
He also won the 2009 Pitch Music Award for best hip hop act in Kansas City, Mo. His most recent album is Hello Goodbye and his follow-up album, Alive and Well, will be released later this year.
You can hear Stik Tiga's poetic lyrics at 9 p.m. this Saturday at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
// ANNA KATHAGNARATH
Contributed photo
Long and lean: Local rapper Stik Figa also known as John Westbrook Jr. grew up and discovered a love for hip hop in Topeka.
this weekend // DOUBLE-FEATURE OF STUDENT THEATER
because those CSI marathons are getting old.
Don't depend on a horror flick to give you a thrill this weekend.
The University Theatre presents "Undergraduate Student Projects," a double-feature play showing Bedside and 4.48 Psychosis, Undergraduate students produced and directed both plays.
Garrett Kelly, Tonganoxie senior and director, describes the play as a surprisingly funny thriller, which blends humor into the dark play. Full of plot twists and manipulation, this first feature will mess with your mind.
Bedside is a psychological thriller about how dark thoughts of harming others manifests into reality. The interaction between two high school brothers takes a turn when one psychologically torments the other in his sleep. The play examines what truth is and who is in control. "You're going to leave trying to reassess the different elements of what you saw," says Tosin Morohunfula, Leawood senior and playwright.
4. 48 Psychosis is the second feature, which was British playwright Sarah Kane's last play before the 28-year-old committed suicide in 1999. The play is a psychological drama about the actual versus perceived relationship between a patient and her therapist. Amy Virginia
Buchanan, Stillwater, Okla., senior and director, describes the play as brave, dynamic and jarring. She defines it as a memory play where the patient experiences psychological madness. "It's like a patchwork quilt within the mind," Buchanan says. The title refers to 4:48 a.m., a time when the patient experiences a range of emotions from desperation to sanity. At 6 a.m. her madness ends and she reaches a personal sense of clarity, which is sure to arrest your attention.
"Undergraduate Student Projects" debuts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall. The double-feature is running until April 2; tickets are $10.
// ANNA KATHAGNARATH
Contributed photo
J T. Nagle, Oswatimie junior, right, and Jordan Footer Overland Park senior, rehearse the roles in 'Bedside,' one of two student-run theater productions running this weekend at the Ingle Theater in Murphy Hall.
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