DREAM FEED From The HawtPlates to Open at ArtsEmerson in Boston

ArtsEmerson will present Dream Feed, a genre-defying, electro-acoustic theatrical experience from two-time Grammy Award-winning family band The HawtPlates, at the Emerson Paramount Center's Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre from November 19–22, 2026.

Part concert, part theatrical event, Dream Feed invites audiences into a mesmerizing world where the boundaries between dreams and waking life begin to dissolve. Through an inventive fusion of live vocals, atmospheric soundscapes, and imaginative storytelling, The HawtPlates explore the mysteries of the subconscious, transforming the fleeting images, emotions, and sensations of dreaming into a shared musical experience.

What do our dreams reveal about who we are? How do memories, aspirations, and imagination intertwine when we sleep? And can the dreams we experience individually connect us to something larger? These questions form the foundation of Dream Feed. Rather than following a conventional theatrical narrative, the production immerses audiences in a shifting dreamscape, capturing the unpredictable and deeply personal nature of the dreaming mind.

Written and performed by Jade Hicks, Kenita Miller-Hicks, and Justin Hicks, The HawtPlates are known for their distinctive approach to vocal performance, breaking down familiar musical forms and reconstructing them through improvisation, composition, and experimentation. Drawing from their shared family history, individual artistic experiences, and a wide range of musical influences, the trio creates richly layered performances that explore the connections between sound, memory, identity, and human experience.

Dream Feed is being produced by HERE Arts Center and was developed as a 2023 HERE Artist Residency Program (HARP) commission, with additional co-commissioning support from the Under the Radar Festival. Directed by Phillip Howze, the production premiered at HERE Arts Center in New York City in January 2026 as part of the Under the Radar Festival. The work continues The HawtPlates' exploration of music as a powerful vehicle for theatrical storytelling, inviting audiences to experience the familiar and the extraordinary through an entirely new lens.