CTG Offers Reading of USED TO WAS (MAYBE DID) with Inner-City Arts Tonight

A reading of the free-flowing, hip hop-style "Used To Was (Maybe Did)" by Brian Dykstra will be presented by CTG and Inner-City Arts tonight, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. as part of CTG's DouglasPlus programming. Directed by Margarett Perry, the free reading will take place in Inner-City Art's Rosenthal Theater. A reception with the artists will follow the performance.

"Used To Was (Maybe Did)" uses rhythms and language of the hip hop generation to examine how much those in search of fame sacrifice, compromise or sell out in order to get what they want.

Set to musical accompaniment provided by El Beatardo, the play features a cocky and confident Double D (played by Carlton Byrd) who is certain his spoken word talents make him the perfect match against the well-known, more experienced Big Papa B (Brian Dykstra). However, it's the young Lil' Lat'n Gurl (Enid Cortes), a true underdog who uses her painful past as inspiration thanks to the advice of the older and wiser Muddkat (David McKnight), who takes center stage and surprises all.

The reading of "Used To Was (Maybe Did)" is open to the public and is the culmination of a two-week workshop hosted by CTG. For those who wish to attend, reservations can be made by visiting CenterTheatreGroup.org/Tickets/Used-To-Was or by calling 213.628.2772.The Rosenthal Theater is located at 720 Kohler Street Los Angeles, CA 90021. Parking is free.

"Used To Was (Maybe Did)" is a Center Theatre Group completion commission, made possible by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

CTG's DouglasPlus provides the flexibility to explore new work and push boundaries through fully and minimally staged events, workshops and readings and traditional and non-traditional performance configurations.

Brian Dykstra is an actor, playwright and HBO Def Poet. He's currently performing his one- man show "Brian Dykstra: Selling Out" about the corrupting influence of money on everything. Previous to that, he played Rooster Byron in "Jerusalem" (San Francisco Playhouse), Leonard in "Seminar" (Kitchen Theatre, Ithaca, NY) and six months on Broadway with Tom Hanks in "Lucky Guy" (directed by George C. Wolfe). As a playwright, he wrote "Hiding Behind Comets" (Stavis Award winner), "Forsaking All Others," "Spill The Wine," "Cornered & Alone," "STRANGERHORSE," "Clean Alternatives," "A Play On Words," "Ho!," "The Jesus Factor" and "The Two of You." Film and TV roles include "HBO Def Poetry," "Chappelle's Show," "Knight & Day," "Freedomland," "Spectropia," "Corn," "Third Watch" and "Law & Order." His current projects include a musical adaptation of "The Learned Ladies" by Molie?re with composer Ray Leslee.

Inner-City Arts' mission is to use arts education to positively affect the lives of underserved youth, improving their chances to lead productive and fulfilling lives by developing creativity, expanding learning skills and building self-confidence. Founded in 1989, Inner-City Arts is a learning oasis in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. Under the guidance of professional teaching artists, Inner-City Arts' students engage in a variety of visual and performing art forms in a real studio setting. Services include core classes during the instructional day for K-8 students, after-school and weekend workshops for middle school and high school students, diverse and innovative performances in the Rosenthal Theater and creativity-based professional development training for educators. In partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and other schools in underserved areas, Inner-City Arts provides a safe and supportive environment for young people to express themselves and explore new ideas. Inner-City Arts cultivates a sense of agency and possibility within Los Angeles' youth through the transformational power of creativity.