THE HAPPENING: A THEATRICAL MIXTAPE VOLUME IV Comes to the Broward Center

A tapestry that explores the intricacies of life through the unique lens of Black men comes to life in The Happening: A Theatrical Mixtape, Volume IV: Black Like He, written and directed by Darius V. Daughtry and featuring some of South Florida's finest talent, in the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Friday through Sunday, December 16-18.

One of South Florida's best-known poets, authors, directors and educators, Daughtry weaves together poetry, music and dance to highlight simple moments and complex emotions and revealing a

universal humanity. "The Happening: A Theatrical, Volume IV: Black Like He is a journey filled with joy, struggle, love and truth," Daughtry said.

The Happening: A Theatrical, Volume IV: Black Like He is part of the Broward Center's Arts for Action: Black Voices initiative, which aims to use the arts as a catalyst to heighten awareness, deepen knowledge, create connections and elevate the voices of Black creatives in South Florida. The Broward Center's Arts for Action: Black Voices initiatives this season are presented by Baptist Health and JM Family Enterprises, Inc.

Daughtry has been involved in the Broward Center's Arts for Action: Black Voices since the initaitve was launched. Since then, he has presented The Happening: A Theatrical Mixtape, Volume III - A Woman's Worth, celebrating and highlighting women, their obstacles and achievements, with a particular lens on how gender, race and class intersect. He took the stage for the Broward Center's inaugural Rhythm by the River, a festival that celebrated exciting and innovative Black voices in Broward County, where he gave a sneak peek of the play Head Above Water: The Life of Esther Rolle, which he wrote, was directed by Bianca LaVerne Jones and commissioned by the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. In 2023, Rhythm by the River is scheduled for March 19 at Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Earlier this summer, as part of Arts for Action: Black Voices, Daughtry presented a staged reading of his new play, Seeking, which was a poignant story following a young musician's pursuit of independence that leads him to discover how instrumental his family's past is to his quest to find his future.

Performances are at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16; 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17; and 2 and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18.

Tickets are $30. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center and Parker Playhouse. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org, or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or in person at the Broward Center's AutoNation Box Office.