No Lie
a solo hip-hop play by Aaron Jafferis
music by Alex Vittum and Liam Baum
No Lie is a one-act hip hop play examining the shifting racial dynamic of America as it unfolds on the crowded confines of a public transit bus. A solo performer rips and rhymes through a seven-sided conversation that bridges black and white, English and Spanish, youth and age, suburb and city.
Playing off of the bus occupants’ rhythmic and intricately-rhymed responses to each other, musicians mix hip hop beats and guitar riffs to create a rocking original score. The result is a ride that brings each passenger to question their role in a rapidly changing country.
Unwavering in its look at the tragedy and comedy of race, provocative and hopeful in its outlook, No Lie is an ode to the fear and joy of an increasingly colorful America.
With its combination of hip hop and narrative, and its courageous perspective on issues of race, No Lie is a unique educational tool for facilitating discussion on multicultural issues for adults and youth. More than fifty universities, high schools, middle schools, and theatres have used performances of No Lie, and accompanying talkbacks and workshops, to deepen student conversation and creative work around the issue of race.
“I laughed my ass off at Aaron Jafferis’ one man exploration of the culture clash between white suburbia and urban black and brown folks, No Lie… Jafferis rhymes his way through each character’s monologue with precision, never missing a beat… So many sounds and voices out of Jafferis can keep you enthralled.”
-New Haven Advocate