“O Q Brothers, Q Brothers wherefore art thou, Q Brothers?” Attention all Verona-loving, Shakespeare-adoring classics enthusiasts, the Q Brothers are here and ready to revamp your world with their fresh twist on Shakespeare’s play “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
There’s nothing like a good Shakespeare play, to remind us all that, even in this modernized day and age, the classics never go out of style. Though they never fade, some classics can be morphed into something a little more fresh, a little more original, and a whole lot more rap-tastic.
The Q Brothers have been at work for nearly 20 years writing plays and musicals. They deliver a twist on classic works by portraying them in modern contexts, all while staying true to the original story. Staying true to the original author’s work, but delivering it with a twenty-first century take, is the Q Brothers’ way of making these timeless acts more accessible to audiences today.
The co-creators of Q Bros, GQ and JQ, are comedic hip hop actors that direct and star in their original productions of classic plays told through modern day hip hop. The brothers have invented their own genre of what they call, “Add-Rap-Tations,” in which they create plays in rhyme and perform over authentic music played by a deejay.
Performances are always better live, and the Q Brothers are no exception. Their role on stage is forever changing, their character never just one, and their script never dull. To truly witness the creative magic that is in every one of their shows, a clip on Youtube is not sufficient. Seeing these two brothers in person is an experience that would not be soon forgotten.
The brothers will perform their play, “Q Gents,” which is their interpretation of Shakespeare’s work, “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” The two gentlemen in Shakespeare’s play, Proteus and Valentine, are friends that are both in love with the Duke of Milan’s daughter Silvia. Proteus is Julia’s lover at the beginning of the play, until he falls in love with Silvia and attempts to steal her away from Valentine.
The Q Brothers reimagine this play in a high school setting, with allusions to the 80s high school movies that audiences are familiar with. The Q Gents version of the story focuses on a modern Proteus and Valentine, who are football stars at Verona College Prep. Their hip-hop adaptation includes a 75 minute performance of over twenty characters, that are all played by the two brothers.
The Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts at Texas A&M University will host the Q Bros on Wednesday, October 4 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Rudder Theatre. All seating is general admission with $5 student tickets and $7 regular tickets for non-students.
