Eric Berryman brings to life a collection of “toasts”—narrative poems that blend humor, fantasy, and bravado to recount the exploits of larger-than-life street legends. These bawdy, lyrical monologues reflect a vibrant, often underrepresented storytelling tradition rooted in prisons, street corners, and barbershops.

Berryman is joined onstage by drummer Jharis Yokley, whose rhythms underscore and elevate the spoken word performance. The production is directed by Kate Valk, with production design by Elizabeth LeCompte and sound design by Eric Sluyter.

This interdisciplinary collaboration merges music, theatre, and folklore, reviving a powerful form of oral history with theatrical innovation and historical grounding.