Bay Area Tech and Hip-Hop Collide in New Musical ‘Co-Founders’
A new musical titled ‘Co-Founders’ is set to premiere at the American Conservatory Theater’s Strand Theater in San Francisco, exploring the intersection of Bay Area startup culture and hip-hop. The musical is a collaboration between playwrights Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela, and Ryan Nicole Austin, who also star in the production.
The idea for ‘Co-Founders’ originated from a therapy group for struggling tech founders started by Lewis nine years ago. The group used hip-hop as a form of expression, allowing participants to release their frustrations and fears.
“There was a pressure for us to keep up an external veneer of success and not actually be open and vulnerable about all of the challenges and fears that we had,” Lewis recalled.
The musical takes this concept further, exploring the tensions faced by a Black female coder from Oakland and how the Bay Area’s inventive spirit extends beyond tech to rap and activism. Adefela, who produces her own music and builds her own website, noted that her relatives often jury-rig sound systems from boom box speakers, showcasing the resourcefulness and engineering skills present in her community.
One of the standout elements of the show is a song titled ‘Valley to Vallejo,’ which bridges the gap between Silicon Valley tech giants and Oakland rappers. The song asks whether it takes the same hustle to sell a tape out of a trunk as it does to sell a computer out of a garage.
The musical also features a cutting-edge technological element: Dadvatar, a hologram that interacts with flesh-and-blood actors onstage. The hologram is operated in real time by actor Tommy Soulati Shepherd using live-motion capture technology.
Director Jamil Jude emphasized that the show is not about blaming technology for societal issues, but rather about how technology is used. ‘This show reminds us that it is not technology’s fault. It is the way in which we are trying to use it,’ Jude said.
‘Co-Founders’ runs through July 6 at ACT’s Strand Theater in San Francisco. Tickets range from $25 to $130.
