Press Release

January 4, 2018 | By Cole Hatcher

Available Light Theatre will perform ‘How We Got On’ Jan. 20 at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Idris Goodwin play features, from left, Treasure Davidson, David Glover, Rudy Frias, and Wilma Hatton. (Photo by Matt Slaybaugh)

Available Light Theatre to Perform Jan. 20 at Ohio Wesleyan

Group to Present Idris Goodwin’s Hip-Hop Coming of Age Story ‘How We Got On’

DELAWARE, Ohio – Hank studies hip-hop as intently as his father wishes he studied algebra, longing to create music of his own. He teams up with Julian and Luann in the inspired and inspiring play, “How We Got On,” a 1980’s coming-of-age story about chasing dreams.

Columbus-based Available Light Theatre will present one performance of Idris Goodwin’s “How We Got On” at 8 p.m. Jan. 20 on the Main Stage of Ohio Wesleyan University’s Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Tickets are available now. 

Directed by Drew Eberly, “How We Got On” features actors David Glover (Hank), Rudy Frias (Julian), and Treasure Davidson (Luann) with narration by Wilma Hatton (The Selector), an onstage DJ who spins records and supplements Goodwin’s award-winning story with extra characters and insider information about hip-hop culture.

Of the production, Eberly said: “Our play revisits 1988 and glimpses rap music beginning to permeate the Midwest, extending from its East Coast origins into the towns and suburbs of states like Ohio. … Through the teenage stories of Hank, Julian, and Luann, we examine the beginnings of the creative process (writing, rhyming, making beats). Ultimately, the play is universal and illuminates the discovery and development of our passions and how they transform us.”

Playwright Goodwin is an assistant professor in The Department of Theatre and Dance at Colorado College and also is an accomplished poet, performer, and essayist. His work has been featured on HBO, The Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, and “Sesame Street.” Learn more about him at www.idrisgoodwin.com.

Available Light Theatre is “a fellowship of artists dedicated to building a more conscious and compassionate world by creating joyful and profound theatre and serving our community.” With roots stretching back to 2002, AVLT was founded by Matt Slaybaugh in 2006. Learn more at http://avltheatre.com.

Tickets for AVTL’s Ohio Wesleyan performance of “How We Got On” are $10 for general admission and $5 for senior citizens, Ohio Wesleyan employees, and non-OWU students. Admission is free for Ohio Wesleyan students with a valid OWU ID. To reserve tickets, call the OWU box office at (740) 368-3855. For more information, visit www.owu.edu/TheatreAndDance.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.