Two-Man Hip-Hop Musical 'Mexodus' Premieres at Studebaker Theater

A two-person hip-hop musical about enslaved people who escaped to Mexico opens at Studebaker Theater on November 3 and runs through November 21.

Titled 'Mexodus,' the production blends 'Mexico' and 'Exodus' to reference a historical episode in which slaves in the American South fled south to free Mexican territory rather than north via the Underground Railroad. Creators Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson perform the show themselves, handling all vocals, instruments, and acting without a backup band.

The project began as a concept album created during the pandemic. Robinson plays guitar, double bass, piano, washtub bass, trumpet, and makeshift percussion instruments. Quijada plays guitar, accordion, and percussion, while also beatboxing. The pair uses audio loopers to build their accompaniment, recording four-bar phrases and layering additional instruments or vocal harmonies on top of the initial playback.

The narrative follows a character named Henry, played by Robinson, who kills his owner in Texas and flees south. He nearly drowns crossing a river before being rescued by Carlos, a farmer played by Quijada. When a storm floods Carlos' fields, Henry uses drainage techniques learned in the South to save the farm. The duo delivers almost all dialogue through music, with some lyrics sung in Spanish.

The stage is set with traditional instruments and objects used for sound effects. Quijada and Robinson address the audience directly at the start, breaking the fourth wall with a concert-style greeting. Quijada incorporates physical comedy, such as spinning his spur or miming the creation of a crackling fire loop using crumpled paper.

The show includes a scene where the audience is prompted to hum a musical lick that the performers then record and loop into the performance. A guitar duet performed while characters dig trenches provides a break from the looping structure. The production also exists as an audio play recorded for Audible Theater, offering an alternative to the live stage experience.

The short run in Chicago provides a limited window to see the performance, which has been described by the creators as a high-energy presentation that encourages audience participation through whooping and dancing.