Representative Korean Production Poster
Days of Rage
Official English Title
Other Titles: Days of Rage, A Musical Explosion
SOURCE
history
SETTING
Foreign
BOOK
original
Activists in 1960s Chicago and the cycle of violence
Korean Premiere:
None
Korean Premiere Theatre
None
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References
Summary
In late-1960s Chicago, the leader of a militant antiwar group and the leader of a Black community organization fighting Urban Renewal confront the question of how to stop the cycle of violence.
Origin & Development
With book and music by Hyeyoung Kim and lyrics by Shoshana Greenberg (credited as co-book writer in early presentations), the musical was introduced through songs in New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series at the Cell on November 7, 2016, followed by a New York Theatre Barn reading there on November 28, 2016, both directed by Joe Barros. Early versions centered on Fred Hampton, leader of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party; later drafts fictionalized the story around David Hayward and the Black Angels. It was developed further in New York Theatre Barn's Choreography Lab in 2017, through the Sokoloff Arts Fellowship at Town Stages in 2018, and at Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre and Dance from July 2020 to May 2021. Under the title Days of Rage, A Musical Explosion, it received an industry reading in New York on December 4, 2023, directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene with music direction by Kim and produced by Trey Tetreault.
Full Synopsis
In 1968, as President Johnson declares full support for the Vietnam War, Jean, the leader of the militant protest group Hard Rain, recruits college students to oppose it, while David, the leader of the Black Angels, runs a food pantry and after-school classes in his Chicago neighborhood. During a Hard Rain protest, Jean's brother Tom is arrested and drafted, and at the same time police shut down the Black Angels' community programs.
When Chicago's mayor orders gentrification under the name of "Urban Renewal," pushing poorer residents out of the city, people from many communities unite as United Power under David's leadership. Hard Rain, desperate to bring Tom home, turns to bombing government buildings with the message "Stop white supremacy, stop imperialism, and bring our troops back home." David becomes a threat to the city's plans, and Jean lands on the FBI's most-wanted list.
Fate turns against them. Charlie, a Hard Rain member, is killed when the group bombs a courthouse, and David is killed by police while defending the Black Angels' headquarters. Their paths intertwining, David and Jean grow closer and apart in a time of war, civil rights, and rage, each choosing to fight for their convictions by any means necessary. Days of Rage traces the cycle of violence of a turbulent era and asks how it can ever end.
Days of Rage
2016
2016-11-07
to
2016-11-07
Production Type:
Reading / Showcase
Country:
United States
City:
New York
Language:
English
Venue:
The Cell
Songs from the musical were presented in New York Theatre Barn's New Works Series at the Cell, a ticketed showcase directed by Joe Barros with musical direction by Christopher D. Littlefield, the night before the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The cast included Drew Arisco, Adam Theodore Barry, Ben Bogen, Michael Enright, Luke Forbes, Jeremy Gaston, Michelle Beth Herman, Jonathan Hooks, Kelly McIntyre, Alexis Tidwell, and EJ Zimmerman.
Days of Rage
2016
2016-11-28
to
2016-11-28
Production Type:
Reading / Showcase
Country:
United States
City:
New York
Language:
English
Venue:
The Cell
A reading presented by New York Theatre Barn at the Cell, directed by Joe Barros with musical direction by Christopher D. Littlefield.
Days of Rage
2019
2019-10-25
to
2019-10-25
Production Type:
Concert
Country:
United States
City:
New York
Language:
English
Venue:
The Green Room 42
A one-night concert of songs from the musical at The Green Room 42, a ticketed cabaret venue, directed by Joe Barros with music direction by Hyeyoung Kim. The cast included Jenna Pastuszek, Jonathan Mousset, Forest Van Dyke, Drew Arisco, Gabe Violett, Ashanti J'Aria, Michelle Herman, and John Rodney Turner.
Days of Rage, A Musical Explosion
2023
2023-12-04
to
2023-12-04
Production Type:
Reading / Showcase
Country:
United States
City:
New York
Language:
English
Venue:
Unknown
An invitation-only industry presentation produced by Trey Tetreault and directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, with music direction by Hyeyoung Kim. The cast included Jarran Muse and Jenna Pastuszek, with Sam Primack, Brandon A. McCall, JJ Niemann, Christian Musto, Mike Backes, Tim Fuchs, Claire De Jean, Tony Moreno, Alaina Anderson, and Jaelyn Alexander.
Production Type Key — Letters grow with the scale of the production, from workshop to licensed production.
English Title Verification
Evidence for Official English Title
Days of Rage | Captured: 2026-10-24
https://soundcloud.com/hyeyoungkimmusic/sets/days-of-rage
Official English titles in this database are extracted only from primary sources. These include:
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materials released by the production company, credited creative team, or venue, including their official pages on social media, YouTube, and similar platforms;
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official English listings on ticketing sites;
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official industry events such as the K-Musical Market;
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interviews in which a creative team member clearly gives the English title.
English titles that appear only in translations by others, such as news articles, reviews, or fan materials, are not included as official titles. When no primary-source English title exists, the title is recorded as a literal translation and labeled on the left as either “Unofficial Third Party Usage Confirmed” or “No English Title Found,” depending on whether an English title has appeared in the media or elsewhere.
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