It was obvious from a young age that Jermaine Hardy (senior-media studies) surged with creative energy. At the age of five, he taught himself how to play turntables. By the age of seven, he was DJing parties in his local Brooklyn community.

"I've always been involved with the arts in some way, shape or form," Hardy said. "I get a lot of joy out of it."

He said there was a momentous experience during his teenage years that was crucial in directing him towards a life in the arts. While freestyling in the back of a New York bus in high school, Hardy's lyrical, storytelling style of rhymes (he cites Slick Rick and Jay-Z as big influences) elicited the applause of a busful of strangers.

"It was one of those things I'll never forget," Hardy said. "Everybody was clapping: some black, some white, mostly adults on their way home from work. It was then that I thought to myself, 'Maybe, this can be more than kids rhyming in the back of a bus.' "

Indeed, it has grown into The Lesson, State College's first hip-hop musical -- written, coproduced, and directed by Hardy, who also assumed the lead role when the actor originally cast quit the show. The play -- what Hardy describes as "The Breakfast Club meets School Daze with a hip-hop twist" -- chronicles what happens when a cross-section of college students are forced to share a classroom with each other because of a hurricane, complete with 12 hip-hop musical interludes.

"It's different than anything you'll see anywhere else," said Kaaren Terpack (senior-film), who plays Lauren, the wealthy love interest.

Curtis Davis (senior-media studies), who plays an upper-class nerd, also sees the play as unique.

"It's different," he said. "It appeals to African Americans and there's not a lot of plays that deal with minority issues. It's also good to see a musical besides those that play on Broadway with all white actors."

Hardy maintained, however, that although the play deals with serious issues -- such as sexism and racism -- it is accessible for everybody, regardless of race, religion, or even age, thanks to the lack of violence and coarse language. The Lesson, in fact, marks the second time Hardy has dabbled with this new genre called "hip-hopera." During his sophomore year at Penn State Behrend, Hardy wrote and directed a series of short hip-hopera skits about college life, some of which would become part of the storyline in The Lesson.

"My main goal is more than just to tell a good story," he said. "With the hip-hopera, you're not just looking at a play, but you're physically being moved: you're tapping your foot and bobbing your head."

The cast of actors and MCs have an illustrious history in both theater and hip-hop, but neither could prepare them for the experience of The Lesson. Cast member Carlos Mason (senior-psychology), who has rapped, as well as acted, onstage in the past, found this especially challenging.

"Trying to keep in character and find a certain emotion while rapping at the same time was challenging. You don't want
to get so deep into the emotions and then lose the beat," Mason said, adding that the more comfortable he got with the words the easier it was to explore
the depths of the character.

The most challenging thing for writer-director-co-producer-star Hardy was balancing his devotion to The Lesson with the demands of academia. "I enjoy every aspect of this," he said. "But, in the future [in the musical theater program at NYU where Hardy has been accepted] I think I might let somebody else direct so I can concentrate more intensely on my writing craft."

Hardy and crew will be performing The Lesson ay 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night in 112 Kern. Admission is free.