About this Event
BAR EXAMS is back for a special Holiday Edition! After an exciting inaugural season at Ujamaa Community Bookstore, we're bringing the games to The BOX Indy in partnership with Indy Shakes for one more night of hip hop, theatre, comedy, and community celebration!
Created by Dr. Austin Dean Ashford, Bar Exams is an interactive hip hop theatre game where artists transform famous rap lyrics into dramatic monologues, debate the meaning behind iconic bars, and invite the audience to help decide who really passed the bar.
Think of it as part theatre, part hip hop, part debate, and part game night — where the music you know by heart gets a whole new interpretation.
TWO GAMES. ENDLESS BARS.
🎭 RAP MONOLOGUES
What happens when you take away the beat and let the lyrics do the acting?
Performers take familiar rap verses and bring them to life as theatrical monologues, using character, emotion, storytelling, humor, and dramatic interpretation. Same lyrics, different delivery — and sometimes a completely different meaning.
⚖️ LYRIC DEBATES
Just because your favorite rapper said it doesn't mean it's true!
Performers take famous hip hop lyrics and argue whether they agree or disagree with the statement. With humor, logic, personal experience, and quick thinking, they defend or challenge the bar while the audience helps decide who made the strongest case.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Live Rap Monologues and Lyric Debates
- Audience scoring, reactions, and participation
- Local artists bringing hip hop lyrics to life
- Comedy, storytelling, and some unexpected interpretations
- A special holiday edition celebrating Black music, creativity, and community
No two Bar Exams are exactly alike, and you never know which lyrics will have the room laughing, arguing, or thinking a little differently!
EVENT DETAILS
Tuesday, December 8, 2026
Doors Open: 7:00 PM
Show Starts: 7:30 PM
The BOX Indy
1413 E. Riverside Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Presented with Indy Shakes, Stage Academy, Flanner House, and Ujamaa Community Bookstore.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Box Media Space, 1413 East Riverside Drive, Indianapolis, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.