Mardi

Marlon Horton, aka 10th Ward Buck, has a lot on his plate. Horton is a local Bounce artist, he’s one of the many intriguing candidates in the race for the District B seat on City Council, he owns Finger Lickin’ Wings (739 Jackson), and, now, he’s starring and directing a play about his life’s work.

That stage work, Definition of Bounce is in the practice phase now at the Lucky Johnson Theatre (2420 Martin Luther King Blvd), but the play is set to premiere at the Joy Theatre on October 25.

Set in Central City, the work is autobiographical, taking the viewer from Horton’s childhood in the St. Thomas Projects, through Katrina, and his rise to local success. Horton says his viewers (and potential voters) will learn more about the genre of bounce as well as about the life of a New Orleans bounce artist.

“It’s about my role in Bounce, what Bounce is, how I got in it, and my ups and downs,” Horton explains. “I’ve been shot at one of my gigs. It’s a small synopsis of my life story mixed with the background of bounce music.”

Like most things in his life, Horton’s association with Bounce music began in his own St. Thomas neighborhood.

“We was walking around the St. Thomas, and one time, we were walking around and he told this girl that was with us, ‘get your drawers outcha booty.’ I said, ‘Man, that’s a song.’”

NoDef saw the practice run of the play last night, and the big production at the Joy Theatre promises viewers a lot of comedy blended with a dose of the harsh realities of the New Orleans streets. As expected, there’s no shortage of twerkin' mixed in with the storytelling. Horton says one of the most important elements of the narrative is young Buck.

“He’s playing me at the age of 14, 15,” says Horton. “Growing up in the St. Thomas, the kids never see an actual child say ‘no,” to drugs and violence. They just hear grownups saying, ‘say no, say no,’” says Horton.

Young Buck turns down drugs and prostitutes in the play, and he also avoids violence as much as possible. However, clean living didn’t spare him the gun wound he received at one of his gigs. Horton hopes that his viewers can separate the violence from the music.

“I’ve been shot, I’ve seen somebody get robbed, I’ve seen somebody get killed,” explains Horton. “But Bounce is not violent at all. No matter what you do, if you stay in the city of New Orleans, you will have a brush with violence.”

Horton and writer Alison Fenterstock recently released a book by the same title that deals with a lot of the issues in Horton’s play. Definition of Bounce: Between Ups and Downs in New Orleans gives readers an insider’s view into the genre that has helped to define New Orleans local music scene since the late 80’s.

Horton’s play deals with some of the homophobia he encountered, even as a straight man in the Bounce scene.

“When I first started getting into bounce, a lot of the guys didn’t like it. It was known that a lot of gay people were doing it. They learned to accept it for what it is,” Horton explains.

As Bounce has gained young followers in the past few years, many have taken to the term “Sissy Bounce,” to describe bounce artists such as Big Freedia and Katey Red. Horton explains that the term is offensive in that it establishes an arbitrary division between “gay” Bounce and “Bounce,” that doesn’t truly exist.

“There isn’t such thing as ‘Sissy Bounce,’” Horton says. “You have to think about it, when you have someone doing gospel and they’re gay, it’s not gay gospel. It’s just gospel.”

Horton says the Joy Theatre will deliver in terms of local stars and starlets. “Every hot artist in the city will be there,” says Horton. “We have Freedia, Noby, Partners in Crime aka ‘PNC,’” says Buck, naming a few people off the top of his head.  

The play is at the Lucky Johnson Theatre for one more night (Sat., Oct. 6) for $15 at the door before its full on debut on October 25.