by Mike Orren

Local artist Will Richey has created an environment where teens feel comfortable speaking their minds, occasionally in rhyme, and always with a great deal of care and insight.

About DaVerse Lounge.

Will Richey performs "Cafe con Limon."

DaVerse: The performances

DALLAS — DaVerse Lounge is a monthly spoken-word event held at the Dallas Theater Center's Kalita Humphreys Theater. Local artist Will Richey has created an environment where teens feel comfortable speaking their minds, occasionally in rhyme, and always with a great deal of care and insight.

The crowd of performers and specators is made up of a diverse group of poets (hence the name "DaVerse.") Picture a mix of urban hip-hop types; mixed with the goth kids; mixed with the quiet brainy ones.

I talked to a half-dozen of the performers on Friday night and they all told me the same thing: That DaVerse gives them the opportunity to express themselves about difficulat topics in an environment where they new they would be accepted and nurtured. They ranged in age from 13-18, but the event is open to anyone under 21. Many of the performers have worked with Will in classes and seminars, while others have been encouraged by their English teachers to participate.

The scene is all hipster coffeehouse, with the West Village Starbucks serving up free cups of joe, and the performance area a dark-room mix of small tables, couches and chairs. At each event, a young artist exhibits his work.

Local jazz fusion group Faint Image serves as the house band for the event. They're a well-seasoned group (Violinist Vicki Blackwell was a member of Sly and the Family Stone) and take the event very seriously, carefully matching their music to the speech patterns of the spoken-word performers.

The show kicks off with a jam by the band, followed by a performance by Will. This particular evening, he pulled out an older work, "Cafe," an immigrant tale, to reflect the recent student protests over immigration policies.

He then lays down the ground rules for the crowd, doing a remarkable job of setting up an ordered atmosphere without coming across as square or the least bit condescending. It's clear that no monkey business is tolerated, and that all performers are to be treated with respect.

There are two sets of performances by high school and middle school students, respectively. Other obligations kept me away from the second set, but the first was a mix of demi-hip-hop, dramatic monologue and straight-up poetry -- all high-quality and impassioned.

The final outing for the first season of DaVerse Lounge is May 19.