Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival Presents 'Virtual Hot Off The Press' Via Zoom on June 27

          Hot Off the Press is a program of new solo writings presented by talented scribes in staged readings. Usually presented in a theatre with a live audience, our newest show will be performed in a virtual presentation live via Zoom, to conform with current considerations of public health and safety. The new program includes:

            Is There a Doctor in the House?  Written and performed by Lynne Jassem. A lesbian in Oakland meets a true love (at last!), in a romantic odyssey that will take her across the country and over the sea.

           Versatile. Written and performed by Kevin Neighbors. A modern journey through identity and intersectionality. Kevin, a biracial and gay person, wades through the trauma of police brutality. Through poetry, he explores the fate of African-American men when stopped by law enforcement and how it challenges him to own his sexual identity.

            Moments. Written and performed by Sharon Nyree Williams.  The Seattle-based graduate of a historically Black college (HBCU)  utilizes her voice to affirm her love for African-American men and her concerns for their health and safety, as well as trans people in the light of recent headlining events. She takes a look at confrontations with the community and the law enforcement establishment.

            #Boy Mom. Written and performed by April Wish. The mother of a daughter and son worries about what she detects as violent tendencies in the behavior of her little boy. Are these tendencies innate? If so, can they be controlled by nurturance?

            There may be further additions to the program, to be announced.

            

          This program is produced by Michelle Jewsbury (Founder, Unsilenced Voices) and hosted by Jessica Lynn Johnson (CEO of Soaring Solo LLC, director, and consultant) and Juliette Jeffers (actor, director, teaching artist).

          Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival’s Co-Founder and Executive Producer is Adilah Barnes.

HOW TO ATTEND: Saturday, June 27, 2020, at 5 p.m. Virtual Hot Off the Press is an exciting evening of new works written and performed by remarkable authors in staged readings. Presented by the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. Tickets are $10. Order at https://bit.ly/virtualhotoffpress . A-Zoom link will be sent to attendees after ticket purchase is confirmed.

Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, a non-profit organization, is supported in part by the City of West Hollywood; City National Bank; Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; Women in Media; KPFK 90.7; and Adilah Barnes Productions.

'RAVAGE' Opens In Theaters and VOD August 21

RAVAGE

The new revenge horror drama RAVAGE (previously titled SWING LOW during its festival debuts), stars Annabelle Dexter-Jones (UNDER THE SILVER LAKE, HOLY MOTORS, "Succession"), two-time Oscar nominee Bruce Dern (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, NEBRASKA, COMING HOME) and Robert Longstreet (DOCTOR SLEEP, HALLOWEEN KILLS, "The Haunting of Hill House"). The film opens in theaters and VOD on August 21st. 

When a nature photographer explains to the police how she fought her way out of Virginia’s Watchatoomy Valley, they dismiss her crazed and violent story as a meth-induced nightmare. But when they discover that she's telling the truth, it’s too late.

Writer/director Teddy Grennan previously worked as a producer and executive producer on a variety of independent feature films. Prior to writing the script for SAVAGE, Teddy Grennan spent five years in the animation world writing for Nickelodeon and various other studios including Prana. 

Running time: 77 minutes 

Language: English 

Rating: Not Rated

Written and directed by Teddy Grennan. Produced by Marsha Oglesby, Bennett Krishock, and Teddy Grennan. Music by Jacques Bratbaur. Starring Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Bruce Dern, and Robert Longstreet. A Brainstorm Media release.

BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2020: Celebrities Name Their Favorite Song of All Time

By Darlene Donloe

June is Black Music Month and what better time to celebrate its rich history.

For centuries, Black musicians, singers, writers, and producers have made incredible contributions to the music industry.

This is the month set aside to pay homage to all those individuals who, through their music, have made us smile, laugh, cry, dance, tap our feet, clap our hands and swivel our hips.

President Jimmy Carter officially designated the month of celebration on June 7, 1979. It was during a reception at The White House, which featured performances by Chuck Berry, Billy Eckstine, Little Richard, and Andre Crouch.

On May 31, President Barack Obama declared the month of June 2016 “African-American Music Appreciation Month” in a presidential proclamation. Although June was first deemed “Black Music Month” by Jimmy Carter and campaigned for by songwriter and producer Kenneth Gamble back in 1979, as the nation’s first Black president, Barack Obama felt strongly that an official proclamation was more appropriate.

The proclamation calls Black music “Among the most innovative and powerful art the world has ever known.” President Obama also called upon “Public officials, educators, and people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs that raise awareness and foster appreciation of music that is composed, arranged, or performed by African Americans.”

I caught up with some celebrities and asked them the following: What is your favorite song of All-time?

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) – Let’s Chill by Guy

Russell Hornsby

Russell Hornsby  (Bone Collector) – "As" by Stevie Wonder

Senator Holly Mitchell

Senator Holly Mitchell – "Say It Loud" by James Brown and "Alligator Woman" by Cameo

Louis Gossett Jr.

Louis Gossett Jr. – "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston

Matthew A. Cherry

Matthew A. Cherry (Hair Love) – "Knock Me Off My Feet" by Stevie Wonder

Common

Common – Anything by Michael Jackson

Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish – "Rinky Dinky Doo"

Asante Blackk

Asante Blackk  (This Is Us) – "The Box" by Roddy Ricch

Alex Newell

Alex Newell (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist) - "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston

Lawson Rollins Releases Single 'With The Wind'

The winds of change are upon us and while possessing the power of destruction, wind can also purify, refresh, and foster renewal. It’s the latter that world music guitarist Lawson Rollins had in mind when composing “With the Wind,” the second single from the recently released “True North” album, a collection that the Billboard chart-topper wrote and produced marking his 20^th anniversary as a recording artist. The single recently serviced to radio began collecting playlist adds on Monday.

“‘With the Wind’ is an expression of energetic joyfulness. The song emerged out of improvisation - as songs often do for me - so the inspiration was spontaneous and enigmatic as the music flowed naturally, like the steady force of the wind,” said the San Francisco-based Rollins who was named by Guitar Player magazine as one of the “50 Transcendent Acoustic Guitarists” of all-time.

“With the Wind” follows the success of the album’s first single, “Bluewave Bossanova,” which went to No. 1 on the SmoothJazz.com chart, Top 10 on the Mediabase and Groove Jazz Music charts, and Top 30 on the Billboard and Radiowave Monitor charts. Opening with tribal percussion beats, “With the Wind” takes off on an exuberant flight. Rollins crafts whirling gusts of masterful acoustic guitar delivered at alacritous speed and technical brilliance, searing electric guitar accents and snappy beats at cadences that vacillate between a cascading and careening thrill ride mixed with deliberate and dramatic pauses seemingly to allow the listener the opportunity to catch their breath. The track is an eclectic escapade unlike any other recorded by Rollins, who was accompanied by Stephen Duros (additional keyboards and electric guitar), Dan Feiszli (bass), and Dave Bryant (drums and percussion).

Named by Jazziz magazine as one of the “10 Albums You Need to Know,” “True North” displays familiar Rollins’ hallmarks while introducing new and different elements. His prodigious fingerstyle guitar work remains the focal point of the tracks that stylistically serve a melange of contemporary jazz, world music, Latin, and New Age sound. On this outing, Rollins expands his repertoire by playing electric and slide guitars and steel string guitar alongside his signature classical Spanish nylon-string acoustic guitar. He also adds textured synthesizer swatches. Known for embarking on lengthy improvisational explorations, Rollins keeps the tracks tightly focused on “True North,” exhibiting discipline and control.

Exotic travel and exhilarating adventure have long been Rollins’ primary thematic subjects, however, as pictured on the album cover and accompanying photography in the CD packaging, “True North” derives much of its geographic inspiration from a more familiar locale: Rollins’ favorite vacation spot on the Outer Banks in his home state of North Carolina.