Ayindé Howell Talks About His 'Sixteen Summers'

 Ayindé Howell

 By Darlene Donloe

It’s a show day, and Ayindé Howell’s ritualistic preparation to take the stage later that evening is underway. 

He will practice yoga, do planks, then relax and “try to forget the show.” 

“I try to surprise myself,” said Howell, who has an engaging spirit. “I try to find the freshness of it.” 

The show he is preparing for is ‘More Miracles: Three Original One Act Plays’ (for adults only), currently playing at The Actors’ Gang in Culver City. 

The plays include 'In Recovery,' 'Nun Fight,' and Howell’s play, 'Sixteen Summers'. 

All of the plays are written, directed, and performed by members of The Actors' Gang for a month-long engagement now through February 21, 2026.

'In Recovery' is by Mary Eileen O'Donnell and directed by VJ Foster; 'Nun Fight' is written and directed by Willa Fossum, and 'Sixteen Summers' is written by Howell and directed by Gloria Briseño.   

The plays are for adults only!  Audiences are advised that the production includes vaping, strobe lighting, foul language, sexual topics, and comedy. 

Howell’s ‘Sixteen Summers’ is the GenX'er's one-man show about coming of age that takes the audience on a journey through identity, family, the last act of love, and his relationship with his father, who died in 2021.   

Howell, originally from Tacoma, Washington, but now living in Los Angeles, has been described as having a superpower… It’s love … and his play, described as a journey through his life story, is a work in progress, driven by the senses. It’s an exploration of his life, his era, and his last act of love. 

Howell, a 20-year entertainment veteran, is an award-winning actor, writer, and producer who developed his show from a five-minute set.

If the response from the opening night audience is any indication, Howell’s play is a theatrical triumph! 

 Ayindé Howell

I recently caught up with Howell (AH) to talk about ‘Sixteen Summers.’ 

DD: Why did you become an actor? 

AH: I started doing spoken word in Seattle. It was in the wake of Love Jones. I got bit by the bug. I wrote a poem. People liked it. I do things full throttle. A director came out, saw me, and wanted me to do his movie. I thought you had to be special to be in movies. By the time I moved to New York, I had done another film there, and I liked it. Acting was always cool and new. I got into writing, but I kept acting. There aren’t many good stories out there for Black men. I wanted to create my own stories. My father said I should do standup. I tried it. I sucked at it. I was trying to do it the way I'd seen other people do it.

DD: What does acting do for you? 

AH: Out of all the training I’ve done, it’s a journey to yourself – that’s what I learned about acting. 

DD: This is three shows in one. Three original one-act plays with three different writers and directors. Describe your show – ‘Sixteen Summers.’ 

AH: This show I’m doing isn’t like anything I’ve seen done there (The Actors’ Gang) before. I didn't shy away from the embarrassing stuff.  I wanted to find out what a man is. 

DD: So, what is a man?

AH: I haven’t figured it out yet. That part of the show is interactive. We try to figure out what a man is every night. What I’ve learned so far, my father would say, is that if you believe in something, you’ll often find yourself standing alone. You have to come up with your own power. You have to be able to be vulnerable and sensitive. You have to generate your own force. 

I learned I was Black when I was 13 years old.  The police stopped me. They put me on the ground. It was raining. They were looking for a rape suspect. I told my mom. She said, ‘I’m sorry, this is something you’re going to have to get used to.’ 

DD: Describe 'Sixteen Summers'. 

AH: It’s a story about fathers and sons. I tell the story through monologue scenes, poetry, music, and stand-up. I wanted it to feel cinematic. My father was always telling me about three principles that impacted my life: vision, faith, and patience. They crystallized after I lost him.

DD: Your show has been described as a journey through your life story, an exploration of your life, your era, and your last act of love. It’s about your relationship with your father, who passed away in 2021. What was your relationship? 

AH: We weren’t ever super close. He was my father. I was his son. We had different periods of our lives together. When I was little, maybe seven, he had corner stores. He was always working. At 13, my mom started a business. I worked with her for a while. My dad and I didn't spend much time together. I loved my father, and he loved me. He was the most defiant person in his family. I was like him, but not in the way he expected. In my 30s, we saw more eye to eye. I’m the only actor in my family. Everybody else cooks. That’s what we do, we cook.  Our relationship was the best it could be. I left home at 20. Our relationship was over the phone or holiday visits.

DD: Can you describe the creative process of turning intimate, personal experiences—like your father’s passing—into a theatrical performance for the public? 

AH: I don't know how I did it. This play just came out. As an artist, a whole thing can come out of you. It wasn’t a lot of work. The way the play came about – there are no creative edits. 

DD: Why did you want to bring your story to the stage?

AH: I had to. It was therapy for me. I did actual therapy. As theater actors, we do a lot of physical work. I wanted to move this through me. 

DD: What is your writing regimen? Do you work in the morning, afternoon, does it have to be quiet? Is there music? Are you alone? 

AH: I talk into a recorder. I freestyle. I have an idea, and I’ll just go. I can’t write fast enough. I say what I want to say. It’s nice when it’s quiet. I fluctuate between frequency music, jazz, or something without words.

DD: Why did you choose Gloria Briseño to direct?

AH: When I first met her, I didn’t know if I was going to like her. She had that mean love. I’m GenX. I grew up with that. As a director, she is like a molder. The story you see is Gloria; the words are mine.  

DD: You are also a celebrity vegan chef. How long have you been a chef? Tell me about that. 

AH: All my life. I grew up making potato salad, cutting vegetables, and washing dishes for my mom in her cafe. In Seattle, I started off in the family business of cooking. I got work as a chef. I cook all the time. Mom still has a café in Tacoma.

DD: What’s your specialty? 

AH: Plant-based, with heavy southern and Caribbean influence. All the good stuff. 

DD: What is your goal for ‘Sixteen Summers’?

AH: My goal for ‘Sixteen Summers’ is Broadway. I want to do shows like something in the spirit of John Leguizamo and Whoopi. I grew up watching people like that. That’s the kind of energy I want to bring to my show. 

All performances of ‘More Miracles: Three Original One Act Plays’ take place at The Actor’s Gang Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Thursdays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. (no performance February 1), $35 + $3 fees.  Seniors and students are $25 + $3 fees, and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can.

Tickets are available at www.theactorsgang.com and by phone at 310 838-4264.

 

 

 

Love In The Time of Dementia: Sharon Catherine Brown Stars As 'Allie' In 'The Notebook'

Sharon Catherine Brown stars in 'The Notebook'

By Darlene Donloe 

Sharon Catherine Brown is bringing the iconic character of Allie to life in the LA premiere of the Broadway musical "The Notebook" at the Pantages Theater, opening January 6, 2026.

Brown plays Allie as a grown woman struggling with dementia, showcasing her impressive acting range. 

The musical, an adaptation of the iconic 2004 film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands, tells the story of Allie and Noah's timeless love, spanning decades and continents. The movie, set in 1940s South Carolina, is a love story read from an elderly man's (Garner) notebook by a woman with Alzheimer’s (Rowlands).

The play, directed by Michael Greif, who helmed both the original Broadway hit ‘Rent’ and the West Coast production, which also starred Brown, is a profoundly moving portrait of the enduring power of love, with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson. 

Allie and Noah are two people from different worlds who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. 

The movie featured white actors in the roles. The current theatrical production has colorless casting.  Brown, who is Black, is playing opposite a white actor in the role of Noah, which, she says, ‘doesn’t make a difference.’ 

“It’s such a layered question with a layered answer,” said Brown, the mother of one son. “I didn’t know what Black Allie and white Noah were going to be. What I’m feeling is that love is, in fact, prevalent, and it is stronger and more common than what we are currently seeing on the news.”

Chloë Cheers, Alysha Deslorieux, and Sharon Catherine Brown
star as Allie in 'The Notebook' at The Pantages theatre.

Allie and Noah are each played in the production by three actors: Kyle Mangold as younger Noah, Ken Wulf Clark as middle Noah, Beau Gravitte as older Noah, and Chloë Cheers as younger Allie, Alysha Deslorieux as middle Allie, and Brown as the older Allie. 

Brown's portrayal of Allie is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and memory. 

Playing Allie, a grown woman battling dementia, is a role Brown is tackling with emotional intensity.  She declined to reveal how she developed the character.

“Process is something I only have with actors I’m working with and directors,” Brown said. “I don’t want the audience to know anything but what they see. This is the most challenging role I’ve ever had. It also carries the most responsibility.” 

Brown's vibrant personality and impressive range as an actress draw audiences in, and what's interesting is that she hadn't seen the movie version of "The Notebook" before taking on the role of the older Allie.

“I saw the movie after I saw the show,” she said. “I cried so hard when we all went together to see The Notebook. It was very emotional. What I loved about the movie is Gena Rowlands as Gloria. I focused on that. I saw the movie for the first time last year. I liked it. In my opinion, this is controversial, but I’m going to say it. James Marsden should have been Noah, and Ryan Gosling should have been Lon. No shade to either one of them. Marsden’s version of Lon made it hard for me not to see the roles flipped.”

"The Notebook is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love," the show's description says, and Sharon's performance is sure to bring this poignant story to life. 

Brown's experience playing complex characters is evident in her nuanced performance. She's not just playing a character with dementia; she's bringing depth and humanity to the role.

“Playing the role of Allie isn’t easy,” said Brown. “But that’s what makes it interesting. When it comes to deciding what roles I’m going to take, it has to be bigger than me and tougher than me. It has to scare me a little bit. You want to reach for it. You have to work. It’s about the peeling of the layers. I have to find it. Stop using color and age as an obstacle. Just let me get in and prove myself. My parents taught me – ‘You go to the theater full and leave empty – so the audience is full.’ When I leave the theater at night, I’m spent.” 

Brown is a classically trained actress with a passion for her craft, having been surrounded by theater her entire life. She's a Broadway Baby, following in the footsteps of her parents, Johnny (‘Good Times’) and June Brown, both former Broadway performers. Sadly, Johnny Brown passed away on March 2, 2022. 

“My parents are the greatest love story I’ve ever known,” Brown said. “They were together for over 65 years. I owe everything I am to them.” 

With a career spanning over three decades, Brown has amassed an impressive list of credits, including "Days of Wine and Roses," "Caroline, or Change," and "Dreamgirls."

But it's not just stage productions that Brown has dominated. Her television and movie credits include "Generations," "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," and "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit." Clearly, Brown, who has been in show business for 55 years, is no stranger to the spotlight.  She’s been acting since she was three, doing baby modeling. 

“I did not have a say in this,” Brown said. “I came out of the womb acting. My mother said when I came out, I spread my hands like jazz hands. I have a cherished pedigree. I’m a double Broadway legacy baby. I feel at home on stage. I love being on stage because it feels like a huge blessing. Acting fills my soul and heart with joy.”   

This is Brown’s fourth time performing at The Pantages! She was in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (The Narrator), Dreamgirls (Effie), Jekyll & Hyde (Lucy), and now The Notebook (older Allie).

Planted deeply in show business roots, Brown said she doesn’t have a concept of what she would do if she weren’t in the arts. 

“I would love to be a panda wrangler,” she said. “I don’t have to think about what I would have been. I am so blessed. I’m an actress. These are the best roles. My roles get juicier and juicier. I am so grateful. Always blessed and always booked.” 

“The Notebook is ultimately a celebration of life, love, and the power of memory,” said producers Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch. “Audiences first fell in love with this timeless story as a novel, then as an iconic film, and now they can experience it anew as a moving musical event. With multi-platinum artist Ingrid Michaelson’s unforgettable score and Tony Award-nominated Bekah Brunstetter’s beautifully crafted book, The Notebook comes to life on stage in a way that will resonate deeply with audiences across North America.” 

The Notebook is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (The Wiz, Aida). It features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s “This Is Us”), and choreography by Katie Spelman. 

The production will play at The Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles from January 6-25, 2026, and at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from January 27-February 8, 2026.