Thursday, December 31, 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM LAWTF!

From all of us at The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival......


2015 was a year filled with miracles, laughter, inspiration and many blessings. We look forward to see what great things 2016 has in store!


January is already destined to be a busy, wonderful month as we have our monthly Wine Down Wednesday and begin preparation for our festival, which will begin March 24th and go until March 27th.

Cheers!

 

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Call for Volunteers!




Greetings, friends!

As we say goodbye to a fabulous 2015, we welcome an even greater year to come in 2016. Including, planning our LA Women's Theatre Festival which will happen March 24th through the 27th at The Electric Lodge in Venice. As we prepare for what is to come, one thing is for certain: We need YOU to help ensure everything goes smoothly and thus begins our search and call for volunteers.

Each year, our festival truly could not happen if not for all the hard work put in by our dedicated volunteers. Whether you can assist as an Usher, have experience in technical theatre and can be on our crew, work front of house or can help drive our artists, no job is too small and we'd love to have you.

Here is just a glimpse at what we need assistance with this year:


Videographer
Makeup Artist (for Gala night on the 24th)
Hair Stylist (for Gala night on the 24th)
Tech Crew

Ushers

Box Office

House Manager
Concessions 
Raffle Sales

Clean & Set Up


Clean & Break Down

Floater 
Driver 

Please email us at lawtfspotlight@yahoo.com to learn more!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Announcing our January Wine Down Wednesday!





Greetings, friends! Last week was our monthly Wine Down Wednesday at The Eclectic Cafe right in our home town of North Hollywood and, what can we say? It was a huge SUCCESS as we were greeted with such warmth from The Eclectic owner, Laura, and her amazing team.
 
We had two engaging performers and a group of Festival supporters who thoroughly enjoyed the evening!

Since we're in full swing with the holidays, our Wine Down Wednesday was merry and bright as we had beautiful Christmas songs from our very own Melanie Carroll-Dolci (plus her ukulele!) and an extremely poignant, tender solo excerpted performance from actor, Clarinda Ross', play, "From my Grandmother's Grandmother Unto Me."

We're so thankful that these talented women took time out of their busy lives to share their gifts of word and song with us!

Now, make sure to keep your calendar free on Wednesday, January 20th, when we will have an encore evening at the always awesome, Oyster House, in Studio City. The Oyster House has been an LA favorite over 40 years and have been the recipients of numerous awards and mentions ("One of San Fernando Valley's Best Bars", thrillst.com) and, if its anything like our November soiree there, you're in for a real treat when we return.

Go ahead and drop us an email at lawtfspotlight@yahoo.com to RSVP for The Oyster House on January 20th. We will see you then!









Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Raffle Gifts Galore for Wine Down Wednesday Tomorrow!

Greetings, friends! As if we already weren't excited enough for our Wine Down Wednesday event happening TOMORROW at The Eclectic cafe in North Hollywood, we have been graced with an abundance of wonderful prizes this holiday month for our raffle! Take a look....






Whats in these bags? You will have to find out ;) (An elf told me it may be a coffee mug or candy...just sayin')




And, just added! Beautiful wines courtesy of San Antonio Winery in Downtown LA.


Check out that tin filled with popcorn!





And, in these envelopes? We've got VIP passes to the festival, sessions with our founder, Adilah Barnes and MORE.

Are you one of our winners? Purchase some raffle tickets tomorrow night, and you may be!

So, come un-wind with us THIS Wednesday, December 16th, at The Eclectic Cafe, right around the corner from us at 5156 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601. Make sure to RSVP by emailing us at: lawtfspotlight@yahoo.com

Monday, December 14, 2015

Get Ready to go 'Eclectic' for Wine Down Wednesday This Week!




Seasons Greetings, friends! If the hustle 'n bustle is stressing you out even a slight bit, we invite you to come un-wind with us THIS Wednesday, December 16th, at The Eclectic Cafe, right around the corner from us at 5156 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601!

Under new ownership of award winning restaurateurs, Don and Laura Adams, The Eclectic Cafe is located in the heart of the NoHO Arts District. Featuring the finest fresh fish preparations, pasta, burgers & sandwiches, seasonal salads, and meat dishes. From the pizza to the risottos all ingredients for the Eclectic menu are carefully selected for freshness and quality by Executive Chef Margarito Gutierrez.

And, of course, they have some of the finest wines and cocktails around. Ideal for a Wine Down Wednesday to take a breather from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Beautiful NoHo Arts District




We will be celebrating the joys of the season, with live entertainment from some of our artists, special Holiday raffles and complimentary appetizers.

RSVP by emailing lawtfspotlight@yahoo.com, and we will see you at The Eclectic cafe December 16th!

(*Bar and dinner at own cost.)

Friday, December 4, 2015

PLEASE REMEMBER LAWTF DURING YOUR UPCOMING HOLIDAY SHOPPING!


Did you know that you can support the Festival while you shop at your local Ralph's or Food4Less?

The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival is part of the Ralph's and Food4Less Community Contribution Program which was designed to "make your fundraising the easiest in town," enabling Ralphs and Food4Less customers to save and to help their non-profit organizations at the same time.
Please visit the Ralph's Community Contribution site to get more information and to register your Rewards Card.

To participate, simply register your Ralph's Rewards Card to LAWTF using the LAWTF Nonprofit Number: 90673 following the instructions below:

1. Log On to Ralphs.com
2. Click On 'CREATE AN ACCOUNT'
3. Follow The Step-by-step Instructions for Creating a Personalized, Private Ralphs Rewards Account
4. Link Your Ralphs Rewards Card to Your New Ralphs Account
5. Once Your Card is Linked, Scroll Down to 'ENROLL' and Type the LAWTF NPO: 90673 Into the Input Box

Please remember, purchases cannot help support LAWTF until after your Ralphs Rewards Card is registered to both your account and to LAWTF.

Grocery shopping is something we all do, and this way of contributing requires no monetary giving on your part.

So please make sure to use these cards while shopping to receive your savings and help out LAWTF at the same time all year round!

Thank you for your continued support of 
The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival

                                                                    Happy Holidays!

 

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival's Two for One Membership Holiday Special



                                                Would you like to become a Member of
The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival for 2016?

This holiday season, LAWTF is hosting our Two for One Membership Special. For a limited time only, you and a friend or relative can become members of the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival for a very special price, enabling you to attend exclusive 'Members Only' LAWTF events, and much more!



REGISTER NOW!
And Get Two LAWTF Memberships For The Price Of One! 

LAWTF Membership Levels As Shown Below...
  
Corporate Sponsorship
Levels available upon request. 

Producers' Circle ($1,000) 
(2) VIP tickets to Champagne GALA
(2) Festival Passes to all events
Full page Business Ad in Program
Admission to additional Annual Events
Acknowledgement in LAWTF newsletter
Listing in Festival program
Attendance at VIP Membership Mixers

Directors' Circle ($500) 
(4) VIP tickets to GALA
(2) Festival Passes to all events
Acknowledgement in LAWTF newsletter
Listing in Festival Program
Attendance at VIP Membership Mixers
  
Playwright's Circle ($250) 
(2) Festival Passes to Annual Festival
Acknowledgement in LAWTF newsletter
Listing in Festival Program
Attendance at VIP Membership Mixers

Cast & Crew ($100)
 (4) tickets to Festival performances
Acknowledgement in LAWTF newsletter
Listing in Festival Program
Attendance at VIP Membership Mixers
  
Circle of Contributors ($50) 
Acknowledgement in LAWTF newsletter
Listing in Festival Program
Attendance at VIP Membership Mixers
  
Readers' Circle ($25) 
Acknowledgement in LAWTF newsletter
Attendance at VIP Membership Mixers

Become a Member Today!

THANK YOU! 

Monday, November 30, 2015

Happy Holidays from LAWTF

Happy Holidays From
The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival

Dear Festival Supporter,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival and Honorary Chairpersons Danny Glover and Hattie Winston, we wish you and yours a very happy Holiday Season. At this time of giving and receiving, we particularly want to express our gratitude for your contributions to LAWTF.

2015 certainly has been a banner year for LAWTF having:
  • Successfully celebrated our 22nd Anniversary in March
  • Offered extraordinary performers for our 22nd Annual Festival at the Electric Lodge by presenting diverse programming to appreciative audiences
  • Honored another 5 extraordinary women with our Annual Theatre Awards
  • Offered our 3rd Annual all-day workshops and panels for our educational EMPOWERMENT DAY
  • Hosted our Wine-Down Wednesdays Mixers in partnership with restaurants
  • Presented our 5th annual, sold out Ivy Substation program at The Actors' Gang
It is hard to believe that what began in 1993 as a passionate group of women solo artists with the mission of collectively supporting each other creatively has now also:
  • Produced over 500 diverse solo artists of excellence from around the globe including those from France, England, Russia, India, Brazil, and Canada
  • Expanded our outreach programming with free performances throughout LA
  • Touched the lives of over 3000 youth in schools
  • Crossed mediums on public access TV to reach television audiences globally
  • Offered educational outreach programming to seniors, at-risk youth, ex-offender women and low-income artists
At this time of giving, we humbly ask that you remember LAWTF. Would you please take a moment to write a tax-deductible check or visit our website at www.lawtf.org to make a PayPal contribution of any amount while this letter is still in your hands?  

Donations will support our 23rd Annual Festival from March 24-27, 2016 again at the Electric Lodge, community outreach programs and educational workshops and panels. You will be acknowledged in our monthly newsletter, 23rd Commemorative Program, and as mentioned, your year-end donation by December 31st, 2015 is tax-deductible as allowed by the law.

Thank you in advance for your continued support of the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival and we look forward to seeing you in March!
                                  
Best wishes for a very magical and miraculous 2016!

Sincerely,
adilah signature
Adilah Barnes, Co-Founder/President

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Wine Down Wednesday Gets 'Eclectic' in December!


Greetings, friends! If our November Wine Down Wednesday left you wishing for more, or perhaps you were unable to make it, fear not as we have another great one in store December 16th, this time at The Eclectic Cafe, right around the corner from us at 5156 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601!

Under new ownership of award winning restaurateurs, Don and Laura Adams, The Eclectic Cafe is located in the heart of the NoHO Arts District. Featuring the finest fresh fish preparations, pasta, burgers & sandwiches, seasonal salads, and meat dishes. From the pizza to the risottos all ingredients for the Eclectic menu are carefully selected for freshness and quality by Executive Chef Margarito Gutierrez.

And, of course, they have some of the finest wines and cocktails around. Ideal for a Wine Down Wednesday to take a breather from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

We will be celebrating the joys of the season, with live entertainment from some of our artists, raffles and complimentary appetizers.

RSVP by December 9th by emailing lawtfspotlight@yahoo.com, and we will see you at The Eclectic cafe December 16th!

(*Bar and dinner at own cost.)

Friday, November 20, 2015

November Wine Down Wednesday at The Oyster House


Greetings! And a happy Fall to our supporters. This past Wednesday we had our monthly Wine Down Wednesday and what a great success it was! Such a pleasure to connect with new friends, catch up with old and discover a great new gem in Studio City, The Oyster House.

An extremely welcoming atmosphere, The Newman Family have owned The Oyster House for over 40 years and have been the recipients of numerous awards and mentions ("One of San Fernando Valley's Best Bars", thrillst.com). They wasted no time making LAWTF feel right at home as we had beautiful performances from some of our artists, and oyster shots...followed by vodka shots...oh, my!

As we are continue our process of viewing all the incredible submissions for our Los Angeles Womens Theatre Festival, this Wine Down Wednesday was such a welcoming evening of relaxation and sharing our vision our supporters.

We have great things in store for our December Wine Down Wednesday, so, stay tuned for all the info to attend!

Monday, July 20, 2015

Performer Spotlight

KAREN A. CLARK

At the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival's monthly Wine Down Wednesdays, we will have dazzling performances from talented women who have graced the Festival stage. For July's Wine Down Wednesday at El Criollo Bar & Grill on July 29th, Karen A. Clark will be performing. 


Karen A. Clark is a singer, songwriter, poet, performer, and, as a Senior Vice President, leads a marketing strategy for a large bank. 


Clark is living life in perspective--with balance! She is a reputable leader in the banking industry and making her mark promoting her LP, The Karen A. Clark Project!

She began measuring dreams early. Her father, an enlisted man, took her to see Ramsey Lewis in Frankfurt, Germany at age 12, her first live concert experience. Never abandoning her dream of performing, after college, Karen A. entered the workforce, but continued performing & producing both music and theatre projects.

While raising 2 children with her late husband Finley, the family formed C-Sick Records. The Karen A. Clark Project, a musical journey through love, life, career, sensuality and city life, is available now, and the sophomore project is in progress.

Karen A. Clark is a Board member with The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival; Duke Media Foundation; and Streetlights!


Please RSVP by July 24th for Wine Down Wednesday on Facebook or at lawtfspotlight@yahoo.com!

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Slowing Down #1 - Taking the Bus

by Stacie Chaiken

Stacie Chaiken teaches a writing class called What’s the Story? weekly Downtown on Tuesday evenings, and on third Saturdays in Santa Monica. Also, make sure to check out her website.

A literary journal from the MFA community at
Antioch University Los Angeles


During a two-hour question-and-answer session at our June residency, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo told the Antioch MFA community, “Commerce is fast, art is slow.”

I took that to mean, if you want to make something that didn’t exist before—something layered and meaningful, something unexpected—you have to take it slow.
That’s a challenge for me. I came to the MFA program after several years’ full-time teaching in a university, during which time only deadlines compelled me to write. I wrote for performance, and I had a busy life. I would wait until the last few weeks before a gig and then go underground, working day and night to finish.
A couple of years ago, I left my position at the university and went to Rwanda for a big, fast job. When it was done and I was home, it occurred to me that if I wanted my work life to be different—which I did—I would have to change the rhythm of how I spent my days. I would have to make new habits. I had no idea—and still don’t fully know—how profound that transformation may have to be.
I had a car. That car was part of me, part of who I was. It was a tomato-red 2002 Volkswagen Golf and, oh, I loved that car. I was a savvy driver. I knew the fastest route to anywhere in LA, any time of day. Just ask me. Me and that car, we were zippy. Hands-free on my cell phone, I was back and forth between GPS and Waze on little streets no one else knew were there. Meanwhile, Siri was taking dictation, sending text messages, emails. I was in a hurry.
One weird globally-warmed ninety-eight degree day last April, I noticed the air conditioning in my Golf was not working. I called my mechanic, Mauricio at Jomag in Silverlake, who’d been taking care of her since the end of the VW warranty. He said to bring her in, leave her there for an hour or two. I took the bus downtown (home) to await his diagnosis. An hour later, he called. It was bad news, the worst possible scenario: the compressor had gone. A new one would cost a minimum of a thousand bucks.
I recalled my accountant Mark’s objections when he learned I’d spent fifteen hundred to replace a timing belt, the first and only major work I’d had done in the twelve years I’d had her. “It’s the beginning of the end,” he barked. “Get rid of that heap.”
It wouldn’t get hot for a few months, right? I could keep her until then. I told Mauricio I’d be there in an hour to pick her up.
Ten minutes later, another call. More bad news. When his guys were moving the car into the lot, they saw the brakes were shot. The rear pads were worn down to the metal; the front weren’t as far gone, but he wasn’t sure he could save them.
How much? Another six to eight hundred.
I Googled “Blue Book, 2002 VW Golf”—four-door, power windows, power brakes, moon roof, monster sound, well-loved, in good shape. She was worth less than twenty-seven hundred dollars. And all the bodywork I’d refused to have done—the scratches and dents that prove you’ve lived lively, taken some risks—meant she was worth even less.
I did the math. I could try not having a car. I live downtown, at the hub of LA’s transport network. Within a few blocks of my building, there are buses and trains. Add to that Zipcar, Enterprise, Uber, Lyft. Plus, if I didn’t have a car, I wouldn’t have to pay the Tribune (owners of the LA Times) a small fortune every month to park in their lot.
Choosing not to replace the car was the beginning of a conscious slowing down. It would no longer be possible to schedule appointments back-to-back, morning to night, with an optimistic half-hour in between to get from one place to the next.
But within a week or two, I was aware of a deeper shift. On the Culver City-bound train one afternoon they announced we had “come into contact with an automobile.” No one was hurt, but we had to wait for the police to proceed. I made a phone call to the person I was to meet and sat reading in the motionless train for forty-five minutes. If we were stuck, it was not my job to find another route. Time in transit became that kind of sweet stolen time I’ve always relished on planes and trains, where what needs to get done (moving from place to place) will eventually get done. Or won’t. But it’s not up to me to make it happen.
This is about writing. Clearing the way for writing.
Most of what needs writing—what is worth writing—takes some digging. It’s not easy and, for me, it doesn’t come in one fell swoop. It takes some dribbling—like Jackson Pollack. Then comes the investigation of patterns, then new brush strokes, based on what’s been evoked by the dribbling. Bit by bit. And a commitment to that process on a regular basis is a commitment to going where the writing wants to go.
Russo spoke about how Elsewhere, his recent memoir about his mother, seems to some of his readers—and perhaps to him—to be a skeleton key that unlocks the autobiographical source of meanings in his fictional work. In those funny, funny novels, he is digging deep into his own raw material which is, at base, so dark. He’s going, by virtue of who he is, where he has to go. He said he was afraid writing outright about his past in Elsewhere might destroy his ability to write another novel, but he chose to write it anyway. And it didn’t.
Slowing down.
Travel time has become reading and writing time. I started the first draft of this post Friday afternoon on the number 2 Sunset Boulevard bus, moving west towards Hollywood. I did the first edit early Sunday morning on the 733 Venice bus on my way to the beach.
Waiting for the bus and taking the bus has brought with it a gradual, visceral understanding that we are not in charge. We do the work. We plant the seeds. We exercise humility, and back away from the need to muscle things into existence. We invite things in. We give them room to enter.

Zelfportret, waiting for the bus at Broadway and Slauson