18th Street Arts Center Presents Audio Play THE SECRET HISTORY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Join 18th Street Arts Center artist in residence Susan Suntree for an online launch party of Suntree's Sacred Sites Audio Theater Project on March 6, 2021. Register here.

This is an audio production of Suntree's best-selling, award winning book Sacred Sites: The Secret History of Southern California (Univ. of Nebraska Press).

Audio clips from the Theater Project will be presented, including an audio-visual portrait of the Los Angeles River and the Ballona Wetlands read by Susan Suntree; and an audio clip from Book Two (Indigenous Myths and Songs) read by Native American actor, Kalani Queypo (Blackfeet, Native Hawaiian).

The following discussion and Q&A will focus on the process of creating the Audio Theater project, including a panel with Tom Keegan (Director), Tom Zehnder (Composer), and Gopika Sharma (Producer).

A history that is equal parts science and mythology, Sacred Sites offers a rare and poetic vision of a world composed of dynamic natural forces and mythic characters. The result is a singular and memorable account of the evolution of the Southern California landscape, reflecting the riches of both Native knowledge and Western scientific thought. It is the winner of the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Award and winner of the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Literary Award.

"Sacred Sites honors the power and beauty of our indigenous heritage and homeland. By knowing our history, we better understand the present and our journey into the future," said Anthony Morales, tribal chair, Gabrielino Tongva Council of San Gabriel.