FORGETTING NOT FORGOTTEN Begins November 6 at Whitefire Theatre

Forgetting, Not Forgotten. A multimedia virtual show (presented online) livestreamed from the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. An official selection of the Black Voices Festival.

Written and performed by Petal d'Avril. Developed and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson.

Petal is a young actor in Los Angeles making some headway in her career until she is confronted by two crises: First, her beloved mother, Petronella, who has been a guiding light in her life, begins to display the early symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. Petal is faced with the prospect of becoming the caregiver for the woman who took care of her when she was growing up. Her younger sister aids Petal, until she doesn't anymore.

A second crisis arrives when the building in which Petal and her mother have lived for several decades is suddenly sold to developers bent on gentrifying the area, and the women find themselves uprooted, no longer with a place to call home.

As Petronella's mental deterioration progresses, it becomes obvious to Petal that she can't do everything alone, and will have to get her mother some level of professional assistance.

The accumulation of adversities sends Petal and her mother on an odyssey that will take them to both coasts in search of a resolution for her mother's situation. Petal will have to deal the legal, medical, real estate, and elder care establishments. Her challenges will require her to draw on strengths and resourcefulness hitherto unknown to her.

Forgetting, Not Forgotten, beyond being a compelling story on its own terms, will resonate particularly with audience members who are now or may in the future have to face taking care of an aging parent; and with audience members who themselves may be called upon to oppose the gentrification of heritage neighborhoods, when neighbors have to face down Big Money.

This show is written and performed by Petal d'Avril. She is that rarest of performers, a native Angeleno. She is a graduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills. Her previous stage credits include roles in The Robey Theatre Company's The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel (Los Angeles Times Critic's Pick), Flyin' West, Wine in the Wilderness, and A Raisin in the Sun.

Jessica Lynn Johnson develops and directs Forgetting, Not Forgotten.. Acclaimed both as a solo performer and as a director of solo artists, she is the founder of the company Soaring Solo. Her directing credits include Unemployed Finally, The Mermaid Who Learned How to Fly, 365 Days of Crazy, Triangles Are My Favorite Shape, Bully-mia, Not My Show, Answers Outta The Blue, Dear Yoko,and more.

The ticketing link for the event will be operative for two days beyond the scheduled November 6 performance.

Forgetting, Not Forgotten is an official selection of the Black Voices Festival. Because Black Voices Matter.

Friday, November 6, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. PS. To purchase visit https://whitefire.yapsody.com/event/index/601166/forgetting-not-forgotten