Upcoming HOT OFF THE PRESS to Celebrate Juneteenth

Hot Off the Press is an ongoing series of new solo works. The next presentation of Hot Off the Press, produced by the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival, will be a virtual event on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. PDT.

This Hot Off the Press will celebrate Juneteenth, an African American holiday commemorating the events of June 19, 1865, when Texas was forced to free its slaves two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. 1865 was also the year that the 13th Amendment abolished slavery.

Juneteenth emphasizes freedom, education, achievement, reflection, assessment and self and cultural empowerment.

Hot Off the Press is hosted by Juliette Jeffers (Chicago Med, All Rise) and Jessica Lynn Johnson (Soaring Solo Salon, The Bold and the Beautiful). Writer-performers on the program include:

Synthia Hardy. In her piece Mother to Son, A mother gives her son "the talk" as she tries to protect him from the perils of police brutality.

Crystal McGinnis. Can You Hear Me Now? A piece written while recovering from COVID-19, as a reflection on a father's life, death, and systemic racism in America.

Lynda LaRose performs two poems. Red Is Beautiful. This poem recounts and celebrates one woman's sense of her beauty as a child in contrast to other definitions of beauty. Soul Train Kids. This poem remembers the legacy of impresario Don Cornelius' history-making television program Soul Train that ran for 35 years from 1971 - 2006, influencing music and the dance floor for both young and old alike.

Vocalist Mijan Owens will perform her rendition of the song Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Often referred to as the Black National Anthem, the song was written in 1900 by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson , with original music composed by his brother John Rosamond Johnson. Musical arrangement and accompaniment for Ms. Owens is by Paul Anthony Romero.

Also: Dance Shorts 2020, a collage performance by PUSH Dance Company, with choreography and original music by Raissa Simpson.

Hot Off the Press. A Juneteenth celebration. Presented by Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival. Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. Suggested donation: $10.00. To register, go to http://lawtf.org or call (818) 760-0408. Registrants will be sent a Zoom link.

The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Executive Producer: Adilah Barnes.

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