"We Are Here" Premiers at "Black Voices" Livestream Solo Festival

Los Angeles, CA: We Are Here will make its’ Los Angeles premiere on Saturday, October 24th at 7 pm PST. We Are Here is a solo play written and performed by Antonio David Lyons and directed by Juliette Jeffers.

Los Angeles, Oct 9, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - About Black Voices - 

The Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, California is proud to co-host, along with Juliette Jeffers, the first annual livestream Black Voices solo theatre festival, which opened on Saturday, September 12th and runs through November 15th 2020. Whitefire producers Bryan Rasmussen and Nancy Santiago will be collaborating. The Whitefire Theatre continues to innovate with live streaming live theatre presenting over 30 black solo artists performing for a worldwide audience.

Tickets are $15.99 and are available at www.WhitefireTheatre.com

 About We Are Here - Synopsis; When the allure of Hollywood loses its shine a seasoned actor begins to question what living life is all about. So, he embarks on a life-changing journey moving from Los Angeles, California to Johannesburg, South Africa. In South Africa, he discovers a country ripe with the promise of a young democracy but plagued by Apartheid legacies and endemic violence. News headlines and social media campaigns are a constant reminder of the violence visited on women,  children and community by men. Immersed in a culture not his own the questions begin to rise. Troubled by the violence in the air he traverses the territories of land and soul in search of humanity in himself and other men. Who will he discover on the other side?

 

Past Performances;

South African Tour - US Department of State (U.S. Speaker Program) 2017

Hattiloo Theatre (Memphis) 2017

BAAD! (The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance) 2016

MPAACT Theatre (Chicago)2015

National Black Theatre (NYC) 2014

The Midnight Projects at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2013

 

Audience Response;

"So often we as women always hear about the black man's plight. It's so refreshing to hear a black man talk about the black woman's plight. I com-mend you for that. That's totally refreshing. I appreciate it very much. To hear a man say I see you...I hear you...I understand you. I really appreciate that." (New York) 

"Where I thought you did a brilliant job Antonio in terms of capturing the nuances of language in such a way that an American audience can understand. You caught the words. You caught the inflections. Gave a sense of that authentic experience of what people, not what an American says a South African is experiencing." (Chicago)

"Thank you. The range of characters. The range of depth. Something that came to mind. It was wonderful having a man speak to where women are... From your point of view, but also getting inside the head of a woman and projecting out. I love the range of it."

 

About Antonio David Lyons -

His artistic universe straddles the globe with one foot planted firmly in both South Africa and the USA. His creative spirit enjoys the balance of performing in front of the camera and nurturing meaningful projects through the production process.

On Screen he's worked with notable actors such as Don Cheadle, Edward Norton, Aunjanue Ellis and Jessica Lang. Some of his Film/Television credits include: Star Trek: Picard, Seal Team, Bosch, Person of Interest, The Book of Negroes, Avenger, Generation Kill, False Prophets, Hotel Rwanda, Masked and Anonymous and American History X. In South Africa: Generations, Jacob's Cross, Fourplay: Sex Tips For Girls, Scandal, Ubizo: The Calling, Jozi-H, Night Drive and Home Affairs.

An accomplished recording artist he's featured on numerous music projects he's also released several solo projects: Human Jewels (album), We Dance We Pray (album) and My Africa (album and remix EP). 

He holds an MA in Applied Theatre from the City University of New York and manages to maintain a thriving career as a professional artist in tandem with his activist and scholarly pursuits. He has been a Fulbright Awardee, an Oregon Shakespeare Festival Producing Fellow and a Scholar in Residence at University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).

He is the creator of "We Are Here", a social activism campaign born in South Africa that utilizes discoursive play to engage men and boys in themes of identity, Masculinity, relationships, gender based violence and HIV/AIDS.  We Are Here has implemented programs and toured in South Africa, Namibia and the USA. For more information on Antonio go to www.antoniodavidlyons.com

 

About Juliette Jeffers - 

Juliette Jeffers is a Caribbean American actor, writer, director, producer and teaching artist. On screen, Juliette has appeared in 18 films, 33 guest star TV roles and over 60 national commercials. She has worked with esteemed actors such as Jim Carrey, Susan Sarandon and Will Smith. Some of our notable credits include Chicago Med, Snowfall, Criminal Minds and Grey's Anatomy. Some of her theatre highlights include five solo plays that she wrote and performed in. Batman and Robin in the Boogie Down, (Bronx Council on the Arts Award, Drama Desk, and NAACP nominations), Chocolate Match, Pan Gyul, Judgment Day, and Tio Pablo (in English and Spanish - best play and best actress awards - Hollywood Short and Sweet fest).

As a teaching artist, Juliette has taught acting to inner-city youth in New York City. She has conducted various workshops throughout the country focusing on theatre, solo shows, acting for TV, film and commercials, as well as the ins and outs of showbiz. She teaches acting to inmates in correctional facilities in LA. Juliette is also a private coach and has helped develop and direct several solo shows. Juliette was an ovation award voter for two years. She also serves on the screening panel and is an advisory board member of the LA Women's Theatre Festival. For more information on Juliette go to www.juliettejeffers.com.

 

Tickets for all shows are $15.99 with a $.87 surcharge. To buy tickets and for more information please visit www.whitefiretheatre.com or call 818-687-8559.

Media Contact

We Are Here

[email protected]

http://www.antoniodavidlyons.com/

Source :We Are Here

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