Historic Capital Press Club elects new president, leadership team 

WASHINGTON, D.C.  - Award-winning journalist Hazel Trice Edney, editor-in-chief of the Trice Edney News Wire and President/CEO of Trice Edney Communications LLC, has been elected president of the historic Capital Press Club.

Edney, a veteran reporter, who is also former editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service and BlackPressUSA.com, was elected by the CPC board April 19. She took office May 1.  

“I nominated Hazel Trice Edney because she is able to be the proactive advocate for communications professionals of color needed in the DC area,” says CPC President Emeritus Derrick Kenny, owner of Bold American Marketing. “She boasts a stellar track record as a seasoned journalist and has earned numerous awards. In addition, she has the proven ability to manage a non-profit communications organization, educate young communications professionals, motivate volunteers and establish partnerships with valued corporations and newsmakers. She is ideal for this office. She has the vision, strength, integrity and faith that are needed to move CPC forward into the future.”

The new leadership team also includes First Vice President Robyn Wilkes, Director of Communications, Greater Washington Urban League; Second Vice President Sherrie Edwards-Lassister, Senior Account Manager, Campbell and Company; Treasurer Joan Davion of The Davion Group; Immediate Past President Nyree Wright, Senior Vice President, MSLGROUP Americas; and Kenny, who is also Digital Media Manager, Montgomery CountyOffice of Cable and Broadband Services.

“Newsrooms across America are shrinking. That means the numbers of Black journalists in the newsrooms are diminishing while the numbers of injustices facing African-Americans are increasing,” said Edney, who has reported for the Black Press for more than 25 years. “In addition to the destructive forces of racism in our communities, we also see its economic impact on our media outlets. This climate reveals that this organization of Black media professionals is just as necessary and just as relevant as ever. The Capital Press Club will not shrink from the front lines in the war for justice and equality for others as well as ourselves.”  

It was 44 years ago that the Capital Press Club was established as the National Press Club refused to accept African-American members. As it approaches its 70th Anniversary in two years, The Capital Press Club exists to unite communications professionals of color through professional development, networking, new business opportunities and entrepreneurship, and issues advocacy. Its diverse membership of journalists, marketing, public relations, advertising and communications professionals from all disciplines is dedicated to maintaining superior standards of ethics, promoting cooperative business competition, and addressing the recruitment and retention of qualified minority communications professionals.

Biography of Hazel Trice Edney

Award-winning veteran journalist Hazel Trice Edney is president & CEO of Trice Edney Communications and editor-in-chief of Trice Edney News Wire. She is former Editor-in-Chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service and Blackpressusa.com and former interim executive director of the NNPA Foundation.

Edney is also an adjunct professor of journalism at Howard University. She has taught Reporting & Writing, Writing for the Media and the Freshman Seminar Class of Annenberg honor students. She is also the Entrepreneur in Residence at Howard’s John H. Johnson School of Communications’ CERRC (Communications Entrepreneurship Research and Resource Center), where she teaches students how to become business owners.

A native of Louisa, Va., she was the first Black woman inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. She covered Capitol Hill, the White House and national electoral politics for NNPA from Sept. 2000 to Sept. 2010, including as an investigative reporter in NNPA’s NorthStar Investigative Reporting Program.

Edney has a Master’s Degree from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she was awarded the William S. Wasserman Jr. Fellowship on the Press, Politics and Public Policy for her journalistic impact while reporting for the Richmond Afro-American and subsequently the Richmond Free Press. She is also a 2006 graduate of Harvard’s KSG Women and Power Executive Leadership program.

She was a 1999-2000 congressional fellow, sponsored by the American Political Science Association. In the nine-month fellowship for journalists, she served as a legislative aid in the personal office of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Her journalism awards also include the 2011 New America Media Career Achievement Award; a fellowship at the Annenberg Institute for Justice in Journalism at the University of Southern California; the prestigious Lincoln University Unity Award in Media for economics writing; the coveted Tisdale Award, named for crusading Black Press editor the late Charles Tisdale of the Jackson Advocate; and a string of NNPA Merit Awards, including NNPA First Place Feature Story Merit Award 1990 for her final interview with Virginia death row inmate Wilbert Lee Evans, published in the Afro.

Her professional media appearances have included the Tavis Smiley Show; CNN; C-Span, Bishop T.D. Jakes’ Potter’s Touch; The Al Sharpton Show; George on the Hill; Washington Watch with Roland Martin; Rhythm and News; the Joe Madison Show and the Washington Journal. Hazel was named “2008 Role Model” by the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education and a “2010 Phenomenal Woman” by the Phenomenal Women’s Alliance. She was also featured as a “Living Legend” on Tom Joyner’s BlackAmericaWeb.com in February 2011. In addition to building the Trice Edney News Wire, Hazel is currently writing her personal memoir. She can be reached at Hazel@triceedneywire.com or 202-291-9310.

TimeLine Theatre Company will offer three special events connected to its world premiere production of My Kind of Town by John Conroy, directed by Nick Bowling. My Kind of Town has been highly recommended by both the Chicago Tribune (”A long-in-the-works drama that gripped its audience on Saturday night … wholly compelling”) and Chicago Sun-Times (”A vitally important piece of political theater … provocative [and] entirely riveting”). My Kind of Town is now playing through July 29, 2012 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago.

All special events listed are free and open to the public, unless otherwise indicated. For more details, please visit timelinetheatre.com/my_kind_of_town/events.htm.

MY KIND OF TOWN: A DISCUSSION OF POLICE TORTURE IN CHICAGO
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 6 – 7:30 pm (reception to follow)
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
915 East 60th Street, Chicago, on the University of Chicago campus

This event will feature diverse perspectives on and experience with the Chicago police torture scandal that has plagued the city over the past three decades. Confirmed panelists include former Chicago police superintendent Richard Brzeczek; journalist and playwright John Conroy; Craig Futterman, founder of the Civil Rights and Police Accountability Project at the University of Chicago; and People’s Law Office founding partner G. Flint Taylor. The discussion will be moderated by WBEZ’s Kelly Kleiman. The evening will include a brief excerpt from the play My Kind of Town performed by the cast as a spark for discussion, as well as an opportunity for audience questions, and will be followed by a reception.

Co-sponsored by the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, TimeLine Theatre Company and the University of Chicago Master of Arts Program in the Humanities.

Admission is free but reservations are recommended. Call the TimeLine Theatre Box Office at 773.281.8463 x6 or email boxoffice@timelinetheatre.com.

SUNDAY SCHOLARS SERIES
Sunday, June 10, 2012 from 4 – 5:30 pm
Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ Sanctuary, next door to TimeLine Theatre 615 W. Wellington Avenue, Chicago

Each TimeLine Theatre production features this free post-show panel discussion with experts on the themes and issues of the play. For My Kind of Town, the Sunday Scholars Series panel will feature Rob Warden of Northwestern University’s Center for Wrongful Convictions, accompanied by some of the men who have been wrongfully convicted due to torture.

Tickets for the 2 p.m. performance of My Kind of Town that day are $42 and are subject to availability. Sunday Scholars Series attendees need not attend the performance to attend the discussion. Admission to the discussion is free but reservations are recommended. For tickets to the show/discussion or reservations for the discussion only, call the TimeLine Theatre Box Office at 773.281.8463 x6 or email boxoffice@timelinetheatre.com.

A CONVERSATION WITH PLAYWRIGHT JOHN CONROY AND RICK KOGAN
Monday, June 25, 2012 from 6 – 7:30 pm
Chicago Cultural Center, Claudia Cassidy Theatre
78 E. Washington Street, Chicago

Veteran investigative journalist John Conroy has covered the Chicago police torture scandal for more than 20 years, challenging public indifference to become one of the leading voices drawing attention to the charges. Rick Kogan of WGN 720AM Radio and the Chicago Tribune will join Conroy for a wide-ranging conversation about the development of Conroy’s first play, My Kind of Town.

Admission is free but reservations are recommended. Call the TimeLine Theatre Box Office at 773.281.8463 x6 or email boxoffice@timelinetheatre.com.

TimeLine would also like to call the public’s attention to an event scheduled at the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ related to the themes of My Kind of Town:

7TH ANNUAL ELIZABETH I. BENSON AWARD
Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 6 pm
Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ
615 W. Wellington Avenue, Chicago

This benefit event will honor Citizens Alert and Mary Powers for their 45 years of dedication to police accountability. The evening includes a reception and silent auction at 6 pm, with a program and awards ceremony with master of ceremonies Lydia Talbot at 7:30 pm. The program will include highlights from Peace Production’s new film To Turn a Blind Eye, music by Voices and the Wellington Choir, and appearances by some of those who have worked with Citizens Alert in their quest for police accountability. Tickets for this benefit event are $50; students/limited income tickets are $35. For tickets visit waucc.org or call 773.935.0642. All proceeds benefit Citizens Alert and the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ.

About My Kind of Town

TimeLine Theatre Company, named one of the nation’s top 10 emerging professional theatres by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards®, presents the world premiere of My Kind of Town by John Conroy, directed by Nick Bowling, now through July 29, 2012 at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago.

My Kind of Town is a passionate, groundbreaking new drama revolving around one imprisoned man’s fight for justice, inspired by the stories of numerous victims, police officers, prosecutors and families whose lives have been poisoned by allegations of police torture over the past three decades. With interlocking storylines that humanize the play’s issues of corruption and responsibility, My Kind of Town sets the stage for a new conversation about today’s culture of law and order.

The performance schedule is Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (except no performance on 6/24). Tickets are $32 (Wednesday – Friday) or $42 (Saturday & Sunday). Student and group rates are available.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the TimeLine Theatre Box Office at 773.281.8463 x6 or visit timelinetheatre.com.

Baisden’s  Sequel to Maintenance Man skillfully mixes modern-day issues including corporate greed, voter suppression, and political corruption, with murder and suspense

Miami, FL- As one of the most influential and engaging personalities in radio history, Michael Baisden is an iconic figure. The social activist, filmmaker, television host, and speaker commands a daily audience of over seven million listeners with his top rated afternoon drive radio program heard in 22 of the top 25 urban markets. But when Baisden dons his hat as a best-selling author, he fully encapsulates the essence of his magnetic force. His previous titles like “God’s Gift to Women,” and “Do Men Know What They Want” have traditionally titillated while informing, unmasking relationship and societal issues that many might deem risqué. However, with his sixth book release “Maintenance Man II: Money, Politics and Sex…Everyone Has A Price” Baisden raises his own bar, delivering an explosive political romance thriller that mixes sex and politics with volatile flair.  

In “Maintenance Man II: Money, Politics and Sex…Everyone Has A Price” Baisden builds upon the saga of his former main character, Malcolm Tremell, a gigolo who first came to life in Baisden’s 1999 release “The Maintenance Man.” “The Maintenance Man” saw the author gain notoriety for unapologetically disclosing the lifestyle of a man who rendezvoused for pay with married women. The original “Maintenance Man” followed a litany of releases, including “Never Satisfied: How and Why Men Cheat,” and “Men Cry in the Dark” and solidified his stance as one of the most successful self-published male authors on the literary scene.

With “Maintenance Man II,” Baisden broadens the storyline as Tremell comes out of retirement to not only rebuild his contact list of high-end female clientele, but also franchise a male escort service worldwide. Intrigue, drama and danger quickly come into play when Tremell liaisons with the wife of a powerful and corrupt Republican senator. When they unwittingly uncover the senator’s underhanded deal with the powerful Kross brothers for political control, Tremell will have to tap his military training and street smarts to not only save his life, but also those closest to him.

Baisden, once again educates as he entertains, brilliantly engaging his readers. Utilizing Malcolm Tremell as the ultimate Renaissance man protagonist, he brazenly unveils several harsh and dark realities behind the current political process. He skillfully touches on some of the most critical political issues to date, including voter suppression as well as corporate greed, seamlessly interspersing them between a romantic and politically charged plot. The novel’s tone is captivating and inviting, whisking the reader into a non-stop escapade of sex, action and adventure.

“Whether it’s my daily radio show, one of my film productions or TV shows, my audience recognizes me as the voice of the people. My career was launched with my books, so it’s important for me to continue writing novels that push the envelope. My mission has always been to challenge people to think outside the box and adopt lifestyles and attitudes that work for them, not society.  ’Maintenance Man II’ is my best novel yet; unlike any story I’ve ever told.  It’s like James Bond, Bourne Identity and Shaft all rolled into one action packed and sexy thriller!” reveals Baisden.  

All of Baisden’s books, including “Maintenance Man II: Money, Politics & Sex…Everyone Has A Price” can be purchased at Target stores and  Amazon.com For more information on Michael Baisden, go to  http://www.BaisdenLive.com/  or join him at “Michael Baisden Live” on Facebook and “Baisden Live” on Twitter.  

About Michael Baisden

Michael Baisden is a recognized best selling author, nationally syndicated radio personality and TV talk show host.  His high-octane energy and love for interacting with his listeners is just one reason for the popularity and success of his number one rated Michael Baisden Show, which is broadcast to over seven million listeners in nearly 80 affiliate stations across the country.    

Baisden is known for spearheading the historic Jena Six March, The Michael Baisden Foundations 2010 One Million Mentors National Campaign to Save Our Kids, where he spoke in over 72 cities signing up mentors and the recent Trayvon Martin awareness campaign. In March, Baisden along with Rev. Al Sharpton held a rally in Stanford, FL to protest the injustice over the lack of an arrest in the killing of Martin, a teenager who was just walking home from the store.  Over 30,000 people attended the rally along with the teenager’s parents and other leaders.  In 2012, to further his commitment to mentoring, he formed a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and African American Fraternities for the Mentoring Brothers in Action Campaign to recruit more African American mentors for Black boys.

With nearly 2 million books in print, both hard and soft cover, his work blends the perfect combination of entertainment, humor, provocation and sexuality. Michael’s vibrant personality on and off the air has made him a people magnet.

He first began attracting attention with primarily female followers as an author and publisher of the highly successful bestselling books: “Men Cry in the Dark”, “The Maintenance Man,” (two of his titles ultimately were adapted into stage plays selling to sold out crowds across the states), “God’s Gift to Women”  and a hot new book “Do Men Know What They Want.”    

Baisden has released the “Collectors Edition of Maintenance Man” followed by his sixth book “Maintenance Man II: Money, Politics & Sex…Everyone Has A Price” on e-book, paperback and hard cover.  The hard cover book will be available exclusively at Target June 1, 2012.      

Michael Baisden photo: http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5117/michaelbaisdenmm2.jpg

“Maintenance Man II” book cover: http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8574/mmiicover.jpg

James Campbell’s new book The Color of War: How one battle broke Japan and another changed America is the story of the critical battle for Saipan, where for the first time in WWII black troops were sent to the frontlines to fight side-by-side with white Marines. It also details the massive and little known explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Ammunition Depot in July 1944, and the resulting mutiny trial of 50 African-American sailors who were on duty that day– a trial which would transform race relations in the military and in America.

Imagine that you’re an African-American in 1943. You live in the fiercely racist South and have heard that the military is looking for strong, patriotic black men. The local recruiter fills your head with visions of glory: You’ll serve as a sailor aboard a destroyer or a submarine, or carry a rifle on the frontlines among your white Marine comrades. When you return from the war, you’ll be treated like a hero.

Fast forward six months. If you opted for the Marines, you’re working with a malarial control unit in the swamps of North Carolina among the mosquitoes and snakes. Or you’re sent to Saipan where you and your fellow black Marines manage to unload 6,000 tons of essential equipment each day.

The Japanese are trying to kill you, and you are unarmed. You pray. Later, as casualties mount, a colonel hands you a rifle and sends you into battle alongside seasoned white Marines.

If you opted for the Navy, you’re sent to the Port Chicago Naval Ammunition Depot near San Francisco, a base that reminds you of a prison work camp or a plantation – white officer overseers and black workers. You’re ordered to load bombs that you’ve never been trained to handle onto ships that will pave the way for Marine assaults of the Pacific islands. “One day this place is going to explode to Kingdom Come,” is what your fellow sailors say.

One day it does – July 17, 1944 – with nearly the force of an atomic bomb. Three hundred and twenty men die. Another 390 are injured. Most are black sailors.

Almost six thousand miles away, Admirals Ernest King and Chester Nimitz celebrate the end of the brutal battle for Saipan, an island that would become the launching pad for U.S. bombers headed for Japan.  According to historian Donald Miller, seizing Saipan was “as important to victory over Japan as the Normandy invasion was to victory over Germany.”

Weeks later, the Navy blames the Port Chicago sailors for the explosion. And when you and the other survivors refuse to handle ammunition again, it launches the largest mutiny trial in U.S. history. Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel for the NAACP and future Supreme Court Justice, attends. When the Navy court convicts and sentences you and 49 more men for mutiny, Marshall handles your appeal and mobilizes the black community for a struggle that will  foreshadow the country’s bitter Civil Rights battle.

Using extensive research and first-hand interviews with veteran white Marines and black Marines and African-American sailors who survived Port Chicago, Campbell  crafted The Color of War to paint a gripping picture of July 1944, the explosive month that changed the course of history. The Color of War juxtaposes the spirit of the Greatest Generation with the scars of segregation.

NOTE: This June, in a timely and fitting tribute, the black Marines who fought in Saipan will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their WWII service.

The Color Of War

How one battle broke Japan and another changed America

James Campbell

List $30.00 Trade Hardcover  $14.99 Kindle edition

512 pages  Published by Crown Publishing

Official Publication date May 15, 2012

ISBN-10: 0307461211 ISBN-13: 978-0307461216

Historical non-fiction

From the acclaimed World War II writer and author of The Ghost Mountain Boys, an incisive retelling of the key month, July 1944, that won the war in the pacific and ignited a whole new struggle on the home front.

About the Author James Campbell

James Campbell is a native of Wisconsin. He received his B.A. from Yale University and M.A. from the University of Colorado. He has written adventure travel, environmental, and military history pieces for Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Islands, Backpacker, Audubon, Coastal Living, Field and Stream, Sports Afield, Military History and many other magazines and newspapers.

His first book, The Final Frontiersman, won one of two nonfiction prizes at 2006 Midwest Booksellers Choice and was named by Amazon editors as the #1 Outdoor Book of 2004 and one of the Top 50 titles of the year.  In 2006, in conjunction for the research and writing of his second book, The Ghost Mountain Boys, he followed the footsteps of the Ghost Mountain Boys across New Guinea — a journey that historians describe as “one of the cruelest in military history” — and shot a documentary film in the process. No one from outside New Guinea had ever attempted to retrace the soldiers’ route. He discovered a wilderness and mountain villages largely unchanged in sixty years.

He lives in Wisconsin with his wife and three daughters.

Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) — Beauty Supply Institute will be holding its 3rd annual Beauty Supply Entrepreneurship Summer Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on August 4, 2012.

Since 2010, Beauty Supply Institute has been holding conferences that specifically train aspiring beauty supply store owners how to open beauty supply stores. The beauty industry is a $15 billion industry with low African-American representation as owners. Beauty Supply Institute was founded in 2007 to educate and engage entrepreneurs on the aspects of the industry in order to increase ownership among African-Americans.

Since the conference has been established, attendees have opened stores in places like Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Georgia, some within three months of attending. The conference is an all-day conference consisting of 6 classes, a lunch buffet, and take-home materials. Attendees will have an opportunity to intimately interact with staff and get their specific questions answered and concerns addressed. Courses taught include, “Avoiding Industry Pitfalls”, “Lease Negotiation”, “Uncovering Hidden Revenues”, “How to Raise Capital” and more.

This year’s conference guest speaker will be Maggie Anderson, founder of the Empowerment Experiment, who, for one year, only made purchases from black-owned businesses. When asked what inspired Devin Robinson, the founder, to start this organization and conferences, he says, “In 2005, I was threatened with a golf club and kicked out of a store by a Korean owner for no reason whatsoever. This inspired me to open my own stores, and I quickly learned how many other people wanted to have stores of their own. I soon realized this problem was bigger than one city and this industry needed more black owners. I decided to do whatever I could to make that a reality.”

Robinson led a one-week national boycott against non-black stores in 2009. He started his own beauty supply store chain, with one store putting two Korean-owned stores out of business. He employed an all-black staff before selling his stores to other Blacks in order to train individuals across the country. His team continues to develop stores nationwide and deliver them to other entrepreneurs.

Devin Robinson and Beauty Supply Institute has appeared on many national media platforms to include Radio One, CBS, Sirius XM radio, Ebony magazine and syndicated Michael Baisden and Rev Al Sharpton radio shows.

Seats are limited. Registration begins May 15, 2012. More information can be found at www.beautysupplyconference.com or www.beautysupplyinstitute.com or by calling 404-551-4398.

Online Film Festival Slated for July 15 – August 30, 2012

Los Angeles, CA (BlackNews.com) — Urban Victory Network Inc.(UVN) today launched a new online delivery platform for global black film at www.urbanvictory.com. Michael Eastman, CEO of Urban Victory, believes the movie industry is long overdue for a black film revolution leveraging the latest online technologies. “Many excellent films that premiere at regional and international black film festivals never get distribution beyond the festivals. America and the world are being deprived of some really fantastic films,” says Eastman, a Harvard University and Harvard Law graduate.

Urban Victory aims to change that. “We will host an online film festival this summer and at the conclusion of the festival offer filmmakers 70% of net revenue on our ad supported and subscriber distribution platforms,” says Eastman. UVN has issued a call for film submissions for their online film festival scheduled to start in July. Filmmakers may submit short films(less than 40 minutes) for the festival for free until May 15 at urbanvictory.com or on Withoutabox. After that, they will be charged a modest fee to make a submission.

Filmmakers who submit films and are accepted for the festival will have the opportunity to win up to $2000 in prize awards. UVN will also give away a pair of regional black film festival passes to three lucky online subscribers to the festival worth up to $200 for providing feedback and input on the films featured.

Films by or about African Americans and people of the African descent rarely make it to the big screen. Last year, only six of the top 300 grossing films were produced by black filmmakers. Eastman continues, “With the advent of digital video cameras and editing, production of film by African Americans, Africans, Afro-Brazilians, and Afro-Caribbean people has exploded. Nigeria, the largest African country, has the second largest film industry in the world in terms of annual film production (2400 films), placing it ahead of the U.S. and behind India.”

“Online audiences will be blown away by the superb quality of these films that typically only get an audience at the 40 or so black film festivals held worldwide every year,” says Eastman, who has worked in the online media space for the last 15 years, including three years founding and managing startups and five years at RealNetworks, the company that pioneered the development of online distribution technologies for audio and video.

ABOUT URBAN VICTORY NETWORK

Urban Victory Networks is building the world’s premier source for finding and enjoying global black film. They make it easy for filmgoers around the world to enjoy the best black films from Los Angeles to New York, Rio to Kingston, and from Capetown to Cairo. From July 15, 2012 to August 30, 2012, they are inviting filmmakers from around the world to show off their best creative work at our online shorts film festival. After the Festival, filmmakers approved by their Screening Committee who sign the Filmmakers Agreement get free hosting of their film and earn 70% of net revenues generated by their film on UVN. All are invited to join the Global Black Film Revolution on UVN. For more details, visit www.urbanvictory.com

Photo Caption: Michael Eastman, Urban Victory Network CEO

 For the first time, Teatro Luna goes beyond its trademark devised projects to produce a play by a Latina playwright outside their ensemble.

Written and directed by Diane Rodriguez, the first preview show is Sunday, May 6th.

The play features Amanda DeLaGuardia, Miranda Gonzalez, Sandra Marquez, Madrid St. Angelo, and Isabel Quintero.

Previews: May 6 at 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm | May 7 & 9 at 7:30 pm

Opening May 10 at 7:30 pm | Reception to follow featuring music by Las Bompleneras

Runs through June 17, 2012

Playing at THE VIADUCT 3111 N. Western Ave.

Living Large in a Mini Kind of Way, a new work by top Latina artist of the American Theatre Diane Rodriguez, launches a new adventure for Teatro Luna–a firm commitment to producing single-author plays in addition to their trademark devised projects, writtenby Latina writers outside of their artistic collective. With this World Premiere the Ladies of Luna are not afraid to ask: What would you do if you didn’t have a social security number? How far would you go for 9 precious digits that could change your life?

Chicago’s all-Latina Theatre continues its 11th season dedicated to issues of Immigration, Race, and Borders with a story of two sets of Mexican-American sisters; one assimilated into US mainstream culture, the other still struggling with their immigration status. Mingling a sassy comedy with a thought-provoking atypical immigration drama, Obie award winning Rodriguez illuminates pressing, universal issues about identity and privilege. Based on a real-life story, Luna brings it’s unique blend of humor and honesty to this hilarious and sharp exploration of the American Dream.

ABOUT DIANE RODRIGUEZ
Schooled in activist art, Diane Rodriguez is an acclaimed American theatre artist based in Los Angeles. She has directed and developed the new work of some of the most prominent new playwrights in the last fifteen years including Nilo Cruz, Lynn Nottage, and Migdalia Cruz, among many others.

With Luis Alfaro, Rodriguez co-wrote Los Vecinos: A Play for Neighbors and The Ballad of Ginger Esparza. For ten years, she was a resident artist and Director of the Latino Theatre Initiative at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Currently, she is Associate Producer and Director of New Play Production for the Center Theatre Group. In 2007, she won an Off-Broadway OBIE Award in performance (Best Ensemble). She was awarded a NEA/TCG Early Career Director Development Award in 1998, and in 2003 as well as 2007 she was awarded a TCG/NEA New Generations Mentorship grant. She received a Directors/Choreographers Foundation Award in 1997 to support the direction of her play Los Vecinos.

Can’t wait for opening night? Check out the links below!

Purchase your tickets today: bit.ly/tixforlivinglarge

Living Large Blog: http://livinglargeatteatroluna.tumblr.com/

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/405747146122120/

First Video Teaser Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPoDWRm-XW0

Three Chicago institutions unite artists and youth in a season-long, citywide call to action against youth violence and intolerance

CHICAGO, IL – Heads of the Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves and Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced a season-long initiative to inspire a citywide conversation about making positive change in our communities to stop the trend of youth violence and intolerance. These three Chicago institutions have joined forces for Now Is The Time (NITT), a themed initiative throughout 2012/13 linking major projects at each institution, including the Fall 2012 One Book, One Chicago selection, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, a staged adaptation of Zusak’s book at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and a major Facing History and Ourselves exhibit titled “Choosing to Participate.”

Each institution, through these major projects and under the Now Is The Time umbrella, will focus outreach and programming on questions of social activism and civic responsibility, particularly among Chicago’s youth. Also engaging in related programming will be DePaul University students and more than 15 Chicago-area theater companies, along with additional organizations to be announced later. The citywide project was announced during a press conference this morning at the Chicago Public Library.

“Violence involving young people has become all too common in our society,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.  “It’s time for all of us, in every community, to come together to talk about ways to resolve our differences without violence and how to treat each other with respect.  I applaud these three institutions and the funders of this initiative for creating the space for us to do just that, especially with our young adults.”

“In recent years, violence towards youth has become overwhelming. As theater artists working in schools, the teens we work closely with in the classroom are scared to be outside in their neighborhoods or face torment at school from bullying,” commented Hallie Gordon, Artistic and Educational Director, Steppenwolf for Young Adults.  “As artists, we have a unique opportunity to help teens give voice to this epidemic. We encourage our civic partners and other cultural organizations to join us—now is the time.”

The initial roster of Now Is The Time projects includes:

August 27 – November 11, 2012: Facing History and Ourselves brings the powerful multimedia exhibit Choosing to Participate to the Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center. This free exhibit encourages young people to recognize the importance of a democratic society through installations about people whose stories illustrate courage, initiative and compassion—including a display about local unsung heroes making a difference in Chicago.

Summer 2012 – Winter 2013: YOUmedia, a teen learning space housed at the Chicago Public Library, will use the themes of NITT for workshops on digital media creation, developing teens’ skills in critical thinking, creativity and tangible digital media skills, all the while engaging them in this conversation on civic responsibility.

October 2012: Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is the Fall 2012 selection for One Book, One Chicago. The award-winning 2006 novel explores young people’s choices and their potential as civic participants. The author will visit the Chicago Public Library and participate in events with the public, with teachers and librarians, and with high school students.

October 16 – November 11, 2012: In Fall 2012, Steppenwolf Theatre Company will produce a stage adaptation of The Book Thief, adapted by Heidi Stillman, directed by Hallie Gordon, as part of the theater’s Steppenwolf for Young Adults program, combining play production with educational components to enhance arts education for young audiences, as well as their teachers and families.

February – March 2013: Oral histories about youth violence, collected from across the city by DePaul University students, will be used to create a play at Steppenwolf, curated by Professor Miles Harvey. Traveling to libraries in different communities across the city, each reading will be followed by a teen-led workshop.

September 2012 – May 2013: More than 15 of Chicago’s finest theater companies are also involved in NITT through their unique commitment to the campaign, Now Is The Time to A.C.T: Affect Change through Theater. Confirmed participating companies include: About Face Theatre, American Theatre Company, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theater, Writers’ Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Congo Square Theatre, Free Street Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Adventure Stage Chicago, Chicago Children’s Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Storycatchers Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Raven Theatre and more. These companies have all pledged to focus their 2012/13 programming on issues of youth violence and will present productions, panel discussions and teen-centered community events in conjunction with NITT. A youth council will be drawn from teen members at each participating theater company.

“One Book, One Chicago has a 10 year history of bringing together Chicagoans of diverse backgrounds to discuss issues around a specific piece of literature.  While The Book Thief is set 70 years ago, sadly the topics it addresses are very much alive today:  intolerance and violence.  Now Is The Time offers all of Chicago a wonderful opportunity to create, as the Dalai Lama recently called for, ‘a century of dialogue.’  The Library is proud to partner with Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Facing History and Ourselves to start that conversation,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon.

“Facing History and Ourselves is thrilled to bring an exhibit to Chicago that examines the impact of racism and injustice and the consequences of choices we make every day to help build inclusive or exclusive communities,”  said Bonnie Oberman, Chicago director of Facing History and Ourselves. “We know that the privilege of partnering with the Chicago Public Library and the Steppenwolf Theatre means that thousands of Chicagoans will have access to a citywide conversation around issues critically important to all of us.”

The goal of Now Is The Time is to spur youth activism and creative self-expression around the themes of social responsibility and civic engagement. Youth involved in NITT will participate in skill-building around their interests such as design, spoken word, music, film, writing, performance and digital media creation which they can share with fellow citizens via the Now Is The Time website. Participating youth will be better prepared for the demands of citizenship by being supported to think critically, to empathize, to recognize moral choices, and to make their voices heard.

Now Is The Time provides ample opportunities for additional program partners, large and small, from around the Chicago area. Throughout 2012/13, NITT’s call to action will inspire themed activities from organizations engaged in theater arts, youth work, digital media, education; participants connect via the NITT website, nowisthetimechicago.org.  

Now Is The Time is funded by the Hive Learning Network, an initiative of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the Smart Chicago Collaborative fund of the Chicago Community Trust.

ABOUT THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Since first opening its doors to the public in 1873, the Chicago Public Library has maintained its status of one of the City’s most democratic of institutions — providing all Chicagoans with a free and open place to gather, learn, connect, read and be transformed. The more than 70 locations of the Chicago Public Library are at the forefront of providing innovative library services, technologies and tools Chicagoans need to achieve their personal goals and to establish the City’s role as a competitive force in the global marketplace. Through its rich and current book collections, state of the art technology and cultural and public partnerships, the Chicago Public Library is a thriving, engaged leader in Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Throughout its 139-year history, the Chicago Public Library has always encouraged Chicagoans of all ages to make reading a priority. Since the fall of 2001, One Book, One Chicago has encouraged Chicagoans of all backgrounds and ages to read the same book at the same time, and come together to discuss a great piece of literature. The Fall 2012 One Book, One Chicago is presented by the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, Allstate and BMO Harris. For additional information, visit chicagopubliclibrary.org.

Facing History and Ourselves is a leader in history and civic education. For more than 35 years, the international education organization has been linking the past to the moral and ethical questions of our time through a rigorous examination of the root causes of antisemitism, racism, and other hatreds. The overarching goal is to help young people understand the importance of their choices in building a just, inclusive society and to empower them to be active, informed, compassionate citizens in their schools and communities. Facing History’s quality resources, professional development, and public forums provide opportunities for students and adults to explore the connections between history and their own lives. Facing History reaches 1.9 million students each year through a network of 50,000 educators. In 2009, the Facing History and Ourselves website received more than 700,000 visits from people in 215 countries, with 2.6 million page views. The Chicago office of Facing History and Ourselves celebrated its 20^th Anniversary in 2010. More information is available at facinghistory.org.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is one of the nation’s leading ensemble theaters, producing annually up to 16 productions and nearly 700 performances, readings and other events in its three Chicago theater spaces—the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 43 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and three repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, Garage Rep and Next Up. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community that has been its home for 36 years, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including a Pulitzer Prize for ensemble member Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, an Illinois Arts Legend Award and nine Tony Awards. Martha Lavey is the Artistic Director and David Hawkanson is the Executive Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees.

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.