Blacks featured in two A.V. plays
‘Go Ask Alice’ and ‘The Crucible’
A trio of African American actors are sharing their theatrical talents with Antelope Valley audiences as cast members in several plays.
Leandra Marshall and Mahlea Smith are currently appearing in the It’s Only Tuesday Production of “Go Ask Alice,” which continues on stage through Saturday at the Arbor Court Community Theatre.
The play is the true story of a teenager who inadvertently gets involved in taking drugs, runs away and never makes it back.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the curtain is at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $15, and the theater is located at 858 Jackman St., Lancaster.
Chris Reese will be featured in the production company’s next show—“The Crucible”—which comes to the Arbor Court Community Theatre stage nightly at 7 Feb. 9-18.
“The Crucible,” a 1952 play by American playwright Arthur Miller, is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place during 1692 and 1693.
Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the United States government blacklisted accused communists.
Miller, himself, was questioned in 1956 and convicted of “contempt of Congress” for refusing to identify others present at meetings he had attended.
In addition to his role in “The Crucible,” Reese has been cast in such plays as “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Our Town” and “Pride and Prejudice.”
A Howard University graduate, Reese’s ultimate dream is to one day become a force within the entertainment industry behind the scenes and out front. He has already started working on that goal through his acting, stand-up comedy, writing and filmmaking.
It’s Only Tuesday Production is also holding auditions for “Dora the Explorer, Pirate Adventures” on Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Arbor Court Community Theatre.
Those interested in the roles of Dora and Diego must be 11 to 25 years old. Actors should also prepare a one-minute song to accompaniment tracks. Any Disney piece would be appropriate. A dance number and cold reads will also be part of the audition process.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a plan to allow homeless probationers and parolees to qualify for government-subsidized housing.
“We believe that this will help increase public safety while decreasing taxpayers’ expenditures,” said Alisa Orduna of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
The change is just one element of the Housing Authority’s annual plan, which updates program goals and policies as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The shooting death of unarmed, 17-year-old Florida resident Trayvon Martin allegedly by neighborhood block captain George Zimmerman, and the subsequent inactions of law enforcement officials in Sanford, Fla., about investigating the case, have had a profound impact on America.
PALMDALE—An agreement reached in a discrimination lawsuit between city officials and representatives of Antelope Valley residents who are part of the Section 8 Choice Voucher program is now in the hands of the federal judge overseeing the suit.
The agreement was reached last week, a week after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a similar agreement.
The judge will now have an opportunity to vet the settlements, and when approved, they will go into effect immediately.
The South Valley WorkSource Center (SVWSC), in partnership with Jewish Vocational Services, will host a Valentine’s Day Mixer on Thursday, Feb. 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the center at 38510 Sierra Hwy. in Palmdale.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Reported hate crimes in Los Angeles County fell by 28 percent in 2010 to the lowest level in 21 years, according to the county Commission on Human Relations’ annual report released.
The commission defines a hate crime as one where hatred or prejudice toward a victim’s race or ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, or sexual orientation was a substantial factor in the crime.
According to the 2010 Hate Crime Report, there were 427 reported hate crimes countywide last year, a decline of 166 from the previous year.
