WACO Theater Center

Keeper of Sadness
2023-06-09 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WACO Theater Center, 5144 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601, United States
Keeper of Sadness is a work-in-progress dance presentation, that illuminates the countless contributions that Black women have made to ensure the livelihood of others. Choreographed by Seattle-based artist, Jade Solomon Curtis, Keeper of Sadness is an expansive and versatile dance production, incorporating various artistic mediums. Thematically, the work delves into the profound and lasting impacts that transgenerational trauma, pervasive stereotypes, and overall erasure have impacted Black women today. This work is thoughtfully designed, with an all Black women ensemble and creative team, to transcend the boundaries of both conventional and unconventional performance spaces—centering Black women.

Witness | Closing Weekend: Can I Get A Witness?
2023-05-27 15:00 - 16:00 | WACO Theater Center, 5144 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601, United States
Closing Weekend: Can I Get A Witness? ft WITNESS Artists
Saturday, May 27
3:00p – 4:00p
Join us for a closing discussion between the curator and the artists around themes in their work, their artist practice and what they hope visitors bear witness to and take away from the show. Followed by Q&A.

Marty and the Hands that Could by Josh Wilder
2023-05-21 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-05-21 14:00 - 15:30, 2023-05-20 14:00 - 15:30, 2023-05-19 20:00 - 21:30, 2023-05-14 18:00 - 19:30, 2023-05-14 14:00 - 15:30, 2023-05-13 14:00 - 15:30, 2023-05-12 20:00 - 21:30 and 10 more dates | Watts Labor Community Action Committee, 10950 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90059, United States
WACO Theater Center and Watts Village Theater Company present the world premier of Marty and the Hands that Could by Josh Wilder, directed by Larry Powell.
Released from prison on the eve of his 25th birthday, Marty returns home to his family, equipped with a handwritten manuscript and big dreams to turn his life around. But his cousin Junior has also come home with problems of his own, setting them on a collision course as they struggle to break free of the curse that has haunted their family for generations. Can Marty put his hands to good use, or is his fate already written?

Featured Artists: Aaron Shaw, Adrianne Embry^, Akilah Walker*, Bernadette Speakes, Camden Coley, Dessaline Etienne^, Joshua R. Lamont*, Joy DeMichelle*, Matthew Elam, Montae Russell*, Nefta Perry^, Robert Lee Hardy^
Design & Production Team: Alexis Tongue (Sound Design), Chels Morgan (Intimacy & Fight Director), Dr. Marcus Norris (Composer), Ebonie Durham (Assistant Stage Manager), Jessica Moneá Evans (Stage Manager), Jo Siri (Props Designer), Josh Wilder (Writer), Larry Powell (Director), Michéal D. Ricks (Lighting Design), Sankara McCain (Costume Design), Wesley T. Jones (Assistant Director), Yohannes Yamassee (Scenic Design)

^Artist Cover
*Member of Actor’s Equity Association

Witness | Artist Talk: Memory Work ft Alexis Hunley and Cara Elise Taylor
2023-05-21 15:00 - 16:00 | WACO Theater Center, 5144 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601, United States
Artist Talk: Memory Work ft Alexis Hunley and Cara Elise Taylor
Sunday, May 21
3:00p – 4:00p
A conversation with Alexis Hunley and Cara Elise Taylor about legacy, portraiture and stewarding memory through family archives.

The Window by Natasha Ofili - a workshop production
2023-05-20 19:00 - 23:00 | WACO Theater Center, 5144 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601, United States
THE WINDOW – a play by Natasha Ofili
Saturday, May 20
7:00p – 11:00p
You are invited to a private viewing of a staged workshop of “The Window” by Natasha Ofili, an original love story about two high school teenagers who fall in love through The Window. We are excited for you to experience a unique story.
The goal is for the play to become a 99-seat production. Your feedback and potential collaboration are valuable for making this happen.
Following the play, there will be a discussion with Natasha Ofili, Shay Wafer, and Melissa Coleman-Reed on what they hope the audience bears witness to and takes away from the play. Light refreshments will be provided afterward.

DIGITAL PROGRAM
Play Information
Play by and written by: Natasha Ofili
Producers: WACO Theatre, Natasha Ofili (NIOVISION), Deaf West Theatre

Witness | Legacy Portraits with Amber Evangelista
2023-05-14 12:00 - 18:00 | WACO Theater Center, 5144 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601, United States
Sunday, May 14
Legacy Portraits with Amber Evangelista
12:00p – 6:00p
Legacy Archives with Amber Evangelista aka Valley in Film
Caregivers and families are invited to get their images captured on film in celebration of Mother’s Day.
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Witness | Artist Talk: Storytelling Through Film
2023-05-07 15:00 - 16:00 | WACO Theater Center, 5144 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601, United States
WITNESS Exhibition Programming
Artist Talk: Storytelling Through Film
Sunday, May 7
3:00p – 4:00p
A conversation with Sophia Nahli Allison, Amber J. Phillips and Dana Davenport about their process, practice, and perspectives around amplifying Black femme narratives through film. Moderated by Jaunice Sills McSwain (Chairwoman Emeritus, Black Women Film Network)

Black Terror at the Seattle Black Film Festival
2022-05-01 09:00 - 17:00 | CA
WACO celebrated the 19th annual Seattle Black Film Festival and animated the halls of the Langston Hughes Performing Arts
Institute in Seattle’s historically Black Central District. This was a screening of the Evolution of African Dance and discussion of Black Terror.

More about the festival: The three-day weekend of in-person and video-on-demand screenings, panels, and events will host an international selection of over forty feature films, music videos, documentaries, and short films; showcasing the range and depth of the Black experience on screen.
