By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
HOLLYWOOD — For decades, Adilah Barnes, president and co-founder of the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, has provided a platform for female artists to showcase their talents.
This year is no different.
The award-winning actress, producer, educator, writer, director, and all-around Renaissance woman will celebrate the 32nd Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, taking place through March 30, at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, and Theatre 68 Arts Complex, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.
Barnes, who co-founded the popular festival in 1993 with six other women — Miriam Reed, Joyce Guy, Judith Heineman, Nina Kaufman, Helene McCardle and Phyllis Smith — after a meeting at a California Arts Council Conference, said the event launched in 1994 with specific intentions.
“We wanted to ensure we had a platform to produce our solo works,” Barnes said. “We wanted a platform for other solo artists to share their voices.
“Yes, in the beginning, we were about creating solo work. Our intention was for us to have a space to present our works. Our mission began to grow. We then began to honor people in the theater. We had 24 women that first year. Now we’re the oldest solo festival for women in Los Angeles.”
Over the years, the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival has grown to include an education program that has benefitted 3,000 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Barnes is quick not to accept all of the accolades.
“This is not just about me,” said Barnes, whose career has spanned more than four decades. “There have been thousands who have rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work. I’m the last remaining co-founder. I’ve been at the helm for 32 years but want to give everybody their due.
“I’m proud to say that the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival has made a vital, important and transformative impact. I am proud, very proud. About 700 artists have been produced. Six continents, all except Antarctica, have been represented by some talented artists.”
This year’s festival, with the overall theme “Stronger Together,” is directed by Fay Hauser-Price. It will honor six women for their careers and achievements in the world of theatre at the opening night champagne gala and awards ceremony March 27 at 8 p.m.
The evening will begin with a reception and red carpet at 6:30 p.m. at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. This year’s catered theme is “A Toast To.”
Ted Lange (“The Love Boat”) and Margaret Avery (“The Color Purple”) will host the evening.
The six honorees who have made lcontributions to the world of theatre include two posthumous Infinity Award recipients, Mitzi Gaynor, the Emmy Award-winning actor, dancer, singer and writer; and Nancy Cheryll Davis Bellamy, who co-founded Towne Street Theatre with her husband, Nathaniel Bellamy, and her friend, Nancy Renee. The Infinity Award is presented to an artist who has died and leaves behind a legacy that will always be remembered.
Other awardees include Dawn Didawick, who will receive the Eternity Award, which is presented to an artist or individual whose lifetime achievements have made a lasting contribution to the world of theatre; Juanita Jennings, who will receive the Integrity Award presented to an artist or individual who has brought credibility and dignity to her work; Elisa Bocanegra, the Maverick Award presented to an artist or individual whose work has set a high standard of individuality and self-styled creativity; and Juli Kim, the Rainbow Award, bestowed to an individual for her diverse contributions in fostering non-traditional and multicultural theatre works.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the gala will feature three performances. Performers include Vannia Ibarguen in “Path to Home,” a dance that defines home as a place where we feel confident and safe within ourselves; Karen A. Clark in “Superwoman,” a vocal tribute to sheroes; and Ashley Gayle in “Actualization of a Dream,” a dedication to the ancestors who dreamed and the many women today who are living their dreams.
The festival also will feature five performances at the Theatre 68 Arts Complex in North Hollywood March 28-30.
They include “A Woman’s Choice,” hosted by Jahna Cole Houston and Jessica Lynn Johnson at 8 p.m. March 28; “A Look Back in Time,” hosted by Lula Washington and Rosie Lee Hooks at 3 p.m. March 29; “Unsilenced,” hosted by Kat Kramer and Yvonne Farrow at 8 p.m. March 29; “Encore,” hosted by Lynne Conner and Terrie Silverman at 3 p.m. March 30 and “Family Portraits,” hosted by Christina Linhardt and Kathryn Taylor Smith at 7 p.m. March 30.
For years, Barnes, whose critically acclaimed one-woman play, “I Am That I Am: Woman, Black,” has toured 40 states and three continents, has committed to empowering women and marginalized communities.
She has founded several organizations, including The Writer’s Well, an international writer’s retreat for women, and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the arts and social justice.
As the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival celebrates its 32nd year, Barnes, whose vision and dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts has never waned, said she hopes the organization “Remains a beacon of hope and empowerment for women around the world.”
Barnes said there have been too many memorable experiences to choose only one.
“There is no way I can say one is the most memorable,” she said. “It makes me very proud when I sit in the audience, cross my legs, and observe the work and see the response.”
Barnes said there is a specific reason that the theme chosen for the festival is ‘Stronger Together.’
“It’s because of what’s happening in our country,” she said. “It speaks to how we’re becoming marginalized and how, as women, we have no control over our bodies. I know that our voices are more important than any of the other 32 years we presented in this climate we’re living in now. “Stronger Together” implies unity. Women’s voices need to be heard.”
When she thinks about the festival’s legacy, Barnes hopes it’s that “it lasted.”
“I want it to be about longevity,” she said. “I want it to be that we were diverse in our offerings to the community. I also hope that the legacy will be that audiences will be transported and challenged in their own beliefs and become more accepting of others.”
The festival’s organizational funders of official sponsors and government grantors include the Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, California Arts Council, the Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs, 4imprint, KPFK 90.7 FM and Adilah Barnes Productions.
Tickets to the March 27 gala are $60 each or $100 a pair (includes catered reception). Tickets to each of the weekend’s other five shows are $30. A VIP all-access pass for the entire weekend is $150.
For reservations, call 818-760-0408 or visit http://www.lawtf.org.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
