Wanda's Picks

Tracy Porter, USF Trustee, joins us to talk aboutthe 5th annual Pathways to Building Your Future at USF. 60-80 under-resourced youth (7th and 12th Graders) from Mt. Diablo Unified School District in Concord will be welcomed to USF on Nov. 8 where they will be motivated by powerful black men like himself to see higher education as a place where they can get the tools rise above obstacles. The former NFL veteran is now CEO of Premiere Solutions, a firm connecting businesses with transportation services.USF President Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., will be on hand in the morning to officially welcome the young men to campus. Victor Fields joins us to talk about The Lou Rawls Project, a fresh and contemporary approach to the tribute collection. Recorded in Minneapolis, London, Nashville and the Bay Area, the project features a collection of timeless standards such as “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Natural Man,” and “(I'd Rather Drink) Muddy Water” alongside signature staples.  Muisi-kongo Malonga, choreographer and dancer joins us once again to speak about the remounting of her Kimpa Vita! Nov. 14-16, at CounterPulse in San Francisco.Kimpa Vita! is a music, dance and theater narrative told through the dual lens of Kongolese and African American cultural arts traditions, exploring the controversial life of Kongolese prophet and martyr, Mama Kimpa Vita. We close with an extended conversation with Spanish director, Carlos Agulló, who speaks about Indelible Media's PLOT FOR PEACE, opening tonight, 11/7, at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinemas in SF which he will attend for Q&A after the 7:20pm and 9:55pm shows.

Tracy Porter, USF Trustee, joins us to talk aboutthe 5th annual Pathways to Building Your Future at USF. 60-80 under-resourced youth (7th and 12th Graders) from Mt. Diablo Unified School District in Concord will be welcomed to USF on Nov. 8 where they will be motivated by powerful black men like himself to see higher education as a place where they can get the tools rise above obstacles. The former NFL veteran is now CEO of Premiere Solutions, a firm connecting businesses with transportation services.USF President Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., will be on hand in the morning to officially welcome the young men to campus. Victor Fields joins us to talk about The Lou Rawls Project, a fresh and contemporary approach to the tribute collection. Recorded in Minneapolis, London, Nashville and the Bay Area, the project features a collection of timeless standards such as “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Natural Man,” and “(I'd Rather Drink) Muddy Water” alongside signature staples.  Muisi-kongo Malonga, choreographer and dancer joins us once again to speak about the remounting of her Kimpa Vita! Nov. 14-16, at CounterPulse in San Francisco.Kimpa Vita! is a music, dance and theater narrative told through the dual lens of Kongolese and African American cultural arts traditions, exploring the controversial life of Kongolese prophet and martyr, Mama Kimpa Vita. We close with an extended conversation with Spanish director, Carlos Agulló, who speaks about Indelible Media's PLOT FOR PEACE, opening tonight, 11/7, at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinemas in SF which he will attend for Q&A after the 7:20pm and 9:55pm shows.

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

Curators, LULU MATUTE & FALLON YOUNGjoin us to speak about Not One More, an altar in the Visions at Twight: Dia de los Muertos 2014 at SOMarts through Nov. 8 in San Francisco. Not One More is dedicated to victims of police brutality and state sanctioned violence. After moving to the Bay Area from Chicago, Lulu began advocating for education equity in California Community Colleges to improve college completion and transfer rates amongst students of color. As a member of the Alive and Free program in San Francisco, Lulu works to combat the disease of violence by addressing anger, fear and pain on the individual level as well as in communities. She joined the #BlackLivesMatters ride to Ferguson and #FergusonOctober to protest for justice with the people of Ferguson. Fallon Young coordinates outreach efforts and serves as the social media voice of SOMArts Cultural Center in her role as Director of Communications & Community Engagement. Visit http://www.somarts.org/ or call 415-863-1414. MICHAEL SMITH, founder/president of the American Indian Film Institute (AIFI), joins us to talk about the 39th Annual AIFF Nov. 1-9, in San Francisco. Visit http://aifisf.com/2014-american-indian-film-festival/ KAREN JO KOONAN who has been active in the National Lawyers Guild since early 1969, serving on local and national executive boards and the first non-lawyer to hold that office in the Guild’s 75-year history, joins us to talk about TNLG's recent trip to Palestine in May where she and others were hosted by Addameer, a West Bank organization dealing with the huge issue of political prisoners being held by Israeli authorities. Sahar Francis, General Director of Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner-Support and Human Rights Association is speaking Mon., Nov. 3, 5:30-8 p.m. at UC Hastings School of Law, 100 McAlister in San Francisco. Visit nlgsf.org to RSVP.

Curators, LULU MATUTE & FALLON YOUNGjoin us to speak about Not One More, an altar in the Visions at Twight: Dia de los Muertos 2014 at SOMarts through Nov. 8 in San Francisco. Not One More is dedicated to victims of police brutality and state sanctioned violence. After moving to the Bay Area from Chicago, Lulu began advocating for education equity in California Community Colleges to improve college completion and transfer rates amongst students of color. As a member of the Alive and Free program in San Francisco, Lulu works to combat the disease of violence by addressing anger, fear and pain on the individual level as well as in communities. She joined the #BlackLivesMatters ride to Ferguson and #FergusonOctober to protest for justice with the people of Ferguson. Fallon Young coordinates outreach efforts and serves as the social media voice of SOMArts Cultural Center in her role as Director of Communications & Community Engagement. Visit http://www.somarts.org/ or call 415-863-1414. MICHAEL SMITH, founder/president of the American Indian Film Institute (AIFI), joins us to talk about the 39th Annual AIFF Nov. 1-9, in San Francisco. Visit http://aifisf.com/2014-american-indian-film-festival/ KAREN JO KOONAN who has been active in the National Lawyers Guild since early 1969, serving on local and national executive boards and the first non-lawyer to hold that office in the Guild’s 75-year history, joins us to talk about TNLG's recent trip to Palestine in May where she and others were hosted by Addameer, a West Bank organization dealing with the huge issue of political prisoners being held by Israeli authorities. Sahar Francis, General Director of Ramallah-based Addameer Prisoner-Support and Human Rights Association is speaking Mon., Nov. 3, 5:30-8 p.m. at UC Hastings School of Law, 100 McAlister in San Francisco. Visit nlgsf.org to RSVP.

We speak to UNIVERSES co-founders, Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp about the Berkeley Rep premiere of Party People Oct. 17-Nov. 23. 

Steven Sapp: BARD College, BA ’89 - Theater. Playwright/Actor.Playwriting/Acting credits include: PARTY PEOPLE (Directed/Developed by Liesl Tommy); AMERIVILLE (Directed/Developed by Chay Yew); The Denver Project (Director Dee Covington); One Shot in Lotus Position (Director Bonnie Metzger); BLUE SUITE (Directed/Developed by Chay Yew); SLANGUAGE (Directed/Developed by Jo Bonney); Director- RHYTHMICITY (Director/Actor); THE RIDE (P/A/D) Directing credits include: THE ARCHITECTURE OF LOSS (Assistant Director to Chay Yew); Will Powers’ THE SEVEN (Director-The Univ. of Iowa); Alfred Jarry's UBU:Enchained (Director-Teatre Polski, Poland).

Mildred Ruiz-Sapp: Playwright/Actor/Vocalist. BARD College, BA ’92 (Literature/Language). Publications: UNIVERSES-THE BIG BANG (2015 release- TCG Books); SLANGUAGE in The Fire This Time (TCG Books); BLUE SUITE in The Goodman Theatre's Festival Latino - Six Plays (Northwestern University Press); PARTY PEOPLE in The Manifesto Anthology (Rain City Projects- Fall 2014); Featured on the covers of American Theater Magazine 2004 and The Source Magazine 2000. Member: AEA. 

Awards/Affiliations: 2008 Ambassador of Culture: U.S. State Dept. and Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rhythm Road Tour; 2008 TCG Peter Zeisler Award; 2006 Career Advancement Fellowship from the Ford foundation through Pregones Theater; 2002-2004 and 1999-2001 TCG National Theater Artist Residency Program Award; BRIO Awards (Bronx Recognizes its own-Singing); Co-Founder of The Point CDC; Board Member (National Performance Network - NPN); Former Board Member (Network of Ensemble Theaters-NET); New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. http://www.universesonstage.com/page37/page5/index.html

We speak to UNIVERSES co-founders, Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp about the Berkeley Rep premiere of Party People Oct. 17-Nov. 23. 

Steven Sapp: BARD College, BA ’89 - Theater. Playwright/Actor.Playwriting/Acting credits include: PARTY PEOPLE (Directed/Developed by Liesl Tommy); AMERIVILLE (Directed/Developed by Chay Yew); The Denver Project (Director Dee Covington); One Shot in Lotus Position (Director Bonnie Metzger); BLUE SUITE (Directed/Developed by Chay Yew); SLANGUAGE (Directed/Developed by Jo Bonney); Director- RHYTHMICITY (Director/Actor); THE RIDE (P/A/D) Directing credits include: THE ARCHITECTURE OF LOSS (Assistant Director to Chay Yew); Will Powers’ THE SEVEN (Director-The Univ. of Iowa); Alfred Jarry's UBU:Enchained (Director-Teatre Polski, Poland).

Mildred Ruiz-Sapp: Playwright/Actor/Vocalist. BARD College, BA ’92 (Literature/Language). Publications: UNIVERSES-THE BIG BANG (2015 release- TCG Books); SLANGUAGE in The Fire This Time (TCG Books); BLUE SUITE in The Goodman Theatre's Festival Latino - Six Plays (Northwestern University Press); PARTY PEOPLE in The Manifesto Anthology (Rain City Projects- Fall 2014); Featured on the covers of American Theater Magazine 2004 and The Source Magazine 2000. Member: AEA. 

Awards/Affiliations: 2008 Ambassador of Culture: U.S. State Dept. and Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rhythm Road Tour; 2008 TCG Peter Zeisler Award; 2006 Career Advancement Fellowship from the Ford foundation through Pregones Theater; 2002-2004 and 1999-2001 TCG National Theater Artist Residency Program Award; BRIO Awards (Bronx Recognizes its own-Singing); Co-Founder of The Point CDC; Board Member (National Performance Network - NPN); Former Board Member (Network of Ensemble Theaters-NET); New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. http://www.universesonstage.com/page37/page5/index.html

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!