The 33rd Annual Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF) which will take place March 26- March 29, has designated this year’s overall theme as, THE STRENGTH WE CARRY.
As the longest running Annual Solo Festival for women in Los Angeles, this year’s, THE STRENGTH WE CARRY festival marks 33 years of producing close to 700 extraordinary multicultural and multidisciplinary solo performers from around the globe.
LAWTF will kick off the festival with a celebratory catered Annual Champagne GALA on March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre (4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90027). Five other programs will continue over the week-end from March 27 through March 29 at Theatre 68 Arts Complex located at 5112 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601.
The Opening Night GALA will be hosted by TED LANGE (The Love Boat) and FLORENCE LARUE (The Fifth Dimension, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame), and directed by FAY HAUSER-PRICE. (Hope Builders). The event will honor six deserving women of exceptional achievement and contribution to the world of theatre. The festive evening is named In Tribute To.
The awardees include:
- CARMEN DE LAVALLADE- Infinity Award
- DIANE LADD- Infinity Award
Presented to an artist who has passed on and leaves behind a legacy that will always be remembered.
- YVONNE FARROW- Eternity Award
Presented to an artist or individual whose lifetime achievements have made a lasting contribution to the world of theatre.
- VANNIA IBARGUEN- Maverick Award
Presented to an artist or individual whose work has set a high standard of individuality and self-styled creativity.
- ANDI CHAPMAN –Integrity Award
Presented to an artist or individual who has brought credibility and dignity to her work.
- TL FORSBERG- Rainbow Award
Presented to an artist or individual for her diverse contributions in fostering non-traditional and multicultural theatre works.
There will be live performances. Performers include:
- SARAI HICKS in For You. Youth dancer, Sarai Hicks, is inspired to create beauty through dance.
- SONA LEWIS in A Kathak Dance Celebration for Women. This Indian dance pays homage to women.
- CHRISTINA LINHARDT in Habanera. This vocal selection is from the opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet.
- CLARINDA ROSS in From My Grandmother’s Grandmother Unto Me. This excerpt is from a personal play that gives tribute to five generations of Appalachian women.
Friday, March 27 at 8 p.m. Theme: Rising Above. Hosted by Caryn Desai (Artistic Director/Producer) and DEBORAH SHARPE-TAYLOR (Vocalist/Actor).
- MICHELLE PERDUE in Thrive, This inspiring piece explores the transformative journey of a resilient woman after a double mastectomy.
- VICTORIA BOATENG in The Drum Speaks. An autistic woman in search of her voice found the drum as a way to transform silence on her path to identity and freedom.
- ALICE CUTLER in Inconceivable. A woman asks the question: How far would you go to conceive?
Saturday, March 28 at 3 p.m. Theme: Breaking Free, Hosted by JENNY CADENA (The Robey Theatre Company Producer/Actor and ROSIE LEE HOOKS (Sweet Honey in the Rock/Producer/Actor).
- MEAGAN HARRIS in Lux: A Solo Show. This fast-paced ride using puppetry explores fear, failure, and fierce self-discovery.
- MARISSA HAHONEY in SMILE. This piece explores the daily masks of happiness we wear while wrestling with the inner voices that chip away at our confidence.
- MICIA MOSELY in The Lesbian Lab: The Awakening of a Middle-Aged Black Lesbian. Doctor Mosely transforms the stage into the Lesbian Lab, where healing is messy, laughter is mandatory, and every moment is a hypothesis in the making.
- GIO QUEZADA in The Suitcase (La Maleto). A Peruvian immigrant confronts language barriers, menial jobs, discrimination, and culture shock as she grapples with feelings of discrimination, anxiety, and ultimately seeks solace in therapy.
Saturday, March 28 at 8 p.m. Theme: Introspection. Hosted by FRANCESCA ROBERTS (9-1-1) and CLARINDA ROSS (Actor/Educator).
- ADA CHENG in The Trouble with My Hair. Ada playfully brings the audience on an emotional and thought-provoking journey of self-discovery and self-love through her struggle with hair.
- TANGIE AMBROSE in Heaven Hi. Tangie takes the audience on a spiritual ride of angels, psychics, heartbreak, and healing.
- FAY HAUSER-PRICE in A Poet Speaks. Fay shares socially-conscious spoken word poetry.
Sunday, March 29 at 3 p.m. Theme: Relatively Speaking. Hosted by ADA CHENG (Actor/Educator) and LULA WASHINGTON (Artistic Director).
- KARIN TRACHTENBERG in My Mother Had Two Faces: Reflections on Beauty, Aging, and Acceptance. Karin seeks closure and comfort in accepting her mother’s vulnerabilities, strengths, and imperfections through her own mirrored reflection.
- RHEAGAN WALLACE in Stage Mamma: From Child Star to Leading Lady. This piece reveals the resilience forged within a complex mother-daughter relationship in entertainment business and celebrates the enduring spirit of women.
- VICKI DELLO JOIO in It’s About Time. As Vicki transitions from daughter to mothering her own mother, she finds the joy and sorrow in letting go with humor and heart.
Sunday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Theme: Mothers, Music, and Men. Hosted by LISA RUFFIN (Little Miss African American Pageant Producer) and TERRIE SILVERMAN (Writer/Director).
- JOVELYN RICHARDS in She Cry Dem Blues. A night of solitude, secrets, sensuality, and confessions come together at Tootsie’s, a 1930s Detroit jazz club, where the owner’s unspoken love finally reveals his true feelings.
- MANDY WILLIAMS in The Funny Thing About Men. In this musical comedy, Mandy explores the dynamics between men and women and aging within the “domestic institution.”
- BARBARA BROWNELL in Finding My Light. The lights of Broadway and Hollywood weren’t bright enough to reveal the family secret hiding in plain sight.
Tickets to the March 26 GALA are $60 each or $100 a pair (includes reception). Tickets to each of the weekend’s other five shows are $30., with an Early Bird discount at $25. A VIP all access pass for the entire weekend is $150. Group sales (10+) for the GALA, $45.
Tickets to the GALA can be purchased at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-strength-we-carry-lawtfs-33rd-annual-solo-festival-tickets-1982468591925
Tickets to the other five shows can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-strength-we-carry-lawtfs-33rd-annual-solo-festival-tickets-1982468591925
For more information, questions or ticket prices, visit us at info@lawtf.org or call us at (818) 760-0408.
This year’s 2025-2026 organizational Official Sponsors and Government Grantors include the Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, City of Culver City, Department of Cultural Affairs-LA, City of Burbank, 4imprint, Crown Promotions, KPFK 90.7 FM, and Adilah Barnes Productions.
Founded by Executive Producer Adilah Barnes and Miriam Reed, the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival is an Annual Event unique among Los Angeles cultural institutions, not to be missed. This year’s Festival is directed by Fay Hauser-Price.
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