Wanda's Picks Radio, Friday, October 3, 2014

1. Idris Ackamoor is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, tap dancer, actor, director and producer, joins us to talk about the Healing through Music Tour featuring: the Healing Force Orchestra, Oakland Freedom Jazz Society, East Bay Center for the Arts Youth Band under the director of Howard Wiley, Idris Akamoor and the Pyramids and the Idris Ackamoor/David Molina Duet (Oct. 11-Nov. 10). There will also be a performance artists retirement workshop with Rebeka Black Visit culturalodyssey.org

He is the founder and Executive/Co-Artistic Director of Cultural Odyssey. Idris curates and produces the Cultural Odyssey Performance Festival, and also records and tours with his acclaimed jazz ensemble. Featured Music: The Pyramids's Memory Ritual 1 and Otherworldly

2. Joanna Haigood and Chelsea O Riley join us to talk about the San Francisco Aerial Dance Festival Oct. 5-12, 2014 at Zaccho Dance Studio. Visit http://www.zaccho.org/

Joanna Haigood’s creative work uses natural, architectural and cultural environments as points of departure for movement exploration and narrative.  Her work has been commissioned by many arts institutions, including Dancing in the Streets, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Walker Arts Center, the Exploratorium Museum, the National Black Arts Festival, and Festival d'Avignon. She has also been honored with the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Cal/Alpert Award in Dance, the US Artist Fellowship, and a New York Bessie Award. Most recently, Haigood was a recipient of the esteemed Doris Duke Performing Artist Award.

Joanna has taught at the National École des Arts du Cirque in France, the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in England, Spelman College, and the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford University. Joanna is the Co-Founder and Director of Zaccho Dance Theatre, Zaccho Youth Company, Youth Performing Arts Program, and Center for Dance and Aerial Arts, all proudly housed at ZACCHO Studio in San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point district.

Chelsea O Riley founded Chelsea O Productions in 2009. Her works have been supported by the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, Conseil des Arts et lettres de Quebec, Adesam, and the City of Vancouver public art program. Chelsea combines aerial acrobatics, with dance and theatre to create poetic shows about the human experience. Currently based in SF, Chelsea O Productions has produced work in Canada, the USA, Iceland and the UK and was most recently featured in NYC for SummerStage Festival. Visit http://chelseao.com/

Chelsea is also CDAA’’s program manager at Zaccho.

Joanna writes: "We are very excited about our upcoming festival and hope that you will be able to attend. Zaccho will be joined by some of the great aerial dance companies and emerging aerial dance artists from around the Bay Area.  Each night is a different program - the line up is on the "Purchase here" link below. We are also hosting several aerial dance workshops lead by a team of fantastic artists.

"I will be showing new work, including the opening section from "1964- The Ballad of Freedom," with music by Marcus Shelby. The piece, commissioned by Equal Justice Society, is a collaboration with Marcus, actor Steven Anthony Jones and a 9 brilliant dancers.  It premiered last week at YBCA and is inspired by the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Seating is limited so if you can join us, buy your ticket(s) early."

3. Donald E. Lacy Jr. joins us to talk about Color Struck 2014-2015: Conversations N Color Tour written and performed by Donald E. Lacy Jr. Friday-Sat., Oct. 3-4, 8 p.m. at Laney College Theatre, 900 Fallon. For tickets visit or call 510 One Love or colorstruck.net Proceeds benefit LoveLife Foundations Art and Media Training Academy Foundations Art and Media Training Academy.
http://www.lovelifefoundation.com/
Mr. Lacy is a writer, director, actor, comedian, and radio talk show host.  As a comedian he was inducted into the Bay Area Blues society Hall of Fame in 2013. A San Francisco State University alumnus, Donald holds two B. A. Degrees, one in Theater Arts, (with a film minor), the other in African American Studies. 

His T.V./Film acting credits include: Cherry with James Franco, which was released in 2012, Denny on the NBC show Trauma in 2010, "Jack", directed by Francis Ford Coppola, "Blood In, Blood Out", directed by Taylor Hackford, "L.A. Heat", "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper" on ABC, "Wolf" on CBS. Stage Credits include: a 45 city tour with The Miles Davis Experience through Thanksgiving 2011, “Gem of the Ocean” as Solly 2 Kings, Whining Boy in the “Piano Lesson”, Multiple characters in “Peoples Temple” about Jonestown, Gambol in “Nobody Move” at Intersection,  “Hairy Ape", "Good Person of Szechwan" at Berkeley Repertory Theater,  and as Carlyle in "Streamers". 

In 2006, he appeared in “The Shelter” at the Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, under the direction of Valery Belyakovich of the Moscow Art Theater. He also appeared in Naomi Izukas adaptation of “Hamlet” as “C”, directed by Jonathan Moscone.  Other credits include: “Jitney”, by August Wilson at the Lorraine Hansberry Theater, as Bennie in “Hotel Angulo”, at the Intersection for the Arts, “Soul of A Whore” by Denis Johnson, and “Fists Of Roses” by Phillip Kan Gotanda. Directorial credits include: "Montage of a Dream Deferred"; "Boseman & Lena"; “Streamers"; "The Dutchman"; "Homebase" & "The Loudest Scream You'll Never Hear".    As a playwright, Mr. Lacy has produced several of his plays including: "The Loudest Scream You'll Never Hear", a drama based on the Atlanta child murders; "Homebase", a tragic comedy about crack-cocaine addiction,  and his National touring One Man Show “Color Struck”, now in its 6th year. He also premiered "LoEshe" at the 1998 Afro Solo Festival, about the life and untimely death of his 16-year-old daughter.  In 2011 Donald presented his second One Man Show “Sexphobias” at the National Black Theater Festival. In 2013 he presented his new One man show; How Did The World Get Here?

He wrote for Jamie Foxx’s pilot “These Nuts” for which he was also the acting coach.   Donald has written 3 feature films: “What Goes on When the Mike Goes Off”, “LoveLife”, and “Romeo and Juliet Gettin’ Busy”.  As a filmmaker he has received a Bay Area Cable Excellence Award and a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award for his Public Service Announcement “Precious Gift.”  Donald wrote and directed a short film in 2011 called Recycle Woman which was shown at the DeYoung Museum in 2012 and selected for the 2013 Oakland International Film Festival.

 Mr. Lacy traveled on a 75-city tour with the Harlem Globetrotters as "The Voice”.  Donald Lacy as a comedian has been seen on BET's "Comic View and HBO's "Def Comedy Jam".   He has 2 comedy CD’s “Uncensored” & “Free Speech Costs Plenty”.  Mr. Lacy spent his Thanksgiving holiday in 2001 entertaining the troops abroad on a Far East tour that included; Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Singapore, & Diego Garcia. He returned on the same tour in 2004.  As a headliner, he has appeared in clubs from Chicago, to Kaiserslautern Germany.  In 2007 his one-man show, “Color Struck” was a runaway hit at the National Black Theater Festival in Winston- Salem North Carolina.  “Color Struck”, by invitation from Congresswoman Barbara Lee, was also performed at the 2007 Congressional Black Caucus in September.  In 2008 “Color Struck” returned to the Congressional Black Caucus for a encore performance. 

Since 1979, Donald  is a weekly announcer Saturdays 7 AM-12 noon on KPOO 89.5 F.M. , and fill-in host on KPFA 94.1 F.M.  In 2007 he was honored by the American Red Cross, and in 2008 the Titan Award For Acting from Theatre Bay Area. He received a broadcasting award in 2010 from Artists By Design, and in 2012 received a broadcasting award from BayView Newspaper.

Link to show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks/2014/10/03/wandas-picks-radio-show