[NEohioPAL]" Who Will Sing For Lena" by Janice L. Liddell sings across parts of Ohio and America

Wed Feb 23 15:53:14 PST 2005

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Who Will Sing For Lena?

A one-woman show

By Janice L. Liddell

=E3 Janice Liddell, 2004

=20

Background Factual Information:

In 1944, Ms. Lena Baker, a black domestic in Cuthbert Georgia, killed =
her long-time white employer/ sexual abuser after a night of drinking =
and arguing.  He had kept her imprisoned in his mill for an entire day, =
then returned to have forced sex with her.  She refused, they fought, =
she killed him.  Lena was arrested that day in April.  Her trial was =
held in August and lasted only four =BD hours.  The deliberation of the =
jury of twelve white men lasted =BD hour on the same day.  She was found =
guilty and was sentenced to die.  In March 1945 Lena was transferred to =
Reidsville Prison, a male prison, and on March 5 she became the first =
and only woman to die in Georgia's electric chair.   =20

=20

The Play:

Who Will Sing for Lena? is a one-woman play that gives a voice to Lena =
Baker and provides insight into the background of Ms. Baker and her =
tragic story. Using the actual trial transcript, the play provides =
motivations for Ms Baker's actions-as a poor, black, woman in the rural =
south in the 1940s-and dramatically tells the story of her abuse, the =
killing, the trial and the execution.  Because the details of her life =
outside the transcript are virtually unknown, the playwright has used =
creative license to fill in the gaps of Ms Baker's story.=20

The playwright has given royalty-free rights to this play for =
productions or staged-readings to any theatre or dramatic group during =
March 2005, which is the 60th anniversary of this travesty as well as =
International Women's Month.=20

In addition to the production of this play, we are also attempting to =
secure a posthumous pardon for Ms Baker. (the petition is attached)

Play schedule:

March 5 (this is the 60th anniversary date of Lena Baker's execution)

Denver, Colorado:  Eden Theatre Co.

 Kingston, Jamaica*

 Atlanta, Georgia: New Jomandi Theatre Co./ Push-Push Theatre Co (8:00 =
p.m.)**

=20

March 6

 Atlanta, Georgia: New Jomandi Theatre Co./Push-Push Theatre Co (5:00 =
p.m.)**

=20
March 7
Cleveland, Ohio: Karamu Performing Arts Theatre 13th Annual R. Joyce =
Whitley Arena Festival of New Plays (6:00pm) *****

Atlanta, Georgia:  New Jomandi Theatre Co/Push-Push Theatre Co (8:00 =
p.m.)**
=20
March 12
 Kingston, Jamaica*

 Toledo, Ohio: New Works Theatre Group

March 14

Cleveland, Ohio: Karamu Performing Arts Theatre 13th Annual R. Joyce =
Whitley Arena Festival of New Plays (6:00pm) *****
=20

March 26
 Atlanta, Georgia: Atlanta Fulton County Library***

Montego Bay Jamaica*

March 31
Atlanta, Georgia: National Black Herstory Conference, Spelman College

April 7

New York City: Christ-Centered International Church in Harlem

April 8
New York City: Christ-Centered International Church in Harlem

April 9
=20

New York City: Christ-Centered International Church in Harlem

=20
Not listed but confirmed-(dates/time not yet confirmed): New York City: =
Countee Cullen Library;  New York City: CUNY at City College; Blue Heron =
 Theatre****

* featuring Makeda Solomon

**featuring Carol Mitchell-Leon

*** featuring Kay A. Weaver

****featuring Lady Altovise (Blue Heron Theatre)

***** featuring Lisa Langford (March 6th) & Kimberly Brown (March 14th) =
at Karamu Performing Arts Theatre

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<DIV>Who Will Sing=20
For Lena? A one-woman show By Janice L. Liddell =E3 =
Janice=20
Liddell, 2004   Background Factual =
Information: In=20
1944, Ms. Lena Baker, a black domestic in Cuthbert Georgia, killed her =
long-time=20
white employer/ sexual abuser after a night of drinking and =
arguing.  He=20
had kept her imprisoned in his mill for an entire day, then returned to =
have=20
forced sex with her.  She refused, they fought, she killed =
him.  Lena=20
was arrested that day in April.  Her trial was held in August and =
lasted=20
only four =BD hours.  The deliberation of the jury of twelve white =
men lasted=20
=BD hour on the same day.  She was found guilty and was sentenced =
to=20
die.  In March 1945 Lena was transferred to Reidsville Prison, a =
male=20
prison, and on March 5 she became the first and only woman to die in =
Georgia=92s=20
electric chair.      The =
Play: Who=20
Will Sing for Lena? is a one-woman play that gives a voice to Lena Baker =
and=20
provides insight into the background of Ms. Baker and her tragic story. =
Using=20
the actual trial transcript, the play provides motivations for Ms =
Baker=92s=20
actions=97as a poor, black, woman in the rural south in the 1940s=97and =
dramatically=20
tells the story of her abuse, the killing, the trial and the =
execution. =20
Because the details of her life outside the transcript are virtually =
unknown,=20
the playwright has used creative license to fill in the gaps of Ms =
Baker=92s=20
story. The playwright has given royalty-free rights to this play =
for=20
productions or staged-readings to any theatre or dramatic group during =
March=20
2005, which is the 60th anniversary of this travesty as well as =
International=20
Women=92s Month. In addition to the production of this play, =
we are=20
also attempting to secure a posthumous pardon for Ms Baker. (the =
petition is=20
attached) Play schedule: March 5 (this is the 60th =
anniversary=20
date of Lena Baker=92s execution) Denver, Colorado:  =
Eden Theatre=20
Co.  Kingston, Jamaica*  Atlanta, Georgia: New =
Jomandi=20
Theatre Co./ Push-Push Theatre Co (8:00 =
p.m.)**   March=20
6  Atlanta, Georgia: New Jomandi Theatre Co./Push-Push =
Theatre Co=20
(5:00 p.m.)**   March 7 Cleveland, Ohio: Karamu =
Performing=20
Arts Theatre 13th Annual R. Joyce Whitley Arena Festival of New Plays =
(6:00pm)=20
***** Atlanta, Georgia:  New Jomandi Theatre Co/Push-Push =
Theatre Co=20
(8:00 p.m.)**   March 12  Kingston,=20
Jamaica*  Toledo, Ohio: New Works Theatre Group March =

14 Cleveland, Ohio: Karamu Performing Arts Theatre 13th Annual R. =
Joyce=20
Whitley Arena Festival of New Plays (6:00pm) =
*****   March=20
26  Atlanta, Georgia: Atlanta Fulton County =
Library*** Montego=20
Bay Jamaica* March 31 Atlanta, Georgia: National Black =
Herstory=20
Conference, Spelman College April 7 New York City:=20
Christ-Centered International Church in Harlem April 8 New =
York=20
City: Christ-Centered International Church in Harlem April=20
9   New York City: Christ-Centered International Church =
in=20
Harlem   Not listed but confirmed=97(dates/time not yet =
confirmed):=20
New York City: Countee Cullen Library;  New York City: CUNY at City =

College; Blue Heron  Theatre****<BR><BR><BR>* featuring Makeda=20
Solomon<BR><BR>**featuring Carol Mitchell-Leon<BR><BR>*** featuring Kay =
A.=20
Weaver<BR><BR>****featuring Lady Altovise (Blue Heron =
Theatre)<BR><BR>*****=20
featuring Lisa Langford (March 6th) & Kimberly Brown (March 14th) at =
Karamu=20
Performing Arts Theatre</FONT><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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