Visions & Voices Spring 2023

Resource Theme Guides to selected programs from the Spring 2023 Visions & Voices program were created in partnership with USC Libraries faculty and staff.
Look for recommended books and readings pertaining to the people, performances and topics covered by these events.
Visit the current season of: USC Visions and Voices

Visions and Voices Theme Guides

Image source: Dr. Melissa L. Miller "Cardinal and Gold Rose"

Tales of Clamor (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 5 p.m.

Location: Bing Theatre (BIT)

USC Libraries Contributor: Adam Sexton

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Mashing up rarely seen video footage from the 1981 hearings that led to redress for Japanese Americans and their families who were incarcerated during World War II, theatrical scenes set in the present and past, and aerial apparatuses, Tales of Clamor is a hybrid theatre-circus piece that examines the sound of silence, the echoes of a little-known yet major moment of American history, and its universal reverberations to this day. 

Exploring how difficult it was for many Japanese Americans to come to terms with having their property, freedom, and often families taken from them on the basis of ancestry, the surprising theatrical case study created by PULLproject Ensemble members traci kato-kiriyama, Kennedy Kabasares, and Howard Ho provides rare insight and powerful encouragement for all to speak out and demand justice. 

Tales of Clamor was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and additional support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Velina Hasu Houston (Dramatic Arts) and Susan H. Kamei (History). Partners on this project include the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions & Culture, the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, the Dornsife Department of History, the USC School of Religion, the USC School of Dramatic Arts, the Iovine Young Academy, and KCRW.

Photo: M Palma Photography

John Singleton: A Celebration – Snowfall (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), SCA 108

USC Libraries Contributor: Melissa Miller

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Throughout the 2022–23 academic year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton (1968–2019). Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.

Over the course of five seasons, FX’s Snowfall has chronicled how an off-the-books CIA operation contributed to the destruction crack cocaine leveled upon the vibrant community of South Central L.A. This event will commemorate the sixth and final season of the acclaimed show created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron with a screening of the series finale, followed by a panel with cast and crew.

Panelists:

Dave Andron, Co-Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer
Walter Mosley, Executive Producer, Writer
Damson Idris, Producer, “Franklin Saint”
Amin Joseph, Director (Episode 8), “Jerome Saint”
Angela Lewis, “Aunt Louie”
Tomas Voth, Production Designer

Presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices.

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: River Walk and Creative Workshop (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: See schedule for locations.

USC Libraries Contributors: Hugh McHarg and Micaela Rodgers

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Join us for an afternoon of creative activities exploring the relationships between the natural and human-made environments of the L.A. River ecosystem in Northeast Los Angeles and how they affect the birds and wildlife of this region.

RSVP

Schedule and Reservations:

1 to 2:30 p.m.: Guided L.A. River Walk
Lewis MacAdams Park, 2944 Gleneden St, Los Angeles
Open to all. RSVP beginning Wednesday, March 1, at 10 a.m.

3 to 5 p.m.: Creative Workshop
Clockshop, 2806 Clearwater St., Los Angeles
Open to USC students only. Students must attend the River Walk prior to attending the workshop. Refreshments will be provided. Transportation from the University Park Campus will be available for USC students. Details will be sent to those with reservations. RSVP at the link above.

5 to 6 p.m.: Reception and Exhibition
Clockshop, 2806 Clearwater St., Los Angeles
Open to all. RSVP not required.

L.A. River Walk
At 1 p.m., a guided walking tour of the L.A. River will be led by Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) and will include a field journaling exploration and discussions with architectural designer Lilliana Castro of Archeffect Design and Lazaro Arvizu, a Gabrielino Tongva educator, artist, and researcher. Participants will learn about birds, the L.A. River habitat in relation to the urban built environment, and how the effects of gentrification and urbanization have created ecological threats to our birds and wildlife. Participants will also learn how to do field collection and journaling as part of the experience. 

Creative Workshop at Clockshop
USC students will apply their observations from the L.A. River walk in a hands-on creative workshop that bridges two identities: Na/Ma—Nature and Manufactured realities. Centering on urban birds and their relationship with the city, the workshop will be led by Lilliana Castro and will transform the participants’ reflections from field journaling into tangible art pieces capturing their unique interpretations and experiences. The workshop will be hosted by Clockshop, a multidisciplinary arts organization that is within walking distance from the L.A. River.

Reception and Exhibition at Clockshop
The activities will culminate in a public critique and celebration of workshop projects, as well as a display of site-specific collaborative installations by students from the USC School of Architecture and USC School of Cinematic Arts.

This event is part of a series held in conjunction with The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon, on display in Doheny Memorial Library’s Treasure Room from March 3–May 31, 2023, illuminating the works of artists and scientists who are addressing the challenges of avian extinction, habitat destruction, and the ever-growing threat of global climate change, along with items that highlight the complex history behind the illustrious artist, naturalist, and ornithologist John James Audubon.
 

Related Events:

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon
Tuesday, March 21, at 6 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: Birding Walk for USC Students
Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m.
Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffith Ave., Los Angeles
For more info, click HERE

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Aroussiak Gabrielian (Architecture), Tyson Gaskill (USC Libraries), Patty Johnson (USC Libraries), Lisa Mann (Cinematic Arts), Nathan Masters (USC Libraries), Anne-Marie Maxwell (USC Libraries), Amy Murphy (School of Architecture), and Tim Stanton (USC Libraries).

Cynossema: A Dirge from the Dog’s Tomb (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 7 p.m.

SCHEDULE:
7 p.m.: Welcome at the Hecuba statue in the USC Village, followed by procession to Joyce J. Cammilleri Hall
7:30 p.m.: Performance and panel at Joyce J. Cammilleri Hall

USC Libraries Contributor: Andrew Justice

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Mystical sound storyteller and opera composer O-Lan Jones and her multidisciplinary company Overtone Industries are joining forces with the theatre company By The Souls Of Our Feet to create a theatre experience that explores the roots of the Hecuba myth that is personified by the iconic 20-foot statue of the Queen of Troy in the USC Village.

Incorporating live music using the ancient Greek Olympos’ pentatonic scale and exploring a mother’s grief-stricken revenge, Cynossema: A Dirge from the Dog’s Tomb tells a story of rage, power, misogyny, immense grief, and, ultimately, catharsis and healing that vibrates with impactful relevance today. The unique, one-time event will begin at the statue of Hecuba and proceed to Joyce J. Cammilleri Hall for an unforgettable performance. 

A conversation with the new-yet-ancient opera’s creators and performers, and special guests including Christopher Slatoff, the sculptor of USC’s Hecuba statue, will follow.

Related event:
Cynossema: Movement and Vocal Workshop
Thursday, April 6, at 3 p.m.
Physical Education Building, PED 207
For more info, click HERE. 

USC students will have the opportunity to take part in in a theatrical workshop led by O-Lan Jones. All current students are welcome, no experience is necessary, and attendees will be invited to perform in the procession to Cynossema: A Dirge from the Dog’s Tomb.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Sabina Zúñiga Varela (Dramatic Arts).

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: Birding Walk for USC Students (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 10 a.m.

Location: Audubon Center at Debs Park

USC Libraries Contributors: Hugh McHarg and Micaela Rodgers

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Marcos Trinidad of the Audubon Center at Debs Park will lead a birding walk for USC students, who will view Anna’s hummingbird, California scrub-jays, and other species native to Southern California. Nestled within the 282-acre Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, the Center is a natural jewel in the heart of Los Angeles that is home to over 140 species of birds and has inspired a love of nature in over a quarter of a million residents of Los Angeles.

This event is part of a series held in conjunction with The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon, on display in Doheny Memorial Library’s Treasure Room from March 3–May 31, 2023, illuminating the works of artists and scientists who are addressing the challenges of avian extinction, habitat destruction, and the ever-growing threat of global climate change, along with items that highlight the complex history behind the illustrious artist, naturalist, and ornithologist John James Audubon.

Related Events:

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon
Tuesday, March 21, at 6 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: River Walk and Creative Workshop
Saturday, April 15, from 1 to 6 p.m.
Various Locations
For more info, click HERE

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Aroussiak Gabrielian (Architecture), Tyson Gaskill (USC Libraries), Patty Johnson (USC Libraries), Lisa Mann (Cinematic Arts), Nathan Masters (USC Libraries), Anne-Marie Maxwell (USC Libraries), Amy Murphy (School of Architecture), and Tim Stanton (USC Libraries).

Artwork: Double-crested Cormorant by John LaMacchia from his “Birds of America” series

Dismantling Orientalism: This Is Not a True Story (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Friday, March 31, 2023 at 6 p.m.

Location: USC Pacific Asia Museum

USC Libraries Contributor: Tang Li

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

In 1978, cultural critic and author Edward Said described Orientalism as “a system of thought and a way of seeing of ‘the East’ from the colonial gaze of ‘the West’ as mysterious, intriguing, and exotic, while at the same time primitive, despotic, and savage.” From Puccini’s Madama Butterfly to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 release of Dune, there are multitudes of Orientalist representations in media that range from outrageous to subtle. All are steeped in colonization and cultural oppression. 

Join us for a timely conversation and staged reading on Asian American representation in popular culture that will focus on dismantling Orientalism within the context of film, video, and theatrical productions and put a spotlight on Asian American artists who are creating subversive and empowering works and paving the way for more meaningful representation and understanding. Panelists will include director Reena Dutt; USC School of Dramatic Arts and USC Dornsife professor Rena Heinrich; and UC Riverside professor of theater, film, and digital production Donatella Galella, with moderator Jenny Lin, a professor at the USC Roski School of Art and Design.

The panel will be followed by a staged reading of This Is Not a True Story produced by the Asian American theatre collective Artists at Play. In the new play by Preston Choi, the heroine of Madama Butterfly completes her tragic suicide only to wake up trapped in a never-ending loop of her story, unraveling the history of Orientalist art and theatre, and the danger of fiction becoming reality.

The event will conclude with a reception with light refreshments and access to exhibitions at the USC Pacific Asia Museum.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Co-sponsored by the USC Roski School of Art and Design and USC School of Dramatic Arts. 

Photo (left): Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging
Photo (middle and right): M Palma Photography

Rewriting War: A Conversation with Refugee Writers (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: USC Brain and Creativity Institute's Joyce J. Cammilleri Hall (BCI)

USC Libraries Contributor: Adam Sexton

EVENT DESCRIPTION: 
“Rewriting War” brings together acclaimed writers whose lives and imaginations have been shaped by war and displacement. Following captivating readings from their works, Vietnam-born and France-based author Line Papin (The Girl Before Her) and Sri Lankan American novelist Nayomi Munaweera (Island of a Thousand Mirrors) will engage in a uniquely personal yet universally relevant conversation with Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist and USC Dornsife professor Viet Thanh Nguyen.

The readings and conversation will be followed by a reception and book signing. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Neelanjana Banerjee (Kaya Press). Co-sponsored by Asian Pacific American Student Services. 

Artwork courtesy of Kaya Press.

John Singleton: A Celebration – Four Brothers (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), SCA 108

USC Libraries Contributor: Melissa Miller

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Throughout the 2022–23 academic year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton (1968–2019). Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.

Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin, and Garrett Hedlund co-star in this emotionally powerful, action-packed tale of brotherly love, betrayal, and revenge from  John Singleton. After their adoptive mother is gunned down during a grocery store holdup, the estranged brothers reunite to seek revenge and take matters into their own hands. Defying police orders, the four begin turning their old Detroit neighborhood upside down searching for the mastermind behind the brutal killing. Along the way, they discover they are bound by ties thicker than blood.

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 6 p.m.

Location: Doheny Memorial Library (DML), Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240

USC Libraries Contributors: Hugh McHarg and Micaela Rodgers

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
L.A. River expert and nature author Jenny Price, Debs Park Audubon Center director Marcos Trinidad, and USC Dornsife College biological and earth sciences professors Sarah Bottjer and David Bottjer will discuss the disappearance of birds around the world and what it can teach us about environmental justice here in Los Angeles—as well as address the troubled history of John James Audubon. 

This event is part of a series held in conjunction with The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon, on display in Doheny Memorial Library’s Treasure Room from March 3–May 31, 2023, illuminating the works of artists and scientists who are addressing the challenges of avian extinction, habitat destruction, and the ever-growing threat of global climate change, along with items that highlight the complex history behind the illustrious artist, naturalist, and ornithologist John James Audubon.
 

Related Events:

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: Birding Walk for USC Students
Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m.
Audubon Center at Debs Park, 4700 Griffith Ave., Los Angeles
For more info, click HERE

The Vanishing Worlds of Audubon: River Walk and Creative Workshop
Saturday, April 15, from 1 to 6 p.m.
Various Locations
For more info, click HERE

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Aroussiak Gabrielian (Architecture), Tyson Gaskill (USC Libraries), Patty Johnson (USC Libraries), Lisa Mann (Cinematic Arts), Nathan Masters (USC Libraries), Anne-Marie Maxwell (USC Libraries), Amy Murphy (School of Architecture), and Tim Stanton (USC Libraries).

Birds of No Nation: Afghan Women on Art, Gender, Freedom, and Exile (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: Doheny Memorial Library (DML), Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240

USC Libraries Contributor: Ruth Wallach

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
“Birds of No Nation” is a three-part series celebrating International Women’s Day that explores the powerful role the arts and creativity play in global struggles for women’s rights.

Our day-long series will culminate with a dynamic conversation featuring exiled Afghan graffiti artist and muralist Shamsia Hassani, compelling Afghan American multimedia artist Gazelle Samizay, and renowned journalist and human rights activist Najiba Ayubi. The inspiring talk about art, creativity, and politics in light of women’s experiences in Afghanistan and global struggles for women’s equality and civil rights will be moderated by USC Dornsife professor of political science Eliz Sanasarian.

Prior to the series, the USC community will be able to stream the documentary films Ghosts of Afghanistan and Afghan Women: A History of Struggle via the USC Libraries. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Co-organized by Shahla Bahavar (USC Libraries), Sophie Lesinska (USC Libraries), and Eliz Sanasarian (Gender Studies and Political Science). 

Birds of No Nation: Creative Workshop with Gazelle Samizay (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: Doheny Memorial Library (DML), Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240

USC Libraries Contributor: Ruth Wallach

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
“Birds of No Nation” is a three-part series celebrating International Women’s Day that explores the powerful role the arts and creativity play in global struggles for women’s rights.

In the second session of the day, USC students are invited to participate in an intimate workshop led by Gazelle Samizay, whose photo and video work examines the contradictions of culture, nationality, and gender. The acclaimed Afghan American multimedia artist will conduct a “Bi-Lingering” letter-writing workshop to explore that in-between space where one belongs to two (or more) languages and cultures. Supplies will be provided, and no experience is necessary.

Prior to the series, the USC community will be able to stream the documentary films Ghosts of Afghanistan and Afghan Women: A History of Struggle via the USC Libraries. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Co-organized by Shahla Bahavar (USC Libraries), Sophie Lesinska (USC Libraries), and Eliz Sanasarian (Gender Studies and Political Science). 

​​​​​Art: Gazelle Samizay, Wisdom, 2019

Birds of No Nation: Live Art Session by Shamsia Hassani (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 12 pm to 1:30 p.m.

Location: Alumni Park

USC Libraries Contributor: Ruth Wallach

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
“Birds of No Nation” is a three-part series celebrating International Women’s Day that explores the powerful role the arts and creativity play in global struggles for women’s rights.

The first event presents a unique chance to interact with Afghan graffiti artist and muralist Shamsia Hassani as she creates large-scale art in an open outdoor setting at Alumni Park. An exiled art professor from the University of Kabul, Hassani is known for her depictions of Afghan women defying traditional gender roles and for the series Birds of No Nation, which explores Afghan refugee and migration experiences.

The public is invited to create art with the globally known feminist street artist if they wish, and chat about the process and purpose of her work, the power of creativity and communication, and more.

Prior to the series, the USC community will be able to stream the documentary films Ghosts of Afghanistan and Afghan Women: A History of Struggle via the USC Libraries. 

Related events:
Birds of No Nation: Creative Workshop with Gazelle Samizay 
Wednesday, March 8, at 5 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE   

Birds of No Nation: Afghan Women on Art, Gender, Freedom, and Exile
Wednesday, March 8, at 7 p.m.
Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, DML 240
For more info, click HERE   

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Co-organized by Shahla Bahavar (USC Libraries), Sophie Lesinska (USC Libraries), and Eliz Sanasarian (Gender Studies and Political Science). 

Image: Untitled by Shamsia Hassani

John Singleton: A Celebration – Black Snake Moan (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 6 p.m.

Location: Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), SCA 108

USC Libraries Contributor: Melissa Miller

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Throughout the 2022–23 academic year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton (1968–2019). Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.

In Black Snake Moan,  ex-blues musician Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds the town nymphomaniac Rae (Christina Ricci) left for dead on the side of the road and vows to nurse her back to health and cure her of her wickedness. Until then, she’ll be chained to the immovable radiator in his home. But Lazarus has demons of his own: his wife just left him for his own brother. While Lazarus and Rae struggle to fix their broken lives, the situation threatens to explode as Rae's boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake)—a roughneck soldier just back from Iraq—comes searching for his missing lover.

This screening is the second part of a double feature of movies written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allen. For information on the 2 p.m. screening of Hustle & Flow, which will be followed by a Q&A with Brewer and Allen, click HERE.

Presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices.

John Singleton: A Celebration – Hustle & Flow (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 2 p.m.

Location: Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), SCA 108

Type: Screening, Diversity, Conversation

USC Libraries Contributor: Melissa Miller

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Throughout the 2022–23 academic year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton (1968–2019). Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.

In Hustle & Fow, DJay (Terrence Howard) is a Memphis hustler who spends most days in a parked Chevy philosophizing about life while Nola (Taryn Manning), turn tricks in the backseat. When he learns from a local club owner, Arnel (Isaac Hayes), that rap mogul Skinny Black (Ludacris), is rolling through town, DJay decides to record his flow with the hopes of slipping his demo to Skinny. With little help from his friends and “family,” DJay sets in motion the hustle of his life, and galvanizes the lives of those around him as they learn that “everybody’s gotta have a dream.”

This screening is the first part of a double feature of movies written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allen, and will be followed by a Q&A with Brewer and Allen. For information on the 6.p.m. screening of Black Snake Moan, click HERE.

Sunday in the Park with George (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 6:45 p.m. to 11:15 p.m.

Location: Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena

USC Libraries Contributor: Christina Snider

Sunday in the Park with George runs from Tuesday, February 14, though Sunday, March 19, 2023. To attend a performance on your own, visit pasadenaplayhouse.org for more information.

EVENT DESCRIPTION: 
Through the Experience L.A. series of events, Visions and Voices takes USC students on trips throughout the city to experience Los Angeles’s dynamic cultural landscape firsthand.  

“Sunday In the Park with George is a jewel in its own right, radiant with talent, and shimmering with color and light.”––New York Theatre Guide 

“Sunday remains a masterpiece that affirms the painful, isolating joys of creation, and the need to learn new lessons. Like a densely plotted canvas, it’s worth seeing, no matter where or how it’s hung.”––Time Out New York 

One of the most beloved musicals of all time and recipient of the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Sunday in the Park with George is inventive, insightful, and in a class of its own. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, it encapsulates the complexity of life and the art of understanding it.  

But the innovative and groundbreaking masterpiece has rarely been shown in Los Angeles with the production it deserves—until now. This dazzling, full-scale production by the Pasadena Playhouse is directed by Sarna Lapine, who also directed the musical’s acclaimed 2017 Broadway revival. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. 

John Singleton: A Celebration – 2 Fast 2 Furious (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.

Location: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, David Geffen Theatre

USC Libraries Contributor: Melissa Miller

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Throughout the 2022–23 academic year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton (1968–2019). Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.

The sequel to The Fast and the Furious (2001) takes leave of Dom Toretto and his family to follow Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), the L.A. cop who sacrificed his career to help his friend Dom escape justice. Given the chance to wipe his own criminal record clean, Brian teams up with his old friend Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) to infiltrate the organization of ruthless drug lord Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), while falling for undercover customs agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes). This smash hit also introduces Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as race host Tej Parker.
 

Presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices.

An Evening with Nikole Hannah-Jones (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 6 p.m.

Location: Bovard Auditorium (ADM)

USC Libraries Contributor: Kelsey Vukic

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Join us for the inaugural event of the Charlotta Bass Media Trailblazer Speaker Series at USC, featuring Nikole Hannah-Jones. The staff writer at The New York Times Magazine is the Pulitzer Prize–winning creator of The 1619 Project, which illuminates the legacy of slavery in the contemporary United States and highlights the contributions of Black Americans to every aspect of American society. The book version was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller.

This special event will be presented in conjunction with the launch of The Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab at USC Annenberg. The Bass Lab is the university’s first-of-its kind Black media archive and storytelling space with a mission to save, study, and share social justice media that changed the world. USC Annenberg professor, Bass Lab founder, and award-winning author Dr. Allissa V. Richardson will moderate the conversation. USC President Carol L. Folt will introduce the event.

Presented by the Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Co-sponsored by USC Visions and Voices.

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham: An Untitled Love (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Bovard Auditorium (ADM)

USC Libraries Contributor: Javier Garibay

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
“The movement vernacular is mercurial amalgam that morphs through numerous genres—modern, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop. It is a crazy, sexy, cool fusion of elite/street/Afro-punkism that is a visual feast.”—Dance Magazine 

Deemed by The New York Times to be “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today,” contemporary dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham provides multifaceted performances, educational programming, and community-based workshops across the globe. Led by acclaimed choreographer and artistic director Kyle Abraham’s innovative vision, the work of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham is galvanized by Black culture and history, grounded in a conglomeration of unique perspectives, and described by Abraham as a “post-modern gumbo” of movement exploration. 

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham will perform An Untitled Love, one of Abraham’s new evening-length works. Drawing from the catalogue of GRAMMY Award–winning R&B legend D’Angelo, the creative exaltation pays homage to the complexities of self-love and Black love, while serving as a thumping mixtape celebrating culture, family, and community. 

Following the performance, USC Kaufman professor d. Sabela grimes will moderate a conversation with Kyle Abraham and members of the company.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices in partnership with the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and our media partner, KCRW.

Yuja Wang & Dudamel: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Symphonic Dances (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Location: Walt Disney Concert Hall

USC Libraries Contributor: Christina Snider

EVENT DESCRIPTION: 
Through the Experience L.A. series of events, Visions and Voices takes USC students on trips throughout the city to experience Los Angeles’s dynamic cultural landscape firsthand.  

Renowned pianist Yuja Wang will join conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a captivating, lush, and virtuosic all-Rachmaninoff evening. “Listening to his music, it’s just the most sensuous and passionate thing. I don’t know where he got it,” Wang said of Rachmaninoff. “Every time I play his music, it’s a gift.” 

One of the most beloved piano showpieces in the symphonic repertoire—one that has been used in too many films to list—Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 emerged from a terrible case of writer’s block. After being depressed by his First Symphony’s critical flop, the composer turned to hypnotherapy to break his internal logjam. What resulted was an outpouring of captivating melody, unfolding effortlessly with lush Romantic harmony, that earned breathless praise at its premiere. The brilliant pianist Yuja Wang reveals the Second Concerto’s emotional peaks and valleys when she joins Dudamel and the LA Phil. 

In the second half, Dudamel leads one of Rachmaninoff’s most loved works that he wrote while living in the United States. Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances was the composer’s final orchestral work and drew on his life’s work with nods to sacred chants and his own earlier music while looking forward to the new harmonic language of the 20th century. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. 

Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance - Screening and Conversation (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA)

USC Libraries Contributor: Javier Garibay

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance is a feature-length documentary celebrating the history, lineage, and future of jazz dance. Featuring a stellar cast of leading industry experts, award-winning choreographers, and legendary performers such as Debbie Allen, Chita Rivera, and Camille A. Brown, the groundbreaking film revisits the dance form’s roots in Africa and follows its evolution through every decade and genre. Identifying political and social influences and addressing appropriation, racism, socialism, and sexism, the film provides an honest conversation about jazz dance as well as a celebration, telling a story of triumph over adversity, oppression, and privilege. 

This special screening of Uprooted will be followed by a conversation with director Khadifa Wong and USC Kaufman School of Dance professors E. Moncell Durden and Saleemah E. Knight, who appear as dance experts in the film, moderated by its associate producer Kimberley Browning.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by the USC Kaufman School of Dance.

SOUL! 2023: Producing to Power in the 21st Century (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: Wallis Annenberg Hall (ANN), Forum

USC Libraries Contributor: Adam Sexton

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
“Producing to Power” (P2P) refers to filmmakers, media, and platform executives; producers and showrunners; and digital and social media creators telling their authentic stories from the margins to advocate for social issues. Perhaps there is no greater example of P2P than Ellis Haizlip, the legendary producer and host of the PBS series SOUL! From 1968 to 1973, at the height of the civil rights movement, Haizlip’s groundbreaking program featured and elevated the concerns and cultures of the Black community. 

Dedicated to the work and legacy of Haizlip, this event will include access to the award-winning documentary Mr. SOUL!, and present an uplifting conversation featuring its producer, Melissa Haizlip, and other special guests to be announced, moderated by USC Annenberg professor Robeson Taj Frazier. SOUL 2023 will offer inspiration, insight, and a roadmap for today’s storytellers, communication and media professionals, and other promoters of culture who are committed to amplifying voices and creating change through media.   

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by David Craig (Communications). Co-Sponsored by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and IDEA (Institute for Diversity and Empowerment at Annenberg).

Losing Ground @ 40 (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Friday, January 27, 2023 - Saturday, January 28, 2023

Locations:

LOSING GROUND SCREENING AND TALKBACK
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Ted Mann Theater

PANELS AND RECEPTION
California African American Museum
Saturday, January 28, from 1 to 4 p.m.

USC Libraries Contributor: Christina Snider

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

“Losing Ground was not only ahead of its own time, but ours as well.”—Indie Wire

Losing Ground, one of the first feature-length motion pictures directed by a Black American woman and a National Film Registry inductee, tells the story of a Black female philosophy professor and her abstract painter husband drifting apart as they experience separate creative evolutions. It won first prize at the Figueroa International Film Festival in Portugal in 1982 but didn’t receive an official release until it was restored in 2015, long after director Kathleen Collins died from breast cancer in 1988.

“Losing Ground @ 40” is a two-day, multi-site program that brings together luminary Black women filmmakers, scholars, and curators to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the pathbreaking film, introduce new audiences to Collins’s innovative practice, and convene those long inspired by it.

Sign language interpreters will be present at both events.

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

7:30–10 p.m.: LOSING GROUND SCREENING AND TALKBACK
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Ted Mann Theater
A screening of Losing Ground will be followed by a conversation with Spelman College professor and filmmaker Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dust); Jacqueline Stewart, director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures; and A.E. Stevenson, assistant professor of gender and sexuality studies at USC. Nina L. Collins, daughter of Kathleen Collins and manager of the estate, will introduce the film.

Note: If advance tickets are sold out, standby tickets may become available on the day of the screening. Guests can join the standby line for a chance to purchase these tickets, which are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28

1–4 p.m.: PANELS AND RECEPTION
California African American Museum

1­–2 p.m.: Roundtable 1—Philosophy and Ecstasy in Losing Ground
Featuring LaMonda Horton-Stallings, Georgetown professor and author of The Afterlives of Kathleen Collins. Moderated by USC assistant professor A.E. Stevenson.

2–2:10 p.m.: Break with refreshments

2:10–3:10 p.m.: Roundtable 2—Form in Losing Ground and Black Independent Filmmaking
Featuring UCSD professor and documentary filmmaker Zeinabu irene Davis, UC Irvine professor Philana Payton, and Cornell University professor and author Samantha Noelle Sheppard. Moderated by USC PhD candidate Alex Hack.

3:10–4 p.m.: Closing reception

Presented by USC Visions and Voices, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and the California African American Museum. Co-organized by Adrienne Adams (American Studies and Ethnicity), A.E. Stevenson (Gender and Sexuality Studies), Alex Hack (Cinema and Media Studies), and Zakiyyah Iman Jackson (English). Co-sponsored by the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies and Africana Research Cluster.

Image: Courtesy of Milestone Films

John Singleton: A Celebration – Baby Boy (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Location: Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), SCA 108

USC Libraries Contributor: Melissa Miller

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Throughout the 2022–23 academic year, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC African American Cinema Society, and USC Visions and Voices will host a series of screenings honoring the life and career of trailblazing filmmaker, iconic Angeleno, and USC alumnus, John Singleton (1968–2019). Screenings will take place at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum, with conversations to follow featuring cast and crew.

Baby Boy is the powerful urban drama directed by John Singleton starring rap music superstars Tyrese Gibson and Snoop Dogg. With knockout performances from Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible II, Pulp Fiction, Con Air) and A.J. Johnson (Friday, House Party, The Players Club), Baby Boy is a tough, honest, and unflinching look at modern urban life.

The screening will be followed by a one-on-one Q&A with Kim Hardin, Singleton’s longtime casting director who can speak about a range of his films.

Gibney Company (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Friday, January 20, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Bovard Auditorium (ADM)

USC Libraries Contributor: Javier Garibay

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
“The troupe’s superpower is clear: its strong and versatile dancers, artists who appear to be physically capable of anything.”—New York Times

“More than just a dance company.”—Dance Magazine

LOS ANGELES PREMIERE! Founded by choreographer Gina Gibney in 1991, the New York City–based Gibney Company works with renowned and rising international choreographers representing a broad range of aesthetics and techniques. Tapping into the vast potential of movement, creativity, and performance to effect social change and personal transformation, Gibney advocates for issues such as diversity, mental health, and economic empowerment in the dance field with the aim of redefining what it means to be a 21st-century contemporary dance company. 

Gibney’s dancers, who have expanded and vital roles as both artists and activists, are known as Artistic Associates. “What is most striking about the Gibney Company is the prowess of the Artistic Associates,” states Catherine Tharin of The Dance Enthusiast. “They dive into the space with abandon. They partner with ease. Hyper-mobility defines their bodies. A fluid spine, pliable thigh sockets, wide lunges, seemingly impossible back arches, soft arms, and untroubled extensions abound.”

The show will feature the following commissioned repertory:

> Yag 2022 is the company premiere of a reimagining of Ohad Naharin’s acclaimed 1996 work for Batsheva Dance Company. It features six dancers whose relationships are gradually revealed through the work’s deft storytelling incorporating dance, speech, visual symbolism, and imaginative staging.

> A Measurable Existence by Yin Yue delves into how we discover aspects of ourselves by discovering others. The moment we realize our journeys parallel, intersect, repel, or collide with others’ experiences, we begin a new understanding of our own existence that may frighten, challenge, and, at the same time, sustain us.

Don’t miss these special performances by this vital group, which has rapidly emerged as a cultural leader by reimagining both the art and the practice of contemporary dance today.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices with support from our media partner, KCRW. Co-sponsored by the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.

Photo: Gibney Company Artistic Associate Alexander Anderson and Gibney Company Apprentice Jordan Powell by Michael Slobodian

42nd Annual USC Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK/FBI: A Screening and Conversation with Sam Pollard (Theme Guide PDF)

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 7 p.m.

Pre-event reception at 6 p.m. in Queens Courtyard

Location: Norris Cinema Theatre (NCT)

USC Libraries Contributor: Christina Snider

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
In celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are excited to present a special screening of the illuminating documentary MLK/FBI, followed by a conversation with Sam Pollard, its Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated director who was deemed one of “cinema’s most dedicated chroniclers of the Black experience in America” by Film at Lincoln Center in 2021.

Released in 2020, MLK/FBI is the first film to uncover the extent of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of the civil rights leader. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the government's history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of America’s most cherished ideals. Featuring interviews with key cultural figures including former FBI director James Comey, MLK/FBI tells this astonishing and tragic story with searing relevance to our current moment.

The event will be introduced by USC President Carol L. Folt. Following the screening, USC Annenberg professor and award-winning journalist Miki Turner will join Sam Pollard for a conversation about making the film, its impact, and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the USC Black Staff & Faculty Caucus, and the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs.

Photo (Sam Pollard): Simbarashe Cha