LAWTF

For 33 years, the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival has celebrated the power of women’s voices through the intimate and transformative art of solo performance. This year’s festival, “THE STRENGTH WE CARRY,” took place March 26–29, 2026 at Theatre 68 Arts Complex, and felt especially meaningful in the world we’re living in today.

Over the past several years, our culture has changed dramatically. During the pandemic, many of us retreated into our homes. We grew accustomed to streaming performances on screens and experiencing stories from the comfort—sometimes the isolation—of our living rooms. Technology kept us connected in important ways, but it also reshaped how we experience art and community.

Yet there is something irreplaceable about being in a room together.

Live theatre asks us to show up—not just physically, but emotionally. It invites us to sit beside strangers and share laughter, tears, silence, and reflection. Storytelling isn’t meant to be consumed alone; it is meant to be experienced collectively.

In a time when many still feel disconnected, live performance becomes more than entertainment.

It becomes a gathering place.

That was the spirit behind “THE STRENGTH WE CARRY.”

This year’s festival brought together an extraordinary lineup of actors, dancers, vocalists, and storytellers whose solo works explored resilience, identity, family, healing, humor, and transformation. Through deeply personal performances, our artists invited audiences to travel beyond their own experiences and step into the lives of others.

From reflections on motherhood and ancestry to stories of immigration, health journeys, identity, and personal awakening, these performances reminded us that while our stories may be unique, our humanity is shared.

And that is the quiet magic of solo theatre.

One voice.
One body on stage.
An entire room connected.

The festivities began Thursday, March 26 with our elegant “In Tribute To” Champagne GALA and Awards Ceremony, an evening honoring extraordinary women who have made lasting contributions to theatre. Hosted by Ted Lange and Florence LaRue, the celebration launched four days of performances that inspired, challenged, and uplifted us all.

From “Rising Above” to “Breaking Free,” from “Introspection” to “Relatively Speaking,” and culminating in “Mothers, Music, and Men,” each program revealed a different dimension of the strength women carry within their stories.

At LAWTF, we believe the role of artists in our community is simple and profound: to create space. Space for voices to be heard, for stories to be witnessed, and for communities to gather again in shared experience. Theatre reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles—or our triumphs.

For more than three decades, LAWTF has remained committed to uplifting diverse female voices and creating opportunities for solo artists to tell the stories that matter most to them. As we celebrate our 33rd year, we are grateful to the audiences, artists, volunteers, and partners who continue to believe in the power of live performance!