LAWTF

  • Summer

    Connecting Through Stories: What’s on Your Creative Horizon This Summer?

    Summer has a rhythm all its own.

    Some schedules are slower. Some stages go dark as production rehearsal calendars become a little lighter. For many performers, summer offers something that can be difficult to find during the rest of the year: space.

    But for artists, rest and growth are never opposites.

    Whether you’re preparing to return to the classroom, auditioning for upcoming productions, developing a new solo piece, or looking ahead to festival season, summer is an opportunity to reconnect—not only with your craft, but with yourself.

    As performers, we often measure progress by what audiences see: the standing ovation, the polished performance, the finished production. Yet some of the most meaningful artistic work happens long before anyone takes the stage.

    It happens in the quiet.

    It happens while reading a new play, journaling through a personal writing, attending a workshop, strengthening your voice, taking a dance class simply for the joy of moving, or finally giving yourself permission to rest.

    It happens when we choose curiosity over perfection and growth over productivity.

    Solo performance, in particular, asks us to bring our whole selves to the stage. There are rarely elaborate sets to hide behind or large ensembles to lean on. A solo artist carries the story alone through authenticity, vulnerability, and presence.

    That kind of storytelling isn’t built overnight. It is nurtured over time.

    Summer offers the chance to replenish the well from which every artist creates. Visit a museum. Read books outside your comfort zone. Listen to people whose experiences differ from your own. Travel if you can. Explore your own neighborhood if you can’t. Spend time with family. Reflect on the stories only you can tell.

    Life itself is one of an artist’s greatest teachers.

    For students preparing to head back to school, this season is also a chance to establish habits that will support you throughout the year. Build a sustainable practice routine. Revisit monologues or movement exercises. Strengthen your voice and body with consistency rather than intensity. Most importantly, remember that your worth as an artist is not measured by how busy you are.

    Creativity flourishes when we care for ourselves.

    At Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, we believe that every season has its purpose. Summer is not simply a pause between performances—it is a season of preparation, reflection, and possibility. The work you invest in now becomes the confidence you carry into the next audition, the next classroom, the next rehearsal, and ultimately, the next stage.

    As we continue celebrating women’s voices through solo performance, we invite you to stay connected with our community throughout the summer.

    Our 2026 Membership Drive continues through July 30, 2026, offering a meaningful opportunity to support the artists and programs that make LAWTF possible. Whether you’re becoming a member for the first time, renewing your membership, or encouraging a friend to join, your support helps us continue creating spaces where diverse voices are heard, celebrated, and uplifted.

    Looking ahead, we’re excited for “Wisdom and Wonder,” our eight-week intergenerational storytelling program beginning this Fall. By bringing together seniors and teens to create and share personal stories, the program reflects everything we believe about the power of storytelling: that every voice has value, every generation has something to teach, and every story has the ability to build connection.

    Applications are still open for both teens and seniors, and we welcome those who are ready to share their experiences, listen deeply, and discover the meaningful connections that emerge when generations come together through the art of storytelling.

    The stage may be quieter during the summer months, but the work of an artist never truly stops.

    It grows.

    It reflects.

    It gathers strength.

    So wherever this season finds you—whether you’re writing your first solo show, preparing for a festival, returning to school, or simply rediscovering the joy that first inspired you to perform—we hope you’ll embrace the slower pace, trust the creative process, and remember that every moment spent caring for yourself is also an investment in your artistry.

    We’ll be here, cheering you on, and we can’t wait to see where your story takes you next.

    Comment below what your plans are for the summer and how you want to connect with your personal artistry.

  • Celebrations, Community, Event, Festival, LAWTF, Performers

    “THE STRENGTH WE CARRY”: Why Live Theatre Matters Now More Than Ever

    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!