Los Angeles Downtown News 03/06/2023

Continuing a Legacy

Ray Charles Foundation partners with soul kitchen

Latina History Day

HOPE holds 32nd annual conference

Artificial Intelligence used to reduce traffic congestion

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor

Consistently ranked as one of the worst cities for traffic in the United States, Los Angeles’ roadway congestion has continued to climb back to pre-pandemic levels. To combat inefficiencies that cause increased levels of traffic, cloud-based software platform Lyt has employed artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to help improve the flow of vehicles.

“There are so many different flavors of AI and machine learning, and this is the future,” said Bobby Lee, director of marketing at Lyt. “What is really exciting about what we’re doing here at Lyt is that we’re getting at the central nerve of what’s going to improve mobility, reduce congestion and get people where they want to go.”

To achieve their mission, Lyt uses AI and machine learning to optimize traffic light signals. The technology works by installing a single edge device into a city’s Traffic Management Center that allows vehicles to communicate to every networked traffic signal on the Lyt platform.

For example, an emergency vehicle that needs to arrive at a destination across its city would be able to have a clear route of travel as the city’s cloud network of traffic signals could clear a path. Lee explained that the technology for emergency vehicle preemption and transit signal priority originated in the 1950s as a hardware-based solution, but that speed limits and commuting patterns have changed in the past 70 years.

“We’re taking a software, cloud-based approach to solving this issue,” Lee said. “Instead of putting in all these pieces of hardware, hoping we can close up the intersection, waiting for that light to go green…we’re saying, ‘Wait a second, let’s step back here. Let’s take a 10,000-foot view of the city. Let’s look at that entire corridor. Let’s look at all the things that are happening in context, and let’s apply machine learning to what’s happening.’

“With emergency vehicles, your fire station could be across town. It could be four or five miles to get to a heart attack, or to get to a three-alarm fire. We want to make sure that those vehicles can get there straight away, and that means clearing the entire path of travel. … We are the cloud system, the software, the machine learning that sits over the city and sees what’s going on, and

we can provide the information back to the city and their signals so they can make the right decisions on how to optimize the traffic lights.”

In Sacramento’s Rancho Cordova suburb, Lyt deployed their emergency vehicle preemption solution to address the traffic challenges posed by the community’s location above the gore point of the I-80 and Highway 50, which comes out of Lake Tahoe. Traffic in Rancho Cordova had gotten so bad that engineers from the city had to manually flip traffic lights to green over the course of an afternoon to help emergency vehicles pass through the roadway.

After deployment, Lyt’s system was able to increase the speed of firetrucks by 69% and response times were reduced an average of 42 seconds.

“With cardiac incidents like a heart attack, every minute reduces your survival chances by 10%, so 42 seconds is significant,” Lee said. “We were able to get started in just a couple of weeks, and all we needed was the green light to go ahead from within the city. So for this software, the advantage of it is that once the city signs off on it, we’re in there really, really quickly, and we can provide those immediate benefits to the community. And we have heard it anecdotally that residents have called in, when they were testing having the system on and off, and they’ve noticed the difference.”

Lee said that the same model works for transit vehicles, such as buses, by studying ridership patterns and routes. A signal could be sent from a bus to inform the nearest traffic light on the route of its presence.

“(Bus riders) want reliability,” Lee explained. “They want frequency, so good service every 10 minutes, every 15 minutes. And they want to know if it’s going to get them to where they want to go when they need to get there. With a system like this, a solution like this, it’s going to really help the agency sell that back to the riders.”

Lee raised the example of Lyt’s work in a “mixed-use, transit-dependent” neighborhood in San Jose, where the community relies heavily on travel down Route 77, a north-south corridor. Lyt’s team set up their AI-powered priority signals at 17 intersections and built a web portal that showed the real-team location and activity of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority buses, including their routes, speeds and upcoming stops.

After the installation, residents’ travel time decreased by 20% and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s diesel usage was reduced by 14%.

“You’ve got a win-win here, which is shorter travel times when getting folks between work, home and school, the transit agency saving on diesel and a community breathing in less of that harmful particulate,” Lee said. “We also deployed one of our big deployments for transit, actually, up in Portland. We’re on a new express route…I believe it’s about 60 intersections. They go from Downtown Portland all the way up in the suburbs, the eastern suburbs. (It’s) about 10,000 riders a day. … From us being on the ground, and from our partners, our agency partners, we have seen a dramatic improvement in speeds and reliability and schedule adherence up there.”

Lee insisted that Lyt’s model would succeed in Downtown LA, as dense urban centers contain a large ridership base and require a high frequency of connectivity between riders and their destinations. By encouraging DTLA residents to travel via public transport, Lyt could reduce traffic, as less vehicles would be out on the roads.

“If you’re able to demonstrate to those riders that each and every one of those lines going through Downtown, through the connected corridors, that they’re receiving these priority green lights and they’re receiving great travel times and great speeds, and getting them into their home, work or school as quickly as possible, they are going to want to mode shift, which is switch out of their cars or switch out of other modes of transportation and into the buses.

“Every transit agency across the country has experienced a decline in ridership, and we have seen that opposite effect in private vehicle usage on the roadway, traffic going back to 95 to 100% of what it was pre-COVID. So the only way we’re going to get ourselves out of this congestion situation is to provide an attractive alternative, and that’s to encourage people to get back onto transit.”

According to reports, the average U.S. driver spent over 50 hours, nearly an hour per week, in traffic in 2022. Though Lyt’s solutions are currently focusing on emergency and public transit vehicles, Lee said that the technology is applicable across all vehicle classes.

“It is a really fascinating approach that

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this industry, who’s used to expensive hardware…they have a different approach,” he explained. “We think that a lot of communities here in California and beyond can really be helped by Lyt and our solutions.”

The core of Lyt’s mission is to deliver quicker, more reliable commutes born

from more efficient and environmentally friendly travel methods without the need to build infrastructure or install hardware replacements. Lee explained that the traffic light is the “only controlled device on the roadway,” which is why addressing its signal is the best place to start in finding solutions to con -

gestion that will impact the entire mobility network of a city.

“This is technology that, of course, consumers don’t buy into directly, but that every community ought to be looking at,” Lee described. “The power of cloud computing, the power of AI and machine learning can be applied in a lot

of different ways, and this is just one solid example of how it can really change the way that we get around.

“We think that this is what is going to really move the needle for the next 10, 20-plus years in helping us to get around. … Really, the sky’s the limit.”

HOPE’s 32nd annual Latina History Day Conference spotlights female leadership

By Leah Schwartz LA Downtown News Staff Writer

Hispanas Organized for Political Equality’s CEO Helen Torres discovered the organization during Latina History Day in 1996.

She said during the event, she “fell in love with the mission of the organization, the unity that I felt attending the conference, being amongst incredible Latino leaders, but also women like myself that were just trying to figure out what their next steps would be, how to contribute back to the community and exercising our rights not only as voters but informed voters.” She has been involved since then, first as a volunteer and then as CEO for the last 22 years.

The same event that inspired Torres to begin her career at HOPE is back at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles. As it does each year, the event will occur on the second Friday of Women’s History Month, with this year’s conference taking place on Friday, March 10.

Celebrating its 32nd year, the annu -

al Latina History Day Conference continues to honor the contributions of Latinas during Women’s History Month, invigorating the community with speakers and workshops. On Tuesday, March 7, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis will declare March 10 as Latina History Day at the county supervisor board meeting and during the conference.

HOPE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that aims to ensure political and economic parity for Latinas. The organization was founded 33 years ago by Latinas who began the fight to achieve political office and access in LA. They came together to ensure they weren’t the last, starting HOPE to establish Latina leadership throughout California. The organization eventually spread throughout the state and is currently facilitating national programming.

While HOPE has spread nationwide, the conference will continue to draw members to congregate where the organization has its roots — in LA.

“The conference was built from this concept of having Latinas come together to

share best policy and best practices of how to advance their leadership, but as importantly, the leadership of our communities and making sure that a variety of topics and key community issues are being discussed,” Torres said.

The morning portion of the event will include well-established community speakers like California State Assemblymember and Latino Caucus Chair Sabrina Cervantes. Actress Justina Machado and writer and producer Gloria Calderón Kellett, two Lati-

HOPE CEO Helen Torres introduces HOPE’s annual Latina History Day Conference.

nas who have made substantial inroads in Hollywood, will have a fireside chat about Latina power in Hollywood, the glass ceiling and what it meant to make their TV program, “One Day at a Time.”

The conference will also feature workshops on topics like building community in schools, tackling California’s housing crisis and looking at measures to increase housing and homeownership among Latinos.

There will be conversations about what it means to be a Latina leader in 2023, touching on timely topics like how to lead with a lens of not only inclusivity but equity and how to mobilize as Latina consumers to ensure that brands are meeting the needs of Latina customers and reflecting the community.

A panel of Latinas in sports will also be featured, speaking about pursuing a career in athletics and entertainment.

During the event, high school students are encouraged to attend the youth track, focusing on financial literacy and well-being, especially as they apply for college. The youth track will also feature a STEM conversation about career opportunities in the field.

The lunch program of the event will feature journalist and activist Ana Navarro from “The View” and comedian and writer Cristela Alonzo.

The day will close with the Comadre Network & Exhibit, an expo featuring Latina small businesses and brands, including jewelry, clothing, homeware and more.

“It’s an opportunity for Latinas to partner and support each other,” Torres said.

This year, 150 high school students and 1,200 Latina community leaders and professionals in the corporate, nonprofit and government spheres are expected to attend the conference.

Latina History Day Conference

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, March 10

WHERE: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles

COST: See website for details

INFO: latinas.org

Hispanas Organized for Political Equality/Submitted

HOPE Board and Advisory Board members from left: Lupita Sanchez Cornejo, Nora Dominguez, Maribeth Annaguey, Helen Torres, Rosie Arroyo, Laura Arciniega and Liz Atlee.

Hispanas Organized for Political Equality/Submitted

Throughout the conference, attendees will hear established community speakers and attend workshops to further themselves and their communities.

Covered California will help DT CONSIDER THIS

Toying with our collections

By Ellen Snortland

LA Downtown News Contributing Writer

“Happy Women’s History Month, sweetie!” I say to my husband, Ken. “I’d like to think I may have had something to do with Jacquie Lawson and LovePop having International Women’s Day and Women’s History cards as part of their collection, although I can’t be sure,” I say. “Why do you say that?” Ken asks. “I repeatedly scolded and encouraged those companies to do something for Women’s History Month over the past several years, but never heard back whether they even received my emails. Who knows? Maybe a bunch of us wrote them. I guess it doesn’t matter who’s responsible. They just made some money from me and hopefully from others once this column comes out.”

It is Women’s History Month throughout March; March 8 is International Women’s Day. The observance started as a labor and socialist commemoration in Europe in 1911. Then, in 1975, the United Nations depoliticized it by designating March 8 as an international event.

The U.N. gets it, and PBS SoCal is deeply committed to telling Women’s History stories this March, but I remain dismayed at how retro most of the United States is. It’s not the fault of American citizens that we’re so ignorant about worldwide celebrations of women; we are, after all, a fundamentally misogynist culture. According to the Brookings Institute, here’s a little evidence for that assertion: The United States ranks 51st in global gender parity, with a Gender Gap Index of 0.71. This puts us behind our neighbors: Canada (.16), Cuba (.23) and Mexico (.50). Scandinavian countries lead the way in gender parity. Ice -

land is the most gender-equal country, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2018 numbers, followed by Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Comparatively speaking, many countries outstrip us in respecting half of the world’s population. That is why I’m thrilled when I see some companies trying to make money on Women’s History after they’ve already gone all-in on Black History Month. Some commentaries claim that Black History Month “has sold out” by becoming commercially viable. What? I don’t think so. I’m thrilled to see there can be a profit for people who remember to remember us, whether we’re Black, females or anything other than the dominant culture.

And you can’t get more profitable than Barbie. My husband has bought Barbies for my collection that would have been inconceivable to me in the 1960s when I begged for and was given my first red bubble-haired beauty. More on that in a minute.

Toys are a prime component of gender training if the children are privileged enough to have toys. In some cultures and countries where children must work, the notion of childhood is romantic and not realistic. Think of the tiny Irish tots routinely sent into coal mines because their bodies were small. Think of the teensy shepherds and child soldiers. Think of the small girls around the world today who don’t get to attend school — but their brothers do — be -

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cause their mothers need them to stay home and help with the heavy labor of water gathering, food prep and basic survival. These kids usually don’t have toys and rarely, if ever, have time to play.

This is why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted and approved by the United Nations in 1948, has Article 24, which states: “Everyone has the right to rest and leisure.”

Growing up on a farm, my parents were not rigid about gender roles, and I was never told, “girls can’t climb trees.” I’d already proven that I could anyway, which I see is the source of another kid-embedded attitude I maintain today: I’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission.

When I was around 5 years old, my parents got me a child-sized play ironing board and an iron. Woo-hoo! That’s some scintillating play right there: heat this thing up and go back and forth on wrinkled fabric until it’s smooth. No thanks! I threw that iron at the wall and saw it could also be used as another type of toy, er, tool — a weapon. So please don’t ask me to iron something for you, and if you do…duck!

Then the Barbie Doll craze hit big

time. I was not all that interested. My folks didn’t push dolls down my throat, but television certainly did. And now, coming full circle, I have a collection of Barbies that includes — apropos of Women’s History Month — Florence Nightingale, Susan B. Anthony, Ella Fitzgerald, Sally Ride, Naomi Osaka, Frida Kahlo and Helen Keller!

My female “action” figures range from Captain Marvel to the famous women of NASA…and not one of them is ironing! I also have figures of Hillary Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren — all terrific role models.

Hey, folks with kids in your lives! We need more people who will grow up and save us a la “Interstellar.” Regardless of gender, who knows what can happen if kids play with Goldiblox, chemistry sets and medical playtime gear?

2023 marks the 30th year that Ellen Snortland has written this column. She also teaches creative writing online and can be reached at: ellen@beautybitesbeast.com. Her award-winning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at https://vimeo.com/ ondemand/beautybitesbeast

Ellen Snortland

Covered California will help DT

Sprouts launches rescued produce program

By LA Downtown News Staff

Sprouts Farmers Market unveiled the Rescued Organics program in all 130 California stores.

Sprouts’ Rescued Organics program reduces food waste and supports local farmers, bringing to market imperfect organic produce that would typically be discarded due to imperfections that do not affect quality.

Rescued Organic produce may be misshapen, under or over-sized or slightly off-color, but has the same taste, nutrients and quality as other Sprouts’ produce. The program also makes organic produce more accessible because it is offered at a reduced price.

“Five billion meals worth of edible food are left on farms each year, and the Sprouts Rescued Organics program is designed to help address that problem,” said Nick Konat, president and chief operating officer of Sprouts.

“This program allows our customers to partner with us to reduce food waste by taking home delicious, high-quality organic fruits and vegetables that may look a little different but are perfectly

In addition to reducing food waste, the Rescued Organics program will support Sprouts’ farmer partners. Farmers’ inability to sell imperfect produce makes farming less profitable and more difficult to operate.

“We are happy to be involved with Sprouts’ Rescued Organics program because too much perfectly good produce goes to waste, solely due to appearance, and contributes to our growing environmental and landfill problems,” said Mindy VanVleck, director of sales at Peri & Sons Farms.

“Sprouts’ Rescued Organics program also allows Peri & Sons Farms to more efficiently fill our produce trucks, which helps the success of our local farm and lessen our overall carbon footprint for delivery of goods.”

The Rescued Organics program is launching with 12 different varieties of local produce such as: potatoes, onions, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, pears, carrots, kiwi and bell peppers.

good, keeping so-called ‘imperfect’ produce out of the landfills.”

Sprouts/Submitted

The Rescued Organics program, launched by Sprouts in all 130 of its California stores, will bring to market imperfect, but quality produce that would usually be discarded due to imperfections.

Covered California will helpDT ARTS & CULTURE CHG presents multi-artist exhibit, ‘The Power of Three’

By Leah Schwartz LA Downtown News Staff Writer

Half art exhibit, half party, openings at the Corey Helford Gallery Downtown often double as a dance floor.

On Saturday, March 11, the gallery will host the opening reception for its newest exhibit, “The Power of Three,” complete with a bar and music from DJ Marko DeSantis of the band Sugarcult.

The show features artists Chen-Dao Lee, Jesús Aguado and Sun-Mi and will run for five weeks until Saturday, April 15.

All three artists have previously been featured at the gallery and, while wildly different in style and process, have common themes and inspiration running through their work, including comic books, cartoons and pop culture.

The show is what the gallery calls a “mini-solo” exhibition, as each artist will have a distinct viewing section.

The exhibition will feature Chen-Dao Lee’s new series “Retro Romance,” which features portraits of cartoon and pop culture refer-

ences using the composition style of old masters.

Sherri J. Trehan, director of the Corey Helford Gallery, described his work as playful, exhibiting a “tongue-in-cheek” quality. For instance, one piece features a nude Tinkerbell indulging in a taco.

Each of Lee’s paintings is encased in a handcrafted and brightly colored frame, contrasted by the ornate design, speaking to the dichotomy of his work between pop culture and classic painting.

Lee was born in the ’80s and spent much of his childhood watching, reading, and drawing cartoons and comics. He said, “I still have my sketchbooks featuring my early masterpieces I drew Dragon Ball and Disney characters when I was bored in class.”

Regarding his new series, Lee said, “After earning my master’s degree and being a realistic oil painter for many years, I met master Takashi Murakami, who changed the way I think about art and my technique. I started using brighter colors and composing my style more. I put different com-

ic book characters together, changing their look and personality, as well as changing what the characters initially meant to the viewer. I try to celebrate what these characters mean to everybody and create new meaning, which is romantic to me.”

Also featured will be Jesús Aguado’s new series “Too Many Muses,” in which the Spanish illustrator creates a surreal alternate universe centered around eight key female figures.

“Although my technique is the same, these new works come off as if they were created by different artists,” Aguado said. “I would love to have a single muse and repeat it countless times…but I cannot. My curse is creative drama. It’s what I’m passionate about. When something is comfortable for me, I get bored.”

Completing the trifecta, artist Sun-Mi will debut her new series “Good Mourning,” which chronicles reflections on personal tragedy and the difficulties of modern life through the lens of her contemporary faux naïf style, highly influenced by her love of cartoons.

To create her painting, Sun-Mi uses a physically intensive technique called mo -

no-painting, where each color is carefully layered onto the painting using the full force of her body weight, similar to screen printing.

“As I grow older, I notice myself slowly sacrificing the small things I found insignificant as a child,” Sun-Mi shared. “One of which is to be able to freely show my unfiltered emotions. As an adult, I find myself suppressing these feelings in fear of the consequence that follows. ‘Good Mourning’ is a response to coping with a recent loss of a loved one. I not only lost someone, but a part of myself. I neglected my sadness, and now these feelings are coming in waves, and I’m drowning. My mind is frozen, and my heart is broken. I just don’t know who I am.”

The exhibit opening is free and open to the public, with as many as a few thousand people attending each opening, including many local artists who have previously shown work at the gallery.

In regard to what she’d like attendees to take away from the exhibit, Trehan laughed and said, “artwork.” She continued, “I want them to beautify their lives with the art from each of these three artists.”

WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 11

WHERE:

Corey Helford Gallery/Submitted

Jesús Aguado’s new series “Too Many Muses” will be featured in the “The Power of Three” exhibition at the Corey Helford Gallery.

Corey Helford Gallery/Submitted

Sun-Mi will debut her new series, “Good Mourning,” at the “The Power of Three” exhibition, which opens on Saturday, March 11, at the Corey Helford Gallery.

Covered California will helpDT ARTS & CULTURE

Collective celebrates the surreal and macabre with show

By Morgan Owen

LA Downtown News Staff Writer

For fans of the dark, horrific, surreal and macabre, The Immersive Art Collective will offer a one-night art show at The Count’s Den to celebrate 10 artists whose work the staff feels represents the immortal and obscure.

Set for Friday, March 10, “The Immortal Obscure Art Show” will be an interactive and immersive experience with live painting, theater, a silent auction and original art for sale. IAC Director Rachel Adams said the show is a marriage between the work she does at the Immersive Art Collective and the

gallery-style pieces the artists will display. Her ultimate goal, she said, is to demonstrate that oftentimes, art is experiential.

“At a normal art show, you just go to see the artist,” Adams said. “We put on a twist where we make an experience the attendees are part of a narrative and a story. You’re being welcomed into what looks like a haunted mansion where the art living inside comes to life and expresses itself through different forms of dance, performance and interactive elements.”

At the exhibition, visitors can pursue the art at their leisure as they enjoy rotating performances of death scenes and dance rituals. Live actors will patrol the room whispering stories about the artwork into guests’ ears. But while the show does lean on themes of horror, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, emphasized Adams.

It’s more like “What We Do in the Shadows,” she said, referencing a cult classic documentary spoof that follows a group of vampire roommates through modern-day life. “We’re making it very campy and fun, but also strange and a bit dark and obscure which people like because it is an escape from the very serious world we live in right now.”

Artists featured in the show will be Adam McCarthy, Analy Nakat, Falcon Bourne, Jess Sabine, Johnny Weiss, Kria Lindquist, Loneschach, Nicolette Spear, Shane Izykowski and Stephanie Inagaki. Sabine, who is also an actor, plans to participate in the immersive aspect of the show as one of the live performers.

“Each of the artists’ works you can describe as macabre or horrific or scary or odd,” said Shane Izykowski, who curated the show. “Each one has their own unique style … the actual styles themselves are pretty vast. I think as a whole, from a curatorial standpoint when you put all of these (artworks) together in a room, it’s going to be very impressive.”

Shane is IAC’s programs and events manager and will also show his work in the show. He became involved with IAC after the first “Immortal Obscure” show in 2021. Shane and Adams both hope that moving forward, “The Immortal Obscure Art Show” will be one of IAC’s annual events.

As a broader organization, the Immersive Art Collective works in Downtown Los Angeles to produce experimental performances and productions. One of their main functions is to provide free arts programs to underserved communities, with an emphasis on at-risk youth and the homeless population in Downtown LA.

All the money raised from the price of admission for “The Immortal Obscure Art

Show” will be invested back into IAC’s workshops and programming for underprivileged communities. A portion of the profits from art sales will also be donated to fund IAC’s programming.

Adams said that while IAC is still relatively young, they are already expanding as an organization. The Count’s Den, where “The Immortal Obscure Art Show” will be held in one of two venues they now own. Recently, IAC purchased a second location next door to The Count’s Den that Adams said IAC will turn into an arts center.

The center is still under development, but Adams is optimistic about how the new

space will improve IAC. She plans to use the art center when getting down and dirty while still keeping The Count’s den pristine for events. The Count’s Den is amazing, Adams said, but there isn’t a whole lot of room to ruin the carpets.

“The Immortal Obscure Art Show” will only be on display for one night, which Shane and Adams hope will encourage people to come out and see it, especially locals from Downtown Los Angeles. For those who cannot visit in person, all the original artwork on display that night will be available for viewing and purchase through IAC’s online shop through April 10.

“The Immortal Obscure Art Show”

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 10

WHERE: The Count’s Den, 1039 S. Olive Street, DTLA

COST: $25

INFO: immersiveartcollective.org

Immersive Art Collective/Submitted

“Crown” by Adam McCarthy appears to engage with themes of religiosity and the occult, common narratives in the immortal and obscure community.

Immersive Art Collective/Submitted

“Delphine” by Analy Nakat brings color and vibrancy to the collection of works displayed in “The Immortal Obscure Art Show.”

Covered California will help

Mark Taper Forum shows ‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’

By Jeff Favre

LA Downtown News Contributing Writer

Most Angelenos, young and old, know that the not-guilty verdict of four police officers who were seen on video brutally beating Rodney King set off an uprising some refer to as the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

The story most haven’t heard is of his aunt, Angela King. Close to her nephew, she knew him as a spirited young man who –– after the beating –– endured several surgeries to even look like himself again.

While Lisa Reneé Pitts portrays several characters in the sprawling “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992,” appearing in its re-staged format at Downtown’s Mark Taper Forum, it’s her monologue as Angela King that strikes perhaps the strongest emotional chord.

“She’s just talking about when he was 16 years old,” Pitts said. “He just had this big personality and was just fun, and how all of that life in him was beaten out of him.”

“Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” is one of the city’s most iconic plays. Anna Deavere Smith created the sprawling work by interviewing 175 people –– and then portraying four dozen of them in a one-person show.

Three decades later, Smith re-imagined the play for a five-member cast, which premiered in New York last year. The new version, now directed by Gregg T. Daniel, opens March 8 at the Taper.

Pitts, who first saw the show when Smith performed it in New Jersey years ago, said she felt called to be part of the new production because the story is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.

“This is still going on,” she said. “Some people may be able to sit down and have a conversation about racism and police brutality and they understand, but somebody else may need to go to a theater and see it in front of their face to understand.”

Pitts said that Daniel’s passion and experience as both an actor and director excites her about the experience, and she likes that he’s not simply trying to recreate what Smith did with the text.

“Not taking away anything from the brilliance that Anna Deavere Smith created, but this is a new audience and it’s a new perspective,” she said.

Daniel is perhaps best known for his role as Rev. Daniels on HBO’s “True Blood.” Today, he serves as an adjunct professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. When his name came up as a possible director, he had several conversations with Smith and realized the project was a good fit for him.

“I was convinced that she wasn’t trying to recreate what she did 30 years ago,” he said. “It was very clear to me that Anna was ready to let this piece go. She wanted to see it evolve. She wanted other artists to tackle the story. So even though it’s some of the same interviews, it’s now an entirely new play.”

For the creative team at Center Theatre Group, there was a strong sense that “Twilight” should return to its roots, when founding artistic director Gordon Davidson, who died in 2016, commissioned Smith to create a piece about the 1992 uprising that shook the city.

Associate artistic director Tyrone Davis said “Twilight” is part of the company’s DNA.

“We wanted to celebrate the original work and what it means to our city,” Davis said. “It feels like a special thing to look at our city from that point and examine how the city is now.”

Thanks to Smith and her show, the words spoken by the people of the city remain alive through her interviews, including one she did with the Rev. Tom Choi. Pitts doesn’t portray him, but his words stay in her mind when another actor delivers them.

Serving Westwood Presbyterian Church, Choi decided to wear his clerical collar

when he went to help clean up the South Central neighborhood because he was afraid of potential violence toward Korean Americans.

In the play, Choi is quoted as saying, “After a couple of days I stopped wearing the collar, and I realized that if there’s any protection I needed, it was just whatever love I had in my heart to share with people that proved to be enough, the love that God has taught me to share.”

Pitts said those words speak to her every time she hears them, and she hopes others will find parts that connect with them as well. Other than performing, she’s most excited to participate in the talkback sessions, where actors can interact with audiences after the performance.

“I hope people will be open and vulnerable in that space and time,” she said. “Even if it’s five people that we’re talking to. Then we can take that back to our friends and families and continue the dialogue. Because we have to talk about it. We cannot turn a blind eye to it, or it will continue.”

“Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992”

WHEN: Various times; March 8 to April 9

WHERE: Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles

COST: Tickets start at $35

INFO: 213-628-2772, centertheatregroup.org

Center Theatre Group/Submitted

Actress Lisa Reneé Pitts

Director Gregg T. Daniel

Covered California will help DTDINING

Collaboration honors Ray Charles’ legacy

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor

Kat Dym has fond memories of listening to Ray Charles with her father as a child.

Those memories came flooding back when Fixins Soul Kitchen at LA Live — for whom she serves as the beverage program manager — Oak Park Brewing Co., Peoples Beer and The Ray Charles Foundation released the Free of Alcohol brew celebrating the musician.

“We decided to do this collaboration to honor his legacy and what he did and the impact he had on Black culture,” Dym said. “That’s what Fixins is. We’re here to set a high standard and create Black excellence. Ray Charles was Black excellence.”

Charles is immortalized in Peoples Beer’s “Icon Line.” Charles pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s, combining blues, gospel, R&B, rock, country music and jazz. His impressive multi-award-winning 50-year career includes groundbreaking hits such as “I’ve Got a Woman,” “What I’d Say” and “Hit the Road Jack.”

The special edition brew is available during a pop-up at Fixins through Friday, March 31. The pop-up, which kicked off on Charles’ birthday on Feb. 23, features artwork inspired by him, and a playlist curated by The Ray Charles Foundation.

“I always liked Ray Charles’ music,” Dym said.

“It was something I would listen to with

my dad. It’s what we bonded over. I have a close relationship with him. It’s something I could always listen to and enjoy together. The music was made almost 25 years before I was born, but his music is timeless. What we’re trying to do at Fixins is honor who he was and that continuing spirit. When the collaboration happened, it just made sense.”

The nonalcoholic beer was brewed with sweet orange peel and blood oranges, and is also available at Fixins Sacramento, Slim & Husky’s and Oak Park Brewing Co. in Sacramento. A limited amount of four-packs are available on the Oak Park Brewing website, opbrewco.com.

“I’m a drinker. I like to drink,” Dym said.

“I’m not a fan of nonalcoholic beer, but this is great. It was so good. I bought some and took it to my family. They were so excited. It was something I could enjoy with them. It was like I was sitting in my living room with my dad again listening to good music. It’s those special moments in life that you enjoy.”

Fixins has the perfect entrees with which to pair the brew, according to Dym.

“We’re known for a lot of things,” she said. “Chicken and waffles are popular. We brine the chicken for 24 hours in our own secret recipe. It’s nice, juicy and tender. I love our shrimp and grits. I could eat it all day, which is terrible. I can feel my arteries screaming at me. We use massive shrimp.

“Our oxtails are delicious. I never had oxtails until I worked at Fixins. I’m not a big red meat fan in general. But I literally love oxtails. They fall off the bone. Our collard greens are made from scratch. To do that with our type of volume, it’s insane. The food is excellent.”

The same is said about Charles’ music, something that Dym whole-heartedly agreed with.

“I’m in my late thirties,” she said. “Hip-hop was really big in the early ’90s. R&B was coming up. He just made such an impact on artists. Whether it’s Jay-Z or Tupac, they were all impacted by his music. It wasn’t about being famous for him. He wanted to be great. He loved the music that much. That’s who he was.”

The special release is a dedication to Charles and a way of educating people about his life and music.

“To be affiliated in any way with Ray Charles is an honor, but to have our restaurant and brewery collaborate on a unique beer depicting Mr. Charles’ images on can labels is truly special. Feb. 23 was a day to remember,” said Kevin Johnson of Fixins and Peoples Beer.

Oak Park Brewing Co. revived the Peoples Beer brand in 2020 to honor the legacy of Theodore Mack Sr., the first African American to own and operate a brewery in America.

Mack picked cotton in the fields of Alabama and and rose to become a civil rights activist, who stood for economic empowerment and racial equity.

In 1970, he purchased Peoples Brewing Co. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to provide employment opportunities in minority communities. Mack’s historic achievements helped pave the way for people of color in the brewing industry.

In October 2021, Peoples Beer launched

the “Icon Line” of beers to honor African American heroes of past, present and future. These icons have included Sammy Davis Jr., James Baldwin, Ella Baker, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington, Bessie Coleman, Fannie Lou Hamer and Fred Hampton Jr., with the beer cans’ labels featuring artwork and information about their lives and historic achievements.

“For Kevin, Peoples Beer and Fixins is about craft, heritage and commerce. This combination ensures success. For Ray Charles, this was at the core of his belief system,” said Valerie Ervin, president of The Ray Charles Foundation.

Ray Charles Collaboration

WHEN: Various times through Friday, March 31

WHERE: Fixins, 800 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite A150, LA

COST: Varies

INFO: fixinssoulkitchen.com

Fixins Soul Kitchen/Submitted

Fixins Soul Kitchen at LA Live, Oak Park Brewing Co., Peoples Beer and The Ray Charles Foundation collaborated to honor Ray Charles’ legacy and impact on Black culture.

The Ray Charles collaboration features a special edition Free of Alcohol brew.

Dedicated

Faith

Faith

Faith

Faith

Faith

Faith