Pasadena’s Lineage Performing Arts Center will premiere a new dance and theater piece about the HIV/AIDS epidemic at their new intimate theater from July 31st through August 2nd.
Directed and choreographed by Lineage’s Artistic Director Hilary Thomas, A New Day will feature storytellers, original dance pieces performed by the Lineage dancers, and live songs sung by some of Lineage’s favorite performers.
To create A New Day, Thomas sought out collaborators from across LA, including Pasadena’s own Phil Simon Clinic, Michael Kearns–the first openly HIV-positive actor in Hollywood, Tony Award-winning actor Leilani Wilmore Jones, Malawian civil rights leader Ida Puliwa, and others. Dances have been set to musical numbers and stories to bring the difficult topic into focus for audiences, as Thomas says, “with an eye towards younger generations who haven’t necessarily heard these stories, but should.”
A New Day covers a difficult topic, but Lineage executive director Brian Elerding says that parents should use discretion about bringing older children.
“Regardless of whether HIV or AIDS have directly touched your life,” Elerding says, “this show is an important and moving document that will keep these stories alive.”
The performance is accompanied by an installation of visual art on Lineage’s Jeanne and Cliff Benson Family Art Gallery wall, curated by local resident Theresa Kennedy, focusing on showing the visual stories of 4 decades of HIV/AIDS.
A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales for A New Day will be donated to the Phil Simon Clinic in Pasadena, a multidisciplinary facility providing comprehensive medical and psychosocial care for persons infected with HIV.
Tickets are available at www.lineagepac.org
The Lineage Performing Arts Center is located on the corner of Lake and Mountain in Pasadena; free parking in the CVS lot. Age appropriateness is consideration for the audience: due to sensitive topics and mild language, this performance is recommended for 13+.
