'Etta Mae Mumphries: And The Rest Is History' to Give Special Juneteenth Performance at Theatre West

Etta Mae Mumphries: And the Rest Is History! A comedy, an Official Selection of Solopalooza 2022, will perform a special show for Juneteenth.

The show is written by Karen Bankhead with additional material by Pam Trotter and performed by Karen Bankhead. It features musical performance by singer Pam Trotter, and is directed by Karen Bankhead. It is produced by Free Spirit Productions. The production will play one performance at Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068 on Sunday, June 19, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. For tickets, call (323) 851-7977 or visit http://theatrewest.org. The show runs for 80 minutes and is recommended for ages 14+.

Etta Mae Mumphries (aka "the Black Forrest Gump") has charmed and rocked audiences everywhere, with her hysterical recollections and witty words of wisdom, leaving her fans "tickled pink."

Nobody tells stories like Etta Mae Mumphries. And nobody has met and influenced so many important people! You may not have heard of Etta Mae, but surely you know of Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Sammy Davis, Jr., and the list goes on and on. Known sometimes as the "Geriatric Forrest Gump," Miss Etta Mae is a font of biblical wisdom and encourager extraordinaire. Her hilarious words of wisdom will bless your soul and have you in stitches all at the same time. If you are a fan of Dame Edna, Tyler Perry's Madea or your own Grandma - you will love Etta Mae. She is topical, rhetorical, and always HYSTERICAL! Enjoy this joyful journey through history, with delightful musical stylings from actor/singer Pam Trotter.

June 19 is Juneteenth. The theatre will be having a celebration with refreshments and goodies. Karen Bankhead stars as Etta Mae Mumphries. Karen is an award winning actress/comedian and has performed locally and off-Broadway, including the Antaeus Theatre, 24th Street Theatre, and Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival. Winner of NAACP Theatre Award - Best Supporting Actress. Her one woman show, The V-05 Experience, has been featured at the San Francisco Fringe, and Official Selection, United Solo Fest in New York City.

Her Acting credits include: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls, I Am Sam,, Will and Grace, The Parkers, Bernie Mac Show,, Franklin & Bash, Reno 911. Writing credits include: contributing screenwriter: Master' Program in Digital Media, National University; The Robey Theatre Company Playwright's Lab; Playwright's Project; Kairos Prize for Screenwriting Semi-Finalist; Short Film Finalist, Broad Humor Festival; Writer's Well Writing Competition Winner; Ira Aldridge Playwriting Award; LA Times Guest Columnist. Spokesperson for AdoptUSKids, UCLA alum.

Pam Trotter has toured across the United States & Canada with the Broadway shows The Color Purple, Ain't Misbehavin Smokey Joe's Café, Big River, Blues in the Night, and numerous others. Pam is currently recurring on the hit TV show Life In Pieces and has apperaed in the feature film Dreamgirls. A few choice TV credits include: The Goldbergs, Shameless, The Middle, Splitting Up Together, Real Husbands of Hollywood, Everybody Hates Chris, and many other primetime TV shows.

Established in 1962, Theatre West is the oldest continually running professional theatre company in the city of Los Angeles. It is a membership collective of actors, playwrights, directors, and technicians. Theatre West's alumni members include Ray Bradbury, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O'Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patton, and Paul Winfield. Theatre West has produced more than 300 plays and musicals.

Of these plays, nearly 70% are original works developed in its workshops and many have led to Broadway, regional tours, and feature films including A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri and A Very Brady Musical by Lloyd Schwartz and Hope Juber. Our season continues with WestFest (a festival of new works), a new play by one of the company's resident playwrights in September 2022, and Moose on the Loose by Dina Morrone in April 2023. Our Storybook Theatre's Little Red Riding Hood will tour throughout the area in June and July 2022, supported by an NEA grant. Theatre West is supported in part by The Ahmanson Foundation, California Arts Council, Peter Glenville Foundation, Kaplan-Loring Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, and Lloyd E. Rigler- Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.

This show is an Official Selection of Solopalooza 2.022, a festival of solo performances. The series is produced by Dina Morrone.

Covid-19 safety protocols in effect on performance dates will be observed. As of this writing, that means that audience members must wear masks and be vaccinated (and able to show a vax card or digital record).

For an afternoon of outright hilarity like none other, meet Etta Mae Mumphries.

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