The Qumran Report with S.S. Jones, Renee Meredith, and community events discussion

All right, children, settle down. Settle down. Come on. We only have two days to get this right. Come on. All right, I need my boys on the left, and I need my girls on the right. All right, you already know the dance moves, but I need you guys to focus. Black History Month's coming up. You've got to do a great job in this performance, okay? All right, boys, when you do your monkey dance, arms up high. Arms up high. Come on. There we go. Girls, move your hips. That's right. Move those hips. Yes. Thank you. Is there a place, a place there in your dreams? You are looking for a better way. You are looking for a better way. A Better Place by Willis and Shaw. A Positive Light Ministry. Now this Sunday, September the 14th, 2014 at 5 o'clock p.m. Willis and Shaw will begin their weekly show, Positive Perspective, right here at Skid Row Studios. And we're looking forward to hearing their music, poetry, puppets, and religious discussions. Now once again, that's Sunday, September the 14th, 2014. At 5 o'clock p.m. right here at Skid Row Studios. Now welcome to the Coon Round Report. May the peace and blessings of the life-giving creative spirit be upon you and upon your family. My name is Melvin Ishmael Johnson, coming at you live from Skid Row Studios. And I'm in the studio with my co-host, Earlene Anthony. Now I'm delighted to have with us in the studio, musician Anthony. S.S. Jones. Playwright Renee Meredith. Sitting in over here is Suzette Shaw. She's going to read a poem for us in the latter part of the show. And once again, sitting in here is Miss Mella. Welcome to the Coon Round Report. Thank you. Thank you. What's up? Now, before we get into in-depth discussions and interviews, I would like to play a clip by veteran stage and film actor, David McKnight. He's stressing knowing the business sides of the arts. Okay. I think your question is, what is my opinion that upstart actors, struggling actors, so to speak, new coming actors, what can they do to gain more employment in Hollywood? Is that what your question is? Exactly. Exactly. Okay. I would say that, to develop their professionalism, you know, study as much as you can. Understand also that it's a business. And that's one of the most difficult sides of it is the business side of it. A lot of people have talent. A lot of people have talent and the ability to perform, the ability to do the job. But one of the things that they may fall short on is the business aspect of it because it is a business. And there's so many things that you have to do on the business side in order to gain employment. So you have to seek out and understand what those, the business side is, you know, become familiar with your union, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which has just joined SAG-AFTRA now, you know, and also Actors Equity Association. Find out about these unions and how they, you know, protect you and so forth. Find out about casting directors and agents and stuff like that. Find out what it is that they do, how you have to work with them and how you have to, you know, be professional with them and so forth in order to sustain and maintain employment in the industry. That business side is very important once you get your talent straight. Okay, Jamal. Okay, that was veteran stage and film actor David McKnight in a lot of films and stage productions, talking about the business aspect of being an artist out here in Los Angeles. Thank you. Thank you. Now, SS Jones is a musician and one of the founders of the Skid Row Musicians Network. And Renee is a playwright who has a play opening this week at the West Angeles Performing Arts Theater entitled The Takeover, running this weekend, September the 13th and 14th, 2014, Saturday at 8 o'clock p.m. and Sunday at 3 o'clock, Saturday at 7 o'clock p.m. Let me correct that. And Sunday at 3 o'clock at the West Angeles Performing Arts Theater, located at 3020 Crenshaw Boulevard, LA 90016. And let me just get some comments from Renee and some comments from SS Jones. Let me hear about what David was talking about, being aware of the business side of being an artist. Well, what I learned, the background of it is, it's a lot of tricks to the trade. And by my first time around, I didn't know anything. The second time I learned, the third time I learned even more. And the one thing that I took away from each time is that it's not what you know, it's who you know. You can have all the knowledge you want. If you don't know nobody, it's not going to go anywhere. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah. It's very true what he said. The music business is a business. We used to say it's about 10% show and 90% business. So we have a long history of our artists being ripped off and not getting paid royalties that would do them. So the business part is very vital to your success. If you want to go into it, if you want to go into the music business, to be a musician doesn't necessarily have to be connected with the music business, though. That's not the only way for musicians to travel. That's one of the things we used to try to teach with the Skid Row Musicians Network and helping guys get their songs copywritten, the procedures in copywriting songs and protecting their material. And that was all a business part of it because that's a tremendous part, especially when it comes to profits, that can be gained the writers of materials. And we've had countless artists who will never get the royalties they deserve. I think probably one of the most recorded songs, The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King, was written by an African who died in poverty. And the song has made over $100 million. And there are five white people who claim the copyrights to that song. And Pete Seeger, I think, was one of them who recorded the song. And he decided that it would be fair to give some of the money back to the original family in Africa, the gentleman who wrote the song. And they did... His family didn't want him to get some of the funds, but that's just an example of how, if you don't know the business side of it, it can mean the loss of hundreds of million dollars, especially in the science of songwriting. So it's important for all musicians to know the business of the music. Like, it's a 10% show in 19 years. It's a 90% business. Okay. Okay, let's get back over here to Renee. Can you tell our listening audience a little about your background and how did you become a playwright? Well, I'm a line dance instructor. I've been line dancing over 10 years plus. And I have a class. And, you know, my business partner, Mack Hobson of Bad Kiss Productions, he and I, we put our talents together. He taught ballroom. I taught line dance. And we got together. And I was telling him, okay, we taught these people all these dances and routines and stuff. Now, what are they going to do with them? You know all this stuff. So what? So me being who I am, my job allows me to do a lot of thinking. And I'm doing my job, and I came up with this idea. And I wrote a stage play. But I needed to come up with something that's big enough to use our whole dance community. And the only thing that was in my mind, and it would fit that many people, my cast is 37 this time around. I have a cast of 37 people. And what I needed to do was come up with something where I can use all these people. Because I don't like telling people no. I will, but I don't like to. And the only thing that would fit that is a club. Everything happens in the club. You got your couples, relationships, breakups, get-togethers, preachers. Everything is in the club. So everything, the club tells a whole lot of different stories. And that's where I got a couple of my stories from. Okay. Let me ask you this. How did you, is that your first, first of all, tell us about your hometown. You grew up out here in Los Angeles? Yes, I was originally born in Austin, Texas. But I've basically been here all my life. So I call LA my home. This is my third play. The first one was at West Angeles. All three are at West Angeles. Great place to have a show. Plug. I wrote these plays, like I say, just looking at our dance community. I travel in a dance community of seasoned people. In my play, and this is the beauty of my play. In the beginning, I was the baby of the bunch. And I'm 51. The oldest person in my play is 73. Look at her. Don't let her age fool you. She's a dancer? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. She can drop it. It's going to take her a minute to pick it back up. Hey, tell us this. What exactly defines for our audience what you mean by line dance? Line dancing, it's an old, you may have known about line dancing through country western. Do, si, do, forward to the left, forward to the right. Okay. But line dancing has evolved so much. I mean, it's more like choreographed routines now. Different from ballroom dancing? Yes. Ballroom dancing is couple dancing, social dancing, line dancing. Line dancing, you don't need a partner. And when you go to places like the club, the women outnumber the men 20 to 1 every time. So instead of you just sitting there, you know, twiddling your thumbs waiting on the dance, doing the line dance, like the Cupid shuffle, the electric slide, you know, those type of dances, you don't need a partner. And I guarantee you, you'll have just as much fun as you social danced all night long. Mm-hmm. So what does this play about the... Takeover. Takeover. Takeover. What is that about? Well, I kind of followed in Tyler Perry's footsteps. Kind of mimicked him a little bit. Good pattern. Yeah. Medea does everything. She went to jail. You know, she did all, she beat you down. She did all those different things. Well, by my cast being so large, I have to stay in that club. So all of my plays were directed around this club. Mm-hmm. And so that's how... The Takeover, that's the main theme of it? Yes. Yeah, because the first one was the contest. The second one was the contest too. Mm-hmm. And, you know, friends were pushing me, when we doing another play? When we doing another play? So how dare them call me out? Mm-hmm. So I came out of a third one. And the Takeover is just a continuance over the contest. Mm-hmm. It's over the contest one and two. Mm-hmm. Is it a musical? It's a dance play. Dance play. And that's what makes us different and original. We have some acting. We're just regular people. We're your next door neighbor. We're your church members. We're your coworkers. But we still got a little bit left in us. Is it a script play or... No polls allowed. No polls allowed. Improvisational? No, no. It's a dance play. We'll be line dancing. We'll be ballroom dancing. Mm-hmm. We'll be dancing without giving the play away is what I'm trying to... Okay, okay. But no dialoging? It's dialoging. Yeah, it's some dialog, but very little. Yeah. Because I have to have dialog to make the play make sense. Yeah, okay. I mean, you just can't have people out there just dancing around. Mm-hmm. So I did... And I do have one or two people who have acting ability in their background where they were able to help me to put it into play form. Now, let me ask you this. What are the natural implications of having a cast at large? Oh. That's a big deal. A few dollars a piece. Well, yeah, but see, I've been totally blessed where God has sent people who have my back. And I do pay my cast. Let me say that on the air right now. And I do pay my cast. But it's not as much as they are entitled to how much they feel that they're worth. Of course not. Everybody feels their worth is big. But they know me. And they know how I feel. And they know how I feel. And they know how I feel. And they know how I feel. And they're able to pay me. And they've dealt with me. And they know that I'm a fair person. Right, guys? No. They know that I'm a fair person. They know I'm looking out for everybody. Now, when I make it big, they're going to make it big. I'll never forget them. Never ever. Because if it wasn't for them... It was... One of my friends, she and I would go back and forth. She would thank me for allowing her to be a part of the play. I would thank her for being part of the play. So we go back and forth. forth you know without them there would be no play they would say without you we wouldn't be on the stage so we went back and forth which came first the chicken or the egg so we agreed to just thank each other okay now i know you say you're a director yes uh do you have a stage manager too yes her name is bradisha um this is her first time around with us um so we're gonna see how it goes i'm there to help her guide her as much as i can and also um marvin right bale at west angeles he's a great great guy to work with he will help you as much as he possibly can without having to charge you and he's been very very helpful to me and you know things that i do you know he take me he pulled me to the side and renee you know this is you know maybe you need to think about that maybe you know he gives me suggestions and stuff but but being my play i have to do it my way because like i tell the cast if this plays a success we're going to be able to do it our own way and we're going to be able to do it our own way We all did a good job. If it fails, they're going to throw me under the bus. So if I got to take this ride, it's got to be my way. Okay. We're going to come back and talk a little bit more in detail. Let's move back over to S.S. Jones. Can you tell our listening audience a little about your background and how did you become a musician? Well, it's been so long ago until I can remember. I've been playing music. I think I started when I was about 17. And I came from a pretty musical family. My father was a singer. My mother was an actress. And my brothers are all musicians. So I started that way and kind of took a detour into sports. So for maybe a couple of years until my mid-20s, I got serious into music. And I knew I had to be a musician when I was... After I graduated from Delaware State College, I did a little stint doing some elementary school teaching. And then I had a... Working in a publishing company. And all of a sudden, I got the crazy idea to quit my job and come to California. Start a blues band. And I've been here ever since. So your background coming up out of Philly, that's a great musical city. Oh, yes. Without a doubt. We have a huge... We have our own walk of fame in Philadelphia. Like you have out here in Hollywood. The Boulevard. The Stars. We have that. We have our walk of fame. So we've... What's the biggest challenge for a skid row musician in the skid row area for a skid row musician? Well, I think probably the challenges of the skid row musician are no different from the Hollywood musician or any other musician. And that's first become very aware of your craft and your instrument. That is the first role. And then the second role is the skid row musician. So as far as venues to play or places to get recognized, I think it's the venue factor. There are a lot of venues opening on skid row restaurants and bars, but they haven't invited in the musical community yet. As many of these places don't have live entertainment. So there are not many venues for the skid row musician to go and play his music. Now, tell us a little about the history of the skid row. A musician's network. How did it start and what was the reason for it? You know, what year was this? Well, we first started the network in about... Let me see. I think it was about maybe 89, 90, something like that. And it started with just a few guys getting together in one of the SRO hotels just to practice. And then we found out there were other musicians who needed rehearsal halls. There were guys. There were guys living in the skid row hotels who couldn't actually play their instruments in their rooms. So, and many of them were seasoned musicians that would require eight hours of rehearsal a day. And you can't sit in one of those skid row hotels and play a saxophone for eight hours a day. Yeah, I know. So... Security. Yeah. So evictions and all that kind of stuff. So we decided to provide a space and it grew out of our needs to play. Yeah. To play. That's where it started. Who were some of the early members? Well, there was Bill Edwards, who was the manager of the... I can't remember the name of the hotel, but he was the manager. And there was Willie Green, also an assistant manager, myself, and I can't remember the other guy's name. But the four of us originally. And we started as just a place for us to meet and practice. And then we realized, we had friends who were playing and other guys who wanted to come and play. So before we knew it, we had 20 musicians wanting to come. And... Let's hear something. Let's hear this very piece with a very interesting name. What's the name of the piece we're going to hear? This is called... This is one of the first releases we've done. This is called Take That Hole to the Hotel, and it's available on Amazon.com right now. All right. Oh, that's a good one. That's a good one. Into the book. Into the book. Into the book. Into the book. Into the book. Take that hoe to the hotel Take that hoe to the hotel Hotel, no tear I won't tear Well, the next night we was at your mama's house Sitting up on the couch Watching a little bit of television Then you had to pull my jimmy out The noise started getting real good to you Cause you started making a whole lot of noise You woke your mama right up out the bed Which is all she really knows She said, boy, take that hoe to the hotel Take that hoe to the hotel Take that hoe to the hotel Hotel, no tear I won't tear Break it on down, break it down, down, way down Break it on down, break it down, down, way down Break it on down, break it down, down, way down Break it on down, break it down, down, way down Take that hoe to the hotel Take that hoe to the hotel Take that hoe to the hotel Hotel, no tear I won't tear Well, I was riding around in my car Way up on Sunset Strip I saw a fine young lady That I really, really wanted to get with I said, what's happening, baby? Can't spend a little time with you She said, if you want me, daddy You know what you got to do You got to take that hoe to the hotel Take that hoe to the hotel Okay, that's S.S. Jones. Oh, yeah, thank you, thank you. Okay, we're going to come back and hear some more of your music. And you're going to perform live for us. But we have somebody on the line. Who do we have on the line with us? Hi, my name is Jonna. How are you? Jonna, how you doing? Just fine. You calling in to talk to Renee? I am. You have a question? I'm one of the cast members of her play. And I just wanted to tell everyone what a wonderful person she is and how creative she is and that I really hope that they decide to come out and see the play. She says that she's just fine. She's just a male lady. But God has blessed her with so many gifts, talents, and abilities. And one beautiful thing about Renee is she includes everyone. She really doesn't discriminate. If she does, she doesn't let us know it. But she doesn't discriminate. She includes everyone. And she knows herself, which is a beautiful thing. So she knows what she'll accept in her life and in her productions and what she won't. But what I want you to know is that some of the gifts that she has are creativity. Not only creativity, but organization. Not only is she in her productions, she's managing lights, directing traffic, getting everyone on step. She's doing choreography, taking care of money, delegating items. And she's just a phenomenal person. And I'm really, really, really excited to be a part of the production. What part do you play? I'm a dancer in, I think, three of the scenes this time. Last year, I think, I had two or three scenes as well. And a few speaking parts. So you can just see me working the floor. Yeah, I hope I get a chance. Who knows? Renee may make a couple of comp tickets or something involved. I know I'll slide up there then. Do you have a question or comment for Renee? Yeah. With all that she does and such a busy schedule that she keeps, I want to know how she fits it in because not only is she doing the play, she's out promoting herself as well. In the evening, she gets herself out of her male uniform and decked to the nines from head to toe. She's sharp and goes out and keeps a smile on her face and just high energy. I'm just wondering how she budgets her time and manages so many wonderful things that she likes to do. How do you do that? Okay, Johnny, you can keep your row, your front row seat. You're on the front row. You're on the front row. Go, Johnny. Go, Johnny. Go, Johnny. Well, Johnny, as you know, I'm like the Energizer Bunny. I just keep going and going and going. And, you know, I just, I haven't gotten to that stage where I want to sit down yet. I still have a lot of energy. I still have a lot to give. I have a lot to do. And I most definitely have a lot to say. And I use people like Johnny and the rest of the cast to say it for me. Wonderful. Okay, then. Thank you very much for calling in. Give us your name again. My name is Johnna Wilson. I hope to see you all at the play. I hope I get a chance to meet you. Take good care tonight. Okay, thank you very much for calling in. Bye. Bye-bye. Okay, let's take a little quick break for our community calendar, and then we will come back with our in-studio guests. This is our community calendar for upcoming events. Drama Stage Coon Run Veteran Community Workshop is being held. It's a 10-week session every Wednesday from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. This workshop is consisting of creative writing, scripts and getting them ready for production, anti-violent situation coping group, and veterans trauma, young people dealing with bullying and other violence. Also, basic elements of stage management. The participants, we have about five or six at this time, working on original 10 to 15 minute stage plays as focusing on veterans. We're learning what a log line for a script is. Also, tell what your script is about in one or two sentences. Also, to help verbally pitch your script and help you focus on your script. The goal for the playwriting this session will be before the final session, our original play, is to get the audience ready for the final stage reading. The play will be on the stage at the Boar Techs or the NoHo Theater in Hollywood. The location of the workshop is the Boar Techs 2341 East Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. That's right at the corner of Santa Fe and Olympic Boulevard. And the Metro Bus number 60 and 66 stops right at the corner. Contact information for the workshop is Drama Stage 1, at yahoo.com, or 213-479-1764. Saturday, September the 13th, 2014, at 7 p.m. Sunday, September the 14th, 2014, at 3 p.m. Imagine This and Bad Kiss Productions presents a stage play entitled The Takeover, written by Renee Meredith. She says, this play will have you dancing in your seat. The location is West Angeles Performing Arts Theater, 3020 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 916. For contact and ticket information, you can contact Renee Meredith, 310-259-3466, or Mack Hobson, 310-484-9522. If you have a community event that you would like announced on our show, send the information to Drama Stage 1 at yahoo.com, attention Earline Anthony. And the call in number for our show is 800-893-9562. Now back to our host. Okay, thank you Miss Earline Anthony. We're back with our in-studio guests. And as I mentioned at the top of the show, Positive Perspective with Willis Boyd and Shante Dunn. We'll be starting the weekly show this Sunday, September 14th, 2014 at 5 o'clock. Want to play a little short 30-second clip about Positive Light Ministry. And then we got another caller on the line. And then we're going to move forward with some in-studio performances and comments. Positive Light started programs and started doing stuff for kids and youth in 1998. And we're going to talk about that. And we're going to talk about that. And we're going to talk about that. We started in 1998. And we were formally established as a nonprofit in 2004. We are a catalyst for inspiring the youth and anyone else who will listen. Creating opportunities and giving hope to all who will participate. PositiveLight.org. You can like us on Facebook at Facebook.com slash WeArePositiveLight. Okay, that's Shante Dunn and Willis Boyd. Now we have another caller on the line. Who am I speaking with? Hi, this is Paulette. Paulette. Paulette, how you doing? You have a question for one of our guests? I had a question. I'm not sure, but I think I saw one of Renee's plays last year. I was wondering if this was like a continuance of that play or? Well actually, this is the third play. It's not so much as a continuance. It's not the contest three. It's the take three. It's the take three. So a part of a part of a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So a part of a part. So that says a lot. And I hope you can come to the Saturday or Sunday show. And if I were you, I'd get my tickets fast. Thank you so much. What's the process for getting tickets? Well, my partner, Mack Hobson, and I, and some of our cast members, we're selling tickets. And we deliver if you're within reason. Pasadena's too far for one ticket. So the contact information for getting a ticket? It's on the flyer. Okay. Can you give it to us again? You can contact me at 310-259-3466. Or you can contact Mack of Bad Kiss Productions at 310-484-9522. Okay. Well, I expect great things. I heard a lot about the show. And some people that I know are, I think, already anticipating coming on Saturday. Great. So I hope we will be able to make it on Saturday. Great. Thank you so much for all that you're doing for our community, Renee. Thank you. And come up and say hi to me so I'll know who I'm talking to. I will do that. I've met so many, many great people and friends throughout this. So come say hey to your girl. I will. Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. Break a leg in the play. Thank you for calling in. Thank you. Bye-bye. Yeah. Okay. Our other in-studio guests, let's, I got Suzette over here. She's going to do a poem for us in a minute. But first of all, Ms. Mellor, we got her in the house also. Ms. Mellor, can you talk about this special women's show event? Yes. Yes. It's coming up on Bobby Buck's show over there. It's Bobby over there snapping the picture. Hey, Bobby. Hey, Bobby. Yes, absolutely. September 19th, we'll be having a forum saying women take the mic. And it is be a forum that will speak on the issues that women need as far as what's needed in Skid Row and beyond, resources, problems, issues, whatever the case that we're facing as women will be discussed on this platform. So it's going to be a lot of testimonies, a lot of stories. We welcome anybody to call in or stop by or just really just check in. And that's right here in Skid Row Studios. Yes, right here. Right here at Bobby's show. Right here at Skid Row Studios at 7 p.m. It's a one-hour show. And just there's no hold barred. So whatever issue that you're going through as women and continue to go through, that is a platform that we'll have. So just let it out. Who are some of the guests you've got lined up? Any outstanding known guests? Well, aside from me and Suzette. Besides Oprah. And Oprah. Oh, Michelle Obama's going to stop by in just a minute. But we actually have a couple of people that are not confirmed yet, but it'll be a surprise. But it'll be a nice lineup. A lot of ladies from Skid Row know about Skid Row. A lot of mentors. Organized people with women organizations, activists. The gamut is is pretty, pretty long. Yeah, Bob. I wonder if Michelle Autry is coming up in here and also on the list. That's our girl. Absolutely. And as a filmmaker for inner city youths, I think it's very important to really bring on the table the issues of what's needed to change, especially in performing arts. And that's what I'll focus on. But you have. You have other issues with homelessness. Housing problems. A big, big problem in Los Angeles. Incarceration. You name it. There is a long list of obstacles that we are facing now as women. And it's just getting worse and worse if we don't band together and really try to change things. OK. If I may interject also with women here on Skid Row, our situations and our issues that displace us to homelessness are much more complex. And I think that's what we're trying to do. And I think that's what we're trying to do. And I think that's what we're trying to do. And I think that's what we're trying to do. And I think that's what we're trying to do. And I think that's what we're trying to do. And not necessarily in, you know, in the same as as some of the men, as a majority of the men who come down to Skid Row. Many women end up homeless in Skid and are displaced to Skid Row because of the loss of jobs, loss of homes, you know, in domestic violence situations. And don't have a support system. You know, I mean, people kind of take it for granted that, you know, everyone has a support net, family and so on and so forth are resources. financial resources to keep them stable, and that's not necessarily so. Well, let me ask you this. Why do you think there's so much of an imbalance in terms of Skid Row, probably 85% African Americans? Exactly. That's something that I like to highlight, Melvin, is the fact that Skid Row is predominantly African American and also is predominantly middle-aged African American. And that's something that we, it's like the elephant in the room that doesn't necessarily get discussed. One of the things that I like to point out in regards to that is the fact that I think that the self-sustaining financial opportunities are job training programs aren't even really coming. As far as I know, I mean, I've been down here almost two years now. I've never heard, there's very little job training programs, federal job training programs really that are being highlighted in the U.S. and in the United States. I've been in Skid Row where people can actually earn income to help them be self-sustained. You see a lot of the little jobs sweeping up trash and so forth. But where are these federal job training programs where, with federal job training programs, affirmative action is supposed to be in compliance with that? Well, let me say this. It used to be one. It used to be the, because we used to do a workshop at the Levy Center. Levy Learning Center. Yeah, they used to sit right. Some years ago. Where that medical. Medical center is now. Yeah, right where the lamp is, right. Less than five years ago. And then they moved them out. WorldShare, wasn't it called? WorldShare? Well, no, it was the ones that looked for the, which was towards the end. They had the whole, it was an educational, it was like a little community college. Wonder what happened to it. Yeah, and all of a sudden, because Ms. White used to be the director of it. Okay. You know, in terms of running that. Okay. Okay. We'll come back, because I'm really, I want to get into an in-depth discussion of that next week, because I got Wendell coming in here, and we're going to really talk about some of the Skid Row issue. Wendell, Blasting Game. Yes. You know, who do movies on the nickel. Yeah, he's coming next week. But look, let's see your poem. Yeah. Let's see your poem, and I want to get back to talking to Renee and S.S. Jones. I'll just interject. I actually facilitate a women's empowerment. I'm a woman who's been in the women's empowerment group on Tuesday afternoons at 1230 p.m. at Share on 425 South Broadway. Broadway, yeah. And so on the back of my flyer, I have a poem that I wrote. I wrote called Standing Tall for Dignity and Equality, and I'll read that now. Yeah. I am not a liberated woman, as I am just a woman who yearns to be free. I wish to live free from bondage of inequality, longing for equality that is yet to be. We've come far, but how far we've yet to come. Women are still striving for their equal sum. Whether we are sitting in the White House, Donald Trump Plaza, or up in Beverly Hills, to the lows of the Appalachians, run down sawmills, or the Catskills, whether your zip code is Manhattan, New York, or here on Skid Row, human dignity should not come at the price for only those who can pay concierge prices and can afford exquisite means. I humbly tell you, my voice is my power. It feels me each day, gives me the strength which surpasses none, instead allows me to be more of my equal sum. Please know I'm just one voice. I've won no battles. The battles have yet to be won. This voice is just another gift God gave to me so I can stand tall for dignity and equality. Woo hoo. Yeah, what a look. Yeah. Well, I'm looking forward to you stopping by and checking out our workshop over at the Vortex on Wednesdays. My pleasure. Yeah. We're going to do another live performance, a reading, and then I'm going to come over to S.S. Jones. I want to talk to Renee again about what's happening over to the West Angeles Theater. But this is about a young lady, Leslie, Leslie Tafton. As a matter of fact, three on three. Yeah. She was in a basketball tournament in relationship. She had a lot of influence on a lot of different individuals in the skid row, musicians, artists, activists, all of them had a connection with Leslie who passed, she got killed in a car accident in 2009. And this is a poem that I wrote for Leslie, and Earlene is going to read it. Amen. A poem for Leslie Tafton written by Melvin Ishmael Johnson. I'm going to read it. Okay. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. So a poem for Leslie. Those that know teach those that don't. Give of yourself and volunteer some time and watch your life change. It's about giving. That's where it's at. Extend a helping hand. Share your blessings and make things better. Love books like Leslie did. Eternal life, the eternal spirit. Be born again and live forever. The baton has been passed. And now it can be told. Leslie reached out to all of us and touched our souls. Hey, it's a poem for Leslie Tapp. Beautiful. We're going to play another piece by S.S. Jones. And then we'll come back, talk to him for a minute and do live pieces. And I still have some questions I want to ask Renee over there. This is called, this is something you did in relationship to President Obama, right? Yeah, I actually wrote this song after the, the first Barack Obama term. Change. Watch the news one night. Change comes, change comes slowly. Yeah, change comes slowly. When I first met Barack, I was ready for some change. I thought that John McCain was just some more of the same. What I didn't know four years ago was that change comes slow. Yeah. It took 400 years to free the slaves. Lord, I hope they're resting easy in their graves. Cause the one thing in America that we all know is that change comes slow. Change comes slow. Hey, Barack, I know you tried to compromise, but you won't get nowhere with some of them guys. I know we got along. So a part of a part of a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part a part Obama, keep on doing what you do. Keep cleaning up the mess that ain't left for you. One thing in America we all know. That change comes slow. Change comes slow. Change comes slow. Change comes slow. Change comes slow. Change comes slow. Change comes slow. Change comes slow. That's nice. I like that one. Beautiful piece. Beautiful piece. Yeah, now you wrote that how long ago? Well, that was after the first four years when he was running against the other guy, Mitt Romney. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And after four years, I was kind of reflected on what I expected. You know, the whole thing was that Barack Obama was going to be changed. It was coming. So after four years, I said, well, things are going to be slow. I didn't see too much change after four years. So I wrote that song watching the news one night. Okay, look, let's do a live piece. And what we want to do with the live piece, if you grab your guitar, we want to lay the mic. We want to lay that mic down. And then pull that mic over there for your vocal. Pull that one over there for your vocal. That's good. What's the piece you're going to do, Paul? Well, I thought I'd do a piece from Honey Ledbetter. That's the show we're going to be doing on October 11th at the World Stage. Okay. I'm going to be performing with the new Ashgrove players from the Ashgrove music tradition. The famous Ashgrove Theater here in L.A., which was bombed three times last time by the CIA. And Ed Pearl, who ran it, decided to close up. But it's where all the folk singers came to play back in the day. From Bob Dylan to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. He gave a lot of the black folk players from the South a chance to play there. So we're going to do a tribute to Ledbetter, Honey Ledbetter, who Time Magazine recalled the greatest, America's greatest folk singer. And he's probably... The most unknown African-American that we have in our great history. And he wrote so many fabulous songs. Okay. And this is what I'm going to do. One of my favorite Ledbetter songs. It's called Go Down, Oh Hannah. I can take these off. I don't really think I need those. But Go Down, Oh Hannah. Hannah was what the slaves used to call the sun. Used to get so hot working in the fields that they called... Oh Hannah, the sun. And they would say, Go Down, Oh Hannah. You know, because Don't Your Eyes No More. Because it's very uncomfortable working in such hot sun. This is one of my favorite Ledbetter songs. I'll just do a little bit of it. Okay. Okay. Go down, oh Hannah. Don't your eyes no more. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Don't you rise no more If you rise in the morning City world don't fight If you had been on the river Back in 1910 They was driving the women Like they do the men So go down, oh Hannah Don't you rise no more And if you rise in the morning Bring judgment Bring judgment Bring judgment If you rise in the morning Bring judgment If you rise in the morning Bring judgment That's Led Belly. Thank you so much. And that's one of the songs we're going to be doing at the world stage. Led Belly has great folk music. He's brought some of the best folk songs in two years. He's brought some of the best folk songs in two years. He's brought some of the best American folk music traditions. Yeah, we had Mitch Green here in the studio. Was this this year, last year that we had? This year. This year. And his father was Manny Green here. He's a production, folklore production. He's the president of that. And they've had outstanding, he always talked about Led Belly. Oh, it was just outstanding. And the person, the person in here with him was called Jack Landreau. Right. Yeah. And now Jack Landreau, I just got some information from Lee Beck, where he'd be playing at the Art Share coming up probably this Thursday. But I'll send all this information around. We're also going to have the New Asheville players out there playing with us. And special guest is going to be Sunny Waugh, who's the very gifted female acoustic ragtime blues player. She's Sunny Waugh. She's all on YouTube. She has many videos on YouTube. If you want to, anybody wants to check in. Check her out. I think they should become aware of Sunny Waugh as a great young African-American who is doing traditional African-American music. So she's going to be on the show as well. Okay. We're looking forward to that. Let me go back to, I have a couple questions for Renee. And then hopefully we have a couple little quick closing comments. But I want to ask you about, I asked you about Lion, Dan, and this particular theater form that you're doing now. Can you, is this a new type of form? Is it connected with a historical form? Something like going back to the ministry or? Well, no. Actually, Lion Dance is basically like started out as what I know. It's country western, you know, do-si-do, four-wall dancing. You know, we as black people, we don't dance like they do. We dance with our neck. We dance, you know, our hips, you know, we roll. So what we do, what we have done with the Lion Dance is change the music. And we put a little oomph on it. I mean, come on, I don't want to give away the play. I just, you know, because somebody out there listening, I don't want, I want them to come with a clear mind and open eyes. And you just take it all in at one time. So that's what I'm just trying to answer your question without giving away what the play is. All right. Okay, so let's roll around for our closing comments. We're under three minutes. Take about 30 seconds. Once again, your closing comments and tell us again about the performances coming up. Again, we are doing the takeover September 13th and 14th at West Angeles Theatre. Saturday's show is at 7 p.m. Sunday's show is at 3 p.m. It is produced by myself, Renee Meredith, writer, choreographer. I wear a whole lot of hats in this play. Okay. I have a wonderful partner, Mr. Mack Hopson of Bad Kiss Productions. He teaches the ballroom aspect of it. He has classes at a Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Center on 62nd and La Brea where he can teach you all the latest ballroom steps. And for those that want tickets, the contact information? If you want tickets, the contact information, myself, 310-259-3466, Mack Hopson, 310-484-9522. You can also go on Facebook, you can find me on there, you can find him on there. And like I said, we do deliver within reason. This is a must-see. Because like I was saying earlier, this play consists of your neighbors, your coworkers, your church members. You know, these are just regular old folks like you and I, you know. They don't have a theatrical background, professionals, you know. They have professional attitudes. Okay. All right. Well, we... I'm gonna stop by. We'll be coming from the conference. We're gonna be at the Boston Stand Down Saturday. Okay. And we'd love to stop by. Great. So, S.H. Jones, what's your contact information for those that want to get in contact with you? Well, we're gonna be at the World Stage Saturday. That's October the 11th from 3 to 5, with the Sunny War. And you can call 310-428-3586 or email to info at art.com. Okay. And for tickets. And then October the 22nd, we're gonna be at the Gate to the Mediterranean. That's at 16925 Ventura Boulevard in Encino. And that starts at 6. You can come on out and see a belly dance show and get good Mediterranean food and hear S.H. Jones and the Astro Players. Okay. Thank you. Susannah, what's your contact information for those that want to get in contact? My number is... I'm gonna call the 213-840-4855. And again, we have the Women's Empowerment Group tomorrow on Tuesdays, 1230 p.m. at Cher at 425 South Broadway. And as was previously mentioned, then we do also have the upcoming Women's Empowerment Show that we're gonna be starting here on with Bobby Buck on September 19th. Okay, good. Because we performed at Cher before. I like that location upstairs down there. Yes, yes, yes. We're in the Peace Room. We're in the Peace Room. Your contact information. You can contact us on Facebook, Facebook the Year of the Diamond. We have casting October 11th at the Convention Center for major Broadway shows, film, television. We want people with no experience, experience, just people who want different inspiring product, just come on out and register. It's free, and if you wanna perform there as well as featured talent, you do so. Okay. My number, 718-425-4855. 718-510-4803. Okay, thank you very much. Okay, I'd like to thank my in-studio guests. Great show. For past shows of the Qumran Report, just Google in Qumran Report. Thank you for tuning in to the Qumran Report and from your host, Melvin Ishmael Johnson. May the peace and blessings of the life-giving creative spirit be upon you and upon your family. Next week, I have Wendell Blassingame, in the studio, and I'm gonna be talking to him about the song that opened the show, A Better Place, by Willis and Shontay. All right, children, settle down. Settle down. Come on. We only have two days to get through this. And please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, We have two days to get this right. Come on. All right, I need my boys on the left, and I need my girls on the right. All right, you already know the dance moves. And I need you guys to focus. My hips are not sleeping up. You've got to do a great job in this performance, okay? All right, boys, we need you to do your monkey dance. Arms up high. Arms up high. Come on. Here we go. Girls, move your hips. That's right. Move those hips. Wow. Looking for a better place. Wow. Looking for a better place. Looking for a place. Is there a place? A place in my dreams. A place there in your dreams. Freedom and equality. Is there a place? Will cover me. A place there in your dreams. Looking for a better place. Looking for a place. Is there a place? A place in my dreams. A place there in your dreams. Freedom and equality. Is there a place? Will cover me. A place there in your dreams. You are looking for a better way.