Constance Jaquay Strickland

The Fairy Who Cried Gems filled my spirit and took me away in ways I didn’t see coming. Lily is a magical storyteller who seamlessly weaves heartbreak and doubt into a triumphant collection of folktales inspired by the real experiences of Indian women who grew up in the United States. She boldly and bravely blends her mixed heritage, the oral history of Desi-American girlhood, and female stereotypes into new realities with the hope that her younger sisters will have the opportunity to exist in a ... full review

Because there are not enough plays that focus on the health of women. Because Rahvaunia is exquisite as she brings to life four women and a host of characters who help us understand why discussing HIV is still an urgent and important conversation we need to have as a community. Because shame often causes us to keep silent on issues that matter, this show breaks all those fears and taboos. Because this show hits you right in your gut in all the necessary ways only theatre can do. Because Black wom... full review

Marisa Ray’s Amen is a wonderful one-act play. It is a play that is fearless in asking big questions and doesn’t feel the need to answer them for the audience. It requires us to ponder, to sit with our beliefs… and what we think we know and how we know it. The ensemble is lovely, and each actor onstage is a fully realized character. I loved the shadow work embodied by the actors and the use of talking to God. And God, themselves, talking throughout the play was clever and familiar, for we all hav... full review

The fact the girls allowed humor to live loudly in a play dealing with a serious issues women face was done fantastically. ... full review

To watch Lorelei onstage is to witness a woman not afraid to reveal all the pieces of herself. A woman who allowed her vulnerability to be on full display. It was an incredible experience to be in the audience. There is this Lucille Ball quality to her, the ability to be incredibly funny while using self-caricature to enter the truth of what it means to be human—the resonance of one's experiences and seeing them in real time. This is a magical piece that will continue to expand. When Lorelei open... full review

Full LAFPI Check-In @ https://lafpi.com/?s=Check-Ins Nothing is more vital to the arts than the high-rising need to support the voices of women artists worldwide. As soon as I entered the theatre, a chill of excitement filled my entire body, and I knew I was in for a new theatrical experience. To create new theatre work, one must not be afraid to go outside the box. To have no fear in creating a new path of storytelling is not easy, yet that is exactly what the ensemble and creative team of Th... full review

Because you’ll see a young artist use her voice and body to heal a pain you can’t name at first. Because when Charlotte morphs into her mother, in voice and posture, the familiarity nearly broke my heart. Because I understood the anger, the grief, and the empathy involved in accepting a once-healthy mother’s new physical reality. Because Charlotte reminded us that the loss of a loved one will touch us all and how we respond to that loss matters – community matters. Because when Charlotte begins t... full review

Teruko! Teruko the Original! This solo show will have the hardest of humans laughing unexpectedly and then with a whisper of a word bring you to stillness. As I sat watching Teruko I was struck by her authenticity, her powerful ability to honor her true self and manifest her destiny despite the pains and tribulations she has experienced. There was freedom exuding from Teruko that made me in awe: freedom that only comes from finding ways to continue out of the dark into the light. ... full review

This was an odd but lovely, heart-breaking, and thrilling out-of-the-box play. It took me on a myriad of emotions when thinking about women who often go unseen – or whose bodies are not being seen as worthy – as the endangered species that they are tasked with saving from extinction. I loved the subject, and while at first, this seemed to be a weird play, I soon began to feel a sinking truth sitting in the pit of my stomach. The realism the actors brought to their work made me feel as though I wa... full review

WHOA! I thank our ancestors I was able to be in the same space as Jairis and Mareshah. To see them on stage in the flesh was a true gift. “Abortion Weekend” was more than a piece, it was more than a show. I felt as though I was seeing a play that manifested from deep truths and touched on many issues in the Black community – and our society – including our own personal struggles that can go without words…until now – until the two of them. Jairis and Mareshah have a real way of connecting you to t... full review