Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorinda Hawkins Smith.
Hi Lorinda Hawkins, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a domestic violence survivor who managed to get her MBA in Business Administration while transitioning from houseless to housed. I became houseless trying to protect my children by fleeing domestic violence. While in Skid Row, I started writing and performing a piece of my journey. It was a 10-minute monologue called Justice? Or… Just Me? When I would perform this piece, I would be encouraged by audience members to finish it and make it into a full-length one-woman show. Many said that it was their story too. Women and men could relate. Years later, I have since decided the story works better as a trilogy. Justice? Or… Just Me? The Bite, The Fight, The Flight (BFF) is a book and play series. The first in the series, The Bite, premiered August 2021 in the Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Hudson Guild Theatre. It was a recipient of the 2021 Hollywood Fringe Festival Diversity Scholarship awarded to productions with powerful community impact. The Bite, Book 1 was self-published around the same time. It is currently on Amazon and in libraries. After the Hollywood Fringe Festival, I performed my play in Black Voices Solo Theatre Festival and Solofest 2022. I partnered with Peace Over Violence and Downtown Women’s Center’s Domestic Violence Homeless Services Coalition (DVHSC) for Q & A’s after the performances and a percentage of the proceeds went to the organizations. I am currently part of DVHSC and am encouraged by the recent signing of SB 914 HELP (Homeless Equity for Left Behind Populations) Act into law. The bill, now law, embeds a focus on domestic violence survivors and other vulnerable populations into local homelessness plans.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a smooth road. My experience of the criminal justice system has found that Lady Justice delivers not blind justice but instead a blurry type. In fighting back, in order to save my life, I was the one arrested and branded an abuser. I was the one who had to carry that burden of a criminal record for years because instead of letting my ex-husband kill me, I had the unmitigated gall to fight back. Thanks to my faith, I’m able to remain hopeful and steadfast in fighting for change.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
While serving at a church in downtown Los Angeles, I learned how to video edit. I was also able to lead a drama ministry. During this time, I was able to practice pitching ideas, write sketches and make short films. When I was houseless in Skid Row, I got involved with many of the theater troupes which were focused on social justice. This type of art resonated with my spirit. As a result, I create art that is primarily informed by a social justice bent. My mother was a teacher and I have that same teaching spirit. But I want to teach in a way that entertains. When I teach students, my classes are largely interactive. When I am performing on stage, there will be a part of the show where I will break the fourth wall to engage with the audience. When I create short films or sketches, there will usually be humor involved. I specialize in taking taboo topics and putting a fresh spin on them. I’m a storyteller that uses different mediums to get the story across. For many years, I would be invited to share my story. Along with sharing my story, there would be a time of improv games I would lead. I love doing this because people get to experience how freeing and cathartic the arts can be. Even if you don’t consider yourself a creative, you don’t have to be to benefit from the art of improvisation.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I do a mean Louis Armstrong impression.
Pricing:
- 2,000.00 – 1hr show/presentation + Book Signing and Q & A
- 1,500.00 – 1hr show/presentation
- 500.00 – book signing and Q & A
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lorindahawkinssmith.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorindahawk_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorindahawkinssmith
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LorindaHawkinsSmith
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/lorinda-hawkins
Image Credits
Caleb Rexius Juan E Morse (JEM Photography) Dylan Wade Cox Anna Sophia Moltke
