A New Twist in the Road

View this email in your browser Transition as a way of life... It seems that I'm constantly shifting locations and traversing all the life stuff that comes up along the way, but every few years there seems to be a seismic shift that fuels a spiritual hunger to expand myself through a huge leap of faith. For the past few years I've been situated between New York and Johannesburg, South Africa. These years have seen me complete an MA in Applied Theatre at the City University of New York (CUNY), re-energize my acting career in the US with roles in The Book of Negroes, Peron of Interest and The Unseen. I've had the opportunity to satiate my Artivist self by consulting/facilitating with the Creative Arts Team, Theatre of the Oppressed NYC and The Leadership Program. I've also been busy growing my own initiative We Are Here, which I'm proud to announce has been selected in partnership with  SisterLove Inc. as a DREAMS Innovation Challenge Winner! The announcement was recently made this summer at the International AIDS Conference in Durban,South Africa. Our collective solution was selected from more than 800 ideas to infuse new thinking and high-impact approaches to empower adolescent girls and young women in 10 sub-Saharan African countries to live HIV-free. This exciting new chapter for We Are Here would not be possible without the hard work and vision of my producing partner, Refilwe Nkomo. I'm currently being compelled to leave New York and head west to Los Angeles, California aka "Seismic Shift". It is a move that leaves me trembling and giddy with anticipation. I'm eager to reconnect with old friends, curious to see who I've become in my time away, excited to bring new life experiences and artistic growth to a medium I love so much. IT'S MY TIME TO SHINE...MORE! Before I get to LA, I still have a few loose ends to wrap up. On Saturday, October 22nd, Ill be performing We Are Here at BAAD in the Bronx. Afterwards I head to South Africa to support screenings of my film The Unseen at the Joburg Film Festival (October 28th and 31st). This unassuming powerhouse of a film was written and directed by Perivi Katjavivi (Namibia). The film had it premier at this years Pan African Film Festival  in Los Angeles and has been traveling the globe ever since. I gotta say, I'm immensely proud of this film! It also marks my foray into film producing:) This winding path called life has allowed me to touch souls with some extraordinary beings. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey, because I'm so very grateful that you are a part of mine. Catch you on the road and in the wind! Warmest  Regards, Antonio David Lyons Unfolding more like a conversation than a narrative, The Unseen follows the story of three wandering souls as they navigate the emotional and physical realities of post-colonial Namibia. First there is Marcus, an African American actor tasked with portraying one of Namibia s historical leaders. Seeking authenticity in his craft, he embarks on an earnest research mission to unveil the true history of his character. Then there is Anu, a talented local musician who is having trouble negotiating between his influences and identity. Lastly, there is Sara, a depressed young woman uncertain of whether or not her environment provides anything worth living for. Buy Tickest The Unseen (Namibia)  Director: Perivi Katjavivi  Starring: Antonio David Lyons, Senga Brockerhoff, Mathew Ishitile  Festivals/Screenings Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles (World Premiere) | African Perspectives, Oshakati, Namibia (African Premiere) | Luxor African Film Festival, Egypt | Pan African Film Festival, Cannes, France | Durban International Film Festival, South Africa (Official Competition) | African Perspectives, Alte Feste Colonial Fort, Windhoek, Namibia | Busan International Film Festival, South Korea (October) | Cambridge African Film Festival (Opening film) (October) | Joburg Film Festival, South Africa (November) Copyright © | 2016 | Antonio David Lyons |, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*