(Los Angeles Times - June 17, 2005) "Sunshine for a Midnight Weary," presented by EMBODI
Entertainment at the Inglewood Playhouse, is a fine opportunity to see a dedicated acting ensemble ply
its craft. Director Angela Matemotja and her fellow performers infuse November Dawn's fiercely poetical
drama with affecting grace and candor.

Largely made up of loosely linked monologues, the play looks at the travails women of color confront in
their daily lives. Their yearning for light and meaning is a blatant connecting theme (a bit ironic, considering
that the gloomy lighting keeps the actresses in near-darkness for much of the time).
The subject matter is freewheeling, to say the least. Among the characters, we meet a lesbian confronting
the raw hatred of the "hetero world," a junkie trapped in the downward spiral of her addiction, and several
abused women whose anger has reached critical mass.

There's rage aplenty to be found in this desultory mix, but there's also humor, pathos and robust sensuality.
Unfortunately, Dawn's writing is occasionally overwrought and hackneyed. However, at its best, it takes
on the raw urgency of a Beat era poet, with the same sweeping, stream-of-consciousness tone.
Besides Matemotja, the consistently high-quality cast includes Tasia Sherel, Brandy Maddox, Tammi
Rashonda, Renee McSwain, Erica Pitts, Shannon Shepherd, Brianna Brown, and Baadja. The play's
emphasis on female bonding is appropriate. Indeed, these performers are so closely bonded in style and
commitment, they often seem to function as one organism.

by Neal Weaver
(LA Weekly - June 9, 2005) Sunshine dominates the title, but it’s the darkness that prevails till almost the
end of November Dawn’s choreoplay, which eloquently celebrates the strength of black women and
anatomizes their miseries and travails. Written in verse and rhythmic prose, it takes a sharp look at
poverty, dead-end jobs, drugs, male violence, and homophobia, judgmental church ladies, black men
obsessed with white women, and AIDS. The Chopin Funeral March provides a grim prelude, followed by the
nine women chanting in the darkness, "Give me some light so I can see!"

Light and darkness provide the central metaphors, in subtle as well as obvious ways: Though light
illuminates, it also reveals unwelcome truths. One sometimes sympathizes with the character who says,
"I get tired of all the sob stories," but at its best, the play generates real power — particularly in the tale
of a mother (director-choreographer Angela Matemotja) who discovers her man has seduced her retarded
daughter while she was out working to support them. Matemotja leads her cast (including Tasia Sherel,
Tammi Rashonda, Brandy Maddox, Renee McSwain, Erica Pitts, Shannon Shepherd, Baadja and the
one Caucasian, Brianna Brown) in a deeply committed, highly charged performance.

(January 14, 2005 – Los Angeles) The NAACP and the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office named Angela
Matemotja as a nominee for its coveted Theatre Award. The director is recognized for her choreography
in EMBODI Entertainment’s staging of november dawn’s “Sunshine for a Midnight Weary”. The riveting
piece, executive produced by Tasia Sherel, was featured in the repertory’s 2003-04 season. It will return
on April 7 - May 1 to the Complex Theatre (www. complexhollywood.com) for an encore run.

“Sunshine for a Midnight Weary” has been described as “chaotic soul searching with the grace and
simplicity of a sublime ballet.” Especially tailored from its coed format for EMBODI’S all-female company,
robust characters grope through their past and present grasping for one last attempt at a life in the light.
On the way, the audience is reminded of bitter realities such as: dreams deferred, domestic violence,
racism, poverty and suicide. Onlookers witness, “planets colliding in a desperate attempt to find the
sun.” This collision of raw energy between dissimilar characters proves to be a fusion of jubilee and
lamentations in the portrayal of issues that plague this colorful sector of mankind.

The Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP founded the Annual Theatre Awards to honor trailblazers who continue
to recreate and invigorate theatre. The NAACP’s illustrious 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award will be
presented to Laurence Fishburne (Matrix Trilogies, Mystic River). The Gala will award its 2005 Trailblazer
Award to the Negro Ensemble Company. Matemotja will vie for the honor alongside fellow nominees
Debbie Allen and Madonna Grimes. The 15th annual gala will be held on Monday, February 21 at the
historic Vision Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

About Angela Matemotja
Born in the former Soviet Union, Angela Matemotja came to America at the tender age of eight and
discovered a passion for acting. This passion led Angela to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, British American
Drama Academy, and American Academy of Dramatic Arts of which she is a graduate. Her rich training
and productive partnership with her husband Alan Mulhall is apparent in every production.

About EMBODI Entertainment & Tasia Sherel
EMBODI Entertainment is Los Angeles’ first African-American female theatre repertory. The company,
founded by Tasia Sherel, strives to provide a venue to exalt diversity through the arts. To learn more
about their commitment to producing though-provoking art, visit EMBODI online at www.embodi.org.

About november dawn
After the publication of “Cries of a Young Girl” and her sophomore book, “the dawning”, november
dawn triumphantly returns with her haunting choreoplay “Sunshine for a Midnight Weary”. She is a
tireless advocate of human decency and respect…no matter how she gets it across. For more
information on november dawn, visit www.novemberdawn.com.

(May 30, 2004 – Atlanta) Two-time published author, playwright and filmmaker, november dawn emerges
from behind the scenes to test her pitching skills. The storyteller joins the ranks of Georgia screenwriters
selected to pitch their scripts to a panel of industry experts and an eager audience. The Perfect Pitch VI
is a fixture of the Atlanta Film Festival, which celebrates its 28th anniversary in June. The festival will
spotlight 70 feature films and nearly 100 shorts by filmmakers worldwide. The top three finalists from The
Perfect Pitch VI will have their scripts read by a group of celebrated film professionals. The winner gains
an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles and the opportunity to pitch their project to industry power
players.

“Poor Man’s Blues” chronicles erupting tempers when, barely making ends meet, lives are on the line
after mass layoffs at an Atlanta automotive parts plant. “It’s a solid, compelling story with a grit everyone
can relate to,” states Shandra L. McDonald emphatically. The award-winning producer came onboard
the project after encountering the script that edged out hundreds of submissions for The Perfect Pitch
VI. “Poor Man’s Blues,” based in Georgia, is perfectly aligned with the Georgia Film, Video & Music
Office’s mission to encourage production in the state.

The Perfect Pitch VI will take place Saturday, June 19 at 4:00 pm at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center. The
Georgia Film, Video & Music Office, sponsors the event. The entire festival lineup is available online at
www.imagefv.org.

About november dawn
After the 1997 publication of “Cries of a Young Girl” and her sophomore book, “the dawning”, november
dawn returns with the social drama “Poor Man’s Blues”. Her haunting choreoplay “Sunshine for a Midnight
Weary” enjoyed a run in Los Angeles. She has committed her talents to both the theatrical and film arena
creating such works as “Like Grown Folks Do”, “Voodoo Doll” and “Light”. She is a tireless advocate of
human decency and respect…no matter how she gets it across. To learn more about november dawn’s
commitment to creating thought-provoking material, visit www.novemberdawn.com.

About Shandra L. McDonald
Shandra McDonald has a proven track record of producing quality short films that win film festivals and
air on major television networks. In February, “Land of the Free” a short film that Shandra produced aired
on Showtime Networks during black history month. Currently, “Can’t Let Go” a short film that Shandra
produced in Los Angeles in 2001 aired on UPN, NBC and ABC in over 100 markets across the country.
Shandra received a Student Director’s Guild of American Award in 1998 for “Claudia Make a Difference.”
She is also an award-winning Screenwriter and Director. For more information about Shandra, visit
www.kissthelimit.com.

(November 15, 2003 – Los Angeles) EMBODI Entertainment closes out its groundbreaking, inaugural
season with the haunting choreoplay, “Sunshine for a Midnight Weary”. The latest offering from two-time
published author and filmmaker, november dawn, the riveting piece is the third installment in the season
of Los Angeles’ first Black female repertory company. The production also signals the company’s return
to The Split.Id Theater in the Complex, home to EMBODI’S first theatrical production, “Voices of the
Black Woman”.

“Sunshine for a Midnight Weary” has been described as a “chaotic soul searching with the grace and
simplicity of a sublime ballet.” Tailored from its coed format for EMBODI’S all-female company, nine
robust characters grope through their past and present grasping for one last attempt at a life in the light.
On the way the audience is reminded of bitter realities such as: dreams deferred, domestic violence,
racism, poverty and suicide. Onlookers witness, “planets colliding in a desperate attempt to find the
sun.” This collision of raw energy between dissimilar characters proves to be a fusion of jubilee and
lamentations in the portrayal of issues that plague the colorful sector of mankind.

EMBODI Entertainment’s founder, Tasia Sherel, stands at the helm as the executive producer. EMBODI
resident, Angela Matemotja brings her rich training from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & the British
American Drama Academy to direct. Sound design is by the husband and wife team, Angela and Alan
Mulhall. Light & Set design is by EMBODI resident, Michelle Merring-Hayes and husband Jason Hayes.
The show will open Thursday, December 4 at 8:00 pm and run through Saturday, December 13, which
is a matinee show at 4:00 pm.

About november dawn
After the publication of “Cries of a Young Girl” and her sophomore book, “the dawning”, november dawn
triumphantly returns with her haunting choreoplay “Sunshine for a Midnight Weary”. She has also
committed her talents to the film arena creating such works as “Poor Man’s Blues”, “Light” and “Like
Grown Folks Do”. She is a tireless advocate of human decency and respect…no matter how she gets it
across. For more information on november dawn, visit www.novemberdawn.com.

About EMBODI entertainment
EMBODI Entertainment, L.A.’s exclusive African-American and female-owned entertainment group, is a
non-profit organization founded by Tasia Sherel. The company’s strives to provide a venue to exalt diversity
thru the arts. The company produces three theatrical productions annually, while providing workshops in
Acting, Dancing, Directing and Writing. To learn more about their commitment to producing thoughtprovoking
material, visit EMBODI online at www.embodi.org.

(January 3, 2001 - Atlanta) “the dawning” by Dawn S. Smith begins with the forward “...we will embark on
a journey that surpasses the very corners of your imagination, intertwining every color of the spectrum,”
preparing you for a journey deep inside the hearts and souls of people.
Broken into three powerful sections, “the dawning” promises something to everyone who partakes in the
experience. “It’s like she takes something from inside of you and amplifies it in print,” sights Sotorria
Calloway of Art That Inspires, a creative consultation company.

The book opens with freestylin’ a portion revealing the artist’s jazzy side. Piling her sauciness into poems
such as lawn of life, Dawn celebrates even the bumps and twists of a life-long journey. Her sassiness
even escapes into the poems i got dreams and still got dreams showcasing her dreams deferred.
The second sector, from whence we came, is a recollection of those in the struggle just to be alive.
Readers are invited to hear the far too often silent voices of women in the works the slap before that and
in the ghetto. Dawn pours her heart into presenting painful situations such as domestic violence and
poverty that go undetected, or even worse, ignored.

Finally, Dawn gives you a glimpse into her heart and soul with the final trimester, and there was light.
Dawn celebrates the source of her joy and humility with poems like eagle and just because you want me
to. It is here that she offers commentaries such as birthing the vision and boomerang. She concludes
her collection with the finale, in the hope. Revealing the source of her inspiration and her purpose for
writing, in the hope promises to be the most purposeful contribution yet.

About the Author
After the 1996 publication of “Cries of A Young Girl”, an eclectic collection of poetry, Dawn S. Smith has
emerged with her sophomore work, “the dawning”. Promised to be even more insightful than her first
offering, this collection delivers earnest commentaries as well. When asked the reason for the addition,
Smith states, “So many people wanted to know where I stood on various issues. I thought “the dawning”
the perfect opportunity to convey them.” Looking at the changing landscape of the entertainment industry,
it is apparent that Dawn is only one of many artists who openly celebrate their faith. “It is very encouraging
to me,” the author confides, “because I know that my talents didn’t just spring up from nowhere, they
were given to me with a purpose for a purpose.”

“the dawning” is currently available wherever Ingram books are sold. For more information on Dawn S.
Smith, or november dawn entertainment, visit www.novemberdawn.com.

by Whitney D. Greer
(The Red & Black - 1997) Dawn Smith doesn’t want the poetry in her book, Cries of A Young Girl, to
represent the views of one woman, but the voices of all women. “I base my poetry on what I hear women
all over talking about, when my friends cry on my shoulder or what I overhear in public,” she said.
A 20-year old junior majoring in film, Smith said she wasn’t seeking publishers for her poetry collections,
but when a local company approached her, she couldn’t refuse. I never really saw myself as a published
author,” she said. “But when Joi Bostic (founder of Nia Pages Publishing) came to me on a whim, I
decided to try it.”

Bostic who heads the University of Georgia’s African-American Cultural Center, began Nia Pages because
she saw so many African-American writers frustrated with the publishing process. Smith’s book is the
company’s first project. “I want to show the various desires women have in life, the many perspectives we
have,” Bostic said. Popular culture dictates too often what people see as all African-American females’
experiences, she said citing Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale.

For this reason, Bostic felt Smith’s poetry had a wider range of feeling that reflected the experiences of a
larger audience. “She has passion in her poetry,” Bostic said. “The messages are strong and useful,
especially for modern women.” Smith said she sees her poetry as a continuation of her family’s creativity.
“My grandfather was a songwriter, and my mom is an artist,” she said. “I’ve been writing poetry for as
long as I could write, and before I could write, I recited it.” She credits her family not only with her creative
touch, but also her strength. “Lots of things that would slow other people down in their pursuits don’t
slow me down,” Smith said.

Cheryl Sullivan, Smith’s mother, said her strength came from working so hard as an employed, single
mother. “One time she wrote a poem when she was just a little kid, telling me that she knew what I had
been through as a single mother,” Sullivan said. “She said that one day she would take care of me.”
Smith writes her poetry in all lower case letters, except when she refers to God. She said it is her way to
rebel against an old high school English teacher. “She gave me a bad grade in writing - on rules,” Smith
said. “But I believe a true writer should not have to take a class - that contains your thoughts.”
Smith often reads her poetry at various venues and events such as the annual Black Women’s Focus
Conference, which is where Bostic first heard her work.

“Sometimes people feel that I am male bashing, ”Smith said, “so I begin each reading explaining that I am not a male basher. Men are beautiful creatures. In fact, I think that even though my poetry is more focused on women, everyone can take something away.”