(Click here for audio only on AnchorFM)
I’m excited to share my interview with playwright, actor, comedian, filmmaker, and author Lorinda Hawkins Smith, whom I met at Hollywood Fringe, where she premiered her solo show “Justice…or Just Me? The Bite,” the story of her escape from an interracial marriage to a White man marred by domestic violence and her subsequent battle with the corrupt California court system. She has also written a book, which tells the story of her life prior to the events of the play with equal parts humor and shocking realism. I recommend a visit to Lorinda’s website to get a full taste of her many creations and talents, and make sure not to miss her award-winning short film, The Virus.
You can follow Lorinda on Instagram @lorindahawk_. She’s also got a YouTube channel and a Facebook fan page @lorindahawkinssmith.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
02:00 The story of Lorinda’s early life that led to the creation of her show and her book
07:29 How comedy is Lorinda’s survival mechanism
08:51 How Lorinda got started writing the show
13:43 Lorinda’s thoughts on her first time doing a Fringe festival where she was producing and performing (also, SPOILER ALERT! – Queen Mab puts her foot in her mouth ?…but Lorinda is cool about it ?)
17:42 A word about the music in Lorinda’s show
19:29 How Lorinda’s modeling career started as a child, and how she began acting years later thanks to a talent contest on an Alaskan Cruise with her family
23:57 “I wanted to be a teacher, but my mother was like ‘don’t be a teacher!'” – so Lorinda found another way to pursue her passion for education
27:07 Lorinda’s connection to Los Angeles pioneer Biddy Mason, and the creative projects she has planned to “edu-tain” us about this important historical figure
33:36 Lorinda’s thoughts on faith and connection to the spirit: “I made it my goal to really get to know this God person who thinks so much of me that he would be willing to do all these things for me…It’s important to know His character and know His voice, because you can be talked out of so many things so easily.”
37:56 On her sensitivity and learning to listen to her inner voice:
“People are well-meaning…when they try to talk you out of certain things. But I feel like we don’t give kids enough credit. I feel like we’re so quick to just beat them for not obeying, but maybe we should listen to why they didn’t obey. Maybe they’re hearing something else…seeing something else.”
“…a lot of women have to overcome that society tells us ‘Oh, you’re too sensitive,’ ‘Oh, you’re overreacting,’ “You’re just being emotional,” and so we internalize that a lot of times.”
“It’s so much better to feel, because what’s the opposite of that? Numb. I don’t want to be numb. I want to be awake.”
41:33 On domestic violence: why it’s not just an anger problem, how the OJ case made law enforcement’s response to domestic violence even worse, why Lorinda thought Donald Trump’s election might actually help Americans better understand domestic violence, and why the U.S. is a domestic violence situation for many Black Americans
50:00 How the pandemic helped her to reconnect with her Inner Voice, disconnect from gaslighting, and create her award-winning short film!
1:00:33 What Lorinda has coming up!