Entertainment
WACO Theater Center Announces Still Here Live Experience In Los Angeles Supported By Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Today, WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center announced STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE, running from Thursday, September 25, through Sunday, September 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. Supported by grant funding from Gilead Sciences, Inc., STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE is a hybrid installation and performance staged inside a working hair salon, designed to shed light on the complexity of Black women's experiences with HIV/AIDS.
About this update from Gilead Sciences, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"An interactive installation and immersive performance rooted in the stories of Black women and HIV—brought to life inside a working hair salon.","length":143,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center announced STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE, running from Thursday, September 25, through Sunday, September 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. Supported by grant funding from Gilead Sciences, Inc., STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE is a hybrid installation and performance staged inside a working hair salon, designed to shed light on the complexity of Black women's experiences with HIV/AIDS.","length":466,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE is an extension of WACO's mission of using the arts to empower and inspire communities across the diaspora, sparking thoughtful dialogue around critical issues that shape everyday lives and outcomes.","length":230,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Storytelling is an important piece of our legacy at WACO. We understand its power to connect and inspire people to make social impact, and this live experience was designed to do exactly that," says Shay Wafer, Executive Director of WACO Theater Center. "STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE is a unique approach to shedding light on the real stories of Black women impacted by HIV. With the support of Gilead Sciences, we're proud to provide innovative and creative spaces that we hope move communities to find connection with these stories, reflect on the individual and collective assumptions they hold, and encourage meaningful dialogue about Black women's health."","length":688,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Conceived, developed, and produced by Creative Directors williambryantmiles (Assistant Professor of Black Performance, Purchase College) and Nickolas Vaughan (producer, We're Here), STILL HERE LIVE EXPERIENCE reimagines the hair salon as both gallery and theater, honoring the tradition of salons as spaces for dialogue and community among Black women. Inspired by first-person stories, the project unfolds in two parts: the Installation and the Performance. The Installation invites audiences to engage with exhibits set within hair dryers and shampoo bowls, featuring newly commissioned works by Emmy...