Monique Edwards

© Stacy Wooten Photography 2008

I was offered the role of Esther in New Song Pictures’ first movie, “How to Save a Life”. It’s particularly nice because I will be working with Brian Baugh, and Harold Uhl, both of whom I worked with seven years ago on “All Over Again” aka “Against Time“. The fact that it is an “offer”… is Wonderful!! I love it when that happens.

“How to Save a Life” follows star high school athlete Jake who crumbles under pressure after a childhood friend commits suicide. An impulsive call to a youth pastor changes Jake’s life and begins a chain reaction of life-saving events for those around him.

Cast:
Randy Wayne …     Jake
Robert Bailey Jr. …     Roger
Monique Edwards …     Esther
Deja Kreutzberg …     Amy
Joshua Weigel …     Chris

Today we will be laying down background vocals on “I’ll Be the One”. As fate would have it, my cousin, William Visher was in Los Angeles for a visit. Since he is, among many things, quite the song and dance man, I asked him if he would be willing to share his vocal talents by singing on “I’ll Be the One.” Happily, he said yes! So there we were,

The Producer: John Lusitana

The Background Vocalist: Roland Vega, Melissa Fitzgerald, William Visher and I. It was quite the experience!!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Daniel Maltzman Gallery

3617 Hayden Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm

An evening of cocktails & conversation, artistic and cultural inspiration all in the name of a great cause: *Voices of Uganda, a documentary film.

$50 per person includes: Cocktails, wine and appetizers, DJ andSilent auction

Purchase Tickets

@

* VOICES OF UGANDA is an advocacy initiative and a documentary film project that puts a human face on the tragic situation in northern Uganda - a 22 year civil conflict. All funds raised will be utilized towards the completion of the documentary film and to further broaden the advocacy initiatives to ensure a lasting peace in northern Uganda. www.voicesofuganda.org

Invitation on Facebook

Thank you for your continued support!

Today I attended The Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences Human Rights Forum Day. It began with the Opening Ceremony which was attended by 500 members of the Upper School.

The first speaker was Dr. Merve Kavakci is a Lecturer of International Affairs at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She is a consultant for US Congress Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, a columnist for Turkish daily Vakit newspaper. Prior to her academic career she served as the head of foreign affairs of Welfare-Virtue Party’s Women’s Commission. Kavakci was elected to the Turkish Parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1999. However she was prevented from serving her term due to her headscarf. Kavakci’s political party was closed down, her Turkish citizenship was revoked, banning her from politics for a period of five years. She took her case to European Court of Human Rights and won in 2007.

Kavakci addressed the British Parliament House of Lords, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, US Congress Helsinki Commission and Interparliamentary Union. She has lectured at myriad of American, European and Canadian Universities including Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Cambridge, Berlin, Insburg and Ottowa universities.
Kavakci was recognized among “Women of Excellence” by NAACP in March 2004. She was awarded the Public Service Award in Tribute and in Recognition of efforts for the advancement of human rights and Muslim Women’s empowerment by International Association for Women and Children in 2000. She was awarded Service to Humanity Award by Haus Der Kulturellen Aktivitat und Toleranz in Vienna, Austria in 1999. She was granted Mother of the Year Award by Capital Platform of Ankara and National Youth Organization in 1999.

I then spoke a bit about action in advocacy and then I performed one of the monologues that was based on interviews with some of the survivors of the war from the documentary film, Voices of Uganda.

I was followed by Paul Cummins. Paul was born in Chicago, Illinois, moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and then to Los Angeles, California. He attended Stanford University (B.A., 1959), Harvard University (M.A.T., 1960), and the University of Southern California (Ph.D., 1967). He has taught English at Harvard School and the Oakwood School in California as well as at U.C.L.A. In 1970, he became the Headmaster of St. Augustine’s Elementary School in Santa Monica and the primary Founder and Headmaster of the Crossroads School, Founder of New Visions Foundation and PS Arts. He is currently the Executive Director of the New Visions Foundation.

While at New Visions Foundation, he has been the primary Founder of New Roads School, a co-founder of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, the creator of CEO (Center for Educational Opportunity) which places foster children in independent schools, and the Founder of FHF (Families Helping Families), which redirects low income families into life-changing new directions. In addition, New Visions Foundation has instituted an after-school program at Camp Gonzales (a probationary incarceration school) to redirect and relocate juvenile students.

His publications include a booklet on Richard Wilbur, several articles on education, and numerous poems which have appeared in journals such as The New Republic, Poetry LA, Whole Notes, Wild Bamboo Press, Bad Haircut Quarterly, Wordwrights, Slant, and others. His biography on Herbert Zipper, Dachau Song: The Twentieth-Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper (Peter Lang, 1992) has been translated into Chinese and German. For Mortal Stakes: Solutions for Schools and Society, was published in 1998 by Peter Lang Publishing and Bramble Books and was translated into Japanese, and Keeping Watch: Reflections On American Culture, Education and Politics was published by Firstbooks Library in 2002. A collection of poetry, A Postcard From Bali was also published in 2002 by Argonne Press. Also an essay, “The Vital Left” appeared in Fake-City Syndrome published by Red Hen Press, 2002. Proceed With Passion: Engaging Students in Meaningful Education was published in April of 2004 by Red Hen Press.

He serves on the board of trustees of the New Roads School, P.S. Arts, American Poetry Review, The Gabriela Axelrod Foundation, The Sam Francis Foundation, EXED, The Center for Innovative Education, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, and the Los Angeles Academy for Arts and Enterprise.

It was really inspiring to see all of these students have such a great interest in Human Rights. There were workshops, seminars, art installations, music and dance performances. During my workshop, which was after lunch, many of the students commented on how surprised they were that there were so many events and circumstances going on in the world that they were unaware of. I could see that their worlds had already been changed since the morning’s assembly. I want to thank them all for there generosity and their participation

Additionally, Jenny Alexander, the event organizer did an amazing job!! There were no less than 42 presenters and workshops that were available for students all in one day! A daunting task, I’m sure. So, congratulations to Jenny and her team!

Here is the link to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you care to give it a read.

If everything goes as scheduled my MySpace Blog should now be updated with this blog in real time. I’ll keep you posted

I auditioned for a Voice Over job for IEHP (Inland Empire Health Plan) at TONO Studios, a wonderful studio run by Raquel Ramirez and Jaime Zapata. Everything goes well and I wait to hear back. Well, much to my delight, not only did I book the job, the job has gone from being 2 radio spots to 2 radio spots and 2 television spots. So listen for it, it’s a cute spot. If I hear it first I’ll let you know it’s running. Eventually, I’ll get a copy and add it here!