LISARAYE Hosts NAACP Theatre Awards

Mehki Phifer Joins LisaRaye McCoy As Co-Host For 20th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards LisaRaye McCoy and Mekhi Phifer Hollywood, CA  -- Lisaraye Mccoy will Co- Host the 20th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards on Monday, August 30, 2010, 7 P.M., along with  NBC's ER star, Mehki Phifer. The event will take place  at the Director's Guild of America in Los Angeles. This year's distinguished honorees include Kenny Leon (Elton John's musical Aida) for the Trailblazer Award, Wren T. Brown (Star Trek: The Next Generation) for the Community Service Award, Quadiru Kent oFilm on behalf of Wal-Mart for the President's Award, and special performance from Bobby Valentino (Capitol Records R&B Recording Artist). To inaugurate this year's award show activities the Beverly Hills/ Hollywood Branch is presenting the Third Annual NAACP Theatre Festival starting on Friday, August 27, 2010, with "A VIP Reception and theatrical performance of Layon Gray's "Black Angels Over Tuskegee" and concluding on Sunday, August 29, 2010. The festival will be held at the New LATC (514 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013). The festival features a panel titled ‘A Conversation With Ruben Santiago-Hudson' which is an intimate interview setting with acclaimed actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson (ABC's Castle). Celebrity panel moderators for the festival include Hattie Winston (PBS's Electric Company), Ernest Dillihay (City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs), Ted Lange (The Love Boat), Stogie Kenyatta (CBS' Bold and the Beautiful), Richard Gant (TNT's Men of a Certain Age), and Ben Guillory (The Piano Lesson). The weekend festival showcases evening theatrical performances, in addition to, a daily segment entitled "the 10-minute play" which will highlight local theatre playwrights, producers and actors. On Saturday guests will enjoy "Transitions," an explosive trilogy of one-act plays, and on Sunday, come see "PHI'LA The Musical," a real-life high school musical that was recognized by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with a City of Los Angeles Resolution. Award show and festival sponsors include Wal-Mart, Southern California Edison, Rent A Center, Fox Entertainment Group, Honda, Verizon, 8th District Councilmember Bernard C. Parks, Southwest Airlines, Wells Fargo, Ciroc, and Nuvo. For NAACP Theatre Award Show and Festival tickets and special group discounts please visitwww.bhwdnaacptheatreawards.com or call (323) 464-7616. About The NAACP Theatre Awards: The prestigious star-studded gala is produced by the NAACP Beverly Hills/ Hollywood Branch to honor thespians of color among the best in the field of entertainment. The NAACP Theatre Award show and three-day festival provides a platform for thespians to express their craft and share their contributions with an audience of their peers, the community, and other tastemakers who enjoy live theatre.