Sistering is High-Church storytelling featuring Liza Jessie Peterson’s unorthodox, speak-truth-to-power/liberation-by-any-means-necessary, unapologetically Black and bold, voice. An evening of poetry, theater, music, and film, Peterson tells of navigating frequent bouts of faltering faith through connection to angels, divine guidance, bursts of miracles, and a lil’ mojo. Representing the angelic realm, singer/songwriter Hannah Lemmons creates a musical landscape evoking the call and response between flesh and spirit.
Liza Jessie Peterson is a playwright, actress, poet, and author who has worked steadfast with incarcerated populations for more than two decades. Her critically acclaimed one woman show, The Peculiar Patriot, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, is available on Audible, and toured in 35 prisons across the country. Angola Do You Hear Us; Voices from a Plantation Prison, is a short documentary featuring her historic performance of The Peculiar Patriot at Louisiana State Penitentiary (aka Angola). It was shortlisted for an Academy Award and is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. Her memoir, ALL DAY; A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Rikers Island (Hachette publishing) was commissioned by The Old Globe Theater to adapt into a stage play, and she has developed a TV pilot based on the book. Peterson was featured in Ava DuVernay’s Emmy award winning documentary, The 13th, and was a consultant on Bill Moyers documentary Rikers (PBS). Peterson wrote and starred in two short films, MERLINA and Black Love Manifesto.
For more info on her projects, visit her website at www.lizajessiep.com
Hannah Lemmons, also known as LEMMONS, is a singer/songwriter from Denver, Colorado. She has worked with Esperanza Spalding, Yosvany Terry, Don Braden, and Craig Derry. She is a recipient of the 2021 Emerging Visionary Grant from SheaMoisture x GOOD MIRRORS, and was featured in Raveena’s artist spotlight series in 2021. Most recently, she opened for acclaimed vocalist Amber Riley and was featured in Citizen Magazine Issue 002, covered by Kendrick Lamar. Her debut EP, Like The Fruit, released on October 15, 2022 and is available on all platforms.
LEMMONS hopes her music will empower people who imagine worlds — those who seek to create impossibilities.
Her musical inspirations include Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Norah Jones. Her style is characterized by ethereal, layered vocals and bouncy production with an alternative beat, reminiscent of the likes of Moses Sumney, Lianne La Havas, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.