“The Carter Sisters” is a play about the sisterhood of Tiana and Lorraine Carter as they grapple with the recent death of their mother through their artistic practices—Tiana through her spoken-word poetry and Lorraine through her playwriting. However, offstage, their relationship is stifling and combative. As they work to reconcile their relationship, their estranged father is released from his 20-year stint in prison and wants to become a part of their lives again. Join us for a reading of the play “The Carter Sisters” by Lashon Daley, followed by a discussion with the playwright, Lashon Daley, and the director, Malika Saramaat Imhotep. Presented by the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. Lashon Daley has been writing since she was young girl. After earning her MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, Lashon moved to New Orleans for several years. During her time there, Lashon discovered the joys of storytelling, sparking her interest in folklore and community stories. After the death of her mother in 2013, Lashon found that performing spoken-word poetry evoked the part of her mother that lived on in her: her voice, her face, and the movements of her hands. Lashon’s passion has continued to fuel her work as a writer, especially of children’s literature and poetry. She is a 2014 Callaloo Fellow and a 2015 UC Berkeley Chancellor Fellow, where she is working towards her PhD in Performance Studies. Lashon’s work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine; Storytelling Magazine; and Underwater New York. An active performer, Lashon makes her home in Oakland, California. “The Carter Sisters” is her first play. The New Play Reading Series brings outstanding new and in-progress work by up-and-coming and established playwrights to the UC Berkeley campus. In the monthly New Play Reading Series, new plays are read by TDPS students, followed by a discussion with the playwright. This is sponsored by the Townsend Center for the Humanities in conjunction with the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies.