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Sassy Southern Stories
an evening of bluegrass music and storytelling in the Southern tradition
Put on your sassiest Southern derby hat (or not!) and join us for mint juleps and bluegrass music on the porch at the Ebell of Los Angeles starting at 6:30pm then stroll into the Salon for an evening of contemporary Southern stories starting at 7:30pm. Tickets are just $25 ($20 for members....consider joining LA's oldest women's club!) SASSY SOUTHERN STORIES features Southern-born, California transplanted writers and performers, and is curated in partnership by Wendy Hammers (Tasty Words)
and Suzanne Weerts (JAM Creative). Meet the cast below!
Meet The Cast
Jenn Brown
is an actor on stage and on screen on both coasts, and performs stand up all over California. Jenn's one woman show " If Truth Be Told" was awarded Best of the Broadwater at the Hollywood Fringe Festival which took it to Scotland Fringe Festival in 2023. You may catch her on a couple of commercials currently running. Last, but not least, Jenn is honored to be an occasional guest with Tasty Words.
Courtney Crane
writes stories about coming of age in the South, parenting young adults, menopause, and grief. She has shared her work in Heart Soul Pen, Expressing Motherhood, Listen to Your Mother, NOHO Lit Crawl, among others. Her work has appeared in “Grown and Flown” and “Roar: True Tales of Women Warriors”. Courtney works full time as an Executive Administrative Supervisor at the USC Pacific Asia Museum. She is a married, mother of two “20 somethings” and an elderly golden retriever mix. Courtney hopes you enjoy the show!
Sharon Lawrence
Emmy-award winning actress and environmental activist, Sharon Lawrence hails from North Carolina (Charlotte/Raleigh) where she happens to have been crowned the 2024 Azalea Festival Queen.
She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Journalism and spent her college summers doing musicals in summer stock. Sharon became an Actors Equity Member in 1984 and a SAG-AFTRA member in 1987. She may be best known for her multiply Emmy Award-nominated and SAG Award-winning portrayal of ADA Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in NYPD Blue. She also played, among many roles, a stay-at-home prostitute in Desperate Housewives, a charming but murderous realtor on Monk, the twisted jailbird mother of a sociopath on Criminal Minds, a serial killer on Law and Order: SVU, and a mother coming to terms with her long-lost daughter on Rizzoli & Isles -- not to mention bantering with Alfred Molina on Ladies Man or beating up Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
More recent work includes Blunt Talk (opposite Sir Patrick Stewart) and an arc on NBC's Game Of Silence. Recent film includes Solace (opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins), Of Music and Mind (with Joaquim de Almeida and Aunjanue Ellis), and the award-winning The Bridge Partner (with Beth Grant).
An accomplished stage actress, Lawrence played twenty different female characters in the Noel Coward cabaret, Love, Noel at the Wallis. Lawrence starred in Sir Noel Coward's final play, A Song at Twilight, at the Pasadena Playhouse, and as Vivien Leigh in Orson's Shadow (winner LA Drama Critics Circle Award, nominated for Ovation Award). At the Mark Taper Forum, she created the role of Maureen in the premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Poor Behavior and was featured Carl Reiner's gala, Enter Laughing. Her Broadway credits include revivals of Cabaret, Fiddler On The Roof and Chicago (as Velma Kelly).
A former Chair of Women In Film Foundation, she is affiliated with the Board of Directors of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation as well as WeForShe.org, HealTheBay.org and UNC-Chapel Hill General Alumni Association.
She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Journalism and spent her college summers doing musicals in summer stock. Sharon became an Actors Equity Member in 1984 and a SAG-AFTRA member in 1987. She may be best known for her multiply Emmy Award-nominated and SAG Award-winning portrayal of ADA Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in NYPD Blue. She also played, among many roles, a stay-at-home prostitute in Desperate Housewives, a charming but murderous realtor on Monk, the twisted jailbird mother of a sociopath on Criminal Minds, a serial killer on Law and Order: SVU, and a mother coming to terms with her long-lost daughter on Rizzoli & Isles -- not to mention bantering with Alfred Molina on Ladies Man or beating up Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
More recent work includes Blunt Talk (opposite Sir Patrick Stewart) and an arc on NBC's Game Of Silence. Recent film includes Solace (opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins), Of Music and Mind (with Joaquim de Almeida and Aunjanue Ellis), and the award-winning The Bridge Partner (with Beth Grant).
An accomplished stage actress, Lawrence played twenty different female characters in the Noel Coward cabaret, Love, Noel at the Wallis. Lawrence starred in Sir Noel Coward's final play, A Song at Twilight, at the Pasadena Playhouse, and as Vivien Leigh in Orson's Shadow (winner LA Drama Critics Circle Award, nominated for Ovation Award). At the Mark Taper Forum, she created the role of Maureen in the premiere of Theresa Rebeck's Poor Behavior and was featured Carl Reiner's gala, Enter Laughing. Her Broadway credits include revivals of Cabaret, Fiddler On The Roof and Chicago (as Velma Kelly).
A former Chair of Women In Film Foundation, she is affiliated with the Board of Directors of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation as well as WeForShe.org, HealTheBay.org and UNC-Chapel Hill General Alumni Association.
Heather Le Roy
is an award-winning filmmaker with a background in acting, comedy and photography.
Her debut feature, "My Best Friend Depression" that she wrote, directed, edited and starred in, is being hailed as “gutsy and original". Growing up in rural Alabama, she embarked on a creative journey that led her from small-town beginnings to the international stage. After graduating Emerson College, she spent a decade as a stand-up comic, performing across Los Angeles, New York and internationally. Further honing her storytelling skills at Second City Conservatory, The Groundlings and IOWest, where she created two acclaimed one-woman shows: The Battle of Wounded Me and MEDIOKRA.
As a director, Heather began in music videos. Her experience as a published documentary photographer brings a visually striking and authentic perspective to her filmmaking. Her ability to combine sharp storytelling with a unique visual style highlights her originality and determination to push creative boundaries..
Awarded Best Feature at Portland and Defy Film Fest in fall of 2024, My Best Friend Depression is currently on the festival circuit. "
Her debut feature, "My Best Friend Depression" that she wrote, directed, edited and starred in, is being hailed as “gutsy and original". Growing up in rural Alabama, she embarked on a creative journey that led her from small-town beginnings to the international stage. After graduating Emerson College, she spent a decade as a stand-up comic, performing across Los Angeles, New York and internationally. Further honing her storytelling skills at Second City Conservatory, The Groundlings and IOWest, where she created two acclaimed one-woman shows: The Battle of Wounded Me and MEDIOKRA.
As a director, Heather began in music videos. Her experience as a published documentary photographer brings a visually striking and authentic perspective to her filmmaking. Her ability to combine sharp storytelling with a unique visual style highlights her originality and determination to push creative boundaries..
Awarded Best Feature at Portland and Defy Film Fest in fall of 2024, My Best Friend Depression is currently on the festival circuit. "
Janora McDuffie
is an actress and voiceover artist proudly hailing from Durham, North Carolina. On screen, she’s appeared on This Is Us, Criminal Minds, NCIS: LA and was best known as “Social Worker Janet” from Grey’s Anatomy. As a voiceover artist, she’s brought to life global ads, video games and most notably, to the 2022 Oscars as the Live Announcer. A Southern girl with Hollywood flair, Janora believes in the power of kindness, good storytelling, and making folks feel right at home.
Suzanne Weerts
was born in Charleston, SC, formed in Raleigh, NC and rebirthed in Southern California. Suzanne is the founder and producing artistic director of JAM CREATIVE, a creative collective formed to produce storytelling shows that benefit local non-profits. Her creative nonfiction essays can be found in The Sun and Good Old Days magazines, in the recent anthologies The Pandemic Midlife Crisis: GenX Women on the Brink and Rings of Kindness, and on numerous parenting websites. Suzanne is a regular on storytelling stages across Southern California, and is on the brink of publishing a memoir based on her childhood in the south in the 1970s.
Our Host:
Wendy Hammers
wears a lot of hats and does her best to look sassy in all of them. Tonight, she wears a fascinator. As a producer, she runs Tasty Words Productions, a live events company that specializes in spoken word event. Her Tasty Words salon is not in its 24th season, presenting real life stories good enough to eat. You can learn more and join the Tasty mailing list here: https://tastywords.com/about-the-live-show/ As a performer, Ms. Hammers has appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, Oprah. This is her second production at the Ebell and her first joint venture with Suzanne at JAM Creative.
Musical guests:
The Guesthouse Band
The Guesthouse is a dynamic 5-piece ensemble rooted in the vibrant Southern California music scene, blending the timeless charm of bluegrass with the energy of modern and pop influences. Led by Ryan Schindler, Los Angeles CBA Regional Director and a respected figure in the music community, the band delivers electrifying performances that captivate audiences and leave them craving more. Known for their dazzling harmonies, fast rhythms, and genre-defying sound, The Guesthouse draws from a rich tapestry of musical tradition to create a fresh, innovative take on bluegrass. Their performances are a celebration of music’s past and present, seamlessly weaving old-timey classics with contemporary hits reimagined in a bluegrass context.
What sets The Guesthouse apart is their ability to curate unforgettable experiences. Whether it’s an exclusive private party, a high-energy festival, or an intimate corporate event, the band brings a contagious energy that gets people dancing, smiling, and connecting. Their shows often feature special guest appearances from legendary musicians like Carlton Barrett (drummer for Bob Marley) and John Seltzer (mandolinist for Water Tower), adding an extra layer of excitement and prestige to their performances.
The Guesthouse is more than a band—they’re a vibe, a celebration, and a guarantee that your event will be the talk of the town. Let them bring their signature sound and infectious energy to your next gathering, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
What sets The Guesthouse apart is their ability to curate unforgettable experiences. Whether it’s an exclusive private party, a high-energy festival, or an intimate corporate event, the band brings a contagious energy that gets people dancing, smiling, and connecting. Their shows often feature special guest appearances from legendary musicians like Carlton Barrett (drummer for Bob Marley) and John Seltzer (mandolinist for Water Tower), adding an extra layer of excitement and prestige to their performances.
The Guesthouse is more than a band—they’re a vibe, a celebration, and a guarantee that your event will be the talk of the town. Let them bring their signature sound and infectious energy to your next gathering, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
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