Jenifer Lewis with D.J. “Shangela” Pierce 

By Live Talks LA | December 10, 2017
Sunday, December 10, 2017
7:00pm 
 
Jenifer Lewis
in conversation with D.J. “Shangela” Pierce 
 
discussing her memoir,
The Mother of Black Hollywood

The Bootleg Theatre
2220 Beverly Blvd, 
Los Angeles, CA 90057

PURCHASE TICKETS
$43 General Admission seating + Book 
$53 Reserved Section seating + Book
$20 General Admission Seating (on sale Nov 10)

Jenifer Lewis has appeared in more than three hundred television and film roles. She currently stars as the spirited grandmother, Ruby Johnson, on the Emmy-nominated ABC hit black-ish, now in its fourth season. Jenifer is a social media powerhouse with well over 100 million views for her viral videos, including: In These Streets featuring Brandy and Roz Ryan (May 2016) and Get Your Ass Out and Vote (November 2016).  She lives in Los Angeles with her bichon frise, Butters Lewis, and has a drag queen named Shangela living in her basement. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

“Jenifer Lewis is a natural comedienne in the spirit of Lucille Ball. Inventive, smart, and all her bones are ‘funny bones.’ You know the workday will be all fun and spirit when Jenifer is on set—the hardest part is to keep from laughing. And now she has written it all down for everyone to enjoy. Congratulations, Mother Jenifer. I love you!”— Taraji P. Henson

The “Mega Diva” and legendary star of Black-ish looks back on her memorable journey to fame and the unforgettable life lessons she learned along the way.

Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a mid-western girl with a dream whose journey from poverty to Hollywood will move, shock, and inspire readers.

She describes a road to fame made treacherous by dysfunction and undiagnosed mental illness, including a sex addiction. Yet, supported by loving friends and strengthened by “inner soldiers,” Jenifer never stopped entertaining and creating.

We watch as Jenifer develops icon status stemming from a series of legendary screen roles as the sassy, yet loveable, mama or auntie. And we watch as her emotional disturbances, culminating in a breakdown while filming The Temptations movie, launch her on a continuing search for answers, love, and healing.

From her first taste of applause at five years old to landing on Broadway within eleven days of graduation and ultimately achieving success in movies, television and global concert halls, Jenifer reveals her outrageous life story with lots of humor, a few regrets and most importantly, unbridled joy. Candid, warm and wonderfully inspiring, The Mother of Black Hollywood intimately reveals the heart of a woman who lives life to the fullest.

D.J. Pierce, also known as his drag personality “Shangela”, is best recognized as the only contestant to compete on three separate seasons of Rupaul’s Drag Race, He is a multi-faceted entertainer that continues to captivate audiences on television and stages around the world. 
 
Pierce has guest starred on network television shows like “2 Broke Girls,,” “Glee,” “Bones,” “X-Files,” and more. He has appeared in films including  “Hurricane Bianca” (2016), ”Kiss Me, Kill Me” (2015) and the upcoming feature “A Star Is Born” directed by Bradley Cooper. In 2012, he co-starred with Jenifer Lewis in a four-part scripted YouTube series called “Jenifer Lewis and Shangela.”
 
Pierce has continued to climb in notoriety. He was named one of OUT Magazine’s “100 Most Compelling People” and in 2015 was featured on Forbes.com for his drag management company Say What Entertainment. 
 
He has written and released music, performed alongside Miley Cyrus on the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, and toured a self-written stand up comedy show called “Straight Outta Paris.” As Shangela, he has toured on six of the seven continents, and has his sights set on Antarctica next!
 
A native of Paris, Texas, he graduated with honors from Southern Methodist University and currently resides in Los Angeles. 
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