NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News for Release: January 25, 2024
Media Contact:
Ann Erdman
(626) 375-2742
BLACK HISTORY MONTH PRESENTATION AT PASADENA SENIOR CENTER: A VISIT WITH MISS ETTA MAE MUMPHRIES, AKA ACTOR KAREN BANKHEAD
Nobody tells stories like Miss Etta Mae Mumphries, the alter ego of African American writer/actor/comedian Karen Bankhead.
Miss Etta Mae will share some of her stories Thursday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St., during a special Black History Month performance.
A fount of wisdom, Miss Etta Mae has met and influenced exceptional people throughout her extraordinarily long life, including Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr.
Bankhead, a veteran actress and screenwriter, studied at Second City, was a member of The Groundlings Sunday Company and was cofounder, producer and performer with groundbreaking improv groups such as Hold the Cream and Foxy, Fine and Funny. She has been a cast member in plays from California to New York and received the NAACP Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2020 for her role as the flower child Wanda in the play “Three Times a Lady,” which made its national debut in Los Angeles. She has performed stand-up at such renowned clubs as The Comedy Store, The Ice House and The Improv. Bankhead has played a variety of roles on television shows, including “Will & Grace,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Gilmore Girls,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and many more.
The program is free for members of the Pasadena Senior Center and only $5 for nonmembers 50 and older. Residence in Pasadena is not required. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org
The Pasadena Senior Center’s mission is to improve the lives of older adults through caring service with opportunities for social interaction, fitness programs, basic support and needs services, education, volunteerism and community activism. With 10,000 Americans per day becoming older adults, the center is a leader in addressing the issues of aging and provides innovative, cutting-edge, nationally recognized programs for this population group.
As a donor-supported nonprofit, the center operates without any local, state or federal funding and provides more services to older adults in the San Gabriel Valley than any other organization. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. To learn more, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org
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Photo caption #1: Karen Bankhead as Miss Etta Mae Mumphries
Photo caption #2: Karen Bankhead
Photo credits: Karen Bankhead