Brown Gal's Rising

CeCelia Antoinette has appeared on Broadway in Lincoln Center Theatre's MULE BONE and in numerous off-Broadway, Regional and International theatres. On TV, Cece has appeared on MAD MEN, GIRL FRIENDS, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, BROTHERS & SISTERS, CROSSING JORDAN, LAW & ORDER: SVU, WANTED, THE OFFICE, SEX & THE CITY, THE CHRIS ROCK SHOW, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, THE RICKI LAKE SHOW, and storytelling on A PLACE OF OUR OWN. In films, she can be seen in the top rated YES MAN starring Jim Carrey, DANCE FU starring Kel Mitchell and directed by Cedric The Entertainer, and numerous independent films. She also appears in several national and regional commercials. Cece is also touring WATERMELON-GIT IT WHILE IT'S HOT! As an MC Extraordinaire she was one of the first female Guest Host of Amateur Night at the APOLLO. She is the Founder/Artistic Director of MOSAIC JEWELS THE GEMS OF COMEDY, taking funny to a whole new dimension (diverse female sketch and stand-up). As a writer and Spoken Word Artist, CECE has published and produced works "BROWN GAL'S RISING", "JUST AS I AM" and "JUKEBOX POETRY" to public and critical acclaim. Cece is the Founding Artistic Director PLUMEings Productions from November 1984 - Present. Irma P. Hall (born June 3, 1935) is an African American actress who has appeared in numerous films and television shows since the early 1970s. She is best known for playing matriarchal figures in the films A Family Thing, Soul Food and The Ladykillers. Hall had been a teacher of foreign language for many years in Dallas, Texas. Hall discovered a love for acting and soon co-founded a repertory theatre in Dallas. She worked steadily in films and TV throughout the 1980s. But it was not until her role as the loving Aunt T. in 1996's A Family Thing That critics and audiences began to take notice of her talents. She won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role and the success of that film helped launch Hall's career as a major supporting actor in the late-90's and early 2000s. Hall then landed the role as Big Mama Joseph in the film Soul Food. The film was a hit at the box-office, prompting a television spin-off, Soul Food: The Series, in which Hall reprises her role. Irma was also cast in the 2004 remake of The Ladykillers. She won a special Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and an Image Award for her performance.