Sanctified in Swing: A benefit for Lemon Grove Arts Collective on March 28

East County News Service

March 16, 2026 (East County) -- An evening of music, storytelling and community will be the draw in La Mesa later this month.

The Ira Aldridge Repertory Players will be presenting “Sanctified in Swing” starting at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 28 at Spacebar Café & Wine Bistro, 7454 University Ave., in La Mesa. Doors open at 6 p.m., organizers say.

The event will include poems written by Calvin Manson as well as jazz, blues and R&B vocal music by Leslie Green and Roosevelt Carter -- all Lemon Grove residents.

Green will light up the stage with a powerful voice flowing through jazz, blues, and R&B, rich with soul, warmth, and the power to lift every heart. She will be joined by Carter, known for his velvet smooth, rich and warm voice.

Master of Ceremonies Rene Minniefee, a local singer and songwriter, will be the master of ceremony, keeping the night moving with rhythm and spirit.

Minniefee will introduce award-winning director, playwright, master storyteller and artist Manson, who will be presenting his new play, "When the Ocean Calls Your Name." The play is about how a chance meeting on a sunlit shoreline becomes destiny.

Part of the proceeds will benefit the Lemon Grove Arts Collective, a newly formed group of residents and friends working to build a vibrant arts community in Lemon Grove.

Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased by calling (619) 887-9260 or visiting this site.