Nicholas Souza, News/Online Editor

Utica College will host the “In Celebration of Women,” luncheon with the award-winning entertainer, Rhodessa Jones, as the keynote speaker on March 3.

Her talk, “A Woman for the 21st Century,” addresses how theatre can be used to create a dialogue about many issues that currently face society such as racism, homophobia, sexism, addiction and fear. Many of her previous works revolve around these issues such as “Theater for Incarcerated Women and HIV Circle,” which is the award-winning production directed by Jones. Japanese filmmaker Kaori Sakagami recently documented her for her involvement with HIV-positive in Talk Back Live.

The luncheon will be held in the Library Concourse on March 3 at 1 p.m. Reservations are due by Feb. 29 and tickets can be purchased online at http://uticatickets.universitytickets.com. Tickets are free for students while the price is $15 for community members and $10 for UC faculty and staff. For those who want to just listen to the talk and not have lunch, admission is free.

Later that day at 5:30 p.m., Jones will screen the documentary she directed, Birthright. The documentary tells the story of a dozen, diverse women using a variety of artistic techniques. The documentary touches upon subjects such as reproductive rights, rape, access to health care, and living with HIV. The screening will take place in the Carbone Family Auditorium and admission is free.