Week in Review, February 25 – March 2, 2013

LPTW’s Blog30 was created to highlight the diversity, passion and brilliance of the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women in celebration of the organization’s 30th Anniversary. Today, the women featured in the previous five days receive a little more attention, a second chance for readers to learn about them. The Week in Review gives our readers the opportunity to experience a week’s entries in one easy sitting.

Theatre’s been in my blood since I was a kid stage actor in Pittsburgh, PA and
continued through to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London. — Zanne Hall, February 25

There is something truly satisfying in being able to haul your own body 25 feet
up into the air on nothing but fabric, knowing that you have the strength to
hang on as you perform complicated wrapping patterns and poses, falling and
twirling and spinning through space. — Talia Pura, February 26

Unconditional love does it all the time. — June Rachelson-Ospa, February 27

When I looked around on opening night at the diverse sea of faces in the
audience, I knew this was not like any audience I had seen in any other Boston
theater. — Margaret Fofonoff, February 28

I love to park it for a few hours in the Drama Bookshop and read whatever is on
their wall of Staff Recommended plays. — Jennifer Lane Bustance, March 1

I adore social, emotional, and impersonal math — the adding and subtracting of items that actually can’t be quantified. — Jenny Lyn Bader, March 2

Week in Review, February 18 – 22, 2013

LPTW’s Blog30 was created to highlight the diversity, passion and brilliance of the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women in celebration of the organization’s 30th Anniversary. Today, the women featured in the previous five days receive a little more attention, a second chance for readers to learn about them. The Week in Review gives our readers the opportunity to experience a week’s entries in one easy sitting.

I dream of living to be 114 years of age, like a woman I heard about on TV. – Laurie James, February 18

I am quite metered and even keel. When I see the blitz and buzz of Futurism, I find a forward momentum.– Marcina Zaccaria, February 19

Cocktail: Gin Martini, stirred, not dry, not dirty, straight up, olives on the side. – Cecilia Copeland, February 20

I started acting at age 40 so I have to say the play that changed my life was Getting Out by Marsha Norman. – Susan Wallack, February 21

As a theater director, I want to open the question of participatory art and audience engagement. – Mahayana (Yana) Landowne, February 22

Blog30 is Back!

After an unexpectedly lengthy hiatus – due to professional and personal distractions – Blog30 is back!

At one minute past midnight on Monday February 18th, the daily blog celebrating the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women re-launches with five new blog posts, and a Week in Review on Saturday.

In addition to a photo and a short bio, we invite League members to answer any of the following questions which tickle their fancy.  How would YOU answer these?!

* Where do you look for inspiration?
* What’s your favorite book / movie / line from a play / pop culture guilty pleasure / cocktail?
* What play or production changed your life?
* Is there anything you still dream of doing?
* I feel most like myself when I …
* What is your best escape?
* What’s the one thing nobody knows about you?

Blog30 launched January 1, 2012 – go to Find Her to locate a LPTW member’s post.

~Melanie, Lanie, Susan, Shaun

Blog 30 Goes on Hiatus for the Summer

Cheers of “school’s out for summer” can be heard around the country. And, we are screaming our version as well. Blog30 is going on hiatus for the summer.

We have had fun working on Blog30 for the past five and a half months, but we are looking forward to a summer vacation. It gives us the chance to take a breather. Here’s to hikes in the woods, lots of tennis playing, enjoying cocktails and being creative.

We will see you again in the fall. In the meantime, you’ve got a couple of months to read all of the entries since January, and visit the League of Professional Theatre Women’s web site for other news.

— Melanie, Lanie, Susan & Shaun

 

Introducing Team Blog30!!

Meet the women
who have administered and nurtured
Blog30 for the past 24 weeks:

Shaun logs in each submission and follows up missing info, and keeps the League’s Facebook page up to date. Susan copy edits the submissions and pulls the quotes for the Week in Review and From the Archives. Melanie tracks dates, inputs into the blogsite, and sends out the reminders, and Lanie tweaks and uploads photos and adds tagging for optimum web hits for each member.

As we celebrate the League’s 30th Anniversary, I felt it was important to shine the spotlight on the individuals who make up the League. This Blog30 experiment has surpassed expectations! I’ve loved the unique responses to our specific questions, and look forward to indulging in the League’s favorite cocktails…. – Melanie Sutherland

Blog30 offers a snippet, a peek, a window into the lives of the accomplished members of the League of Professional Theatre Women. It’s been great fun to celebrate the vanguard members as well as those new to the League, and to learn things about each other none of us knew. – Lanie Zipoy

Blog30 has been like my crash course in the League and its members! As copy editor and pull-quote picker, I’ve read just about every one of ‘em, and have been surprised, amused, sometimes frustrated, generally interested, definitely more in tune with who we are. Don’t know what I was thinking when I shot off my mouth at last year’s annual meeting (I think that’s what got me into this!), but boy, have I come to admire the persistence and generosity of my Blog30 cohort, bravely pursuing new posts and prepping entries through up and down, thick and thin, seriously, a helluva year. – Susan Bernfield

When Melanie first brought up her idea of a Daily blog for the League, I was thrilled. I expected it to be a great tool to increase the League’s visibility and a fun way to highlight what makes our League Ladies so fantastic. These expectations, however, in no way prepared me for just how imaginative, witty, inspiring, and courageous our bloggers are, or for how well Blog30 has been received. From the lengthy blog entries to the briefer ones, I’ve so enjoyed reading these personal glimpses into the minds of the women who make theatre happen in NYC and around the world. I’ve also gotten to know three of the most fabulous ladies in town a bit better as we soldier on together to keep Blog30 running. Not a bad few months, I’d say. – Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy

From the Archives!

LPTW’s Blog30 was created to highlight the diversity, passion and brilliance of the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women in celebration of the organization’s 30th Anniversary.

Today, we provide a second chance for readers to meet more of our member-bloggers from February.

From the Archives

At age 90, my greatest inspiration comes from waking up and facing the day. – Marion Simon, nee Faggen, February 15

I loved everything about it, but was fascinated and downright entranced by what was happening backstage, which eventually led me to abandon performing for what I thought was the “interesting stuff”.  – Sue Bartelt, February 18

I feel most like myself when I … am kicking ass. Metaphorically speaking that is, I don’t get violent with other people. – Barb Kielhofer, February 21

I look to my dreams for inspiration – they are full of strange beauty. – Elizabeth Hess, February 25

From the Archives!

LPTW’s Blog30 was created to highlight the diversity, passion and brilliance of the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women in celebration of the organization’s 30th Anniversary.

Today, we provide a second chance for readers to meet some of our member-bloggers from February.

From the Archives

I would love to travel more, to meet more, different people and continue to watch those airplanes – maybe a third career as a some kind of tour guide? – Michele Volansky, February 13

Seeing that show changed my life, and wonder of wonders, I actually got to tell Ms. DeMille and thank her. What a feeling!!! – Edie Cowan, February 16

I seem to remember there being some simple staging and change of lights that suggested a change from the characters being backstage to being onstage within one of the songs – I just thought it was the most magical thing. – Regina Gatti, February 20

“What time is the show,” our first caller asked? “What time can you get here?” My husband answered. – Gail Kriegel, February 23

Week in Review, June 4 – 10, 2012

LPTW’s Blog30 was created to highlight the diversity, passion and brilliance of the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women in celebration of the organization’s 30th Anniversary. Every Sunday, the women featured in the previous six days, as well as three others from our first two months, receive a little more attention, a second chance for readers to learn about them. Sunday is often a day for reflection, offering the opportunity to catch up on the previous week’s activities. Now, the Week in Review gives our readers the opportunity to experience a week’s entries in one easy sitting. We hope you enjoy the latest addition to Blog30.

Favorite Movie: The Producers – Ginny Louloudes, June 4

Is there anything you still dream of doing? Calling the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. – Alix Claps, June 5

I want to keep bringing Italian theater to the States and to open the first Italian theater in New York. – Laura Caparrotti, June 6

As I always say, I’m the only person I know who went from the best seats to the gods, instead of vice-versa, as in the normal course of events! – Zoe (Corell) Kaplan, June 7

Kindle me not. – Susan Jonas, June 8

I can’t ride a bike and I am terribly embarrassed about it. – Deborah Asiimwe, June 9

From the Archives:
Both passions have known each other for a long time, but I always thought they would be incompatible for a long-term relationship. – Lauren Yarger, February 4

Where do you look for inspiration?  Books, subway rides, memories.  – Susan Laubach, February 8

I am stimulated by vision and transformation, the unknown, the unexpected. Ideas abound, and art emerges. – Lorca Peress, February 10

And with a foreign name, even bigger and odder than I was, in a country where being English was so important, I desperately wanted to fit in. – Ludovica Villar-Hauser, February 2

Week in Review, May 28-June 3, 2012

LPTW’s Blog30 was created to highlight the diversity, passion and brilliance of the individual members of the League of Professional Theatre Women in celebration of the organization’s 30th Anniversary. Every Sunday, the women featured in the previous six days, as well as three others from our first two months, receive a little more attention, a second chance for readers to learn about them. Sunday is often a day for reflection, offering the opportunity to catch up on the previous week’s activities. Now, the Week in Review gives our readers the opportunity to experience a week’s entries in one easy sitting. We hope you enjoy the latest addition to Blog30.

Memorial Day – no blog, May 28

My favorite guilty pleasure is that I can (and do) watch PRIDE & PREJUDICE every time it’s on. Which, thanks to cable, it always is. – Paula D’Alessandris, May 29

i learned how to balance embarrassment and purpose as i pranced around the stage in very little clothing in SWEET CHARITY in front of my Physics/Calculus teacher, Mr. Book (who was as by-the-book as his given name would indicate). – chandra thomas, May 30

I dream of making a theatre experience in Egypt – as we are a body-languaged people – to release our bodies from borders and tell what we really want to tell about ourselves. – Asmaa Yehia Eltaher, May 31

If one person stands up for someone else inside the theatre, then hopefully they will continue in real life. – KS Stevens, June 1

I have a hard time not working, but I love what I’m doing, so I really don’t need an escape. – Catherine Schreiber, June 2

From the Archives:
It exploded my notion of who I was in the world, or who I could be, and shed a stark light on the kinds of stories I wanted to hear and participate in telling. – Manda Martin, February 5

I am competitive with myself – and sometimes, others – always striving to do the right thing while trying to figure out what the right thing is.  – Julie Carpenter Sylvester, February 12

In an extremely organized fashion (I am a Virgo, after all), I methodically and avidly read all the biographies of African-American figures, and all the ones of women; not surprisingly, I was particularly interested in their stories. – Cheryl Davis, February 19

Melba LaRose (yes, that’s her real name) escaped to the West Coast in the ’70s in a full-length black velvet coat, hot pants, floppy hat, and ripped fishnets — the strangest thing that ever got off the bus. – Melba LaRose, February 26

We’re taking Memorial Day Weekend off!

Phew! We’ve filled Blog30 with interesting League members every single day since 2012 kicked off – that’s 5 whole months of blog posts! So we’re thinking maybe it’s okay to take Memorial Day Weekend OFF. Hey, you shouldn’t be reading blogs now anyway, you should be at the beach! Summer’s almost here, Blog30 has made it this far, and we’re celebrating too.

Back atcha May 29, with bells on!

~Susan, Melanie, Lanie, Shaun