Category: TBB Interviews

TBB Interviews

Harvey: Meet Rich Feldman

13625275_10209340185972098_512165706_nName: Rich Feldman

Character: Dr. William Chumley

Why did you want to be a part of this production?
It’s a nice blend of silliness and sentiment, like me! Plus, Dr. Chumley is such a fun character to play! It’s a role typically portrayed by someone a bit older and more “mature” than me. So, I’m so incredibly thankful to our director, Mary Lynch, for thinking outside-the-box and envisioning it as younger, more dynamic and physical – and for entrusting me with that characterization.

What’s next for you?
I try not to think too far ahead and just live in the moment.

What’s your favorite animal and what is its name?
Dacy, my childhood dog.

Rich has been a New York area stand up comic for over ten years, and is just getting back into community theater. He recently portrayed the tutor, Augustus Moore, in ACT/REACT – Reimagining the Past, a series of one-act plays at the historic Bartow-Pell mansion in The Bronx. While a college student in Rochester, New York, he appeared in productions of Chess, Gypsy, Carousel, Singin’ in the Rain, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and The Glass Menagerie. Rich is honored and excited to be playing the role of Dr. Chumley in his debut with the The First String Players. A Forest Hills resident for 15 years, Rich now lives in Pelham, New York with his wife, Georgene, and his two daughters, Allison and Kate.

HARVEY by Mary Chase

Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

Flyer designed by Steve Morisi

FSP_Harvey_Flyer

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Harvey: Meet Jeremy Lardieri

13632677_10154323831308615_183599500_oName: Jeremy Lardieri

Character: Wilson

Why did you want to be a part of this production?
To support local community theatre as a working actor, and support my best friend Paul Morisi and his sister Stef.

What’s next for you?
Continuing Voice-Overs under SAG-AFTRA & making more music.

What’s your favorite animal and what is its name?
Monkey – His name is Bilbo Swaggins.

Jeremy is SAG-AFTRA. FRHL! Fortitude. Reliability. Honor. Love. “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching.” Love to my wife Vicki, my family, the cast & crew, and the Eee-O 11. For Grandpa Tim – RIP.

HARVEY by Mary Chase

Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

Flyer designed by Steve Morisi

FSP_Harvey_Flyer

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Harvey: Meet Victoria Lardieri

image1Name: Victoria Lardieri

Character: Mrs. Chauvenet

Why did you want to be a part of this production?
Wanted to have the pleasure of working with First String Players again.

What’s next for you?
Performing, finishing my vocal album and teaching

What’s your favorite animal and what is its name?
Wolf, his name is Spirit

Victoria is a graduate of The American Musical & Dramatic Academy. She performed throughout the East Coast. She would like to thank her husband, Jeremy, and her family and friends for everything they do.

HARVEY by Mary Chase

Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

Flyer designed by Steve Morisi

FSP_Harvey_Flyer

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Harvey: Meet Jim Haines

Jim-Haines-Face-2015Name: Jim Haines

Character: Elwood P. Dowd

Why did you want to be a part of this production?
I worked with Mary Lynch, our director, in a production of Lucille Fletcher’s Night Watch. We got along incredibly well, and created a mutual admiration society over our acting abilities, spending a great deal of our time saying ‘You’re GREAT…No, YOU’RE greater!…No YOU are!’ and so on. Mary swore to work with me again (shook her little fist and everything), and after several false starts, she found a theater group willing to produce ‘Harvey’. She asked me if I’d be interested. What am I…nuts?

What’s next for you?
Something big and beautiful. Hello…Universe?

What’s your favorite animal and what is its name?
A Great White Shark named Bruce.

Jim Haines has been acting for 3 decades, punctuated by years of ferocious activity in theater and voice overs, followed by long stretches of ennui. This is not a method of career advancement he recommends. He graduated the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Cartooning, which is arguably the silliest degree in Higher Education. He draws, paints, designs, animates, sings (kind of) and spends more time on his Mac that with deserving friends. In closing, he’d like to paraphrase John Lydon:’The only place I have ever felt truly comfortable is on stage, or in front of a microphone…or asleep.’ Namaste, Peeps.

HARVEY by Mary Chase

Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

Flyer designed by Steve Morisi

FSP_Harvey_Flyer

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Harvey: Meet Cecilia Vaicels

Cecilia Pro HeadshotName: Cecilia Vaicels

Character: Veta Simmons

Why did you want to be a part of this production?
Harvey is such a great show and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Mary Lynch and Jim Haines again. Once I met the other actors involved, I knew I made the right choice. What talented people! Rehearsals are a joy … work but fun with a group of people who truly work well together and respect each other. I love the role of Veta. She truly tries to do her best for her brother and daughter. Does it push her over the edge? Well, you’ll have to come and see.

What’s next for you?
Once this show closes, I will start rehearsals for Isle of Shoals Productions’ original musical “Occupation: Dragonslayer” running September 8th through the 25th at the Robert Moss Theater, 440 Lafayette Street, Manhattan. The show is a musical fable that takes place in a doomed diner at Ground Zero on Christmas Eve a year after 9/11, as a mysterious stranger, a firefighter who’s lost his memory, challenges a real estate profiteer cashing in on the tragedy and restores hope to all within. I play Harriet who is the manager of the diner. Since this is the 15th anniversary of 9/11, I feel that performing this particular show, at this particular time, is a way to honor those we lost that day and those who worked so hard down at Ground Zero. For information on “Occupation: Dragonslayer” and how to get tickets go to http://www.isleofshoals.org.

I will also be performing as Lady Alice More in “A Man for All Seasons” on November 18th, 19th and 20th in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy Church, 70-01 Kessel Street, Forest Hills, NY. For tickets and information, call the Rectory at 718-268-6143.

What’s your favorite animal and what is its name?
I have two in my past. My dog, Skeeter, who seriously thought she was human and my cockateil, Finster, who would whistle along as I practiced for musicals. Well…then there’s Harvey. The jury’s still out on him!

Cecilia Vaicels began acting 26 years ago in community theatre. She has progressed to Off-off Broadway with Isle of Shoals Productions. Off-off Broadway credits include: “That Lady from Maxim’s” (originated role of Gabrielle Petypon/NYMF), “Café Coward” (World Premier originated role of Elsa Maxwell and Long Island Premier as Lynne Fontanne), “Lighthouse” (Evangeline Pratt), “Our Town” (Mrs. Webb), “Still Life” (Myrtle Baggot), “Idiot’s Delight” (Senora Rossi), “an intimate eve with Will & Chris” (various Shakesperian characters) and “Suddenly Last Summer” (Sr. Felicity). Other credits include: “Rags” (Landlady), “The Wizard of Oz” (Almira Gultch/Wicked Witch), “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” (Molina’s Mother), “Into the Woods” (Granny/Giant/Cinderella’s mother), “Fiddler on the Roof” (once as Golda, once as Fruma Sarah), “Annie” (Sophie the Kettle/Mrs. Greer/Connie Boylan), “Little Shop of Horrors” (Puppeteer/Audrey II) and many more. She has appeared in independent films, most recently as Jessica’s Mom in “Dumped”, and even a rap video! Many thanks to my husband, Charlie, and my daughter, Lauren, for all their love and support and to God for my talent! http://www.CeciliaVaicels.com

HARVEY by Mary Chase

Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

Flyer designed by Steve Morisi

FSP_Harvey_Flyer

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Harvey: Meet Nicole O’Connor

image1Name: Nicole O’Connor

Character: Myrtle Mae Simmons

Why did you want to be a part of this production?
I love this play and I was really excited to be part of a straight play for the first tmr.

What’s next for you?
Hopefully, more fantastic shows like this one.

What’s your favorite animal and what is its name?My dog, Stella.

Nicole O’Connor has been acting for many years. She has played Miss Hannigan in Annie Jr., the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz Jr., the Witch in Into the Woods Jr., and a nun in The Sound of Music. She also recently performed in “Alvernians on Tour” in Disneyland, California, as well as A Salute to Sondheim at the Iridium Jazz Club, NYC. Nicole would like to thank her family for their support. She would also like to thank her acting coaches.

HARVEY by Mary Chase

Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

FSP_Harvey_Flyer

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Harvey: An Oldie but A Goodie – Opens 7/14

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Photo Courtesy of Mark Lord,  Queens Chronicle

I rarely act these days. I tend to be behind the scenes – producing, publicizing, directing – enjoying the magic created by artists. I believe it takes courage to get on a stage and bare your soul.

“Art is prayer is love is creation is expression.” I came up with that gem some years ago. My personal prayer to the theatre gods who keep my passion burning for this art form. So when the opportunity presented itself, I thought to myself that it might be time to audition for a show. The opportunity presented itself through my dear friend and one of my actresses, Mary Lynch. Mary has one of my actresses for 13 years. She played M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, my first professional gig. I was a young director finishing grad school; newly married; new to Queens theatre. She and I just connected and I directed her in at least 5 plays including Torch Song Trilogy and Plaza Suite.

Now she is the director and I follow her vision. Harvey is a wonderful play. Yes, it is dated in some spots but there’s this innocence under the comedy that I find delicious. I am playing Nurse Kelly with an amazing cast. All we do in rehearsal is laugh and work. And eat. We enjoy eating very much.

I would like you to meet these extraordinary folks. I am putting them in the limelight as we get ready to open 🙂

See you at the show!

HARVEY by Mary Chase
Director: Mary Lynch

Producers: Paul Morisi and Stef Morisi

Tickets: $10 General Seating (all tickets sold at the door)

July 14 at 7pm
July 15 at 7pm
July 16 at 7pm
July 17 at 2pm

Location:
Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall
70-01 Kessel Street Forest Hills, NY 11375
PLEASE USE THE ENTRANCE OF JUNO STREET. Elevator is available on the side of the church.

Cast:
Nicole O’Connor
Cecilia Vaicels
Victoria Lardieri
Jim Haines
Malini Singh McDonald
Nick Radu
Jeremy Lardieri
Michelle Ruggieri
Rich Feldman
Kevin Abernethy
Chris Martens

For more info email FirstStringPlayers@gmail.com

Photo Courtesy of Stef Morisi

13516255_10207064983207343_8362842805872196235_n

by Categories: Beyond Broadway, Independent Theatre, NYC Theatre, Openings, Profiles, Queens, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , , Leave a comment

Meet Shellen Lubin

Screen+Shot+2015-02-22+at+4.27.01+PMMy conversation on gender parity continues with Shellen Lubin. Shellen is a powerhouse. She wears numerous hats as a Songwriter, Playwright, Director, and Vocal/Acting Coach.  She is also the Co-President of the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition, VP of Programming of the League of Professional Theatre Women, and a member of most unions and guilds in our industry, and of the National Theatre Conference.

Shellen shares about The Women in Arts & Media Coalition:

Founded in 1990 (as the New York Coalition of Professional Women in the Arts & Media, Inc.), the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition is a centralized resource for the advancement of professional women in film, theater, television and communications. Combining member organizations’ abilities and strengths in a collaborative effort, the Coalition’s mission is to empower women in these industries through advocacy, mentoring, networking, and events. Members include many of the unions and guilds in our industry, as well as larger and smaller organizations dedicated to the advancement of women.

There are a number of benefits of being a member of the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition, starting with being part of a movement promoting parity and diversity in our industry. Membership in the Coalition is not by individuals, but by organizations, and is determined by the size of membership. Full Member Organizations have the greatest number of individual members and include unions and guilds, such as Local 802 AFM, Actors’ Equity Association, Dramatists Guild, SAG-AFTRA, Stage Directors and Choreographers, Writers Guild of America East, and organizations like the League of Professional Theatre Women, New York Women in Film and Television, and New York Women in Communications. Affiliate members include the International Center for Women Playwrights, the Women’s Media Center, Women Make Movies, Women in Music, the Drama Desk, and The National Theatre Conference, to name but a few.  Last year a new membership category for academic institutions emerged with The School of Visual Arts becoming the first academic affiliate. All together, the organizational membership totals more than 100,000 women and men.

The Coalition often co-produces events with its member orgs. Member orgs are not only able to help with the design and follow-through of these programs, the Coalition is also available to help with any events from its member orgs that are of particular interest or value to women. If any one of our organizations offers a discount to the broad Coalition membership, the Coalition will publicize those events in their newsletter, calendar, and blog. Additionally, the Coalition is always interested in creating a Cross Meet and Greet between member orgs who are interested in having their membership network with each other. Our last such Meet and Greet was a three-way jam-packed networking event at WGAE with NYWIFT and WMM.

The Coalition offers a huge number of valuable resources on their website.

One useful resource is the Women in the Arts & Media Communal Calendar, which lists all events of interest for women, arts, and media, and is becoming the place to look for events, and to schedule in advance and check for conflicts. As a member of Local 802,, you are a member of The Coalition and are invited to all the events, awards galas, and networking opportunities listed there (unless they are listed as blackout dates only).

Go to http://www.womenartsmediacoalition.org/communal-calendar/ to learn about upcoming events and openings of interest.

Newer projects include: the Studies page, http://www.womenartsmediacoalition.org/studies/, an extensive database with links to Studies around the world on gender representation in theatre, film, and television.

For those seeking funding, residencies and opportunities to submit original work, go to http://www.womenartsmediacoalition.org/opportunities/ for both  #StageOpps and #ScreenOpps newsletters.

Last fall the Coalition spearheaded a Percolating Gender Parity in Theatre summit, bringing organizations together from the Coalition and beyond, from around the world, to share and coordinate efforts. A Percolating Gender Parity in Music summit is planned for Fall 2016 and Gender Parity in Media for Spring 2017..

The Coalition also shares news and information from all its member orgs and other organizations of interest on their blog and on facebook and Twitter. Anything any member org has to publicize that would be of interest to sister organizations in the Coalition can be shared by any and all of those means.

The Coalition also sponsors two Signature events, usually one each year in rotation.  The first is The Collaboration Awards, which honor professional women in the arts and media from different specializations working collaboratively on the creation of new work. The award recognizes the best of these collaborations. The last Collaboration Awards Gala in 2015 celebrated honorees in the disciplines of playwriting, songwriting, filmmaking, and directing. The winners were playwright T.D. Mitchell and director Sheryl Kaller for QUEENS FOR A YEAR which will be premiering at Hartford Stage in Fall 2016.

The other Signature event for which the Women in the Arts & Media Coalition is known is VintAge, which celebrates older women, and what is possible both in their representation and in their employment. In 2014, The Coalition granted the 1st Elsa Rael VintAge Award, for advocacy of women aging in the arts and media, presented by Tisa Chang to Morgan Jenness for her work on behalf of the playwright Maria Irene Fornes.

The Women in the Arts & Media Coalition’s combined membership is larger and more diverse than that of any other alliance of women in the arts and/or media. As a resource for professional development and social exchange, and as a force for the voice and vision of women working towards parity and diversity in the arts and media, the Coalition is a continually expanding force to be reckoned with. It is a wonderful resource from which we hope you will benefit.

Shellen Lubin

Writer/Director/Teacher of Theatre & Music

shellen@shellenlubin.com

www.shellenlubin.com

facebook:  Shellen Lubin

LinkedIn:  shellenlubin

twitter:  @shlubin

 

Co-President ~ Women in the Arts & Media Coalition

info@womenartsmediacoalition.org

www.womenartsmediacoalition.org

facebook:  www.facebook.com/WomenArtsMedia

twitter: @WomenArtsMedia

 

VP of Programming ~ League of Professional Theatre Women

shellen@theatrewomen.org

www.theatrewomen.org

facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/League-of-Professional-Theatre-Women

twitter: @LPTWomen

 

Monday Morning Quote

www.mondaymorningquote.com

facebook:  www.facebook.com/pages/Monday-Morning-Quotes

twitter: @MonMornQuote

by Categories: Independent Theatre, International Women Artist Salon, Parity, TBB Interviews, TheaterTags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Meet Felicia Lin

FeliciaLin_4538

My conversation on gender parity continues with Felicia Lin who is a Taiwanese American writer. The diaspora of her parents’ generation and Taiwan’s international isolation, have fueled her interest in Taiwan. In 2001, she left New York to live in Taiwan, where a creative breakthrough led her to pursue a career as a writer. Metropolicks, the first book she has co-written, is a romantic comedy novel. Currently she is working on the memoir of Su Beng, a Taiwanese revolutionary, activist and historian.

Here’s her take on the publishing world:

As far as the publishing industry goes, it is a female dominated industry, i.e. there are more women working in the field of publishing than men. However the majority of book reviewers and authors reviewed are men.

Here are some of the statistics from the field of literature and publishing that I referred to while on the panel:

1) According to a Publishers Weekly salary survey in 2010, 85% of publishing employees with less than three years of experience are women

2) Here’s a link to data gathered by VIDA Women in Literary Arts which shows a breakdown of the number of men and women in the categories of authors reviewed and book reviewers: http://www.vidaweb.org/the-count-2010/ 

Out of 40 charts, women outnumbered men on only two of them.

This New Republic article takes a closer look at what’s behind these numbers: https://newrepublic.com/article/82930/vida-women-writers-magazines-book-reviews

The New Republic article states: At Harper’s, there were 27 male book reviewers and six female; about 69 percent of the books reviewed were by male authors. At the London Review of Books, men wrote 78 percent of the reviews and 74 percent of the books reviewed. Men made up 84 percent of the reviewers for The New York Review of Books and authored 83 percent of the books reviewed. 

3) As for self-publishing, this Guardian article indicates that self-publishing allows women to break through the glass ceiling of the book industry.

The article also states that according to a report from online publishing platform FicShelf, the authors doing best in the medium tend to be women. 

The man whose biography I’m working on, Su Beng (he’s a nonagenarian Taiwanese revolutionary) was a very strong supporter of Tsai Ing-wen, who is the first woman be elected to be the President of Taiwan. She was elected on January 16th and she even mentioned Su Beng in one of her acceptance speeches. I wrote about this on my blog about Su Beng here: http://aboutsubeng.com/blog/2016/1/16/11616-tsai-ing-wen-elected-as-the-next-president-of-taiwan. I’m attaching the photo of Su Beng ad Tsai Ing-wen that appears in that blog post.

=============================================

www.felicialin.com

Biographer of Su Beng

Lifelong Taiwan independence activist, revolutionary and author of TAIWAN’S 400 YEAR HISTORY

www.aboutsubeng.com

Co-author of Metropolicks and The Metropolicks We Call New York City: A Guide for Singles

www.Metropolicks.com

Twitter @felishalin

Linkedin http://www.linkedin.com/in/felicialin

Instagram @felishalin

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Meet Naomi McDougall Jones

4.21x5.47 laurelsMy last blog post was on gender parity and the panel that I moderated. Naomi McDougall Jones  represented the discipline of film as a filmaker shared these three stats about the role of women in films:

  • Of the top 100 Hollywood films in 2014, only 12% featured a leading female character.
  • Of the top 100 Hollywood films of the last 13 years, only 4% were directed by women.
  • In the 88-year history of the Oscars, only one woman has ever been awarded Best Director.

She is part of the solution and her artist statement is profound.

Get to know Naomi and her upcoming film Imagine I’m Beautiful

Twitter: @NaomiMcDougallJ

Website: www.naomimcdougalljones.com

Film website: www.imagineimbeautiful.com

Naomi’s Artistic Statement:

As a storyteller, I am driven by the belief that more and more audiences are tired of re-makes and prequels and sequels that have been formulaically assembled under the assumption that a great film is a mathematical equation. I believe there are those who crave what I crave as an audience member: to be genuinely surprised; to have my own prejudices exploded; to leave the theater altered from who I was when I went in.

I believe that my generation has not given up on goofy, joyful, freewheeling optimism even in the face of technology, internet self-invention and post-9/11 world terror.  I believe that we are, rather, starving more than ever for stories that will lift our minds to look beyond ourselves; to engage with and improve upon the world around us.

 I believe furthermore that we are on the frontier of an unexplored expanse of the female perspective in filmmaking. I am not satisfied that one or two or four women are being given a seat at the table to tell their stories. That happening is good, but it is not good enough. 

We do not yet even know what it will look like to actually have a substantial choir of female voices, sharing with richness and diversity the multitudinous facets of the female perspective. I believe that as we are able to share our perspective, to have an artistic dialogue with one another, to save ourselves from the dismissiveness of the “chick flick,” that the very fabric of our society will change for the better, as men and women are presented with a broader perspective.

And I am exhilarated, because, as the traditional distribution models break down, we filmmakers are more keenly positioned than ever to get our work directly into audiences’ hungry hands, bypassing the gatekeepers who have, for so long, dictated the “tastes” of the viewer.

As women and as indie filmmakers, I believe we must come together as strong individual voices and as a community to offer audiences a stronger alternative to the monochrome fare of the mainstream. 

 

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