Dear Friends,

August 6, 2010 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:                    Maria Pucci, 212-223-1811, mcpucci@nyc.rr.com

LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL THEATRE WOMEN (LPTW)
KICKS OFF THE 2010-2011 SEASON WITH THE FOLLOWING
FALL EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

ABOUT THE LPTW
In the early 1980's several professional theatre women emerged from a meeting of The American Theatre Conference (ACT) in San Diego dismayed by the lack of opportunities for women in the theatre, especially in the commercial New York theatre world. These commercial artists assembled a 10-woman steering committee, comprised of professional designers, directors, managers, producers, and press agents, which in 1982 became the first Board of Trustees of the League of Professional Theatre Women. Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1986, today the League boasts a national and international membership numbering in the hundreds and comprised of both established professionals and those just starting out in their theatrical careers.

The League's original goals were, as they remain today, to promote women in all areas of professional theatre, to create industry related opportunities for women, and to provide an ongoing forum for ideas, methods, and issues of concern to the theatrical community and its audiences. These goals are accomplished through the offering of seminars, educational programs, social events, awards and festivals. These, as well as various League publications, continue to serve as links between professionals in every variety of theatrical pursuit, including university and community theatre wherever it exists.

UPCOMING EVENTS

OCTOBER 4^TH CELEBRATES ORAL HISTORY

This fall, the LPTW celebrates Oral History, a project made possible by generous grants from the Edith Meiser Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. The ongoing Edith Meiser Oral History Project chronicles and documents the contributions of significant theatre women in many fields. Interviews with such outstanding women are videotaped and housed in the Theatre on Film and Tape Archives at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

On Monday, October 4^th at 6pm, producer Elizabeth Ireland McCann will interview Kathleen Turner at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 65^th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Admission is free; reservations are recommended through oralhistory@theatrewomen.org or by phone 888-297-3117. Past Oral History Projects have featured interviews with Carole Shelley, Marge Champion, Frances Sternhagen, Mary Rodgers, Susan Hilferty, Jennifer von Mayrhauser, Elaine Stritch, Betty Comden, Estelle Parsons, Zoe Caldwell, Jane Alexander, Ruby Dee and Kitty Carlisle Hart.

OCTOBER 18^TH MILLY BARRANGER ON CHERYL CRAWFORD

League member and author Milly Barranger has been invited to present her recently published book, A Gamblers Instinct: The Story of Broadway Producer Cheryl Crawford, as part of "Life Upon the Wicked Stage: New Books in the Performing Arts," a series sponsored by the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Ms. Barranger will draw upon the Library's archive to illustrate her talk on Cheryl Crawford's adventures in producing – from Tennessee Williams to Lerner and Loewe.

The event is free, and first come, first served on Monday, October 18^th at 6 p.m. in the Library's Bruno Walter Auditorium, 111 Amsterdam Avenue near 65^th Street.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9^TH AWARDS PRESENTATION LUNCHEON
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, JOSEPHINE ABADY AWARD,
AND LEE REYNOLDS AWARD

The LPTW's Lifetime Achievement Award honors women exhibiting exemplary service to the theatre. Past recipients include Dorothy Olim, Betty Comden, Ellen Stewart, Fifi Oscard, Martha Swope, Sylvia Herscher, Rosetta LeNoire and Lucille Lortel, among others.

The Josephine Abady Award honors an emerging director or producer of a work of cultural diversity, who has worked professionally in the theatre for a period of at least five years. Past recipients of this award include Evelyn Collins, founder and director of the Harlem Ensemble Company; Debra Ann Byrd, founder and producing artistic director of Take Wing and Soar Productions, Inc.; and directors Gisela Cardenas and Tamilla Woodard.

The Lee Reynolds Award annually honors women active in any aspect of theatre whose work for, in, about or through the medium of theatre has helped illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural or political change. Emily Mann, Estelle Parsons, Lynne Meadow, Marlo Thomas, Ruby Dee, Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford, Betty Corwin and Harriet Slaughter are past recipients.

Recipients will be announced at a later date. Awards will be presented on Thursday, December 9, 2010 at Sardi's (234 West 44^th Street) at 12:00 noon. Tickets are $65 and will be available online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/122700 or by phone: 1-800-838-3006 option 1 (use event code 122700).

Please visit our website for more information: www.TheatreWomen.org
 
For press information contact Maria Pucci, 212-223-1811, mcpucci@nyc.rr.com.
Hunt-Pucci Associates, 440 East 57^th Street - 18A, New York, N.Y. 10022

SHINE! The Horatio Alger Musical  with a Book by Richard Seff; Music by Roger Dean Anderson and Lyrics by Lee Goldsmith is being presented by Other Side Productions (Peter Mercurio, Chuck Blasius – Co-Artistic Directors) as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at The Theater at St. Clements, 423  West 46^th Street.  The director is Peter Flynn and the choreographer is Devanand Janki.  With a highly melodic, hummable and bouncy score with bright lyrics, “SHINE the Horatio Alger Musical”, has tons of period atmosphere, nostalgic charm, comedy and entertainment.  It is a hope and dreams musical with a touch of “Annie”, a smidgen of “Oliver”, a dash of “Tintypes” as well as a smattering of musical joys that will delight!  A multi-talented cast of 18 makes this one of the largest of the festival productions. Performances will be: Thurs. 10/7 at 8pm; Sat. 10/9 at 5pm; Mon. 10/11, at 9pm; Fri. 10/15, at 1pm; Sat. 10/16, at 9pm and Sun. 10/17 at 3pm.

                “SHINE! The Horatio Alger Musical” follows the tale of Ragged Dick (Horatio Alger’s first best-selling hero) in lower Manhattan (1876) as he rises from penniless bootblack to budding Wall Street entrepreneur. Dick’s adventures with a little bit of luck, some charm and a whole lot of hard work bring him face to face with scheming ex-convicts, vicious comic villains, kind benefactors, and a world of colorful street characters in this charming rags-to-riches romp for everyone.    www.shinethemusical.com

Richard Seff (Book) has spent a lifetime in the theatre as actor, playwright, columnist, critic, agent, librettist, investor and now memoirist. He first acted professionally in 1946 and his last engagement was in 2009. He took a 22 year leave of absence from the stage to become an agent, after a long run on Broadway in support of Claude Rains and on tour with Edward G. Robinson in the prize winning “Darkness At Noon”. During those 22 years he was an agent representing artists in the musical theatre on Broadway. He left the agency in 1974 to return to the stage. He is the author of Broadway’s “Paris is Out!” and The Whole Ninth Floor (published in 2009). He currently writes the New York Theatre Buzz column for www.dctheatrescene.com.     

Roger Dean Anderson (Composer) has been fortunate to collaborate with several legendary talents, including Michael Smuin, Joe Layton, Wally Harper, Tony Walton, Vivian Matalon and Hal Prince. In 1979 he was paired with lyricist Lee Goldsmith, more than 30 years his senior, to write a musical.  Later, he composed music for the Carbonell Award-winning “Chaplin”, followed by “Quality Street” which was developed by Musical Theater Works. Recent projects include “Ladykiller” with playwright Chuck Blasius and “Flying Tigers” with playwright William Luce. His latest musical, “Abe”, premiered in 2009 and is recommended by the President’s Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and published by Samuel French.

                Lee Goldsmith (Lyricist) enjoyed an early career with National Comics scripting stories for The Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and The Flash. He adapted several projects for the stage, writing book and lyrics: “Come Back Little Sheba” music by Clint Ballard, “Golddiggers of 1633” (based on School for Wives) music by Larry Hurwit; and his ground-breaking Broadway musical “Sextet”.  Other projects include “Quality Street” (based on the J. M. Barrie play) “Ladykiller” (inspired by works of Cornell Woolrich).  Recently, he did book and lyrics for “Abe”, a large-scale musical based on the life of Lincoln before he was elected President.

                Peter Flynn (Director) is Artistic Director of The Hangar Theatre (Ithaca).  As a director, he staged the star-studded Broadway concerts of "On the Twentieth Century" (Douglas Sills, Marin Mazzie, & Joanne Worley); “Chess” (Josh Groban); and “Funny Girl” (Whoopi Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth, & Peter Gallagher, among others). Off- Broadway includes “Henry & Mudge" and "Junie B. Jones” (two Lortel Award nominations including Best Musical), and the award-winning “Rhapsody in Seth”.  Other NYC credits include "Two Rooms"; "Broadway Musicals of 1953"; “Babes in Toyland”, and the premiere of the opera "Romulus".  Regional directing credits include "Gypsy" (Karen Mason - St. Louis MUNY); "Man of LaMancha"  (Carbonell Award winner for Best Director & Best Musical); “The Crucible”; "The Piano Lesson"; “The Santaland Diaries” and “Kiss Me, Kate!”. 

Devanand Janki (Choreographer): directed & choreographed the hit “Zanna, Don’t”! (Lortel, Callaway, & GLAAD Media Awards). Other NYC shows are: “Junie B. Jones” (Lortel nominations), “Cupid & Psyche”, “Henry & Mudge” (Lortel nomination), and John Patrick Shanley’s “Romantic Poetry” (MTC). Broadway concerts: director of “Hair” (all-star cast, featuring Jennifer Hudson), choreographer of “Funny Girl” (16 Fanny Brices, including Whoopi Goldberg, Bebe Neuwirth, & Jane Krakowski); associate for “Dreamgirls” and “Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway 101”. Lincoln Center: Amahl and the Night Visitors, Babes in Toyland, Anything Goes in Concert (assoc.). Some other credits are: “Barrio Grrrl!” (Helen Hayes nomination, Kennedy Center); the regional premiere of “Rent”;  “Disney’s Aladdin”; Andrew Lippa’s “Asphalt Beach”, “Man of La Mancha”; “The Full Monty”; numerous industrials and nine years as an Artistic Associate for Broadway Bares.

PH: (212) 505-3401, aschwartzbord@pearltheatre.org

THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES

AUSTIN PENDLETON

TO BE FEATURED IN ROSMERSHOLM IN NOVEMBER.

NEW YORK, NY, August 9, 2010 – THE PEARL THEATRE COMPANY (J.R. Sullivan, Artistic Director; Shira Beckerman, Managing Director) has announced that actor and director Austin Pendleton will be featured in the company’s November production of Henrik Ibsen’s ROSMERSHOLM as Professor Kroll. The production will be directed, as previously announced, by Elinor Renfield and run at New York City Center Stage II. Single tickets go on sale August 23.

Austin Pendleton’s wide-ranging career has spanned theatre, television, and film as an actor, director, and playwright. Mr. Pendleton has appeared on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, The Little Foxes, and The Diary of Anne Frank, among others. He directed the 1981 production of The Little Foxes, starring Elizabeth Taylor that earned him a Tony Award nomination. Mr. Pendleton has written the plays Uncle Bob, Booth, and Orson's Shadow, all produced off-Broadway. Previously the Artistic Director of Circle Repertory Theatre, he is an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, where he will be directing Detroit this fall, and teaches at HB Studio in Greenwich Village. Previously at The Pearl, Mr. Pendleton directed Toys in the Attic (2007) and Vieux Carré (2009).

“The Pearl Theatre company is delighted that Austin Pendleton will be featured onstage in this fall’s Rosmersholm,” said Artistic Director J.R. Sullivan. “This distinguished actor is one of the great treasures of the American theatre and we know that his performance in Ibsen’s remarkable drama will be a great highlight in the Pearl’s new season at the New York City Center.”      

Joining Mr. Pendleton is guest director Elinor Renfield. Currently the Chair of the Graduate Directing Program at The New School for Drama, Ms. Renfield has directed extensively both in New York and regionally. Her credits include Open Admission on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn at Goodspeed Opera House, The Seagull at Circle Rep, Passion Play at the Minetta Lane Theatre, and Suddenly Last Summer at Barrington Stage Company. Ms. Renfield began directing professionally in 1976 with The Sorrows of Frederick by Romulus Linney and featuring Austin Pendleton. 

ROSMERSHOLM will begin previews at the New York City Center Stage II on November 12, 2010 with performances continuing through December 19, 2010. The Pearl’s ROSERSHOLM will be the American premiere of a new version of Ibsen’s play as adapted by Mike Poulton, first seen in 2008 at the Almeida Theatre in London. This play was last produced off-Broadway in New York at Classic Stage Company in 1977 and last seen on Broadway in 1935.  

Founded in 1984, The Pearl Theatre is a New York City repertory company of resident actors that produces a full range of plays rooted in the classic tradition, impacting over 30,000 artists and audiences each year. Over its 26-year history, The Pearl has been awarded with a 1992 Obie grant for Continued Artistic Excellence; a special Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance; a sweep of Actors’ Equity Association’s awards for Performance in Classical Plays; an American Theatre Wing grant for consistent commitment to excellence in the professional theatre; and the Board of Education’s Friend of Manhattan High Schools Award for Classics in the Classroom, the Pearl’s Arts-in-Education initiative which has allowed thousands of New York City high school students to experience classical theatre.

The Pearl performs at New York City Center’s Stage II. ROSMERSHOLM will be the second production in the 2010-2011 season, which will begin with Chekhov’s THE SNEEZE on September 17, 2010. The season will continue with THE MISANTHROPE by Molierè in January 2011 and conclude with David Davalos’ contemporary comedy WITTENBERG.

Subscriptions for the 2010-2011 season are currently available and can be purchased by calling 212-598-9802 or going online to www.pearltheatre.org.  Single tickets for all of The Pearl’s productions will be on sale through CityTix® at 212-581-1212 and online at www.nycitycenter.org beginning August 23.  

MICKEY ROONEY & JAN ROONEY, "LET’S PUT ON A SHOW", SEPTEMBER 19 & 20, 8:30 PM

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