Body and Soul: Beautiful Breast Cancer Survivor Stories Online

Body & Soul: The Courage and Beauty of Breast Cancer Survivors is a beautiful book of photo essays by Dallas-based photographer, Jean Karotkin. Thanks to the non-profit group, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the book is now available online in an interactive format at: http://bodyandsoul.lbbc.org

A survivor herself, Karotkin focuses on women who use their diagnosis as an opportunity to re-invent themselves or deepen their commitments.  Karotkin has created stunning photo portraits of each woman - capturing each one's spirit by finding the perfect setting and pose.  It is wonderful just to look at the pictures of these strong women, and it is even more inspiring when you read the accompanying stories.  These are women who have decided to live their lives to the fullest in spite of any obstacles, and that is a powerful message for all of us.

I was especially pleased that Karotkin included a number of women who are artists and talked about the ways that cancer affected their work.  For instance, Susan Rafte and her sister, Jane Weiner, founded the Pink Ribbons Project in Houston in 1995. The project is the first dance initiative founded solely for the purpose of increasing breast cancer awareness and raising money to help fight the disease. The Pink Ribbons Project has raised over $4 million since its inception.  Dancers Care, which provides emergency funds for dancers with cancer, grew out of the Pink Ribbons Project’s New York City office.

Oni Faida Lampley was a playwright and performer whose plays were produced in New York and regionally.  After she was diagnosed, she wrote Tough Titty, a play about the emotional blow-up of a young black woman’s life after a breast cancer diagnosis.

Elaine Saltsman is a visual artist who created a chair, titled The Healer. She formed the fabric of the chair by weaving gauze with strands of her hair, which she lost during chemotherapy. She constructed the wire frame of the chair by twisting red wire, representing her life, with black wire, representing cancer. The red wire symbolically overtakes the black wire as the chair comes together.

Like the women in the book, Karotkin re-invented herself after she was diagnosed. “At a point during my treatment, I realized I had to be the best I could be,” Karotkin remembers. “I knew what I was feeling and I needed to express it – preferably using photographs as the medium.”  She became a professional photographer so that she could realize her dream of creating "Body & Soul."

Thanks so much to Jean Karotkin and to all of the women who shared their stories in this wonderful book/online exhibit. Whether or not you are struggling with cancer, I encourage you to take a few moments to look at this inspiring online exhibit at: http://bodyandsoul.lbbc.org

Career Panel At the Apollo: Theatre Women Behind the Scenes

From left to right, Linda Twine, Wendy Seyb,
Carin Ford, Amanda Pekoe, Stephanie Klapper
& Mari Nakachi. Photo courtesy of Karli Cadel.

To prepare for my recent visit to New York, I searched the WomenArts SWAN Day Calendar and discovered an amazing panel discussion that I attended on Monday, March 12 at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

Moderated by marketing and advertising executive Amanda Pekoe, the free panel featured five women who shared advice and insights about their successful behind-the-scenes careers in theater:  Carin Ford (sound engineer - Carrie The Musical; La Cage Aux Folles), Stephanie Klapper (casting agent - Dividing the Estate; Bells Are Ringing), Mari Nakachi (producer - Time Stands Still; Dinner With Friends), Wendy Seyb (choreographer - The Pee Wee Herman Show on Broadway and HBO; The Toxic Avenger) and Linda Twine (music director - The Color Purple; Caroline, or Change).

It was fascinating to hear these women talk about their work and their career paths in the for-profit theater world. I have spent most of my adult life working in the non-profit arts sector, and the for-profit world is very different. 

First of all, commercial theater has much more income potential than non-profit theater. Commercial theater is an extremely high-risk business, and only about 20% of the shows that open on Broadway make any profit at all. But when a show succeeds, it can generate a large and steady cash flow for lots of people.  The producers make the most money, but Broadway also offers good salaries for performers and behind the scenes people.  For instance, the minimum salary for a union actor on Broadway is $1,605 per week (double or triple the salaries of actors in non-profit regional theaters), and Broadway salaries for big-name stars have been as high as $100,000 per week.

These salaries are still far less than performers can make in movies or television, but for live performances, Broadway shows offer the highest salaries because they have the highest ticket prices, and therefore generate the highest ticket income when a show does well.  Also, the actors, dancers, musicians, designers, directors, choreographers, and stage hands are all protected by unions on Broadway shows, and their unions negotiate the minimum salaries and other working conditions.

Since the panel was intended to educate people about behind-the-scenes careers, each panelist described her specific job responsibilities. I was especially impressed with sound engineer Carin Ford, because she is pioneering a field where there are very few women, and even fewer women of color.  She explained that the sound engineer is the person who runs the sound board during the show, and for Broadway musicals the sound engineer is responsible for delivering a clear, well-balanced sound to the audience - that often means making fast adjustments during the performance if a cast member has a cold and or there is an equipment problem. It is a high-stress job, because if you make a mistake, everyone will hear it. She said that she made it a point to be twice as good as her male counterparts in order to develop her reputation and get steady work. The salaries for sound engineers on Broadway are in the range of $2,200/week.

Music director Linda Twine talked about the courageous men and women who worked to integrate Broadway orchestras in the early days of her career.  Twine started as a pianist and worked her way up to being a music director for Broadway shows, i.e. she is the person who conducts the orchestra and the performers during the show. She said that music directors make about $3,000/week for Broadway shows, but she stressed that the work is not steady, and you need to have a "Plan B" for the times when the phone does not ring.

Choreographer Wendy Seyb said that a choreographer can get $50,000 for a creating the dances in a Broadway show.  The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers union has also negotiated for standard royalty payments for the directors and choreographers if their work is used in subsequent touring or regional productions of the show.

Stephanie Klapper explained that being a casting director was like shopping, because her task is to find performers who will fit together perfectly in a production. She said it is very satisfying to watch a successful show and know that she contributed by selecting the cast members. 

Finally, Mari Nakachi talked about being a corporate attorney and learning about the legal aspects of producing before she became a producer herself.  She stressed that you need to be strongly committed to a project in order to produce it because as the producer, you are responsible for raising all the money for the show, and it can often take several years.

The panel was co-sponsored by the Apollo Theater Education Program, The Broadway League, the League of Professional Theatre Women, and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment.   

The Mayor's Office published an article about the panel which included the summary of the closing remarks of the panelists below:

When moderator Amanda Pekoe asked the panelists for a piece of advice they wished they had gotten when they were younger, their answers revealed the determination each of them had displayed to pursue their dreams.

“Study, observe, learn and have a Plan B ready,” said Twine.

“Don’t second guess yourself,” said Nakachi. “Read a lot, and see as many shows as you can. They don’t all have to be Broadway.”

“You need to be flexible, and open to possibilities,” said Klapper.

“Make sure you’re up on the latest technology, and learn how to talk to people and listen to them,” said Ford.

“Just keep doing the work you want to do,” said Seyb.

Join Martha Richards at SWAN Day Pittsburgh Tonight!

Please join me tonight, Thursday, March 15 for Support Women Artists Now Day/SWAN Day Pittsburgh produced by the No Name Players at The New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East in Pittsburgh.

This opening night performance will include a catered pre-show reception at 6 p.m. and a performance at 8 p.m. You can purchase tickets at: http://www.showclix.com/event/207138

What makes SWAN Day Pittsburgh 2012 unique is the fact that every performance and work of art will be a world premiere inspired by interviews with women from all across Pennsylvania. No Name Players traveled across the state filming interviews with women of all ages and all backgrounds. This footage was then given to the participating artists and those artists used that footage as inspiration for new works of theatre, dance, music, and poetry.  It is a wonderfully creative way to celebrate the voices and visions of the women of Pennsylvania.  This year’s event will even include an outdoor fire dance performance!

SWAN Day Pittsburgh provides opportunities for dozens of artists every year, and this year’s lineup includes: Bodiography Contemporary Ballet, STAYCEE PEARL Dance Project, Continuum Dance Theater-resident company of Evolve Productions, Texture Contemporary Ballet, Betsy Lawrence, EMay, Eve Goodman, Deana Muro, Camelia Road, Toi Derricotte, Robin Walsh, Virginia Wall Gruenert, Carol Mullen, Melissa Hill Grande, Lisa Ann Goldsmith, Holly Thuma, Marci Woodruff, Jennifer Schaupp, Nalini Prakash, Becky Thurner Braddock, Mundania Horvath, Alanna James, Bernadine Preetha Saint-Auguste, Anna Lee-Fields, Cynthia Stanchak, Patty Tran, Lauren Zurchin, iroNiece Designs by Kari Kramer, Steel Town Fire, and more.

DC SWAN Day Expands Beyond Georgetown

Celebrating SWAN Day for the fifth year, DC SWAN Day, organized by The Georgetown Theatre Company, will expand its multi-disciplinary festival of women in the arts outside of Georgetown, with events at The National Museum of Women in the Arts downtown, as well as events in Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle.

The DC festival kicks off this Saturday, March 24, 2012, with an afternoon gathering of women visual and performing artists near Dupont Circle, at which the SWAN Day artists will meet the public and discuss their work.

Not My Sister Will Perform March 30

The official opening reception will take place the following Friday evening, March 30, at Baked and Wired, with a performance by the emerging indie rock band Not My Sister, whose music has been described as “the Shangri-Las meet Indie Pop.” The band, which is comprised of a family of South Asian women, is currently recording their first EP.

The main DC SWAN Day festival will be held on Saturday afternoon, March 31, with a whole host of events happening simultaneously. Audiences are faced with the difficult task of choosing between a staged reading marathon at the National Museum of Women in the Arts that will last all afternoon (the event is free with admission to the museum), poetry readings at Grace Church accompanied by a performance by Nancy Havlik Dance Performance Group (a company that "explores the human condition in all its messiness and poignancy" through an improvisational collaboration between dancers and live musicians) on the Church grounds, screenings of women-made films from across the globe at Stone Soup Films (from the WIFTI (Women in Film and Television International) Shorts Showcase), a storytelling event at Mellow Mushroom pizzeria, and performance art at District of Columbia Arts Center.

Georgetown Theatre has made keeping track of all these events simple with a map showing all the SWAN Day venues, as well as a comprehensive listing of each event (including addresses) on our SWAN Day Calendar.

DC SWAN Day has consistently delivered fascinating, innovative events featuring a diverse group of women artists working in different disciplines (to get an idea of last year's festival offerings, check out this video). This year, the festival continues to expand its range and reach by holding events in different parts of town, some in unlikely venues (we have to smile at the thought of unsuspecting pizza-eaters being surprised - and hopefully delighted - by an influx of women storytellers, as well as the image of a site-specific dance piece happening on the grounds of a church). This year's SWAN Day DC promises not only interesting fare for those familiar with the festival, but also the opportunity to expose the women artists it showcases to a broader audience.

Best of luck to the performers and organizers of DC SWAN Day from all of us here at WomenArts, and from women artists all around the world!

SWAN Events with Martha Richards - Women Center Stage Director's Weekend

(New York, NY) On Sunday, March 11, I attended the matinee and evening segments of the Women Center Stage Directors Weekend, a showcase where 12 women directors were asked to create 15 minute pieces in response to the questions: "How does economy affect art and artists: are we entirely dependent on the generosity of the wealthy, or does art thrive in times of economic depression? Can we do more with less, or is less just less?" 

The featured directors were Calla Videt, Chloë Bass, Awoye Timpo, Rachel Dart, Katie Naka, Alicia House, Jess Chayes, Rachel Karp, Krystal Banzon, Morgan Gould, Charlotte Brathwaite, and Monica Williams.

It is not surprising that several pieces focused on the lack of opportunities and shrinking funding for the arts.  Awoye Timpo's piece "Can I Get A Dollar?" showed women tap dancers trying to dance on ever shrinking pieces of dance flooring. Rachel Dart's "Broadway! Broadway! Broadway!" showed idealistic young performers moving from Kansas to New York and dealing with a sleazy producer and an over-priced, ill-equipped performance venue. Krystal Banzon's piece was about her difficulties finding a job in the arts, even though she has degrees from prestigious schools.  She began her solo piece by saying that the folder she was holding contained information that would change our lives.  It held copies of her resume which she passed out to the audience members.

Other pieces challenged the concepts at the root of our economic system. Chloë Bass presented "The Bureau of Self-Recognition," an interactive conceptual piece that asked audience members to define their "net worth" in non-financial terms.  Audience members could visit a booth where they were asked to name things that gave their life value and then to deposit "self dollars", i.e. pledges that they would spend an hour doing the things that gave their life value and increased their "net worth" as human beings. You can participate in Chloë's project through her website: The Bureau of Self-Recognition, and there is a short interview with her on the Works by Women website at:  http://worksbywomen.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/chloe-bass/

My favorite piece was Calla Videt's site-specific piece, "What If?"  Audience members were emailed an mp3 audio file prior to the show and asked to meet at a subway stop near the theatre.  When everyone had gathered, we were instructed to press the start buttons on our mp3 players at the same time, so that we were all listening to the audio track at the same time as we walked a few blocks to the theatre.  As we walked through the Essex Market, we were asked to consider the economic exchanges there, and then as we walked along the street we passed laundromats and other buildings where actors were stationed and acted out scenes. As we walked along, the piece demonstrated how our lives are shaped by all of the tiny decisions that we make every day, such as deciding which way to turn, what we stop to watch, or which phone calls we answer.  The staging was very imaginative, and the audio track was extremely well-done.

Studies show that women direct less than 20% of the plays produced around the country every year. (See the studies on the WomenArts webpage about Women's Employment in the Arts.  Kudos to Women Center Stage for creating the Women Directors Weekend and making it a priority to showcase the work of women directors in the early phases of their careers.

Oscar Blues 2012: More Support for Women Filmmakers Needed

The recent batch of Oscar nominations show the absolute necessity for groups like Chicken and Egg Pictures that support women filmmakers with mentorship and grants. The fact that two women-directed films supported by Chicken and Egg received Oscar nominations in the Documentary Short Subjects category is especially meaningful when you consider the otherwise bleak environment.

I have posted the WomenArts annual report on women Oscar nominees compiled by our resident film critic, Jan Lisa Huttner, and here is what she found:

“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences started with a list of more than 600 films released in the US in 2011, including many excellent films written and/or directed by women, but in the end, all 9 films nominated in the Best Picture Category were screenplays written and directed by men."

"Most of those films are also about men with predominantly male casts. In most cases, the women on screen (if any) are relegated to supporting roles (most of which are minor roles, peripheral to the film’s main action). Although two of the nine films were based on novels written by women (Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' and Kaui Hart Hemmings' 'The Descendants'), their stories were shaped for film audiences by male screenwriters and directors."

"Once again, there are no female candidates in the Best Director category. In the Best Adapted Screenplay category, we have a woman, Bridget O'Connor, nominated as co-writer of a screenplay ('Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy') in which there are no lead actresses."

In the Best Original Screenplay category, there is one film written by two women, Bridesmaids by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig. But an April article from the New York Times Magazine  talks about the male additions to the women’s script. I have added boldface to part of the second paragraph that provides a poignant specific example of the ways women are often pushed to change their scripts to please powerful male producers and directors:

“You can pretty much guess which scenes Apatow and Feig added to Wiig and Mumolo’s script, beginning with the opening shot: a loud, slapsticky sex scene between Wiig and a cad played by Jon Hamm. But for all its broad appeal, the film still has plenty of moments that feel quiet and dramatic. In one memorable scene, Wiig’s character painstakingly constructs an elaborate cupcake and contemplates it, her mouth twisted into a jagged, sad line, before taking a massive bite — an act of self-destructive defeat rather than of indulgence."

"If Apatow was going to make a movie with Kristen Wiig, he made it clear, he wanted to capture the outrageousness that had made her a television star. “No, we’re not going to sit and talk,” Mumolo remembers Apatow saying about one scene of sedentary dialogue. The two female writers were occasionally wary about some suggestions made by Apatow and Feig — like a scene in which the bride and most of the bridesmaids come down with violent food poisoning. What were Wiig’s reservations? She shot a look. “Just that it was a huge scene about women vomiting” and defecating in their pants. “We wrote the script, and we didn’t really have anything in that tone, and it seemed to be such a big statement,” she says. Apatow assured her that if it did not work, they could cut it. Wiig and Mumolo — a writing partner from her 'Groundlings' days — ultimately agreed that it did work."

Bridesmaids has grossed (no pun intended) $288 million worldwide, and is number 14 in Box Office Mojo’s list of Top Movies in the past 365 days. So millions of people worldwide have seen this film. I wish they could have seen the script the way the women wrote it.

SWAN Celebration in Carbondale, CO

I was in Carbondale, CO last night for the kick-off of a month of Support Women Artists Now/SWAN celebrations there.  A team of local artists led by visual artist and filmmaker Gayle Embrey did a terrific job and the kick-off was a completely sold-out/standing-room-only event.  The evening included a gallery show, a reception, and a performance of music, dance, and theatre.  This spectacular cake created by Christine Bergstrom and Donna Lilah was the highlight of the reception, and it tasted as good as it looked!