Volume 5, Number 1         www.rehearsalclubnyc.com     Summer, 2011

RC Trivia Quiz:

Q:What "Gone With the Wind" star washonored with a tea at the Club?

 

Q:  What did one of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s advisors suggest he do with the Club in the 1930's?

 

Q:  What neighborhood prank were Club girls accused of in the late 1940's 

Quiz Answers at Newsletter End

 

Rehearsal Club Baseball Caps! 

HELP US DECIDE!
  
Terry designed a beautiful logo (stitching in sage) w/yellow & pink stars.
Now we need membership input on style:
Choices are:
  
1.  Khaki cap w/black brim
2.  Khaki cap w/blue brim
3.  All black cap
 
Reply to this e-mail with your vote ( & interest in buying).  
What A Time It Was 

Charlie & John have added "Jimmy" (based on James Dean) & "One Dress" (based on the favorite borrowed audition dress) to their B'way Bound musical repertoire.  Plans are in the works to perform in NY for potential $$$ backers around November.  Stay Tuned!
    
   
  Cast Your Vote!
We will be announcing this Fall -- get your vote in for who YOU feel deserves the
"Rehearsal Club Key Award"
Let us know who YOU feel deserves this honor.
Contact:  Rise Clemmer
[email protected]
(click the design to order for yourself!)
Equity's Narrative Project
Equity is encouraging all of us to submit to their online Narrative Project.  If you were on Broadway at some point in your career, you are welcome to tell your tale!  Do NOT duplicate your "Cinderella" story -- another aspect of your life told a whole new way.  Go for it!
 

GOINGS ON!

Olyve Hallmark Abbott

Finalist in the Ms Texas Senior America contest! (Aug. 13) Also, 

watch for her new book:  TV Live or Dead, published by Deadly Niche Press, available soon on amazon.com

 

Donna BrooksPerformed in "Thieves" at the American Indian Artists works which got picked up to play at the Public Thr., NYC, Aug. 3-14, $15.  She also continues to perform as an American Indian "storyteller."

 

Rise Clemmer:  Check out her husband, Larry, on Live From Lincoln Center 

 

Kathy ConryDirected & performed in her church's annual fundraiser, From B'way With Love with a host of B'way talent.  She continues to direct original works & plans are in the works for the RC.

 

Patricia Hill-Meyer:  Had a wealth of camera work this pilot season! 

 

Liz Hodes: Congrats to Stuart Hode's (hubby) DO40 Legacy Award, 2010 & visit his new blog -  

Lora Mitchell:  Published 3 more stores in Treasured Memories
  
Annie O'DonnellContinues to guest star in LA, most recently on Parks & Recreation.

Denise PenceContinues her weekly broadcast of Oprah magazine for Gatewave Networks.
 
Annette HuntPerformed in the original play, Hillbilly Women in NY to packed houses & is performing this summer in The Crucible. (see her story)

 

Grace KileyTeaching drama in the Fall and writing a new play on Grace Kelley.

 

Don't forget to send us YOUR latest news!

New Members 

Johanna Brewer
Andrea Friersen
Betty Galvano
Olyve Hallmark Abbott
Charla Hayen

SEARCHING FOR

 

Anyone holding pics from the Black Tie Revue of Johanna & her husband?

Contact:  Johanna Brewer

[email protected]

 410 822 5226

 

Diana Van derVlis

contact: [email protected]

 

  

  Shopping Corner
Contact
Judith Curcio at [email protected] for available cookbooks ($10), t-shirts & pins both ($15)
Supporting Our Alum 

 

Front Row:  Kathy Conry, Rise Clemmer, Robert Rubinsky, Dottie Belle, Larry (Rise's husband) & Denise Pence (in back) showed up to cheer Larry (Rise's husband) in his wildly funny show, Bobby, the Middle-Aged Celebrity, performed at the Jewel Box Thr, NYC.  The underused, hidden talents among many of our RC ranks is astonishing!  Larry, you were hilarious!  And we thought all you did was play the piano a bit.
The Rejane Project 
Rejane team

 L to R: Dramaturg, Tonia N. Sutherland, Director Christopher Sivertsen, Musical Collaborator Adrien Reju, R�jane's great-grandson (and Adrien's Dad) Michael Finckel, Ridley Krechmer (Ilana's daughter), Writer/Creator Ilana Turner and Joel Berman (Ilana's Dad.)

  

Soooo -- what's the connection between us and The R�jane Project?  None other than RC Alum, Gale Wilson Patron, Director for VintAge (last year's debut presentation for "Good Girls Only.")  

 

The RP tells the story of R�jane's struggle to balance her work and motherhood, which is simultaneously age-old and contemporary. As an actress, she premiered plays by Sardou and played the first French "Nora" in A Doll's House.  She ran her own theatre and company (pioneering realism along the way) and, as a mother, she raised two children (one of whom was longtime RC President, Germaine Porel Wilson). As Tina Fey said, "The life of a working parent is constantly saying 'This is impossible,' and then you keep doing it." R�jane did it 125 years ago.

 

Thank you to Ilana (writer/creator) and Christopher (Director) for sharing quality time with some of our alum in New York.  Our best on your project! 

The VP Voice
Thank you to everyone who contributed in making this newsletter possible.  As we approach our Centennial and we're targeting an "official" reunion in NY, we hope more and more of you will find us and join in the fun.  We are the stuff from which all this is being made -- whether you're in LA, FL, PA or the other side of the world.  Help us connect, grow and continue to learn from each other.

The Rehearsal Club 

Founded 1913  

Alumnae Newsletter

"To tell the story of The Rehearsal Club, to preserve its legacy and inspire the future generations of aspiring artists." 

Letter From Lee

 

    The long, hot summer days find Rehearsal Club officers and Steering Committee members on a well-earned hiatus. Not this year. With the 2013 Centennial looming, many are working harder than ever. That hard work is beginning to pay off.  

 

   Many of the creative projects initiated during the past four years finally seem close to reality: the memoir book, the documentary trailer and a PR Kit/

campaign.   In addition, new ones are already coming into existence. In this Newsletter, you will read about how we are beginning to fulfill the "inspiring future artists" part of our mission statement, our sought-after participation in the AEA Centennial and our proposal for a Rehearsal Club Centennial exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York.  As always, we welcome your interest and support in these projects and those to come.

 

  Our Fall General Meeting this year will be on a Sunday afternoon in mid-to-late October. I am working on getting a very special guest. Look for a save-the-date invitation and please join us.

Museum Centennial Exhibit
 

This fall, we will be sending a proposal letter to the Museum of the City of New York for a 2013 Rehearsal Club Centennial retrospective. Ours is a great New York story and the Museum is a popular one. An exhibit would make a wonderful addition to our centennial celebrations.

 

With the letter, the Museum requires a list of sources. We already have some impressive ones. Phyllis Creore Westermann's, "Canteen Girl" radio shows will take museum-goers back to World War II. We also have some items of star clothing that were donated to support the club, a table from the TV Room, posters, pictures, articles and some letters. Help to re-create life at the Club over the decades. Dig into your scrapbooks and closets to find Rehearsal Club memorabilia.

 

If you have questions and/or original material you are willing to loan the Museum, please contact Chair, Lee Kelley at [email protected].

 

RC Documentary to be funded thru not-for-profit, New York Women In Film and Television
   
Lucy Bruell, our Documentary Director, will air her latest documentary on Channel 13, August 20 at 1:00pm.   Entitled "On a Personal Note," it depicts 
The New York Piano Competition.  The Rehearsal Club documentary should be her next completed project -- and can be with YOUR tax-deductible donation (SPREAD THE WORD).

Checks must be made out to our fiscal sponsor: 
 NYWIFT
(NY Women in Film & Television)
  The Rehearsal Club Project should be written on the memo line.  This is very important.  Checks should be mailed to: 

 

Fiscal Sponsorship Program

New York Women in Film and Television

6 East 39th Street

New York, NY  10016. 

 

Alternatively, donations may be made online at our website: www.rehearsalclubnyc.com on our Bulletin Board page; or just click below to go directly to the NYWIFT donation site. 

 

DONATE HERE


MIRACLE (ALMOST) MANIFESTED!
Centennial Book Projects - Target 2013

Tapping our way to Publication! 

Trusting we'd get enough stories

WE DID!

Affirming we'll find a publisher!

WE WILL!

Praising Julie & our Collaborative Team!

THANK YOU!

Those among us who had the itch to tell their own story in their own words stepped up this past year to be part of our history and make Cinderellas of West 53rd Street a reality.

 

Julie Tibbott, our Editor, is spending her summer compiling our stories, providing comments to each and adding her voice to tie all of us together.  As our literary agent, Sarah Lazin of Lazin Books informs us, "This cannot be a collection of tributes, but a book about a special time and place told by the people who were there, in the best oral history tradition."

 

Helping us capture that "special time" is fine artist Betsy Ashton, a former CBS news anchor/reporter who has returned to her first   

passion, fine art, and will be doing sketches of each of our writer's and their first resume shot as an introduction to each of our personal stories - a treasured tribute. Below is her first sample of Phyllis Creore, our own Canteen Girl. 

 Betsy AshtonPhyllis Sketch

_____________________________________
History Book

Kathy Vestuto - In Her Own Words
  

"It's finally at the stage where I can zip along without trying to jump a bunch of hurdles (and there were many) or pour through any more archives hoping to find nebulous answers. It's at last within a decent schedule for completion. Last count was 50 interviews and personal feed back (and counting), which is just amazing to me. Many, many people have been extremely generous on so many levels."

 

Thank you, Kathy, for going where none of us would have dared to go!

Cast of The Acting Company's production of Stage Door with Judy Jenson, Rise Clemmer, Grace Kiley, Denise Pence & Lee Kelley
 

We also recently shared background & stories for the graduating class at NYU's Tisch Theater Department and The Acting Company.  Lee shared photos from our new press kit and we all shared stories about life at the RC.  

 

As our esteemed Arthur Anderson shares from his younger acting notes -- "These words have never been spoken before.  Nothing is more exciting to an audience than to see a character in a new situation - the suspense of how he/she will deal with it."  No less relevant words of wisdom.

 

We've added quite a few new "Friends of the RC" who will be watching as our many adventures unfold. 
Celebrating the Magic of Music 
 

Debora

LADIES OF JAZZ: A Tribute to ELLA FITZGERALD, SARAH VAUGHAN, and NANCY WILSON, is a celebration of song highlighting music from the American Songbook. The women celebrated in this show all stand as icons of American music. Played by 3 outstanding performers, namely, Connie Jackson, Karole Foreman, and Rehearsal Club Alum DeBorah Sharpe-Taylor. The evening is hosted by Karen Bankhead, aka the elderly Miss Etta Mae Mumphries. The Audience is spirited on a journey, with the mythical Miss Mumphries, as she reminisces about her experiences with these great gems of entertainment. With her inspiration, each entertainer reached greatness ... they never looked back, and the rest is history. By the end of the evening the audience was reciting this line along with Miss Mumphries.

 

In this production, our Rehearsal Club Alum Ms DeBorah Sharpe-Taylor (Debbie Sharpe, 1977) depicts the song stylings of SARAH VAUGHAN. Songs she performs in the show include Body and Soul, My Funny Valentine, Lush Life, Lover Man, What Ever Lola Wants, Lullaby of Birdland and more. The shows musical journey embraces the music of George Gershwin and other composers, various Broadway musicals, and an array of medleys and beautiful song stylings by the other ladies. This magical evening of song roused the audience at the Vision Center in San Diego, California to 4 standing ovations. If you discover an opportunity to experience LADIES OF JAZZ, don't hesitate, your soul will sing!

Deborah Sharpe-Taylor

RC Alum '77 

As Equity's Chair of the Diversity Committee in LA, DeB will also be helping us coordinate performers for Equity's Centennial in LA.  Let her know you'd like to be a part of it!

 

Contact:  [email protected] 

 

RC Trivia Quiz Answers!

1.  LESLIE HOWARD

2.  Hide it with trees since it was considered so ugly

3.  Tee-peeing cars on the street.