Statera Mentorship: Meet the Las Vegas / Southern Utah Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. 

Today we are pleased to introduce you to our new mentorship chapter in Las Vegas, serving the greater Southern Nevada and Southern Utah regions. We had a chance to catch up with Jessi Sommer, Graciela Strahan, and Kaitlin Mills, all of whom are serving as Regional Coordinators during the 2020 cycle.

Bay Area Chapter Website: https://stateraarts.org/las-vegas-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

From left to right: Hannah Weidenfeld, Jessi Sommer, Graciela Strahan, Kelly Hawes, and Kaitlin Mills.

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the arts.

Jessi Sommer (she/her): I've worn several hats working in the arts. I've been a performer for most of my life. While attending college I expanded my passions towards many other areas. I've been a director, actor, stage manager, sound/light designer, production assistant, and producer. Directing is my main area of focus. I attended one of the Workshop Weekends with Theatrical Intimacy Education this fall and I am an advocate for promoting those Best Practices in our educational and professional spaces.

Graciela Strahan (she/her): I started dancing with jazz, ballet, and hip-hop at five years old. My love for theatre started with the release of the Hairspray movie adaptation in 2007, and soon after seeing it I joined a children's theatre. I have been hooked ever since! I competed in thespian competitions throughout high school and studied theatre at Southern Utah University as well as taught fifth-grade literature and character development through an arts integration program. I recently played Johnna in A Public Fit Theatre's production of August: Osage County, and am working as a teaching artist in the Las Vegas Community.

Kaitlin Mills (she/her): I am a professional actor and visual artist who is passionate about creating opportunities for women in the arts. In 2017 I founded an all-women Shakespeare company, Women of Will, with three of my dear friends and colleagues. 

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the Las Vegas arts scene?

Jessi: I was born and raised in Las Vegas by my mother who is also heavily involved with the arts community. My mother is an opera singer and voice teacher so my childhood consisted of watching theatre and listening to music being taught in our home. I started taking piano and dance lessons at a young age with some wonderful instructors. One of my favorite performances still to this day was on The Smith Center stage competing in the 2014 Nevada High School Musical Theatre Awards. I attended Southern Utah University for a few years and moved back to Las Vegas in August 2019 to continue my studies. Our arts scene is very unique in the fact Las Vegas produces musical and contemporary theatre, interactive theatre, ballet, choral pieces, independent film, and more! I've grown to really appreciate the Las Vegas talent!

Graciela: Las Vegas is, in essence, a big little city and everyone is six degrees away from anyone. While I may have grown up in this city, my introduction to the arts scene was a little bit of a crash landing. I’d only been back a week before I auditioned for APF and was blessed with August of Osage County. Through APF I have reconnected with dear friends and been introduced to some of the most amazing artists and wonderful people in town.

Kaitlin: I moved to Cedar City, Utah back in 2007 to pursue a degree in classical acting at Southern Utah University. After graduating, I moved to Pittsburgh, PA for a brief time before realizing that my true home was back in Cedar City. I have lived here for many years, and couldn’t wish for a better home for my family. 

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Jessi: About a year ago I was seeking guidance after experiencing serious mental health issues. I was at a loss with my finances, education, emotional balance, and essentially what I wanted to do with my life. A woman who worked at the university so graciously met with me at least two times a month just to discuss my problems and obstacles, informed me on every possible resource that was out there for me, and steered me back on a healthy path towards my success. She supported me every step of the way as I transitioned, narrowing my focus into helping others who've had similar experiences as I have. I am forever grateful for her dedication the way she advanced my life.

Graciela: I am so unbelievably honored to have studied under the incomparable Elena Ferrante-Martin and Melinda Pfundstein. These women have guided me with endless patience and care. Through their tutelage I have grown not only as an artist but as a person.

Kaitlin: While I’ve only ever experienced having an official mentor once, I consider myself fortunate to have benefitted from many unofficial mentors in my life. While I have had too many experiences to share any specifics, I am passionate about ensuring that all women have the same opportunity. 

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Jessi: Melinda Pfundstein was a professor of mine at Southern Utah University. StateraArts became a huge part of the Cedar City community. When I made the decision to move I did some research and noticed there wasn’t a Las Vegas Mentorship Chapter established yet. I wanted the influence StateraArts had on my life to continue when I left Cedar City, so I took the risk and here we are!

Graciela:  My dear friend and college roommate Jessi Sommer brought the Mentorship Program to Las Vegas and reached out to me about getting involved!

Kaitlin: I was a part of the Statera Mentorship pilot program during my time in Pittsburgh and was incredibly grateful for the guide that my mentor was during that time. I have been involved in many ways with Statera since then and am excited for this opportunity to continue working with them. 

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Jessi: A successful mentorship thrives one healthy communication. It's important to find a mentor who models the same values as you. If my plan is to work in music, I wouldn't seek a mentor in accounting. Mentorship relationships deserve a strong connection, just as any other relationship would. The key is bringing two people together who really "click". Mentors and mentees also need to have honesty and accountability with each other.

Graciela: Every mentor/mentee relationship is unique. In this industry there is hardly ever a clear “next step on the corporate ladder" to aspire to, contrary to what you might find on other career paths. Feedback, workshops, and personal relationships built daily communication are things you may receive as an artist, but typically only while you are on a project. What happens in between projects?

Kaitlin: I think the greatest need that can be filled in a mentorship relationship is having someone to talk to who has been in a similar situation. Someone who can say, “I see you. I hear you. Let’s figure this out together.”

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community.

Jessi: I love making every team member feel important! Leadership requires delegation and to do that we have to understand our member's strengths to place them where they will perform best. A good leader is a person who will enthusiastically support the work of their community while looking for ways to always improve. A true leader is approachable, not feared.

Graciela: In leadership positions I like to focus on the service aspect and ask, “How can I support you? What can we build/learn together? How can I help you succeed?” I know that there are others searching for support, information, and community. I love being an agent for connection.

Kaitlin: As a leader I love to bring people together to problem solve. I believe that we are stronger when working together and try to connect people to accomplish great things. 

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Jessi: At the moment, I am heavily focused on my studies. StateraArts was a perfect opportunity to stay involved with theatre without needing to be in a rehearsal every evening. I am receiving certification in Mental Health First Aid next month which I'm really excited for! I'm in a very research-based phase currently. I would love to amplify YOU! Any shows, readings, workshops, etc. that I can attend or at least advertise for you please send an invite on Facebook!

Graciela: Any upcoming projects will be shared on Instagram at @grazieverafter. Excited to share this chapter!

Kaitlin: I am currently getting a graduate degree in Arts Administration from Southern Utah University, and working on making Women of Will a non-profit. 

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Seattle Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. Today we are pleased to introduce you to the Regional Coordinators of Stateras’s mentorship chapter in Seattle!

Seattle Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/seattle-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

From left to right: Erika Vetter Fontana, Vahishta Vafadari, and Rebecca O’Neil.

Statera: Tell us about your work in the arts.

Erika Vetter Fontana (she/her): I spent six years in NYC acting and working as an actor’s adjunct for the NYPD and Riker’s Island Crisis Intervention Training programs teaching nonviolent deescalation. In 2018 I moved to Seattle to get my MFA in the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington and am currently in my second year, where I also serve as the School of Drama Senator in the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. I have also been the StateraArts Social Media Director since 2015.

Vahishta Vafadari (she/her): I started out working as an actor in the theater. But in the last few years, I've worked both onstage and off, and dabbled in some film and tv. I'm not only an actor, but also a dialect designer, teaching artist, audition coach and have dabbled in movement and fight choreography.

Rebecca O’Neil (she/her): I am an actor and now I am also the founder of a start-up theatre company called The Shattered Glass Project, whose mission is to amplify the voices of women+ theatre artists.

Statera: Can you share about your journey to the Seattle arts scene?

Erika: Grad school brought me here. The Seattle arts scene is full of UW faculty and alumni in all fields, and the arts community out here is involved and welcoming. It made for an easy transition from NYC. 

Vahishta: I'm pretty new to Seattle! I've only been in the city 9 months- but I love it. I'm coming from Chicago, which is a very different market. I'm still learning, but so far people have been incredibly generous and willing to share their knowledge and experiences with me. In the few months I've been here I've been lucky enough to do some auditioning, work on a great immersive play with Dacha Theater and do some dialect coaching.

Rebecca: I moved to Seattle in 2000, after 10 years in Portland (I’m an Oregon native), where I was the artistic director of Portland Actors Ensemble, an actor, a grantwriter, and the support staff for a college arts department, before beginning a somewhat surprising career in legal nonprofit  and education administration. (Basically stage management, but with lawyers.) I continued to act as a side gig, but in 2017 I discovered the MFA Arts Leadership program at Seattle University, and took advantage of my employee benefit of free tuition for graduate programs to enroll. I developed The Shattered Glass Project from my classwork, which included a healthy dose of social justice training. I have a wonderful spouse who is willing to support me while TSGP is still in startup mode, so I’ve jumped off the deep end into full-time work as a founder to develop programming, write grants, raise funds, and make theatre.

Statera: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Erika: I got involved in StateraArts because of Shelly Gaza, who co-founded it and serves on the board. She was my professor in undergrad, and would always reach out about opportunities she thought I’d be a good fit for. She called me in summer 2015 to encourage me to come out to Cedar City for Statera’s inaugural conference. That woman has changed my life in only the most positive ways. She helped me get into UW and introduced me to the StateraArts family, both of which have been some of my most fruitful artistic endeavors.

Vahishta: I had a really lovely mentee through the Statera Mentorship Program in Chicago. It was my second time being a part of the program and my first time as a mentor. We had a wonderful artist date where we went to an indie film screening and later I introduced her to the writer and lead actor in the film. I was excited to get to create a connection between my mentee another artist in the community who could relate to her specifically as a black female creative. 

Rebecca: I think my most memorable mentorship experience was the realization that I never had one at any point in my early career. I interviewed a young woman as part of a research project I was conducting, who talked to me about how her mentor would meet with her regularly; ask her questions about what she wanted to do with her career; encourage her to take this or that step and talk about what decisions she (the mentor) had made and why; and generally show this young woman how to move forward with a career in theatre. I never once had a professional role model talk to me or demonstrate any interest in how I might have a successful career in the theatre, and in listening to this young woman talk, I realized how sad that was. I resolved to help other women, of all ages and theatre practice areas, to become mentors and mentees for one another.

Statera: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Erika: Mentorship is such a HUGE part of the work we are doing at StateraArts, and Minita and Erika have done such a beautiful job building a mentorship program that reflects our mission. I promised myself I’d beg them to let me take part in coordinating if a chapter opened in Seattle.

Vahishta: I had a very good friend, Anu Bhatt, tell me about her experience with the program and it got me excited. I was looking for a way to continue growing and learning after I finished my masters program and working with Statera as a mentee was perfect. It gave me support and a great mentor to plan with and bounce ideas off of.

Rebecca: My MFA classmate Cristin Hubbard Miller introduced me to StateraArts, and encouraged me to attend the first conference I could get to. Thank you Cristin!

Statera: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Erika: This industry is constantly changing and, at many times, completely daunting. It can overwhelm anyone trying to navigate it, and it can be incredibly disheartening to do it alone. Mentorship builds community, and community creates opportunity, and opportunity opens doors to other opportunities until one day you wake up and discover you’ve built yourself a career. If your ambition is the seed and the industry is the soil, mentorship is the sunlight and the water that helps you grow.

Vahishta: Communication. We all have so many questions and it can be difficult to know who to ask. Statera takes the anxiety and mystery out of it. That's what the mentor is for. It gives you a place you can always go with your questions.

Rebecca: Since most work in theatre is acquired through who you know, mentorship is a way for less experienced professionals to develop valuable relationships as well as to gain career guidance. It is also a way for more experienced professionals to develop valuable relationships and keep their own perspective fresh, as well as giving back to the community. By choosing to mentor people who may not have the same access, a more experienced professional can help diversify the community simply by being supportive and encouraging. Gaining sound advice and direction is almost secondary to the emotional support a mentor can provide to an emerging artist.

Statera: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community. 

Erika: I think the best leaders are the ones who lead with a learner’s mentality: an open mind and heart, a desire to collaborate rather than to dictate, and the knowledge that inclusivity can and will always improve upon the work being done. I think promoting the cultivation of balance to counteract the burnout culture is also important right now.

Vahishta: I love sharing information, and being a teacher. Bringing people together who can help each other grow makes my heart sing. So I think that's why I'm here.

Rebecca: There’s nothing I like better than the “ah-ha!” moment a cast arrives at when something actually comes together. I think of my leadership style as collaborative and encouraging, and that “ah-ha!” moment is why; the sheer joy of getting to the absolute right thing together. I’m drawn to volunteering for Statera Mentorship because I have a firm belief in fairness. Putting people together in relationships is one way to arrive at a more just, more diverse art form that tells better stories in more diverse ways. Mentorship is More!

Statera: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about? Any links or PR you want to share with us?

Erika: I’ll be in The Best of Everything at UW, a feminist comedy led by a FIERCE woman and celebrated Seattle director Valerie Curtis-Newton! It runs Feb. 1-16. And I’ll be playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret (also at UW) directed by another well-loved Seattle director Tim Bond, April 25-May 17. Come say hello!

Vahishta: I'm currently teaching and acting and very excited to get to know the first Seattle class!

Rebecca: The Shattered Glass Project is bringing in our first cohort of our incubator program for women+ directors and playwrights, who will use feminist co-mentoring principles to work with and teach one another. And we will produce our first mainstage production at the 18th & Union space in Seattle’s Central District, a production of Much Ado About Nothing directed by Francie Mylet and running May 29-June 14, 2020. I’m playing Beatrice (yes, a 53 year old Beatrice!) Check out our website for details!

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.  

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Cincinnati/N. Kentucky Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. Today we are pleased to introduce you to the Regional Coordinators of our new mentorship chapter in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky!

Cincinnati / N.Kentucky Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/cincinnati-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

Left to right: Jennifer Joplin, Alice Flanders, Torie Wiggins, Caitlin McWethy, Maliyah Gramata-Jones, and Erin Carr.

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the arts.

Alice Flanders (she/her): I've been an arts professional in Cincinnati for 15 years. In fact, other than babysitting, the only jobs I've ever had have been arts/entertainment-related! In that time I've worked as everything from a Production Assistant and Assistant Stage Manager to a Director and Producer, and everything in between. 

Erin Carr (she/her): I'm a physical theatre creator, theatre practitioner, and theatre activist. I went to NYU-Tisch School of the Arts where I studied at the Experimental Theatre Wing and discovered there were so many more ways to tell a story and express inner life than I had previously imagined. Along with performing and directing, I also travel around the U.S. throughout the year teaching various physical theatre techniques to all ages, in varying field. In the past several years I've co-founded two theatre companies: ReVamp Collective based in Philadelphia, and Solasta Theatre Lab based in Cincinnati. I co-founded ReVamp Collective because I wanted to see more opportunities for womxn in the Philadelphia community. I co-founded Solasta Theatre Lab, a physical theatre/puppet theatre company because I wanted to see more varied storytelling styles in my city. Solasta Theatre Lab also offers a free open movement lab once a month because I believe that theatre is a collaborative art form, not a competitive one. When we can move together we realize this even more.

Torie Wiggins (she/her): I’m an actor, director, educator and mentor!

Jennifer Joplin (she/her): I've been a professional actor for over 25 years. For most of those years, I didn't trust my own vision and voice enough to think that there was a chance of me stepping into other artistic roles. I'm so thrilled to have also become a teacher, a coach, a director and a playwright in the last 10 years. Trusting yourself is hard but it opens so many new doors!

Maliyah Gramata-Jones (she/her): Currently I'm an actor and teaching artist. Previously, I worked as an arts ambassador, performer, and teacher in Germany, Poland, Japan, Canada, and the US. Some of my favorite projects were cultural integration workshops with Syrian refugees and German citizens, corporate team building in Japan, and empowerment workshops in women's juvenile detention centers in Southern California. 

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the Cincinnati/N. Kentucky arts scene?

Alice: I came to the arts through a love of Shakespeare and acting. My parents took me to see Love's Labours Lost with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (then Farenheit Theatre Company) when I was about 6, and I adored everything about it. When I was old enough, I joined the Shakespeare Company's education program, which eventually led to my first experience in professional technical theatre. Assistant Stage Managing for the first time really cemented my love of theatre, but also opened me up to a new life within it. That love of stage management ended up taking me all the way through college at the College Conservatory of Music-University of Cincinnati, and then to a full-time resident stage manager position at the Shakespeare Company. After about four years of that, I decided I needed to move into the administration side of things as Managing Director of the Know Theatre of Cincinnati, where I was first given the opportunity to direct a mainstage show. I've since left the Know Theatre to work as Chief of Staff to podcaster Travis McElroy, but the framework and love of theatre I'd gotten from Cincinnati theatre has stayed, and I'm still a freelance director and producer all around the area.

Erin: Growing up in a theatre family in Cincinnati, the evolving arts scene here is near and dear to my heart. Although I moved away for about ten years, working in both NYC & Philadelphia, moving back to Cincinnati has been a fulfilling choice artistically and personally. So although my own artistic journey has taken me around the world, it keeps me coming back to Cincinnati because I believe there is still untapped artistic potential just waiting to explode.

Torie: I had been living in NYC for 12 years when I received a call about an opportunity to do a show in Cincinnati (I had a connection to the city because it’s where I received my BFA from UC-CCM.) I took the job with the intention of staying long enough to do the show. I kept receiving offers and opportunities, and fell in love with the arts scene there. So here I am, 8 years later!

Jennifer: After years in Chicago and New York, the birth of my son inspired me to look for a strong regional theatre homebase. I know from the success of my father in the St. Louis area that establishing yourself within an artistic region can lead to a challenging, rewarding career, as long as you're willing to work and fight for it! The Cincinnati/Dayton area has become my artistic home and I'm very happy to continue to work here and do what I can to help this region thrive artistically.

Maliyah: I went to the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts and during my time there I started exploring theatre opportunities around the city. While in high school I had the chance to perform and produce work in the Fringe Next festival. I took additional acting classes at the Cincinnati Actor's Studio & Academy. And I booked my first professional gig at The Know theatre as a freshman in high school! After I graduated from college and returned to Cincinnati they welcomed me back with open arms. This scene is truly one of a kind and a beautiful place to grow as a young artist.

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Alice: I love that Cincinnati is such a collaborative place. I don't feel as though I can choose one moment, because I feel like this community is such that if I ever have a problem I have someone to turn to to help me fix it, or to talk me through it. I've shifted the course of my career pretty majorly twice in the past five years, and both times not only did I feel supported by my peers, I also felt supported by my superiors at every turn. If that's not a sign of wonderful mentorship all throughout Cincinnati, I don't know what is!

Erin: My relationship with Tina Shepard at NYU-Tisch. She was one of my professors at ETW and during my senior year, she offered her time and energy to be my 2nd advisor on my independent project. Tina taught me the value of asking questions rather than demanding answers. She also showed me, by example, the benefit of looking at a creative mental block as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. She reminds me to look at each moment, whether it is an artistic challenge or a daily event, with open eyes, a flexible mind, and a receiving heart.

Torie: Sadly, I really didn’t have mentors, and I’m to blame. I thought I could navigate my career on my own. That’s why mentorship is so important to me. My journey was a bit lonely, and I now realize that it doesn’t have to be that way for others. 

Jennifer: Working with an amazing woman in her early 70s in New York. She was a Broadway actor in her youth and is now almost exclusively an acting teacher. Her ability to help you see your own BS and push through it was a career changer for me. Just as importantly, I saw how much she still craved performing but talked herself out of it. It was an eye opener to how vigilant we have to be against our own self-doubt.

Maliyah: I have a team of powerful women who simply call me out on my crap. Those moments where my ego has been completely shot are the moments I grow the most. 

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Alice: I was first introduced to Statera by the inimitable Lormarev Jones when she was living in Cincinnati, and have been trying to fit a conference into my schedule ever since! I was connected to the Statera Mentorship program by Torie Wiggins when she sent out an email to a few women in Cincinnati theatre scene to see if we would be interested in helping her start a program here in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, and I jumped at the opportunity!

Erin: I was first introduced to Statera Arts through Torie Wilkins when she taught a workshop at StateraCon III. She knows that I am passionate about cultivating an arts community that supports and collaborates, so when she presented the opportunity to work with Statera as a regional coordinator, I immediately jumped on board!

Torie: I found out about Statera through a friend and ambassador (Jackie DiSalvo) and decided to attend the conference in 2018. It was an awesome experience.

Jennifer: Talking with a friend and colleague about my recent one woman show, she suggested I take it to StateraCon this year…. and I did! Getting to spend that weekend with so many powerful and talented people, dedicated not only to brilliant art but also personal, professional and global balance was wonderful. I jumped at the chance to continue working with Statera through the Mentorship program.

Maliyah: Torie Wiggins!

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Alice: Open and clear lines of communication! In nonprofits, and especially in the arts, coworkers can be so busy with their own to do list that it's hard to get an honest and concise opinion from them quickly. A mentorship allows you to reach out to someone familiar with your situation, but with an outside eye. A mentor can give you advice and opinions that you might not have even considered on your own, because they're close enough to you to have an idea what's going on, but not necessarily so close that they will have the same tunnel vision you may be stuck in. 

Erin: Trust, open communication, and security of self are the most important qualities in a mentorship relationship. Trust that the other person will keep an open mind when communicating, and that the other person will listen (and not just wait to talk/advise). It's important to understand that a mentorship relationship is not about ego but about building relationships and strengthening the community through that mentorship.

Torie: I think the greatest and most common need is motivation and just having a space to ask the questions that are perceived as basic or dumb. You’d be surprised at how many artists don’t know where to begin, or may just need some encouragement. 

Jennifer: Connections and contacts are so important but so is honesty and humility. I believe that there is a real opportunity for both mentor and mentee to teach and learn from each other when we're honest about who we are, what we know and what we want.

Maliyah: Honesty.

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community.

Alice: I like to think of myself as a hands-on leader who's more than willing to take a step back if the people under me are ready for more responsibility. I try to trust whenever possible that if someone requests more responsibility or more freedom, it's because they are ready for it. Don't doubt people unless they give you an explicit reason to! I feel like I have been absolutely blessed by the Cincinnati theatre community, and it's time to give back. Because of the relationships I've forged, I've been able to take giant steps in my career, and I want to give those opportunities to other women+ in the region! I love Statera's principle that anyone can be a mentor, because everyone has different skills and knowledge that other people may be looking for.

Erin: My leadership style is inspired by my own mom, who teaches the importance of servant leadership. I believe that when you put the needs of others first, it empowers them to find their next evolution. I'm called to volunteer with Statera Arts as a Regional Coordinator in order to support those in my community to find the relationships they each need to reach their next evolution.

Torie: I often get asked for coffee to “pick my brain” or “talk about the biz” and I’m happy to do it, but our community is rich with resources far beyond what I know and can offer. I’m fortunate to be connected to almost all of them. 

Jennifer: I think it is honesty that has most shaped my leadership style. There's too much I want to do and experience to waste time on not being honest. I think your best work and your true self are fueled by it. And whether you intended to lead or not, that honesty transforms into leadership.

Maliyah: I lead by being the best follower I can be. I listen, watch, and learn from the best so one day I can pass down their wisdom. I'm passionate about Statera because I believe that there is a wealth of wisdom around us, and I want to help foster those connections. 

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Alice: I'm currently producing Cincinnati's first annual Storytelling Festival! We're raising money for it through our indiegogo. You can find more information about it here as well. I'm also about to start directing End of the Rainbow with The Carnegie Theatre in Covington. That runs March 21-April 5. We keep busy here in Cincinnati!

Erin: Right now my main focus is graduate school, as I'm working on my MBA with a focus on Entrepreneurship, in order to expand my work as a Body Language Consultant. However, recently my company Solasta Theatre Lab collaborated with Know Theatre in Cincinnati on a physical installation as part of BLINK Cincinnati, a light-based art festival. We developed a "World of Wonders" using body puppetry, blacklight storytelling, shadow puppetry, and Grotowski-inspired movement work which offered an opportunity for audience interaction and connection. We are hoping to expand/continue parts of this creation in the next year! For more: www.erincarr.com

Torie: I’m excited to open a show in a week, and about two upcoming projects that are centered around women! 

Jennifer: I've submitted my one woman show to the New York and London United Solo Theatre Festivals! I'll accept all crossed fingers and good wishes. But more importantly I would LOVE any inside information on submitting and successfully navigating the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well.  By the end of February I'd love to have a 3 city, international tour in the works!

Maliyah: I’m in Hamlet at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company! Hamlet will be played by a woman, as a woman, and directed by a woman. Check out Sara Clark's Ted Talk about why seeing a woman as Hamlet is important in 2020! 

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JOIN STATERA’S MENTORSHIP PROGRAM TODAY

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Southern Oregon Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. 

We are pleased to introduce you to our new mentorship chapter in Ashland serving the greater Southern Oregon area. We had a chance to catch up with Jackie Apodaca, Kim Carbone, and Valerie Rachelle, all of whom are serving as Regional Coordinators during the 2020 cycle.

Southern Oregon Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/southern-oregon-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

Left to right: Jackie Apodaca, Kim Carbone, Valerie Rachelle, and Lauren Blair

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Valerie Rachelle (she/her): I've been in the theater since my childhood. My parents were illusionists (yes, magicians) who toured the world and that is where my performing and technical theater training started.  I was also a dancer and singer at a young age. I got my BFA in acting at CalArts and my MFA in Directing at UC Irvine. I've been a director/choreographer professionally for over 20 years and am currently Artistic Director of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre as well as continuing my freelance directing and choreography work. 

Kim Carbone (she/her): I am a sound designer and engineer for mostly theatrical productions. Although, I have been known to jump behind the console for any gig that’s unique or quick paced. I was lucky enough to find my passion in high school; since then I’ve been across the country and around the world, making noise.

Jackie Apodaca (she/her): I have been working in the arts since...gosh...forever! I am currently a Professor of Acting and the Head of Performance at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon and the Associate Artistic Director of Ashland New Plays Festival. My book, Answers from The Working Actor, was published last year. Outside of all that, I freelance as an actor and director as often as I can.

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the Southern Oregon arts scene?

Valerie: Over five years ago my friend and colleague, Jim Giancarlo, wanted to retire from owning and running the Oregon Cabaret Theatre and began talking to me about taking over.  My husband and I were living and working in theater and film out of Los Angeles when my husband lost his "muggle" job (the job that was paying the bills).  Instead of working 9 to 5 in an office we decided to cash out our entire savings, sell our house, and make an offer for the theater.  Jim accepted our offer but then suddenly passed away only six days later.  We were devastated to lose a friend and mentor but his family (blood related and Cabaret family) welcomed us and helped us through a difficult transition.  We have been here for five years now and are so blessed to run such a unique and wonderful theater.  I also teach as an adjunct faculty member at Southern Oregon University and I also was a choreographer for Oregon Shakespeare Festival for three seasons (2016, 2017, 2018). 

Kim: I am originally from Oregon, but moved across the country after college. A couple years after grad school, I landed in NYC where I lived and worked for 10 years. It was amazing, but the city began to wear us down. When it came time to consider a move, we knew Southern Oregon was a strong possibility. We had been living in Ashland for a month each year, I have been teaching at Southern Oregon University in a summertime graduate program for 8 years now. We felt that moving to Ashland would be the change of pace we were seeking. I’ve been back for just over a year now and it’s exciting to be part of the growing theatre scene here.

Jackie: I came to Ashland from LA, via Santa Barbara. It wasn't in my plans but academic careers are tricky that way. If I'm being honest, I only applied for the position here because the University of California system (where I taught previously) was in a financial crisis at the time and I was looking for more security for my kids. Ironically, the year after I arrived here the Oregon system went into crisis...so you just never know. Ashland is a really small town, which was a culture shock for me having grown up in LA and working there and in New York. When I first got here, I had no concept of how to navigate such a tiny, word-of-mouth place. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and I knew no one. After 8 years, I am finally grounded here. I can't get a cup of coffee without seeing six people I know--which is a blessing and a curse! 

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Valerie: My most memorable mentorship experience is difficult to choose. I've been blessed with so many amazing mentors in my career. But, someone I will forever hold in heart is Rodger Henderson.  He was one of my acting teachers at CalArts and he pushed me to find what was unique about myself.  Rodger encouraged me to take huge risks on and off stage and to find my voice, my bravery, my self confidence, and to dig deeper to explore my passion.  Another eye opening mentor has been more recent.  My friendship with Faith Prince has allowed me to recognize what I, as a woman, have to give the theater arts.  She has been a great advocate for my work and I am grateful for her wisdom and support.

Kim: When I first began engineering, it was my choir teacher that gave me the opportunity. While he didn’t know much about sound, he gave me support and life lessons that I still use today. I’ll never forget the first time I experienced sexism as a young engineer. I was so surprised because I didn’t even realize that my gender would be cause for discrimination, but unfortunately, it was. When I told my teacher what had just happened, he told me that this would likely not be my only instance of dealing with ignorance. He didn’t let me run and hide, like I wanted to; he took me back to the problem and showed me how to deal with the situation in a firm, professional manner. I rely on that lesson all the time and it has made me stronger in my self and in my career. I will always be grateful to him.

Jackie: I have never had a formal mentorship and the people in my life who have offered me professional guidance have all been men. I think that's mainly because there were many more men in power throughout my education and early career than women. Men showed me how to...well, be in positions of power while still getting along in a man's world. I appreciate what they taught me, it really did help, but I regret missing out on a different perspective. That's one of the reasons I want to help others have that opportunity.

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Valerie: I have been a fan of the women who started Statera for many years and wanted to become as involved as I could in the foundation. So many women I admire and want to collaborate with are a part of Statera.  I was a mentor for the very first round of this program and am still in contact with one of my mentees.

Kim: When I arrived in Southern Oregon, I was lucky enough to connect with Valerie Rachelle at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre. After working on a few productions together, Val approached me about Statera and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Jackie: The prolific director Melissa Anderson told me about Statera a couple years back. Just recently, Valerie Rachelle who masterfully runs Oregon Cabaret Theatre here in town, asked me to join her in this endeavor. I was flattered and eager to get started.

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Valerie: Connection.  Human connection. It's important to know that there are others who have been where you are before; have had the same questions, doubts, successes, road blocks, etc.  It's nice to know you're not alone and that there are others out there who want you to find your path and are there to help you.

Kim: For me, mentoring is about creating community and support. You can talk to someone who knows, who has been there. It’s not always specific to our art; mostly we just need to feel like we’re not alone. If we all reach out a hand to uplift each other, wouldn’t the world be a much better place?

Jackie: Outside of a formal mentorship, asking for help can feel like a nuisance, a bother. I'm someone who struggles to ask for help in general, but I know others share this trait. I worry, “Am I bothering this person? Why do I think they should take their time to help me? Who do I think I am? Is this a dumb question?” A formal mentorship removes those barriers and creates a space in which people can feel comfortable giving and taking, sharing back and forth.

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community. 

Valerie: Everyone needs to be heard and we all speak a different artistic language. I love mining ideas and using them to find the best artistic path on our journey to create the clearest, most effective way to tell a story.  I am so inspired by light bulb moments and by bouncing energy off each other to create something new and exciting. 

Kim: I’ve always gravitated to the teacher or leader role. It seems to come naturally and it’s something I love to do. It’s so exciting to watch someone have an “ah-ha” moment.

Jackie: As a leader, I am candid, collaborative, and willing: willing to try things, to jump in, to change. I also care way too much, which can be challenging. As a woman, I have always been encouraged to lead in men's shadows, accommodating their preferences and making sure they are comfortable with me in charge. I am excited about the opportunity to rethink those practices, to help others avoid them, and to learn from a new group of human beings who are striving for more. I'm also excited to work with people outside the university in a mentorship capacity. I know there are collaborators here I have yet to encounter. 

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about? Any links or PR you want to share with us? 

Valerie: My 2020 is going to be busy! I start with If/Then at Southern Oregon University and then direct The Spitfire Grill here at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre.  After that I'm off to Pittsburgh to direct Rigoletto at Resonance Works. We are collaborating with a local sexual assault crisis center to try to tell a more female-centric re-telling of this opera.  After that I'm off to Utah to direct and choreograph She Loves Me and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat at the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater.  Then, I'm back home to Ashland to direct and choreograph White Christmas.

Kim: I’m the resident sound designer for the Oregon Cabaret Theatre. We’re about to swing into the 2020 season and it’s going to be amazing! You can also find me at the Junior Theatre Festival (both East and West), which is a beautiful source of theatrical energy and always reminds me why I work in this crazy, wonderful field. I’ll also be teaching at Southern Oregon University, in both the undergrad and grad program.

Jackie: My book is out! I wrote the actors advice column for Backstage newspaper for a decade. What I learned there was so extensive, surprising, and specific that I wanted to share it more widely in a lasting format. Hence, the book! I am truly passionate about helping actors navigate our tricky business. I suppose it's another form of mentoring. Find it here.

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Mara Jill Herman on The Dreaded Question Podcast

Happy weekend, everyone! We have a special treat to share with you today. Earlier this week Mara Jill Herman, one of the Regional Coordinators for our New York City mentorship chapter, was featured on the podcast The Dreaded Question. Read a bit about TDQ and Mara’s interview below!

About The Dreaded Question

All artists have experienced it: the dread of being asked the simple question, “So, what are you up to?” The truth is, we all have an answer, but so few of us feel like we have the right answer. On this podcast, host Lili Torre asks brave artists this dreaded question, and unpacks the different ways they find fulfillment inside and outside of their artistic field. Lili’s mission is to eliminate the old adage artists are constantly told, "If you can do anything else, do that instead", and replace it with "If you can do anything else, do that also." 

Mara Jill Herman, Statera Mentorship: New York City Regional Coordinator

“Blocking out the noise”

In this episode, Lili asks about Mara’s career path, her relationship to New York City, and what drives her work as an actress, singer, writer, and producer. As Lili shares, Mara is a powerful connector and makes you feel like you’ve known her forever after just meeting her. They discuss together how to go about networking and community building in a way that feels genuine and joyful. Statera becomes the topic of conversation as they discuss what inspired Mara to help launch the New York City mentorship chapter, as well as kicking it off with the Changemakers Benefit Concert last summer.

Listen to the full episode below, or wherever you enjoy your favorite Podcasts.

Applications for Statera Mentorship are still open!

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. What are you waiting for? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Milwaukee Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. Today we are pleased to introduce you to the Regional Coordinators of Stateras’s mentorship chapter in Milwaukee!

Milwaukee Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/milwaukee-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

Left to right: Samantha Martinson, Nadja Simmonds, and Maggie Marks.

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the arts.

Samantha Martinson (she/her): I have been fortunate enough to work in several areas of the theater including administration, education, acting, directing, and producing. I have worked with several regional theaters' education departments and feel most passionate when highlighting others' voices and stories, whether that be through storytelling on stage, behind the scenes or in the classroom teaching playwriting. 

Nadja Simmonds (she/her): I am a live-theater actor primarily based in Milwaukee. I have a deep love for Shakespeare and have performed with a traveling Shakespeare troupe (The Summit Players Theater) throughout Wisconsin for multiple years. We make Shakespeare family-friendly, and provide accessibility to communities that lack a classical, live-theater presence. Besides the classics, I also enjoy modern works that focus on social justice issues. I am passionate about inciting discussions about controversial and relevant topics in our society in order to bring diversity to our field. 

Maggie Marks (she/her): I’m an actor based in Milwaukee.  I have trained and worked in the theater from upstate New York (Skidmore College) L.A. (Beverly Hill’s Playhouse), Massachusetts (Williamstown Theater Festival), Oxford (BADA), Chicago (Actor’s Studio), and Cleveland.  I lived in Cleveland for 3 years and had a fantastic time performing with several different companies. Once we returned to Milwaukee I worked with Milwaukee Shakespeare, and Renaissance Theaterworks before I had my first child. I took a back seat to theater for a bit while caring for my two kids and just recently returned to the stage.  

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the Milwaukee arts scene?

Samantha: I joke that I'm really not sure, but I know that it was because of women who lifted me up in the community. Right out of college, I landed a job at First Stage, teaching improvisation for their Summer Academy. From there, I went to Hartford Stage in CT for an apprenticeship. The following summer, I returned to First Stage, and I decided to intentionally put down roots in Milwaukee. That summer, I met Marcella Kearns, who offered me the Education Associate positions at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and eight years later, I'm still in the city, working in the arts. 

Nadja: I came to Milwaukee originally to study International Communication at Marquette University, but I quickly found my way to the Marquette Theater Department, and it's safe to say that my life improved from that point on! My alma mater helped prepare me for a professional theater career and provided the stepping stone between collegiate theater and the Milwaukee theater community. I've been here acting ever since!

Maggie: I grew up about 30 minutes west of downtown Milwaukee and loved coming into the city for the lively art scene.  Having grown up so close I wanted to explore other cities and chose to go to school far from home at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.  There I learned how much I loved physical and non-classical theater.  We were trained in Viewpoints and Suzuki at Skidmore, and I did further training in the summer at SITI for an intensive experience in both.  After graduating I took several years of exploring and my journey took me to L.A, Massachusetts, Oxford, Chicago, and finally to Cleveland to join my husband for his residency in medicine.  Both Williamstown theater Festival and BADA, were incredibly influential in teaching me how to behave in the professional theater and the work ethic needed to succeed.  I was thrilled when we moved back to Milwaukee for my husbands fellowship in medicine, I knew that having a family would take me away from theater for a time, but I feel so lucky that the theater community has welcomed me back with openness and understanding.

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Samantha: How do I choose just one? When I find myself in the role of a mentor or in a moment where I am struggling, I think to myself, "What would Marcy do? How would Carrie handle this situation? What might PR say in this moment? How would Deb carry herself?" I see my mentors not only as guiding forces in specific areas or fields, but as influencers on how to live a life full of passion, how to make mistakes and learn from them, and how to move forward with grace, while honoring the qualities that make us human. I believe that mentorships can be ongoing or they can be fleeting--some of the greatest learning experiences have come from connections I have made with people who I worked with for less than 6 months. Alternatively, I have also had mentors who I have been connected with for 10+ years, and those opportunities have provided a different type of growth for me.

Nadja: I have been grateful to have many mentors throughout various aspects of my life, but one that sticks out to me is the unintentional mentorship I received from a Stagecraft professor in college.  They gave me the honest reality of the strength in being adaptable in this industry, while still always staying true to yourself. They also taught me the importance of knowing a little about every aspect of the theater industry, so if I ever wanted to produce my own work, I understood the basic process of how to do it. We still have board game nights to this day, and they have become a constant support in my life.

Maggie: Many years ago I had the honor of doing the BADA (British American Drama Academy) in Oxford.  While I was there I was accepted into the intensive Shakespeare program.  The amount of knowledge and support offered was staggering.  It pushed me to try harder and the teachers expectations were of a level I hadn’t yet experienced.  Not only did we have exceptional teachers but we would have guest lectures by some of the best actors from the British stage who were incredibly generous with their advice and time. 

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Samantha: In 2018, the StateraArts national conference was held in Milwaukee. At the conference, there was a lunch and learn about the mentorship program, and I remember sitting next to two of my close colleagues. Erika Haaland was leading the discussion on social-emotional growth and personal care; she was guiding us through an exercise in being present with one another, connecting with our communities, and addressing the fears in reaching out for help or establishing mentor relationships. In the middle of the presentation, I whispered to my very dear friend and artist, "I think I have to make this happen here." I immediately connected with the mission of StateraArts and wanted to make this opportunity possible for the Milwaukee community. 

Nadja: I learned about Statera Mentorship through Samantha Martinson who I had worked with a few times in Milwaukee. She is an amazing director and theater artist, and when she brought me the opportunity to serve as a Regional Coordinator for Statera, I couldn't say no! The ability to bring women mentors and mentees together in or field is so valuable and important, and I am excited to work to bring artists together!

Maggie: I was connected to Statera through my friend and colleague Samantha Martinson who wanted to bring the Statera mentorship program to Milwaukee.  She was moved by their mission, and I feel honored that she thought of me to help her with the role of regional coordinator.  I have always been someone who cares about connecting other people together and I was impressed with what Statera offers.

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Samantha: Mentorship is about being honest with where you're at and what you need. Often, mentors can see the true you, which is what makes the relationship so rewarding (and equally challenging, because being vulnerable is hard!). Ultimately, mentorship requires both parties to show up; sometimes we're mentally, emotionally or physically exhausted, but when we have someone who's there for us, either as a mentor or mentee, it pushes us to be better. That type of relationship and accountability is invaluable, especially in the arts. 

Nadja: An important part of a mentorship relationship is trust. Both the mentor and mentee should trust that they both can learn from each other, and understand that everyone goes through life following a different path. A good mentorship also revolves around setting attainable goals together. Have a list of long term aspirations, but also a list of short term goals that you can both reach as a team. Having a mentor can help ease not only theater related stresses, but also anxieties in everyday life. 

Maggie: I think being a mentor can be terrifying, but also rewarding, and the biggest issue with becoming a mentor would be to think you have all the answers.  None of us can know everything or be above learning from another individual.  I learn just as much from younger performers as I do from older ones or my peers.  We all have something to impart or learn.

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community.

Samantha: For the past three years, I have studied and assessed questions revolving around the concept of empathy. Because of this work, my style of leadership inherently focuses on problem solving through an empathetic lens; I try to identify root causes of issues and understand the perspective of others' involved in order to move forward. In a leadership position of any kind, I feel it is important for others to feel valued, because in order to make true change in a community, whether it be in the field at large or otherwise, it is our social responsibility to make sure that space is created and held for people to be seen and supported. The most important role I carry as a leader is to know when to step up and back in order to empower those around me. 

Nadja: My top five strengths are adaptability, developer, includer, empathy, and individuality, and all of those align directly with my leadership style. Everyone is different, so the ability to connect to each person individually is key. If someone needs advice I'm here to give it, and if someone needs a listening ear I can be that too. It's all about adapting to the different types of personalities, and being able to put complimentary personalities together in a mentorship is something I am super excited for with Statera!

Maggie: I would say that my leadership style is being open to other peoples suggestions.  I don’t like to claim I know it all, because I know most of the people surrounding me might know more.  I am very good at bringing people together and creating a cohesive environment as well as helping people see their own strengths.

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Samantha: I facilitate the majority of the playwriting residencies for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's Young Playwrights Festival. We are always looking for new partnerships with high school educators in the Milwaukee area. Every year, we collect submissions from all across the greater Milwaukee area for the competition. I am also currently directing a new play for Kohl's Wild Theater (KWT) with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, which is a conservation education theater company. KWT is always looking to diversify their writers, composers, designers and performers.

Nadja: I am currently working with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in their Emerging Professional Residency program in multiple productions this winter and spring, and will continue with the traveling Shakespeare troupe this summer. Feel free to contact me through my website at any time: www.nadjasimmonds.com 

Maggie: I am very excited to begin this chapter with Statera and challenge myself and say yes to things I am afraid of doing. I have a few projects on the horizon.  I will be filming an episode of a TV series in the next few weeks, and performing in The Comedy of Hamlet with Schmitz and Giggles at The Marcus Performing Arts Center, and I have another production that I am very excited about in the summer that I cannot disclose yet.

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship: Meet the D.C. Area Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women and TGNC people into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. Today we are pleased to introduce you to the Regional Coordinators of our brand new mentorship chapter in the Washington D.C. area!

Washington D.C. Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/dc-area-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

Left to right: Caitlin Caplinger and Shanara Gabrielle

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Caitlin Caplinger (they/them): My work falls into two categories: theatrical writing (playwright/librettist/lyricist) and general arts administration. Full-time, I work at CulturalDC as the External Engagement Associate. We operate a shipping container turned Mobile Art Gallery, and own Source Theatre on 14th St. On a daily basis, I actually facilitate more visual artists and non-theatrical performers. This broad disciplinary scope of interaction has been invaluable. 

Shanara Gabrielle (she/her): I love being a mutli-hyphenate: I am a director, actor, and maker. I’m interested in telling stories that connect to our roots, that instigate curiosity, and that ply our imaginations. I work to tell clear stories in new ways and appreciate working with artists of different disciplines to stretch myself and my work.

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the D.C. Area arts scene?

Caitlin: I grew up in Northern Virginia, with DC reserved as the special occasion city. My mom and I definitely frequented the Kennedy Center with birthday and Christmas tickets. Later, I went to a school in Southeastern Virginia, Christopher Newport University. My educational background is theatre, with a focus on arts administration and leadership studies. While a good majority of my peers wanted to try their luck in some of the larger, more traditional art cities, I was set on investing in DC. We have a unique regional theatre system, nationally-celebrated institutions of visual arts, homegrown music and daring dance companies. Plus, we have the benefit of all these disciplines being informed by the undercurrent of policy. I have been in the city full-time for a little over 3 years now.

Shanara: My D.C. life is still somewhat new - I’ve been here just over 2 years, and I am still finding my way through the rich theatre landscape of this city. I came here with my husband Alec Wild for his job at Shakespeare Theatre Company as the director of their MFA acting program. D.C. is a city full of some of the most well-respected theaters in the country; each with clear identities and visions, which makes for a wonderful home base. Someting you should know about me is that I’m an Iowa girl at heart (I always will be), and I bring that with me everywhere I go. I am direct, quirky, and outgoing, and believe in handwritten thank you notes and talking to your neighbors.

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Caitlin: I'm fortunate enough to work at a company that's lead by a woman, and we've both been with the company for a number of years, coming up together. It's not necessarily a formal mentorship, but the education and guidance is implied. Some people are lucky enough to get a glimpse of who they could be in the future.

Shanara: Right now in my life, I’m blessed with a phenomenal mentor: Jackie Maxwell, Artistic Director Emeritus of The Shaw Festival. I was inspired to ask her to mentor me after reading Carey Perloff’s research with Wellesley about women in theatre leadership. They encouraged finding mentors whose aesthetic you admire and who will be a champion for you. My mentee relationship with Jackie has helped me to enter a new phase of my career, and I’ve learned so much from her about generous listening, selfless diplomacy, and indefatigable specificity.

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Caitlin: Through Shanara, my co-regional coordinator. We met through a group focused on fostering local playwrights.

Shanara: It’s been on my radar since its inception; so many wonderful artists that I respect have sung the praises of Statera since it’s founding. It’s been a joy to watch it bloom over the past few years.

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Caitlin: For a structured pairing to succeed, the mentee needs to come to the table with a current project and SMART goals. The mentor is not a mind-reader or limitless resource. A mentee needs to be self-aware and pragmatic about what exactly they are trying to achieve during a formal mentorship.

Shanara: Honesty. 50/50 responsibility. Bravery.

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community.

Caitlin: My strengths lie in facilitation and coaching. I want to make the connections, provide the tools and then send someone on their merry way to spread the love. It's an activist, verging on religious mindset. You need to empower to keep the momentum. To my betterment - and sometimes detriment - I am a 'yes' person. If there is an opportunity to volunteer, my hand is up. In recent years, I've had to keep that want in check, but the chance to foster relationships in the art world, with a specific focus on amplifying the voices of women, GNC and trans artists? Too good to pass up. I recognize that the organization started with a focus on theatre. So did I. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't take advantage of the connections I have made in the broader DC landscape. This kind of mentorship opportunity should be available to artists, educators and administrators across the disciplines.

Shanara: I’m a starter. I like to create connections and look for gaps that need to be filled. Community service is one of my core principles and I am dedicated to serving all the communities I am a part of. As an activist and fighter for justice, I also see Statera Mentorship as a means to increase representation and lift up underrepresented voices. I take concrete, actionable steps to work towards the things I believe in and mentorship is one of those steps.

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Caitlin: In Fall 2020, along with some artistic partners, I will be launching a new theatre company. As the main administrative voice, it is an exciting and daunting task to create a lasting organization that's focused on radical, inter-regional collaborations. Keep an eye out for The Plate!

Shanara: Up next as an actor, I’m at Signature Theatre in the world premiere of Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes. After that I’m directing a new version of The Playboy of the Western World adapted from J.M.Synge by Bisi Adigun and Roddy Doyle with Solas Nua Theater here in D.C. I love to connect, so find me on IG @shanaragabrielle or www.shanaragabrielle.com and reach out!

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Bay Area Regional Coordinators

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Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. Today we are pleased to introduce you to the Regional Coordinators of our new mentorship chapter in California’s Bay Area!

Bay Area Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/bay-area-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

Left to right: Joyce Domanico-Huh, Michelle Talgarow, and Sheila Devitt.

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the arts.

Michelle Talgarow (she/her): I am a performer, director and educator. I became a member of AEA in 2019. My roots as a theatre artist are in devised and collaborative work. I’m a proud member of Mugwumpin, a Bay Area theatre collective that specializes in devised work, creating art for theater and non-theater spaces. I’m also a proud company member of Shotgun Players in Berkeley. For the past 3 years I’ve been one of the coordinators for their Champagne Staged Reading Series. I have deep roots at the EXIT Theatre muliplex in SF for 20 plus years. I’ve been a performer, director, designer, technician, house manager, cafe person, visual artist (2 of my murals are still on display) and janitor there. I continue to house manage and keep the theatres clean. It’s also my 3rd year working at San Francisco University High School, directing their winter play. 

Joyce Domanico-Huh (she/her): I’m a Bay Area based actor, born and raised here. Curiosity drives me as a performer, and I aim to pursue truth and honesty for every character I inhabit. I’m especially interested in works that interrogate how to be a person in this world, and stories that champion people on the fringes.

Sheila Devitt (she/her): I work primarily as an actress; although my work over the past 30 years has included almost every aspect of theatre-making. That includes directing, dramaturgy, stage management, house management, set design, costume design, props; producing, grant writing, fund-raising, publicity; serving on a Board of Directors; teaching drama, from pre-K through college. In recent years, I have become more active as an advocate for theatre, and specifically for women in theatre. I’m an avid new-play script reader, and created the Reading the Kilroys List group, an informal living-room gathering to read scripts from the Kilroys List and the New Play Exchange. I currently serve on staff as the Lead House Manager at the San Francisco Playhouse, the highest-producing company in the Bay Area (six main-stage shows, three second-stage shows, a monthly staged reading series per year).

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the Bay Area arts scene?

Michelle: I graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Theatre Performance in 1995. I was a International Relations Major and French Minor when I started college and then I took an acting class and I was hooked. I was introduced to Modern Japanese theatre, Suzuki and Butoh, and immediately wanted to know everything about experimental physical theatre. The pedagogy of how bodies move in space fascinated me. I fell for the SITI company, the Wooster Group, Forced Entertainment and Robert Wilson. I wanted to create work here in the Bay Area because I felt ‘experimental physical’ theatre was a rarity. Only a few companies were devising their own work. In the late 90’s/early aughts, a few female collaborators and I created Train Station: An Actor’s Gym. I also worked with Paducah Mining Company, another local theatre group creating work from the ground up. I continue to create work here in the Bay Area because we need it. It’s that simple. The landscape of American Theatre is finally changing (slowly but surely). More stories from marginalized communities are gracing are stages. I’m lucky to be a part of that change and am seeing myself more often reflected in the work. I will always consider this place my artistic home: my roots as an artist.

Joyce: My journey in the arts scene has been somewhat wayward: My love of performing started here in the Bay Area, where I played Rizzo in my 6th grade class’ production of Grease. Growing up with a brother with autism, I decided to pursue Speech-Language Pathology as a career, yet was always doing theatre peripherally. After years of enrolling in evening community acting classes, I decided to take a leap of faith and audition for local productions. I was fortunate to experience validation quickly, and have since participated in a number of exciting and diverse opportunities: sketch comedy, musicals, Shakespeare, workshopping new works, and most recently putting on a solo performance piece.

Sheila: Sure! I started acting when I was living in Santa Fe, NM, and got my BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of New Mexico. That state has no professional acting, no Equity or LORT houses. So, after a few years of running community theatres, I started looking for room to grow. A combination of factors brought me to San Francisco, including the presence of theatre companies like American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. It’s a major regional hub, with milder winters than New York or Chicago! As soon as I arrived in San Francisco, I joined Theatre Bay Area, our fabulous service organization, and began to connect with a variety of companies here. We have a strong & supportive theatre community. I have felt empowered, as part of  projects and organizations like TBA’s ATLAS Actors program (I was in their inaugural class!); Velina Brown’s Business of Show Biz; Valerie Weak’s Counting Actors statistical survey; “Yeah, I Said Feminist!”, a theatre salon founded by Fontana Butterfield Guzman; Works by Women SF, a meet-up group co-hosted by Christine & Valerie, that attends plays by women, to boost ticket sales & box office revenue; and my small Affinity group, originally coordinated by our esteemed regional theatre critic, Lily Janiak.

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Michelle: My work with Yukihiro Goto. He was my professor at SFSU but it took on a mentor mentee relationship when I began studying Suzuki. He really saw me and my passion for the training and the work regarding physical theatrical discipline. He taught me that theatre is our whole life, and that as artists we are on a continual search to find balance between tension and release; chaos and stillness. I’ve adopted that. Everything I do is about that balance.

Joyce: My most memorable mentorship experience is one that is an ongoing relationship with my coach and now friend: actor and director Alyson Schacherer Rutter. She’s helped me become a more grounded, authentic performer while also supporting me in all ways of life. 

Sheila: I think it must be working with Jubilith Moore, who invited me to apprentice with her at Theatre of Yugen, where she was Artistic Director. The training, although a highly-specific classical form, has carried over into other work that I do. During my time with Theatre of Yugen, Jubilith invited me to take on a variety of challenges, and offered me opportunities to teach and direct. She pushed me, gently, to the edges of my comfort zone, and helped me to expand what I thought I was capable of. 

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Michelle: Sheila Devitt!

Joyce: My friend and colleague Sheila reached out to me about getting the first Bay Area chapter of Statera started, and based on what she shared about its mission, it felt like a no-brainer to assist in getting this up and running!

Sheila: Martha Richards invited me to attend the Statera Conference III, in October 2018 - which was an amazing conference!!! One of the break-out sessions I attended was offered by Erika Haaland, about Statera’s Regional Mentorship program. It sounded like a very smart program, and I could easily see how useful it would be to bring this to the Bay Area. With the support and encouragement from Martha, and Christine Young, I signed up to be a Regional Coordinator.

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Michelle: Off the top of my head, I think one of the greatest needs for Mentorship relationships is time. Here in the Bay Area, because of the high cost of living, everything is a hustle to just get by. We go from project to project, job to job. We work, school, work, family, work, art. Extra time so we can reflect, breathe, and learn are sometimes hard to come by. We need the time to simply be together, and to reflect.

Joyce: I’d love for a mentorship relationship to be built on consistent check ins, and a genuine spirit of openness and sharing. Not every conversation has to be career related. Having someone you know you can connect with when it comes to the rewarding, difficult, and unconventional lifestyle as an artist is so valuable.

Sheila: Community networking and encouragement. Careers in theatre are often very individual: unlike some other professions, there isn’t always a clear path of steps to follow or take to advance your work. Mentorship is one way to provide a structure for individual growth. Spending time with someone who is a few steps further along the path can be of tremendous value. The mentee is often able to specify and focus their scope of work interests, through dialogue with the mentor and through introductions to other theatre-makers like them. The mentor is encouraging the next generation of theatre makers (regardless of age), thereby keeping our industry vital. The ripple effects extend throughout the theatre community, and also into our broader society. Theatre is one of the most collaborative art forms. We need each other. We are stronger together.

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community.

Michelle: I think what I bring to the table and to our community is transparency. I’ve been in this community for many years and have seen the changes. I’m happy sharing my experiences and connecting folks. I’m all about uplifting each other, so that we all can create a stronger sense of community. I’m also always learning. No matter how long I’ve been in the game, there’s always knowledge to be had.

Joyce: One of the best assets I offer in leadership roles is being a great listener, and an open communicator. I lead with kindness and respect for all beings, and I’m typically quick to develop easeful rapport. I was delighted when Sheila told me that she’d also contacted Michelle to be a part of the inaugural team, because these are all characteristics that are so apparent in their leadership qualities and values as well.

Sheila: Building community relationships is fundamental. I am interested in organizational structure and efficiency: how can we work smarter, rather than working harder? I have a very strong desire to make our collective work in theatre a little easier for the folks coming up behind me, to hold the door open. I also have a parallel career, working in herbal medicine. So many performers are highly-sensitive individuals, working with heightened emotions, and I have found that herbal medicine offers gentle, safe, and effective remedies for just about every ailment or stressor we encounter in our work. As a leader, I encourage practices within the field that nourish the individual artist, for healthy longevity.

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Michelle: I’m in my 3rd year directing the winter play for San Francisco University High. I love working with high school students. I’m directing Paula Cizmar’s Antigone X which will open at the end of January. I’m looking forward to The Bay Area’s Women’s Theatre Festival this Spring 2020. Hooray for women+ and non-binary voices in the arts!

Joyce: I’m currently in tech for the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley’s production of Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, where I’ll be playing Agnes! I’ve learned the importance of balance and taking breaks, so I do look forward to taking some time off following this show. I’m also itching to do another solo performance piece, so that will also be in development for the new year. And of course, getting our Statera chapter off the ground!

Sheila: I’m currently collaborating as a performer with Jubilith Moore, on a new-play development project. She has commissioned three playwrights (Erik Ehn, Ryan Hill, Katie Pearl) to write a trilogy, about three generations of women in a family. Using the stylistic techniques of classical Noh drama, and exploring durational theatre, Jubilith is creating a story of a contemporary American family and their private tragedies. Current working title: The Stations Project. Scheduled for performance: spring/summer 2020.

I’m also co-producing the Bay Area Women’s Theatre Festival, which will take place across all nine Bay Area counties, in March/April/May 2020. It is scheduled to coincide with SWAN Day, Women’s History Month, 50/50 in 2020, and the Jubilee! This festival will include female-written, female-directed full-length productions at theatres across the region; a 24-hour Occupy the Stage festival of solo work, one-acts, stand-up, improv, works-in-progress, etc.; as well as workshops, panel discussions, and of course, parties!

https://bayareawomenstheatrefestival.com

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Atlanta Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. Today we are pleased to introduce you to the Regional Coordinators of our brand new mentorship chapter in Atlanta!

Atlanta Chapter Website: www.stateraarts.org/bay-area-mentorship
Dates: The inaugural class runs from March 1 - September 1, 2020
Application deadline: Mentor and Mentee applications are due by February 1, 2020

Left to right: Amber Bradshaw, Valeka J. Holt, and Annie Harrison Elliott

StateraArts: Tell us about your work in the arts.

Annie Harrison Elliott (she/her): I began my arts career as a performer and teaching artist. One of my favorite first jobs was working as an Apprentice in the Education Department at the New Victory Theatre in New York City. During that time, I also wrote immersive scenes for a small NYC theatre company to be performed in bars. That was my first foray into immersive theatre, which would later become a big part of my Atlanta arts life. Now, I work primarily as a playwright. I write comedies, dramas, immersive theatre, and theatre for young audiences. 

Amber Bradshaw (she/her): I run Working Title Playwrights, which is the leading new play incubator in the South, uplifting the Southern narrative by giving voice to the artists who live here. We have 104 members, and an acting ensemble of 96. Our goal is to be a container in which deeper connections can form and lead to the creation of theatre together. It’s a small organization, but we’ve grown immensely since I started in 2016, and the momentum is exciting! I really enjoy getting to see people I work with fulfill their goals, to feel like I’m helping them with their careers, helping them figure out what they want to write, helping them become their own free agents! I’ve sort of evolved into being a community builder and consider it a responsibility to connect artists that would be excellent collaborators.

Valeka Holt (she/her): I’m an actress, a playwright, and a professor. The theatre is my first love. Stage actors are the best at switching genres, switching mediums, developing enriching dialogue, and the best of the best of us can cross over to directors, playwrights, and even producers. I am so grateful and proud to be part of the American Theatre! Acting is my first love. I am a storyteller. It is my gift from God. I was created to heal people through stories and text. That is my gift.

StateraArts: Can you share about your journey to the Atlanta arts scene?

Annie: I’m from Kennesaw, GA. I decided to move to Atlanta in 2009 to pursue a calmer lifestyle. I needed space and trees. The cutthroat pace of New York was not enriching for me. Atlanta has a great theatre scene. I’ve been able to hone my artistic voice and be unapologetically creative. 

Amber: I am an Atlanta native! I grew up here and went to a performing arts high school, went to college in the Midwest, and came back wanting to find an artistic home for myself. I started out acting, like most people do, but when I was done with college I was really into directing. I had the opportunity to be an intern with Actor's Express and Synchronicity Theatre and in that time I got to be a part of a TON of new work. Both theatres then and now are incredible supporters of new work. So I caught the bug and got into the dramaturgical aspect of directing. After that, I started producing staged readings for Essential Theatre and did a lot of freelance producing as well. That's where I got connected to local playwrights for the first time.
I love this city so much, it’s such a unique place. It's a complicated place too, being in the South. The people in it are living daily with painful history and finding a way to connect and respect one another and overcome all that history while still recognizing it. It's remarkable. We experience a lot of oppression from the state government and are pulled together by that oppression. The city just gets more interesting all the time with Hollywood and New York transplants touching down here as well. It’s a wild ride!

Valeka: I moved to Atlanta from D.C. two years ago because I wanted to do more T.V. and film. I had worked at many of the big theatres in D.C. as an equity actress and I felt ready to expand into a new medium. Luckily, Atlanta not only has T.V. and film but an enriched theatre community as well. I am extremely strategic in the way I maneuver my career and knew I could start building the connections I needed in that community. My first year was a ton of auditioning and waiting while people were sort of vetting me and sussing me out. I realized that a better way to introduce myself may be through writing. I started writing a one woman show and submitting it to different workshop opportunities and eventually booked Synchronicity Theatre! Becoming a writer and using my own voice and controlling my own content was a total game-changer for me. I think actors make the best writers. Actors know how to string together stories because we are storytellers by nature!

StateraArts: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Annie: I’ve been really lucky. I have some incredible arts mentors, and a very supportive peer-to-peer group since moving to Atlanta. Truly too many to name! Everyone helps each other in Atlanta. That’s one of the things I love most about being here. 

Amber: My primary mentor is one of my professors from college, Elizabeth Carlin-Metz. I’d stepped away from acting in college, but was in her beginning acting class just for fun. She trained us on how to be articulate and critique constructively. I learned about working with actors from watching her. She got me involved in our student theatre where I got to direct, cast, and design, all with her support! And she was always there to tell me when I was being a punk, which is important! If I needed straightening out she as willing to make that happen. She wasn’t just there for the good stuff, but for everything. She taught me to believe in myself, which can be tough as a woman. Our confidence is often considered aggressive or too assertive. There have been a lot of people throughout my life who didn’t encourage the way I carry myself, but she always did. I value her mentorship so much. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without her.

Valeka: You know, mentorship is so important to me because I always wanted an incredible mentor. I have not had that yet— not like I’ve desired. Then I decided that just because I never had the kind of mentor I was looking for doesn’t mean that I can't be that for someone else. So I started mentoring others. A mentee of mine named Morgan Camper came into my studio and wanted to go to CalArts, so I said to her, “Okay, that’s where you’re gonna go!” After she got in (on a full scholarship, mind you) the chair of the department wrote me an email thanking me for how well I prepared her, which was just such a beautiful full circle moment! In our society we are taught to stay within our realm, within our lane, but that’s not where joy resides or where growth abounds! When you step outside of your comfort zone and become the thing you want to see in the world, you can really surprise yourself.  There’s so much to learn when you step up your game.

StateraArts: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship?

Annie: Through Amber Bradshaw of Working Title Playwrights! She knew I had experienced spearheading a local mentorship program, and that I was involved in scheduling and curating talks, classes, and other meet-ups for women through-out the Atlanta area. She referred me to Valeka, and from there, we became a team. 

Amber: Valeka Holt! Valeka is a playwright member and a part of the acting ensemble for my organization and she has an incredible energy to her. I adore her. She’s so articulate, authentic, and generous. When she approached me with this opportunity and asked me if I wanted to be involved I thought, “I want to spend more time with you, so yes!” I also firmly believe in the power of mentorship. It felt like the right offer from the right person. I’m a queer woman, so mentorship is not just about a female focus for me but a queer focus as well.

Valeka: I was following Nataki Garrett on social media for a long time until I did a workshop with her at Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and really experienced how inspiring she is firsthand. I completely admire the way she moves and how strategic she is in how she works. I researched her and saw that she was involved with StateraArts. I thought, “If she’s involved with this company, I need to be involved as well!” I reached out to Erika and Minita after that and when they said they didn’t have a Atlanta mentorship chapter yet I said, “Alright, let’s make this happen!”

StateraArts: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Annie: Women don’t often get the kind of support they truly need. Mentorship can provide that support while creating a nourishing and long-lasting sense of community and connectivity. 

Amber: I think a healthy mentorship relationship involves open communication, mutual respect, and an immense amount of learning, which we all need. We select our mentees to learn things from them, too. It’s not just about imparting wisdom. I constantly say that I learn just as much from my mentees as they learn from me. I have experience, but they have their own perspectives. Each one of us has a unique vision of the world and ourselves, which is so valuable in a room where people are creating stories.

Valeka: The need for mentorship is a need for access and transparency. People have to become comfortable asking for what they want. All anyone can say is no or yes. Once you become comfortable with that, everything opens up. Ask, and it shall be given to you. Having a mentor who has your back and who can provide you with pathways is life changing. Being a trustworthy mentee is important as well. When your mentor offers something to you, take it seriously. Show up to the spaces they open up for you!

StateraArts: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to volunteer in this capacity for your community.

Annie: I’m a behind-the-scenes type of leader. If I see a need, I try to fill it if it’s within my capabilities at the time. 

Amber: I believe very heavily in collaboration. I like to lead by giving everyone access to a voice in the room. Leading is about generosity; making sure everything you’re doing is about the collective and not about yourself. I think I’m in a good position to volunteer in this way. I’ve spent 10-15 years really grounding my roots in the city and showing up for every organization I can, trying to connect to everyone across the community. It just seems like a natural progression to give people access to my resources. Hopefully it won’t take everyone else ten years to develop their own resources if we can build a thriving community in this way!

Valeka: Baby, my leadership style is completely hands on! If I’m leading or mentoring you, you’ll be in the trenches with me. I am beautiful, intentional, and strong as an ox, so I tend to attract and lead similar artists. I want the people in my community to be their best selves. I’m the kind of person you can call on and cry on any day. That’s part of this gig. I cry all the time! You have to get it out!

StateraArts: Okay, now it's time to AMPLIFY. What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Annie: Right now, I’m writing the Intern Showcase for Actor’s Express. I’ve been commissioned to write a play for ten actors, and it’s been one of my favorite projects to date. I’m also a big fan of Actor’s Express in general, so it’s exciting to play a role in one of their programs. I also just finished a two-year project with Found Stages called Frankenstein's Funeral and Frankenstein's Ball. Our aim was to bring theatre in the style of New York's Sleep No More to Atlanta for the first time. The companion pieces were produced this year. 

Amber: I’m working on a play with Annie Harrison Elliott called The Handprint which is based on her ancestry. It really hits on the current immigration crisis. She’s related to Alec Campbell, a rebel Irishman in Pennsylvania who was executed for his activism and the work he did to free his own people from the tyranny of coal barons. We’ve been working for a couple of years on this play and she’s ready to start sending it out and getting it produced.
As far as my work with Working Title goes, I'm really excited about our partnership with Theatrical Outfit for their Unexpected Play Festival this coming February. They are really making the effort to do the work in service of the playwrights, which is important to us. It’s also giving our members a chance to get their work seen in an avenue they may not have access to. 
I'm also working on putting together several equity seminars for the Atlanta theatre community. The organization is called IDEAATL (Inclusion, diversity, equity in Arts Atlanta). This Spring we are organizing an anti-bias workshop and a gender and identity consulting workshop for Atlanta artists. I can't wait to see how this work pushes our community into better understanding one another and giving us the tools to have these tough conversations. 

Valeka: I have two productions to share with you! The first is at True Colors. I am in their production of School Girls: An African Mean Girls Play. I am so excited for this show. It’s really my first big role here in Atlanta, and the director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden is a total powerhouse. After that, my one woman show I Am A Motherfucking Superstar: So Where Are My Babies? Is at Sychronicity Theatre. I have an incredible production team for that and I’m just so grateful.

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join statera’s mentorship program today

We believe that coalition building through one-on-one mentorship is what makes local arts communities thrive. We need women like you! Ready to get involved? Applications are open through February 1st, 2020. To learn more and find your chapter city, click here.

Statera Mentorship Applications Open TODAY!

Applications are open through february 1, 2020

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. 

Ready to jump right in? Statera Mentorship is launching classes in 17 regions nationwide. Click on your chapter city below to learn more and apply as a mentor or mentee!

How Does Statera Mentorship Work?

Interested mentors/mentees begin by submitting an application (a two-step process). After reviewing your submission, your Regional Coordinator(s) will pair you with the mentor/mentee that best fits your professional goals and needs for the duration of our six-month program - March 1st, 2020 through August 31st, 2020. Pairs are asked to meet a minimum of two hours per month and these meetings can take place in-person, via phone, or video conference/skype. In addition, participating mentors/mentees will have access to:

• Statera Mentorship Social Media Platforms that are chapter-specific

• Our Mentorship Packet detailing the program

• Tips for cultivating a successful mentor/mentee relationship

• Resources to help you shape your mentorship interaction

• The StateraArts Newsletter 

• Connection and access to your regional mentorship community

• Support from Regional Coordinators

DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 1st - February 1st 2020: Applications OPEN for mentors/mentees

• March 1st 2020: Mentors/Mentees are paired and mentorship class officially begins

• March 1st - August 31st 2020: Duration of Statera Mentorship Program

Please email Statera’s National Co-Directors with any questions at [email protected].

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Statera Mentorship Applications Open January 1st

Above: Hana Sharif, Sam White, Sara Osi Scott, Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway , and Kelcey Anya' at Statera's National Conference in Milwaukee 2018.

Get excited because we are only a month away from opening applications for the next round of regional Statera Mentorship pairings! Applications open on January 1st.

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of creating pathways that bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. A flourishing mentor relationship helps both mentor and mentee organize their professional challenges, nurture their creative ideas, and activate their personal gifts. 

Led by National Co-Directors Minita Gandhi, Erika Haaland, and a team of dedicated volunteers, StateraArts launched the first regional chapter of Statera Mentorship in Chicago, IL in 2017. In 2019 Boston, Central Coast, Dallas/Fort Worth, Iowa, Ithaca, Los Angeles, NYC, Philadelphia, and South Texas joined the Statera Mentorship family.

March, we are thrilled to announce the launch of Atlanta, Bay Area, Cincinnati/N. Kentucky, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Seattle, Southern Oregon, and Washington DC!

Want to receive a reminder on January 1st to apply? Please sign up for the Statera Newsletter!

DATES TO REMEMBER

• January 1st - February 1st 2020: Applications OPEN for mentors/mentees

• March 1st 2020: Mentors/Mentees are paired and mentorship class officially begins

• March 1st - August 31st 2020: Duration of Statera Mentorship Program

Have questions? Please email our National Co-Directors at [email protected].

Join Broadway and TV Stars for "Changemakers" Fundraiser Benefiting StateraArts Mentorship

“Changemakers” features Amanda Green (left) and is hosted by Dale Soules (right)

Did you know that last year only 17% of creative leadership roles on Broadway were held by women? To help change the stage, The Green Room 42 presents Changemakers: A Celebration of Women and StateraArts on Thursday, August, 22nd at 7 PM. Join veterans from Broadway, Television, and Film for tales of sisterhood, challenges in the workplace, and overcoming adversity.

The evening will uplift, amplify, and advance women artists, featuring Tony-nominated Lyricist/Composer and award-winning performer Amanda Green (“Hands on a Hardbody”). Broadway veteran and three-time SAG Award winner Dale Soules, widely-known as inmate Frieda Berlin on “Orange Is The New Black”, will host. There will also be a panel talk led by Rachel Spencer Hewitt, founder of the Parent Artist Advocacy League. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the StateraArts Mentorship. StateraArts is a national organization that brings women into full and equal participation in the arts.

The evening is Directed and Produced by Mara Jill Herman with Assistant Direction by Ashley Ruth Jones and Music Direction by Julianne B Merrill. Below you’ll find a list of the incredible line-up of performers for “Changemakers”.

Emily Borromeo

Andrea Presinario

Aurelia Williams

Caitlin McKechney

Gina Naomi Baez

Carly Kincannon

Amanda Lea LaVergne

Hannah Rose

Ashley Ruth Jones

Liisi LaFontaine

Ilana Levine

Kara Lindsay

Lianah Sta. Ana

Meredith Beck

Jennifer Lorae

Annemarie Rosano

Rosa Avila

Alison Lea Bender

Kristine Reese

Sarah Stevens

Janice Landry

Rachel Spencer Hewitt

Mara Jill Herman

Julianne B. Merrill

For a little more information about the evening, StateraArts spoke with director Mara Jill Herman.

StateraArts: First of all, thank you for hosting this amazing event in honor of StateraArts Mentorship! Why is arts advocacy such an important part of your work as an individual artist? 

Mara Jill Herman: I can’t remember a time in my life without the arts. I’ve spent a great deal of my career on stage but I also find great joy in outreach. One of my passions is to bring smart, creative, and generous people together in a room. The arts provided me with direction, purpose, and a sense of identity that ultimately shaped who I am today. When those in power threaten to eliminate arts funding and programming, they send a message to all artists that we don’t matter. But we cannot compromise the human experience and erase a future generation of makers. Art is meant to challenge. It is meant to stimulate invigorating conversation and connect people.  

SA: Tell us about your upcoming fundraiser: "Changemakers."

MJH: In 2018, I was deeply charged by Women’s Day On Broadway and wrote about it for OnStage Blog. I learned that nearly 70% of Broadway audiences are made up of female-identifying patrons but only 17% of those productions have women at the helm. This statistic shocked and ignited me. The Women’s Day symposium and more recently, Rachel Chavkin’s 2019 Tony winning speech for Best Director, are among the driving forces behind “Changemakers.” I admire those who seek change and do not accept the status quo. Women who take action and use their platform to advocate for greater representation both on and off the stage are among those to be featured in this event.

There will be never-told-before tales of sisterhood, mentorship, challenges, and overcoming adversity. These personal stories will lead into songs crossing various musical genres. We’ve got pop, folk, some musical theater, original songs, and even a Celtic trio! I’m also very jazzed that actor, activist, and mother, Rachel Spencer Hewitt, will lead a panel talk on the Parent Artist Advocacy League, an organization she founded that creates family-friendly practices in the theater. And Ms. Hewitt will engage in dialogue with some surprise guests! 

SA: Tell us about a defining moment in your arts career when you felt supported and uplifted. 

MJH: I’ve had several defining moments in my early arts career: acting in musicals at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, earning recognition by the National YoungArts Foundation, and getting thrown on mid-show as an understudy in Nerds at Philadelphia Theater Company. However, the recent catalyst for forging forward as a producer is my participation in America’s Sweethearts. This tight-knit group of supportive women motivates me and holds me accountable without a shred of competition. Our boss, Carly Kincannon, who will appear on the 22nd, also facilitated a residency at one of New York’s hottest entertainment venues, The Green Room 42. And that is where I produced my first benefit Stronger Than Hate, A Benefit for Tree Of Life Synagogue.

SA: Tell us a little more about the lineup for the evening.

MJH: The lineup is an embarrassment of riches! Tony-nominated Lyricist/Composer and award-winning performer Amanda Green (Hands on a Hardbody) will appear and three-time SAG Award winner Dale Soules, widely-known as inmate Frieda Berlin on Orange Is The New Black, will host. The diverse cast includes: Lianah Sta. Ana (Miss Saigon), Gina Naomi Baez (She's Gotta Have It), Alison Lea Bender (We So Hapa), Emily Borromeo (Broadway Bounty Hunter), Galway Girls (feat. Meredith Beck, Janice Landry, Caitlin McKechney), Carly Kincannon (America's Sweethearts), Liisi LaFontaine (Dreamgirls), Kara Lindsay (Newsies), Jennifer Lorae (Hard Times), Andrea Prestinario (Side Show, Jeff Award), Kristine Reese (Finding Neverland), Hannah Rose (Olay Live!), Talia Suskauer (Be More Chill), America's Sweethearts (feat. Amanda Lea LaVergne, Annemarie Rosano, Sarah Stevens), and Aurelia Williams (Once On This Island).

Equity News September 2015

SA: With so many organizations our there, why did you chose StateraArts as the beneficiary of Changemakers? 

MJH: I met Melinda Pfundstein at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in 2005. She was a well-established leading lady, and I really looked up to her. Years later, I saw her photo with Kate Shindle on the cover of Equity’s newsletter, and the national impact of StateraArts set in. In 2016, I joined Statera’s pilot mentorship program and found it so rewarding to mentor an early-career individual. The word Statera, stemming from the Latin word for balance, also resonates with me. There are so many women in the Statera community who thrive in their professional lives but also create and nurture families of their own. I aspire to be one of them.

Graphic Design by Brittney Keim.

Don’t miss Changemakers: A Celebration of Women and StateraArts on Thursday, August 22nd at 7PM. You can purchase tickets HERE.  *Those who can't make it but want to donate to the event are invited to contact Mara Jill Herman: [email protected].

Statera Mentorship: Meet the Central Coast Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. We’re so excited to share that Statera Mentorship is now in California’s Central Coast Area, serving both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. We caught up with Regional Coordinators Emily Trask and Karin Hendricks to talk about the newly formed Central Coast chapter. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

Central Coast Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: Statera Mentorship: Central Coast
Instagram: @stateraarts_centralcal
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

Central Coast Regional Coordinators (left to right) Kitty Balay, Emily Trask, Jennifer Zornow, and Karin Hendricks.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Emily Trask: I think that as women in our society and in our profession, we are taught early and often to question our instincts and quiet our voices to make them more palatable.  However, I believe that as a woman and as a theatre artist your voice is your strongest, most valuable muscle and tool -- literally and figuratively.  Having a mentor to help you identify, exercise, and utilize that unique voice and those inherent instincts is invaluable - particularly in a field that is sowed with so much gray area.

Karin Hendricks: To speak specifically to our arts community in the Central Coast of California, we have the challenge of being relatively spread out. The distance between each professional theatre and training program leads to a lot of disconnect between us. Many established theatre-makers in the Central Coast are familiar with other established theatre-makers, but in many cases have never met face to face. Bringing Statera Mentorship here will provide the much-needed opportunity for the Central Coast to strengthen as an arts community. By building a bridge between artists, the Statera Mentorship program will also be able to expose mentees to diverse artistic experiences and will provide them with valuable new perspectives on their art and their career.

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Emily: I am a Resident Artist and the Literary Associate/Hurlbert Artistic Fellow at Pacific Conservatory Theater/PCPA.  As professional actress and theatre artist for 15 years, I have worked all across the country – from Broadway houses to site-specific Guerilla Theatre pieces, to film, television, voice-over and commercials.  As a director, I have directed readings, workshops, and productions professionally and academically.  As a dramaturg, I am a freelance script consultant, a production dramaturg, and have been a contributing scholar to publications, programs, and on-line resources.  As an educator I have taught theatre in Graduate Programs all the way to Grade Schools, with a focus on the Classics and New Work.

Karin: I am an Assistant Professor of Acting and Performance at the Theatre and Dance Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I teach mostly performance-based courses including Acting, Voice and Diction, Dialect, Musical Theatre, and Community-based Verbatim Theatre. I am also a director for Cal Poly’s mainstage season. Outside of the University, I work in the local professional theatre scene as a director, an actor, a dialect coach, and a Verbatim Theatre playwright.

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the Central Coast arts scene?

Karin: I moved to the Central Coast after completing my MFA at UC Irvine in 2009. I served as a Resident Artist and Head of Movement Curriculum at PCPA (The Pacific Conservatory Theatre) for 9 years where I performed and instructed actors in training. PCPA is where I co-founded an ongoing Verbatim Community-Based Theatre project- Community Speaks!, which has been performed annually with PCPA in the Central Coast since it’s 2009 inception. Recently I made the choice to step away from PCPA and engage fulltime with the Theatre and Dance Department at Cal Poly. I am so pleased to be living in the beautiful Central Coast of California and to be witnessing it’s growing arts scene!

Emily: Midwest born and raised, I grew up in Wisconsin and graduated with a Bachelors in Theater/Literature from Grinnell College in Iowa. I went on to receive my Masters in Fine Arts in Acting from the Yale School of Drama.  My professional dream was always to be a member of a resident company - so after living and working in New York City for a few years, I joined the Acting Company at the Tony Award Winning Alley Theatre and, just this year, relocated yet again to join the company at The Pacific Conservatory Theatre – where I not only get to act, but teach as well (another great passion).  My incredible husband, Michael, and our ancient cat, Ramona Salami, hope we won’t be relocating again any time too soon 

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Emily: I don’t think I could isolate it down to one specific moment, experience, or individual.  I have been incredibly lucky to have had amazing female mentors at every stage of my artistic journey – women whom I admire artistically and as human beings.  However, my first mentor of the kind (other than my remarkable mother) is an amazing woman and friend named Bev Denor.   

During my Senior Year of High School, the local theater in my hometown was doing Our Town.  I hadn’t done much theater up till that point, but I had read the play Our Town in my High School English class and had loved it so much I decided to audition.  Unfortunately, it turned out we were going to be out of town on the day of the auditions.  Bev Denor was directing the play, and although she had never met me before, she decided to be kind and let me audition for her at a separate time.  However, due to scheduling constraints, it had to be during store hours at her bookstore (La De Da Books and Beans Shameless plug for the best Indie Bookstore in North Eastern Wisconsin)!  I knew so little about theater and even less about auditioning that I actually brought my giant English text book with Our Townin it and read a scene right out of the book for my audition!   Instead of judging this wide-eyed, English Textbook toting, redhead, Bev was supportive, wonderful, and saw something in me that I hadn’t yet seen in myself.  She cast me as Emily, and over the next years Bev and I became artistic partners in crime.  She fostered my artistic spirit and appetite with support, encouragement, and friendship… and she still does.  

However, if Bev hadn’t been willing to “hold space” for that emerging artist all those years ago, I truly believe I wouldn’t be the artist or person I am today.

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Karin: I had the incredible opportunity to present my paper, The Story Matters: Supporting Gender Equity through Conscious Theatre-Making, at the Statera Conference in Milwaukee, October 2018. At the conference, I reconnected with one of my favorite people from my graduate program at UCI, Erika Haaland, who is the National Co-Director of Statera Mentorship. Erika and I chatted about getting the Central Coast involved with this incredible program. The mentorship program that Erika and the other National Co-Director, Minita Gandhi, have created with Statera is so amazing that I wanted to be a part of bringing it my area.

Emily: I actually worked with Melinda Pfundstein and Shelly Gaza my first summer at The Utah Shakespeare Festival!  So, I have been aware of the great work Statera has doing. I also worked with Minita Ghandi at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre a number of years ago (she was actually my understudy in a production of Tartuffe).  However, it wasn’t until Minita and I recently reconnected while she was back at PCPA this past season doing her play Muthaland, that we began the Central Coast Mentorship conversation.

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Emily:  My experience as a woman in the theater has been profoundly challenging and also deeply rewarding.  I think my leadership style and why I’m called to Mentorship is encompassed in that very dichotomy: challenge and cost coexisting with joy and the reward.  I believe honesty and benevolence are not mutually exclusive, but are rather an indomitable combination.

Karin: Some of my personal journey as a young artist was spent longing for a mentor who would support me without judgement, and who had my best interest at heart. I would have loved for this mentor to not only be able to address my questions, concerns, and passions about being an artist in my industry, but to be able to give me a womxn artist perspective. I’ve always wished that I had more womxn artists in my life that could help me navigate difficult choices and circumstances that womxn specifically face. There were also times throughout the years that I needed to be lifted up as I was feeling hopeless in my career and could have used extra support. It’s truly a privilege for me to be in a position in which young artists ask me for my advice and guidance and I get the opportunity to lift THEM up.

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Emily: We are very excited to be launching our Central Coast Mentorship Program this July! I am also excited to share that I will be concluding a run of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder in the Solvang Theatre with PCPA this June, followed by (what promises to be) a fabulous production of The Importance of Being Earnest, starring my amazing Co-Regional Coordinator, Kitty Balay, this August. 

And as Literary Associate, the fall I will be helping to usher back in an exciting play reading series at The Pacific Conservatory Theatre called Interplay:  Three fresh plays, with dialogue around the dialogue.  This September on the Central Coast. And you can find me at  emilytrask.net.

Karin: My writing partner, Christian Arteaga, is the recent recipient of the Define Americans Arts Fellowship. Christian and I will be working over the next several months to apply the fellowship resources to an original Community-Based Verbatim play about his experience as a young theatre-making “dreamer” in America. I will share more information as we go!

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship. Apply by June 1st to be a mentee or mentor for the next Central Coast class at www.stateraarts.org/central-coast-mentorship. And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the Philadelphia Regional Coordinator

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in Philadelphia and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the Philadelphia Regional Coordinator, Anne Goodman. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

Philadelphia Chapter Founded: Spring 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: Statera Mentorship Philadelphia Chapter
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

Philadelphia Regional Coordinator Anne Goodman.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Anne Goodman: I think the best feeling comes from fixing another woman's crown. There are so many women who feel like they don't have a voice, who don't know where they are going, who just need someone to tell them to keep going, who just need a buddy to cry to when she has been on her 5th audition this week and nothing is panning out. We need to lift each other up and mentorship is an amazing way to do just that. 

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Anne: I have jumped around in admin theater a lot over the years because I can't decide which one suits me and my family. Stage management remains my all time favorite, but I haven't figured out a way to balance stage management and my family life, so I am currently (and loving) the Development Director at at the Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival. I have a masters in Arts Admin from Southern Utah University and an undergrad from DeSales in Center Valley, PA. Both schools have a great relationship with the Shakespearean Festivals during the summer, and I've had the wonderful opportunity to work at both for a few seasons. I have worked Shakespeare Festivals, Off-Broadway, in regional theaters, summer stock, operas, community theaters, you name it- again this is where the jumping around in positions come into play. I guess I just like keeping busy and keeping my options open. 

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the Philadelphia arts scene?

Anne: I guess my first intro to arts in Philly was during school, many eons ago. DeSales University/Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is only an hour from Philly so many artists would come up from Philly to participate in the Festival and we would go into Philly to see shows. As I moved around in my life, I remained close with the alumni from DeSales and PSF and started to see Philly as my artistic home- going back to see shows, and catching up with colleagues and friends. When the Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival was in its infancy, I jumped on the possibility of being part of their family. I have been with PWTF since their first festival, 5 years ago. It has been such an exciting opportunity to watch this little seedling of a project grow into a company that highlights women's voices, women's stories, women's careers, and provides opportunities for all women. 

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Anne: I have had *a lot* of really incredible mentees! So, this is a story about one of my mentees. I was doing my thing- going about my business, like I do, stage managing this project, working on that. In her mind she wanted to be like me. In my mind- I had no idea who she was. She followed my career path - in a very professional and not creepy sort of way. Our paths crossed and we worked on the same project together and we began bouncing ideas off of each other, collaborating, sharing projects, networking together, and became amazing friends. Sometimes we wont see each other for months, but she's one of those people who will call me out of the blue with a quick question about fire-certification or casting or event management or just to tell me about the cool new project she's working on. Our lives have taken different trajectories and now I am living vicariously through her work! 

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Anne: I was doing some research for the Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival about other companies who solely focus on women and came across StateraArts. The missions of PWTF and Statera are very closely related that just made sense to jump onboard with Statera.

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Anne: I have often been told that I am a "people's leader". I love talking to people, but am not afraid to tell them what the problem is, or how I need to use their skills. I am also not afraid to ask for help, but have learned how to do this strategically. I have a knack for reading the room, sensing the little things like room temperature or this person needs more water, or this person is distracted because her binder is a different color- little things. So as a leader, I try to foresee those little things so people can focus on the task at hand. I'll take care of the little things... and the not so little things. I'm always behind the scenes because I would much rather set the stage, literally and figuratively, for someone else to shine. 

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Anne: Currently, we are gearing up for our 5th anniversary season at the Philadelphia Women's Theatre Festival. This year's Festival is all about the stories of Philadelphia women. We have found some amazing plays about Philadelphia women who are struggling with their current state of affairs in Philadelphia. Some of these stories are about women years ago dealing with the patriarchy, other stories are about women today dealing with current Philadelphia life. I don't want to give too much away- stay tuned for the official season announcement! 

I'm also working on a current non-arts related project which is very personal to me. Joan's Reach is a non-profit organization that provides information and support for families continuing a pregnancy with a life-limiting diagnosis. Joan's Reach raises awareness of perinatal hospice and palliative care so that parents who receive the devastating news that their baby will likely die before or shortly after birth will receive adequate support at the time of diagnosis and beyond.

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship. Apply by June 1st to be a mentee or mentor for the next class in Philadelphia at www.stateraarts.org/philadelphia-mentorship. And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the Los Angeles Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in the Los Angeles area and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the Los Angeles Regional Coordinators. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

Los Angeles Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: Statera Mentorship Los Angeles Chapter
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

Los Angeles Regional Coordinators (left to right) Amber Friendly, Anatasha Blakely, and Siobhan Doherty.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Amber Friendly: I think the greatest need depends on the individual and where they're at in their journey, but generally, I think it's important to have someone you can connect with who is a little farther along in their career and can act as a supportive figure. Sometimes that support is just having someone with experience to bounce ideas off of, sometimes it can be to provide more of a guiding role. And for the person acting as the mentor, it can be easy to take for granted the knowledge that you've accumulated over the years. Sharing what you know is a great way to deepen your own understanding of a concept as well as gain an appreciation for what you've learned along the way. 

Anatasha Blakely: Growth is hard. We all want to get better and sometimes we don't know how. In Tools of Titans Tim Ferris says "What you do is more important than how you do everything else, and doing something well does not make it important... Being busy is a form of laziness. Being busy is often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important but uncomfortable actions." Every great mentor I've had has kept me from wasting a whole lot of time doing the unimportant things. When you're starting out with a new skill or reaching new peaks it's often hard to know which path to take, which action will really help. They have lived it. The good ones guide you away from time wasters and put you on a path to find your own voice.

Siobhan Doherty: Support, and a willingness to understand that it may mean something different to each person. Some people may want someone to support them by pushing them out of their comfort zone, and challenging them, and other people may feel most supported when they're listened to and gently encouraged along their path.

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Anatasha: I began as an actor and got a degree from SUU. But lately I've found myself improvising, writing and filmmaking! What a world!

Siobhan: I'm an actor, writer, producer, and teacher. 

Amber: I'm an actress and writer based in Los Angeles by way of Chicago. In Chicago, I worked primarily in theatre. Now, my work is focused primarily on television and voiceover. I've been lucky to work on some great projects, but some of my favorites have been How to Get Away With Murder, Children's Hospital, Shameless, and NCIS: LA.

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the Los Angeles area arts scene?

Siobhan: I never thought I'd end up in LA. I grew up doing musical theater, so I always thought I'd end up in New York, but after going to grad school at UC Irvine, I got into writing and producing for film, so I've been in LA ever since. Nowadays I'm mostly writing and directing my own projects, teaching, and looking to get back into the theater scene in LA.

Amber: I grew up around Chicago and first came to the West Coast to attend the MFA Acting program at the University of California, Irvine. That was the first time I had spent more than a week west of the Mississippi. After I graduated, I moved up to Los Angeles and have been lucky enough to connect with some wonderfully creative artists in my time here. LA is a city that is filled with so much culture and ingenuity; I constantly feel like I'm discovering something new.

Anatasha: This question exhausts me. Ha! All I'll say is that LA is exhausting in the best way. And don't knock it ‘til you try it.

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Siobhan: My experience with the first iteration of the Statera Mentorship program - and specifically my mentor, Sylvie Zamora - was instrumental in my current career path. When we started our meeting, I was working a lot of freelance/side-hustle jobs and feeling lost and disconnected from my art, and I'm now on faculty at two colleges in their actor training programs. Meeting with Sylvie and being able to voice what I was looking for in my career and brainstorm ways to move in that direction has changed my life dramatically.

Anatasha: I met the most amazing woman, Jet Eveleth, at the iO West bar. (When iO West was still an improv theatre and not a drug and gun den. She looked me in the eye, made me feel seen and then told me to promise her I would make beautiful art before I died. She then continued to light a fire under my butt for 5 years just by being herself. (If you're ever in Los Angeles you MUST attend her insanely beautiful class: Church Clown.

Amber: I think that mentorship is something that happens at different points in your career because we are always evolving and learning. That said, my most recent show is freshest in my mind. I was in production for about six months and just the collective knowledge on that set was staggering. It really was a group of generous, kind people who were very accomplished. I am truly grateful for every member of the cast and crew who shared their knowledge and vision with me.  

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Anatasha: Melinda Pfundstein. She's a saint. I could never deny her anything.

Siobhan: I worked with Melinda Pfundstein at Utah Shakespeare Festival back in 2013, before Statera was founded, and heard about the early stages of it through social media. It's been fascinating to watch it grow and connect our theater community across the country, and I knew I wanted to be part of that.

Amber: Siobhan Doherty, who I went to graduate school with and still work with today approached me and let me know about her experience with the program.

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Amber: In terms of my leadership style, I like to break things down into clear goals and strategies. Just about anything can be tackled if you take it piece by piece. And helping other people realize their own talents feeds into my own artistry. It's like watching a light turn on and it helps keep me inspired on my own creative journey.  

Anatasha: I've always thought I had lovely taste in people and I'm not afraid to tell them what's wonderful about them. Not sure if that's a leadership style but my buddies always tell me I'm a collector of "shiny rocks" and I adore getting those "rocks" to love and meet each other. Called to do the work... because there is nothing I love more than seeing someone step into their power. Fuck yeah! Sorry, can I swear on here? Eh. Bleep it if you must.

Siobhan: Lead with humility and imperfection. Each time I step into a leadership role, I am reminded that none of us know for sure what we're doing - yes, we may have navigated something similar before, but it's never exactly the same. We're all here on planet earth trying to figure this life thing out. Not being afraid to say "I don't know the answer" but being willing to go figure it out or find someone who knows, is, I think, one of the most useful qualities in a leader.

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Anatasha: I am shooting a short film I wrote. My first time directing a film. I'm super stoked and wildly terrified (in the good storm-chaser-wind-in-my-hair kind of way). God bless us, everyone. I'm also headed to the Shakespeare Project in Anniston, Alabama in August to play Macduff. For future updates about said film and possible pictures of me killing Macbeth (I've been promised a dagger fight, y'all) you can check me out on Instagram @anatashablakely.

Siobhan: I'm one of the creators of Dame Sketch Comedy, which I'm super proud of: Dame Sketch Comedy. I'm also directing Sarah Ruhl's Orlando in the Fall at Studio School.

Amber: I recently wrapped on the Morning Show, which will air on the upcoming show Apple plus service. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carrell, and many other amazingly talented people. I can't wait for everyone to see it. You can follow me @AmberFriendly on Twitter and Instagra for updates on everything I have coming down the pipeline. 

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship. Apply by June 1st to be a mentee or mentor for the next class in the Los Angeles Area at www.stateraarts.org/los-angeles-mentorship. And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the DFW Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in the Boston Area and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the Dallas / Fort Worth Regional Coordinators. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

Dallas / Fort Worth Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: Statera Mentorship Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

DFW Regional Coordinators (left to right): Emily Scott Banks, Alle Mims, Vanessa DeSilvio, Christie Vela, Olivia de Guzman, and Natalie Young.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Alle Mims: The greatest need for mentorship relationships is finding a mentor who looks like you, a mentor you can relate to. As amazing as most of my professors were, there were all white and straight. I never had a queer, woman of color to look up to while in university. Having a mentor you know personally, in your area, who is walking a similar path to you is invaluable. Since graduating, I have met many powerful and worthy women of color and queer people to look up to, and it has made a huge difference in how I see my future in Dallas. While in university, I thought, "Why am I doing this when there is no place for someone like me here?" Now that I see people like me succeeding, I know it's possible for me too.

Vanessa DeSilvio: I think the greatest need for mentorship is to feel encouraged. I can't tell you how many artists I have met recently who are incredibly talented and have so much to offer this arts community, but who doubt themselves constantly. I think they get in their own way of artistic growth and of personal ambition. But I get it! Once I became a mother, and had to find a balance between my passion for theater and my passion for my children, there were days where I felt serious fear creep into my mind that maybe I would not be successful in both. That maybe I was just not cut out for being an artist because I decided to have a family and so I wouldn't find time or energy to commit to my love of art. With mentorship, I think artists who feel that they have been out of the game for too long, or feel that they simply aren't booking work, or who just need that boost of encouragement, will find that mentorship can help uplift them and give them a gentle nudge towards their goals. 

Natalie Young: Navigating the lack of opportunity for our gender, as well as equal pay for women. 

Emily Scott Banks: In my own experience, anyway, it is a harder thing for a mid-career woman to find a mentor than for an artist who is still very young. I'm not sure why this is, but it does seem to leave a lot of ladies in their late 20's through their 30's who may have had pauses for families or other reasons, and who have therefore not progressed quite as far or as fast in their careers. When I was going through this period, I experienced a LOT of judgment from men in leadership positions (though not the person who became my own mentor) who simply had no time for artists who were also mothers. Even many women at the time were less interested in supporting the careers of other women artists who were not significantly younger than themselves, so I think that together leaves this gap. Off the top of my head, I can easily name maybe 20 local artists who are very talented and have a lot of potential, but who are struggling to find traction in their careers after becoming moms.

Olivia de Guzman: A sharing of perspective between two artists that remind them both of their passion and drive, and why the arts are a noble and necessary pursuit.  An outlet to celebrate personal process.

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Olivia: I'm an actor, musician, and arts educator. 

Vanessa: I received my MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University and have worked with numerous theatre companies in DFW. I’m also a voice over artist and speak fluent Spanish so I’m often recording audiobooks, commercial radio spots, or educational programs in both English and Spanish. I’ve also taught at Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas, and KD Conservatory. I’m represented by The Mary Collins Agency, which has helped me book commercial spots and television roles. 

Alle: I work mostly as an actor but I recently had my first short play produced in Dallas since college!

Emily: I am an actor-director and have been working professionally in the DFW area for 20 years now. Before that, I worked and studied in New Orleans, Austin and the Berkshires. Since moving back to Fort Worth in 2000, I have been in maybe 50/60 plays as an actor, and directed about 20 others. I have a BFA in Acting from UT Austin, and I've been a member of Actors Equity for 12+ years.

Natalie: I work primarily as an actor, though I am also a founder of Choreo Records Tap Company and I sing with the Polyphonic Spree. 

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the DFW area arts scene?

Emily: I grew up in Fort Worth, so was involved in both experimental theater at the Hip Pocket Theatre at the same time as very traditional Casa Mañana Theatre when it was in the round and doing full musical summer stock. I studied dance first, then moved over to acting later. At that time, I couldn't wait to get out of the area so went away to study/work for about 12 years, then came back as a new mom with an infant, to find the theater scene hopping. I never looked back. I love how artists can live a balanced life here. Although I had directed outside of DFW, I primarily identified as an actor for the first 9 years I was back, but was offered (by a mentor!) to direct a professional show in 2009, and since then have been an artist hyphenate. 

Olivia: I was born and raised in Texas and I got my BFA in theatre here too. But after graduating, I had some entrepreneurial opportunities come up. It’s crazy how a theatre skill set lends itself to so many other jobs. So I did small theatre and music projects on the side, mostly for free, and I didn’t start actually working professionally in the Dallas theatre scene (and some projects in New York) until 6 years ago. Sometimes I wonder where’d I be if I started grinding and auditioning right after college, but mostly I’m proud of the time I took to explore other things and I believe those experiences made me a better artist. 

Natalie: I got cast pretty much directly out of college and have continued working regularly ever since. 

Vanessa: I moved from New York City to Dallas to pursue my MFA and the plan was to move to Chicago afterwards. But upon graduation I had built up a strong connection with theaters in the DFW area, including Shakespeare Dallas, Cara Mia Theatre Co., Kitchen Dog Theater, and the Dallas Theater Center. I love the close-knit theater community here, I was inspired by the work I was seeing, and felt like I could find my place here. One of the things I enjoy about being in this town is that I can see work and think to myself, “I really hope to get to work with this actor or with that director” and chances are that I will! 

Alle: was raised in California and moved to DFW when I was 18. I went to Collin College for a few years before transferring to Texas Woman's University where I got my BA in Drama in 2016. From there, I joined the professional theatre world and eventually signed with Kim Dawson and started commercial and film work as well. 

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Vanessa: Upon graduation, I reached out to David Lozano at Cara Mia Theatre Co. He was so gracious in allowing me to join them for weekly sessions that focused on physical theater, devised work, clown and mask work. It was exactly what I needed to feel connected to a theater in town and to continue building on my training from SMU. I got quite busy working with other theaters in town but I am always grateful to him for his mentorship and guidance. 

Emily: Probably the unexpected and surprising offer to direct I mention above. I actually came to my first true experience of having a mentor rather late, though I'd always hungered for such support. This person was both my Meisner teacher of 5 years (at that time) as well as my director on many shows. The offer to direct was purely out of the blue, because he recognized that in me, and was generous enough to take a risk. Luckily it paid off! 

Alle: My most memorable and impactful mentorship happened at Collin College under Gail Cronauer. I am happy to say we continued our relationship past my graduation. Out of all my instructors, I think she has been the most honest with me. I will never forget when I asked her if I should straighten my hair for my head shots, she said, "Why?" After I spent a few moments trying, and failing, to come up with a good reason, she said, "Your hair makes you who you are. There will be hundreds of girls with straight hair auditioning. You're going to be different." It seems like a small thing, but that really made me reevaluate how I present myself as a black woman in the professional world. After she saw my first ten-minute play, she told me, "Keep writing." I have that small quote written down and pinned on my bulletin board. 

Natalie: Dressing room chats with more seasoned actresses than myself.

Olivia: That’s the thing - I have had truly excellent teachers and my family is very supportive of my work in the arts, but I’ve never had a mentor-mentee relationship with another artist. It’s absolutely a void I’ve always felt, especially when I was a younger woman, flying by the seat of my pants around my career. So, the chance to help others find mentorship is a way to feel better about not having had that myself. 

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Vanessa: Sarah Greenman, the StateraArts Director of Operations, reached out to me at the start of this year about becoming an ambassador for StateraArts. I didn't know much about Statera until Sarah reached out to me and I am so glad she did. The mission of empowering women artists speaks to me in a visceral way, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to be a part of such an uplifting organization. I am proud of being an artist, of being Latinx, of being a mother to two, and now, of being a part of a movement to UPLIFT, AMPLIFY, and ADVANCE women artists in this DFW community. Just a few weeks after taking on the role of ambassador, I was contacted about leading the Regional Coordinator team for the very first DFW Mentorship Chapter. Again, I couldn't resist this active mission of encouraging women artists and helping them to find a community. So here I am!

Natalie: Christie Vela and Vanessa DeSilvio.

Olivia: The very fierce Vanessa DeSilvio reached out to me and I said yes. We know each other through mutual friends, teaching at the same school, and before that I was a fan of her work onstage!

Emily: Vanessa DeSilvio, our lovely regional coordinator, and I were in The Moors together this past fall, and became friends there. 

Alle: I was introduced to Statera Mentorship by Vanessa DeSilvio. Vanessa was actually part of the cast in my first ever professional show in Dallas. Since then, we have supported each other's work and stayed in touch. I saw her posting about Statera and the possibility of starting a DFW chapter and before I knew it, she was reaching out to me to become a part of it. I was blown away because I look up to her as an actress and a strong voice for women of color in the industry. I hope that others will see me that way, too. 

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Vanessa: My leadership style... I am super organized, so organizing teams, planning tasks that are geared towards goals, those are the things I like to do. I love a challenge! I'm called to mentorship in DFW because I feel so many artists will benefit from this uplifting mission.  

Natalie: I suppose it's important to me that we find ways to raise our worth in this business. We all need expanders along the way, especially as young artists, to feel safe asking for what you deserve. Hopefully our mentorship will provide that for young women. I don't consider myself someone who has conquered everything, but I've never been afraid of an uncomfortable conversation and I've never been satisfied with "that's just the way it is." 

Emily: I am a staunch believer in the power of so-called "soft leadership" or "leading from behind" (thank you, Nelson Mandela) which is 100% counter to the stereotypical male and mainstream-rewarded forms of leadership that scream an ego-driven "Look at me!". I firmly believe in shining a light on every member of my collaborative team in a way that brings their best efforts to the fore, and encourages them to soar past their own perceived limitations. However this does not mean I am afraid of making the final decisions or the hard calls. I believe that long as I, as director/leader, have done my research, collected the best team, and stay true to my vision to honor the story, then all the team member's contributions can then feel valued enough to bring their best work with a good heart. At first, I struggled with some perceptions that this approach signaled weakness on my part, as it wasn't the classic macho style of leadership, but I think the "products" (for lack of a better word) that I have delivered repeatedly have led to being hired over and over again, and to having my shows recognized in end-of-year lists/awards and more importantly by audiences as important experiences. I think this combination of bringing quality stories where all members of the team feel a sense of esprit d'corps is why I am called to work.

Olivia: Theatre is a collaborative art form and I think my strength lies in collaboration.  Whether my role in the collaboration is a leadership role or not, I'm up for the task and I give my full effort, along with my trust in and respect for what my fellow artists bring.

Alle: I am still trying to find my leadership style. Often times, I feel as though I am thrown into leadership positions because I am outspoken and unapologetic. I carry both of those things into my leadership, but I am still refining that. I know I have crossed lines and stepped on toes in the past. I hope to grow and learn from my mistakes and use them to become a better leader.

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Olivia: I just closed Office Hour by Julia Cho at Circle Theatre.  It has been an important project for me because I'm one of two Asian Pacific Islander - American leads, and Julia Cho is an amazing Asian American playwright.  Representative opportunities such as this are a rarity in DFW and it has been a wonderful experience.  In the fall, I am going back to school (!!) for a Masters in Acting, so I'm looking forward to immersing myself in that training.

Alle: I just closed Raptured! at Theatre Three. After that, I will be in As You Like It with Shakespeare Dallas in the summer. I hope to continue to get short works produced in the area and am currently working on a staged reading of a full-length play. You can follow my work on Instagram @alleisthebest. 

Natalie: Lots of exciting things around the bend! My Instagram is @pepinochick where I painfully overshare, so its unlikely you'll miss whats happening with me, if that's something you're interested in. 

Emily: I’m directing "Summer and Smoke" for The Classics Theatre Project at the Margo Jones Theater at Fair Park - where it had its world premiere in 1947 (the year before going to Broadway) and where it has not been done since. Bringing this challenging piece home, where the ghosts of Margo and Tennessee birthed it 71 years ago seems like some juicy theater juju.

Vanessa: Oh yay! I just closed the Dallas Theater Center's production of REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES by Josefina Lopez (directed by a fellow regional coordinator, Christie Vela!). The play features an all-female, all-Latinx cast and it is a feel-good play that deals with owning your roots, body image, friendships, the roles of wives, sisters, mothers... it's just a fabulous play that I was so blessed to be a part of.

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship. Apply by June 1st to be a mentee or mentor for the next class in the DFW Area at www.stateraarts.org/dfw-mentorship. And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the South Texas Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in the larger Houston Area and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the South Texas Regional Coordinators. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

South Texas Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: www.stateraarts.org/south-texas-mentorship
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

South Texas Regional Coordinators (left to right): Amariee Collins-Lawrence, Christine Arranz Jugueta, Mara McGhee, and Julie Ann Arbiter.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Christine Arranz Jugueta: The business can often be so touch and go, especially in the theatre, when most gigs only last a few months. There is a need to engage in deeper conversations about the field, to pass on and gain knowledge about navigating the course, to continue to have/hold guidance around work that can be very inconsistent and to develop a wider view on all that is necessary for success.  It is important that women help give each other strength, provide empowering support in following their dreams, explore possibilities and inspire one another to cultivate wisdom.

Mara McGhee: I wish that I had a mentor who could connect me with the right people and show me where I could find the right opportunities. Now that I'm older and have lived in the theatre world for a while, I know the ropes a little bit better. I had no idea what I didn't know when I was fresh out of college.

Amariee Collins-Lawrence: Good pairing is the most important.

Julie Ann Arbiter: Willingness to listen. 

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Julie Ann:  I'm a Production Manager by way of Stage Management. After a particularly nasty breakup here in Houston, I gave myself some time and then moved to New York because, as I told my mom, I'd always wonder if I didn't try. I spent 5 years in New York. I started freelance stage managing but quickly aligned myself with The Public Theater and rose from an over-hire Production Assistant to an over-hire Assistant Production Manager to a full time Assistant Production Manager to an Associate Production Manager and finally, to a full blown Production Manager! My work covered all manner of things. I did readings and workshops, festivals, events, Shakespeare in the Park, new works, and musicals (most notably, Hamilton). I spent the most time working on my favorite program, The Mobile Unit. This program tours 90-minute versions of Shakespeare plays to all the boroughs of New York to perform in community centers, libraries, shelters, and secure facilities. I did 8 tours in New York City and the maiden voyage of Mobile National's production of Sweat. I learned so much and worked with inspiring people doing work that felt deeply important and urgent - making art accessible to everyone, no matter their circumstance. Not surprisingly, this sparked a deeper understanding and interest into anti-racism work.

Mara: I have been doing theatre on various levels of professionalism since I graduated college. I enjoy all aspects of theatre, and have experience in all forms. I have done both musical and non-musical theatre, improvised and rehearsed theatre, in front of and behind the curtain, for adults and children, and every combination therein. 

Amariee: I started at 5yo in children's theater and did theater until the 8th grade. In middle school, we traveled to other schools putting on performances. Currently, I just act with church plays and mime. 

Christine: I'm an actor, writer, singer, songwriter, director, music arranger/producer.  These days I am most interested in experimental and devised work, non-traditional casting and mixing genres.  I'm also in the midst of artist development as a singer/songwriter/producer and am experimenting with a fusion sound around jazz, folk, blues, world and sacred music.   

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the Houston area arts scene?

Mara: I'm getting my feet wet again after tepidly dipping my toes in the scene for the past 3 years. I work in theatre education, and enjoy performing. My first connection was through Comedy Sportz Houston. I did Sportz up in Milwaukee when I lived there, and it was wonderful to find out that they had a chapter down here. I then did the Alliance auditions and introduced myself to several theatre companies. I found work and started meeting people. From then, I've auditioned for several other companies and have been slowly wading back into the scene. 

The South Texas Regional Coordinators at a recent meet-up in Houston.

Amariee: I attend many plays and events. 

Christine: I've been visiting Houston on/off since I was about 5 years old.  Many of my relatives on my father's side of the family have settled in the Houston area.  I moved here for my longest stretch in December 2017 and have been exploring the theatre/arts scene slowly.  I've made connections in the visual arts, dance, music and theatre scenes and am enjoying learning more about this diverse and thriving community.

Julie Ann: I've been, in some way, part of the Houston arts scene my whole life! I took classes at HITS Theatre and was fortunate enough to attend the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts here. It was there that I was exposed to technical theater and really wrapped my mind around what those jobs entailed. When I was asked to Stage Manage, things fell into place for me. The job used all my organizational and "mom" skills (caring for people, being prepared, etc.) and I was intrigued! I went to college at the University of Evansville in Southern Indiana where I got a degree in Stage Management. After graduating, I came back to Houston to get my sea legs as an adult. I freelanced around town as well as juggling a few day jobs to make ends meet. The work was hard but rewarding and I met a lot of really wonderful people. During the 5 years I spent in New York, I met my awesome husband, got married, and got tired of the city. As exciting as the city was, it was also exhausting and we missed our family. So we started looking for jobs. It felt like a sign when the Associate Production Management position became available at The Alley Theatre, where I'd spent a little time before moving to the city. I've only been back at The Alley for about 4 months but it feels like home! The staff is amazing, we're building community, and it feels like we can make some real change. I'm also thrilled to spend more time with family, including my new niece! 

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Julie Ann: I'm a person that thrives with feedback, particularly tangible feedback. I have this very vivid memory of getting assigned my first mainstage show at The Public and being nervous to lead a room of older, more experienced, Broadway-veteran men. I set up a meeting with Stephanie Ybarra, who was then the Director of Special Artistic Projects at The Public and oversaw the Mobile Unit program (she is now the Artistic Director at Baltimore Center Stage).  We talked about many things and put together strategies, but the take-away that sticks with me most is this - She said that when she felt like I was feeling she did everything she could to feel powerful. She would put on her favorite boots, bright red lipstick, and hoops and walk into that conference room full of confidence. Sometimes the outside gesture can trick them and us. 

Amariee: Meeting with my mentor and understanding what we both needed to make things work. 

Christine: A woman named Letecia Layson has been mentoring me for a few years as I have been seeking ways to teach about spirituality in the theatre.  It has been very amazing to learn about her viewpoints on leadership, her experiences of theatre as it relates to ritual and spirituality and to experience her amazing energy.  She has challenged me, provided loving support and imparted very precious knowledge.    

Mara: I remember my high school theatre teacher chasing me down to work on monologues. As an air-headed teen, it wasn't a priority to me, but he knew that if I wanted to be a theatre artist, I had to jump this hurdle. 

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Amariee: Through Christine! 

Christine: I have been involved with Statera in various capacities since it first started in Utah in 2015.  I have long been interested in Mentorship and was very excited about this new program, which I learned about at StateraCon in 2018.  Since I am so new to the arts scene in Houston and South Texas, I thought it would be great to get to know the community through this program.  I reached out to Minita and Erika and founded the South Texas Chapter, which I'm very proud of (especially because our team is SO RAD!!).

Julie Ann: The amazing Props Master at The Alley, Karin Rabe, connected me to Christine and I fell in love with the idea of reconnecting to the Houston Arts community in this way. 

Mara: The fantastic women at the Alley Theatre introduced me to this organization. 

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Amariee: I am an action leader. Solving problems and finding solutions or navigating to achieve results. 

Julie Ann: I think my leadership style is a balance of building relationships and managing expectations. The first part is getting to know someone and approaching them with unconditional positive regard. Being a human can be so hard. We're all doing our best. The second part is about getting the parameters out on the table so you know what you're working around. We can't do everything but we can do a lot! For example, I'm a big believer in setting up meeting agreements. The one I always include is being respectful to people's time - I'm going to start and end my meetings on time because we've all got lots to do and it's important to me to be able to understand the layout of my day. 

Mara: I try to remember that people don't know what they don't know, and that patience will make everyone's job easier. There's no point getting upset when someone asks a question, or when they make an error. It's all a learning process, and we are all trying to figure it out together. 

Christine: I feel very drawn to leadership. I incorporate extensive administrative and teaching experience and enjoy investigating the broad view.  I like to create strategies and put a strong focus on building a solid team.  I find that holding humor is important and am learning how to cultivate spaces where everyone's gifts can be highlighted, developed and explored.  I care about supporting women in the arts especially in parts of the country that are not typically known to be progressive. I want to develop my leadership by learning how to live in a culture that has lots of bold and opposing belief systems swirling around and think that Statera Mentorship South Texas is a great way to do that.   

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Christine: Right now, I am in the second phase of developing my solo play,  THE RED THREAD. I will be doing a workshop performance of the piece in the SF Bay Area in the fall.  I am always ever developing music and various workshops and am hoping to hold a concert and launch a new workshop in the fall or winter.  I'm also revamping my website and would love to collect testimonials on my work.  I would be most most grateful if anyone from StateraConIII in Milwaukee could send a testimonial over to my email:  [email protected].  And, of course, folks can stay updated through my website (which has some new demos posted):  https://www.christinejugueta.com/    

Mara: I'm doing Catastrophic's show called Speeding Motorcycle. We open June 27! Check out my website www.MaraMcGhee.org.

Julie Ann: This is a long way off but I'm really excited for Amerikin at The Alley next season. Chisa Hutchinson wrote this powerful script that was part of this season's Alley All New play festival (headed up by Liz Frankel); I'm so pleased that it's going to be part of our full season. It's an exciting script that touches on current race relations, postpartum depression, community, parent-child relationships, and our personal values. I'm also pumped to see Mara in this summer's production of Speeding Motorcycle at Catastrophic Theater! 

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship. Apply by June 1st to be a mentor or mentee in South Texas at www.stateraarts.org/south-texas-mentorship. And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the NYC Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in New York City and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the NYC Regional Coordinators. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

New York City Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: stateraarts.org/new-york-mentorship
Instagram: @stateraarts_nyc
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

New York City Regional Coordinators (left to right) Meridith C. Grundei, Sayantee Sahoo, Mara Jill Herman, Alex Marrs, and Rachel Spencer Hewitt.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Meridith C. Grundei: I see a need for empowerment and community. Choosing a career in the arts can be daunting and surprisingly lonely at times. It is always wonderful to have a cheerleader in your corner to remind you that you are never alone!

Sayantee Sahoo: The need to navigate through troublesome and confusing relationship parameters that exist not just within our industry, in our own working relationships, but also in the way our industry is viewed by our patrons. 

Rachel Spencer Hewitt: Trust and community. We can't underestimate the healing power of someone taking even thirty minutes at coffee with us, even just to say yes to the thoughts we have about power and progress. When we give that out to others, it's just as powerful. I think everyone should feel ready to join this program even just in bringing themselves to the table.

Mara Jill Herman: The single most important need to impart to future mentees is to carve out a life they enjoy every single day.

Alex Marrs: Reciprocity. I think that mentors and mentees are on equal footing and that there are opportunities for personal and professional growth on either side of the mentorship. Just like in any relationship, it’s essential to give just as much as you take. 

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Alex: I’m an event producer and values-based fundraiser at Primary Stages, a nonprofit Off-Broadway theater company. 

Mara: I am an actor, singer, writer, teaching artist, private coach, and recently added producer/director.

Sayantee: Currently, I am a Production Manager at an awesome youth theater organization, The 52nd St. Project, located in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York city. Look us up of Facebook, Instagram, and our website. I manage our beautiful theater, the Five Angels Theater and support all the in-house programs on various technical production aspects. I am looking to restart my work as a performance creator, and working on putting together the preliminary ideas based on 'letters send from love ones from afar'. I am fierce supporter of Safety and Health, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity in our industry. And I would love to spearhead a practice-based technical internship program sometime in the near future. 

Meridith: I am a hyphenate for sure. I am an actor, director, and educator. For the past 2 years I have been a guest director and teacher at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. for their MFA in Contemporary Performance program. This past fall, I directed and conceived a show called Bite-Size, An Evening of Micro-Theatre for Off-Center at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. I also have an extensive improv background where I have taught for The Second City in Chicago, Il and through my own business called, Red Ball Speaks where I have taught numerous workshops all over the world using improv as a tool for presence and team building. At present, I am acting in a workshop in residence at HB Studios, teaching at The PIT and continuing development on a project I started called, The Father Project.

Rachel: I'm a trained actor and still pursuing work that is challenging, elevated, and provides paychecks that can also pay for my childcare. MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, which was one of the greatest artistic experiences of my life. I still learn from moments in my memory that just now make sense in light of experience and progress. Worked all over the country in regional theatre, have worked off-Broadway and on Broadway, and even did my first professional contract at the English Theatre in Vienna. In all of this I've learned - good gravy - I love a live, breathing house.

STATERA: Rachel, can you talk a little about your work with PAAL?

Rachel: Sure! I founded Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts (PAAL), a national organization to organize, network, and create opportunities for artist caregivers that prioritize their need and turn their lifestyle into assets for our work. Our role with PAAL is to provide support for individuals and institutions as bridge-builders so that access for caregivers becomes common practice and not luck of the draw. We aim to elevate the national standard of support for caregivers in the arts. We are thrilled to partner with Statera so that our distinct conversations can serve to inform the theatre community of their interconnected nature - parity and caregiving go hand in hand, so does PAAL and Statera.

STATERA: Can you all share about your journey to the NYC arts scene?

Mara: As a native New Yorker–born on the Upper West Side and primarily raised on Long Island– New York City has always been accessible. My parents and grandparents were fans and supporters of performing arts in New York and I was introduced at a young age to its breathtaking cultural institutions like museums, ballet, and Broadway. Even when I went away for college, I knew I would move back to New York to build my career. I do wonder what my life would be like if I was from the Midwest or Los Angeles. Would I still hold this preference to make my ultimate work decisions based on living in the Big Apple? Probably!

Sayantee: I am from India, a alumni of the National School of Drama in Direction and Design for theater. I travelled to the United States in 2015 to start my MFA in Technical Design and Production at the Yale School of Drama. Thanks to theater, I have been travelling around India, China and United States over the past decade. I started off as a props artist and painter for my ensemble theater group in Kolkata, India, named Uhinee and then slowly picked up myriad skills. Production is where I want to be right now, and I am super excited to have found a home at The 52nd St. Project. 

Alex: My career in development actually began in higher education at Christopher Newport University. My first job after graduating was raising money for my alma mater’s music, theater, and dance programs along with its performing and visual arts centers. After working at the University level on Long Island, I desired to be more involved with the creation of new work. Primary Stages was the perfect fit. What I love about the company is that the playwright is at the center of the production process. We are also a very collaborative team that surpasses departmental silos and hierarchical structures. 

Meridith: Ha! I just got here and my journey is a beautiful but complicated one. Let’s just say that NYC provides all of the cultural needs for our unique family. The journey started in Colorado where my husband (the theater composer) and I were both flourishing in the Boulder/Denver theater scene. We were happy but we were also searching for growth in a way that Colorado was unable to provide for our daughter and us. So, as you do, we decided to buy an RV and travel the US and Mexico for a year. During our time on the road, we did a lot of soul searching about what was important to us, which lead us here to New York City.

 So far, I have had some lovely successes in my short time in the city but in all honesty, I have never been so confronted by ageism in the arts until I moved here. I have been told several times by reputable industry people to not share things like that I graduated from graduate school 10 years ago or that I have a 7 year old. I was told it reveals my age and that this can hurt my chances for landing certain jobs. One thing I have learned in my “old age” is that everyone in this business has an opinion and you get to choose which ones to block out (insert winking emoticon).

Rachel: I've lived on-the-job in Austria, California, DC, Philadelphia, and New York - all while living in NYC, technically. I have lived in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia off and on, depending on the ebb and flow of work assignments. Essentially, New York has always been the hub for my artistic pursuits, and even now it's the location where I want to cultivate stronger and stronger artistic roots. I first moved to NYC after grad school, and it's always felt like the pace of work that matched my internal pace for work the best.

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Sayantee: I mentored a kid with Asperger's Syndrome when I was working as the Technical Director of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, in Alaska last summer. As the camp TD, I had to teach a class on Live production to middle school and high school kids. This particular young man was in the high school camp. His classmates considered him 'problematic' when we first started the program, but at the end of the 10 days of camp, I saw him find friends from his classmates in the Production class. They developed a common language to communicate, so that they could work together as the crew on the camp's programs. It was wonderful to see all of them taking up the challenge to make the workplace more inclusive for this friend of theirs, and journey beyond their personal troubles to find the safe, and welcoming, common ground.

Rachel: In graduate school, I had a couple of professors who would engage with me as a mentor by speaking not only to the question I would bring them, but also somehow into the path I could not see as clearly before me - the long term potential of why I asked certain questions. There is a peace that a good mentor gives just by seeing you - not for who you've made yourself to be in order to survive civilized society - but for who you are designed to be. My greatest mentors spoke not just to me but to my potential, at every opportunity, and I always left the conversation feeling equipped, feeling capable, and feeling seen.

Mara: My college mentor Forrest McClendon helped to shape my life. Part vocal technician/ acting coach/ therapist, Forrest has an unmatched energy and zest for life. He helped me to dig deep into the emotional well while investigating text and also encouraged and fostered a drive to believe in myself.  My voice lessons became intense workouts both physically and emotionally in order to achieve musical breakthroughs.

Forrest taught the Business of Theater course, which offered smart and practical advice about show business. He emphasized the importance of cultivating relationships with writers so that when they’re developing a piece, and they think of you in the mix, you get to go along for the journey: from a friend’s informal table read, to workshops and demos, to rehearsals and all the way to opening night of the first production.

Alex: I feel so very fortunate to have had a number of mentors early in my career... the late Dr. Stephanie Bardwell’s encouragement helped me gain the confidence I needed to leave my University safety net and stand out on my own. 

Meridith: I have definitely had several mentors throughout my career but the most memorable one is Ethie Friend. Ethie was my Roy Hart teacher in graduate school and in my last semester, I was in the process of getting a divorce and a total mess. Her calmness and ability to notice where I was and to work from that place was incredible. After all of these years she has continued to be supportive of my career and I consider her apart of my extended family.

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Alex: The incredible Kimberly Senior introduced me and encouraged me to get involved. 

Meridith: The lovely Shelly Gaza reached out to me in 2016 to submit a proposal to speak at the Statera Conference in Denver, so I did! My break out session was titled, How to Not Go Fucking Crazy and the Subtle Art of Presence. Or something like that?

Sayantee: Through a fabulous friend and peer. 

Mara: In 2005, I worked with Melinda Pfundstein Vaughn and Shelly Gaza at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. At 19, I looked up to them and was in awe of their talent and accomplishments. When the Statera announcement made front page news of the Equity Newsletter, I felt proud to know them. We reconnected in 2016, when I piloted the first mentorship program.

Rachel: PAAL and Statera's partnership hopes to integrate caregivers into better mentor relationships as well as strengthen and empower the access points of the mentorship program. I'm honored to come on board in NYC both as an advocate for anyone who needs and also as a mentor who can provide any insight or resources possible. PAAL has been growing side by side with Statera, and when our teams joined forces, I knew I wanted to engage personally with the beautiful NYC mentorship program.

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Rachel: I've been a mother for about half a decade, but have been researching and advocating for individuals and into institutions for three of those years. I am committed to holding space for every caregiver need I come across and engaged with multiple action plans at the ready for any one person who needs an extra support for all the cares they carry. I'm also here as a woman, an artist, and advocate for making space that creates access for ALL of us - no matter what pathway we take on the way in.

Alex: My style is lead by example. I was drawn to this opportunity because I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the hands and shoulders of women+ before me and it’s my responsibility to pay it forward. 

Sayantee: I am not a micro-manager, I believe in my peers and try to challenge them to bring out their best at all times. This means, as a manager, I must help them to not just gain confidence but also trust their own decision making abilities. While at all times, helping them get better at what they do, in the best way I can. 

Mara: Patience and empathy have been themes throughout my career. I like to delegate responsibility and surround myself with powerhouse people who are experts at what they do. One friend lovingly called me “the mayor” because I am a connector and build community. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than recommending friends for projects or making artistic introductions.

Meridith: I am a collaborator. I have tried doing work solo and I suck at it. I love bodies in the room and I love bringing great people together. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a fucking kickass group of badasses in a room creating magic. When I attended the Statera Conference in Milwaukee this past October and attended the mentorship meeting, I jumped on the opportunity to start a chapter in NYC. For me, it was an opportunity to meet some dynamic people, which I have and to also be a mentor and mentee in a new city.

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Alex: Primary Stages is producing an exquisite adaptation of Little Women by the incomparable Kate Hamill at the Cherry Lane Theatre from May 15- June 29. Sarna Lapine is directing. Deborah Abramson wrote original music. The play stars Kristolyn Lloyd as Jo, Paola Sanchez Abreu as Beth, Kate Hamill as Meg, and Carmen Zilles as Amy. Tickets at Primary Stages.org.

Sayantee: Nothing yet. But I will let you know when my "LETTERS" are ready to be read. 

Rachel: The PAAL chapter in Philadelphia is raising childcare funds for the Barrymore Awards nominators and adjudicators so that they can see a wide array of theatre while relieving some of the financial burden of caregiving. We're really excited for this campaign HERE - it's groundbreaking. Also, I'm going to be facilitating a LAB at the TCG conference on June 5 in Miami on replicable solutions for caregiving in institutions, Speaking at the Women's Theatre Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina on July 13, leading a session at Latinx Theatre Commons on caregiving and community on July 14, and we're partnering in NYC on a parent-access project, hosting the first PAAL Summit in NYC this fall/winter, and leading a session at the StateraArts Conference this fall in NYC! Bringing it all back home to the big apple and thrilled to be doing it.

Meridith: I am excited to finally start working on a project that I have shelved for a while called The Father Project. It is inspired by the life of my father and the interviews of children who’s parents were veterans of war. Starting in July I will be working with a few collaborators to bring these stories to life. I will be applying for a few residency programs but if there is a reader out there who would like to help me with a connection for space and mentorship—- I am all ears!

Mara: Yes! Musical Theater Today 2019, Volume 3 is now on sale! The anthology features over 40 industry professionals’ contributions, tips, and an inside look at their creative process. It includes my story about producing Stronger Than Hate: A Benefit for Tree of Life Synagogue. For more details, and to order: https://musicaltheatertoday.com.

Also! I perform with America’s Sweethearts, a vintage trio in the style of the Andrews Sisters. Our next appearance is on May 18th at 7pm, The Green Room 42. For everything else, you can follow me @marajillherman

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship.
Sign up for Statera Mentorship: NYC Chapter at www.stateraarts.org/new-york-mentorship.
And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the Ithaca Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in the Ithaca, NY Area and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the Ithaca Regional Coordinators. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

Ithaca Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: stateraarts.org/ithaca-mentorship
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

Ithaca Regional Coordinators (left to right) Kathleen Mulligan, Lucia Veccio, and Erica Steinhagen.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Kathleen Mulligan: There’s no one way to have a life in the arts- and I think that can make pursuing a life in the arts a rather lonely endeavor. It’s hard to put yourself out there- to put your HEART out there day after day- and know that so often that heart is going to be rejected. I’m certainly not going to say I’ve got this all figured out- but I know I had some incredibly generous mentors as I embarked on this life who made a real difference for me. They made me feel supported and SEEN- and if I can help other women feel that- well, that’s why I am doing it.

Lucia Vecchio: I believe that being in the arts, especially being a femme-identifying person in the arts, is a life path that can dig at your sense of self and your sense of community in a way that is often hard to stomach. Although it can be an endlessly fulfilling life journey it is not one that can be taken alone. There have been so many cross-roads in my artistic journey where having someone to lean on as I figured out to handle this world changed my life. In particular, having a woman to look up to and rely on as a support system as you dive headfirst into deep, uncertain waters can make all the difference. I want to be that for other women. 

Erica Steinhagen: I think there are so many valuable aspects to that relationship. The need to bounce around ideas, someone to inspire ideas to become fully realized projects, someone to be a support and ally… Perhaps someone to create some accountability for goal-setting and fulfillment.

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Kathleen: I’ve been acting professionally for thirty five years (with a little break in there for grad school), but about twenty five years ago I started teaching alongside acting, and mentoring young, emerging artists has become a strong part of my own artistic identity. I guess I’d have to say (and there’s some insecurity here about the rather cruel adage “Those who can’t do—teach” ) that I am now probably a teacher first. But I still strongly identify as an actress, as well, and I’ve added producing theatre to my passion—specifically international devised collaborations.

Lucia: I started my journey as a professional artist twelve years ago and truly never looked back. I had the opportunity growing up to take classes and perform in my hometown and began to work at a professional regional theatre in 2011 that became my artistic home and has been ever since. I identify strongly as an actor and am incredibly passionate about my work as a dancer and a vocalist. I began to venture into commercial and television/film work, growing up so close to Los Angeles, and have been able to work on some exciting projects in that genre as well. 

Erica: I am an actor and a voice teacher. I have created and performed one-woman cabarets, sung in operas, performed in countless plays and musicals and have been lucky enough to be a part of developing new work and been in world premiere casts more than a dozen times. I have a private voice studio with more than 20 wonderfully passionate students at any given time. One of the most important things I do is use theatre as a tool for social justice in my work with other amazing theatre makers in Ithaca doing anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion workshops and plays. 

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the Ithaca arts scene?

Erica: I studied to be an opera singer, and moved to NYC after graduating from Ithaca College's renowned music program to pursue that career. Once I decided to move back to Ithaca to go to grad school, however, I realized I had really dreamed of being a musical and straight theatre actor and began working regularly as such! I feel really lucky to be doing what truly I wanted to do, but was maybe too afraid to pursue in undergrad. The theatre world in Ithaca is extremely rich and varied, and I’ve been able to grow and learn so much from so many talented and passionate mentors here.

Lucia: Right in the middle of my frantic college hunt in my third year of high school was the first time I had ever heard of the Ithaca area, particularly Ithaca College. Suddenly, as though the universe had been listening, I started to hear about IC, particularly the Theatre Department, every day from different people in my life who had some odd connection to the town or the school. After some time in that college search I decided that Ithaca would be the right fit for me. I’m happy to say I was right. Coming here was a big change from my life on the West Coast but I have gotten to meet some of the most incredible artists and be a part of a vibrant community that I never expected to find so quickly. I had the pleasure of working with The Cherry Arts during my second year of undergrad and the best gift of all was meeting Erica Steinhagen there.

Kathleen: It’s a rather surprising story for me. I first came to Ithaca twenty five years ago as a Resident Artist as Cornell University. At that time, Cornell would bring several equity actors up to Ithaca for a year at a time to teach Acting 1 classes and perform in productions alongside their students. I ended up doing that for three years, met my husband at Cornell, and discovered my passion for teaching voice. When we left in 1995, I never imagined coming back. But twelve years later, a job came up, and I found myself back in Ithaca. It’s been hard for me here in Ithaca, to be honest. I feel as if I have a lot to offer as an actress, but the local theatre scene has proved to be very difficult for me to get a foothold in. Of course, I moved here just as I was hitting an age that is challenging for actresses (I moved here in my late 40’s) and that didn't help. I hope that our Statera chapter might offer support and community for women artists moving to Ithaca in the future.

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Lucia: There is a woman in my life named Deborah Gilmour Smyth. I met her for the first time in 2012 and I could never imagine having a more intelligent, kind-hearted, astronomically talented, strong, loving woman to look up to. She, as an artistic director in San Diego, took a chance on me and provided a theatrical space where I could thrive and develop my ethic and love for the work. To me, she is family, and not only an artistic mentor, but a life mentor. I would not be half of the artist I am today without her guidance and faith. 

Kathleen: A former student of mine, a young woman named Sarah Morrisette (Hebert-Johnson) had recently studied with Augosto Boal’s theatre in Brazil when I got a grant to create an original piece of theatre in Islamabad, Pakistan focused on personal stories about the Partition of 1947. I invited Sarah to join the project, and she and I traveled to Islamabad in 2015 to work with the Theatre Wallay company there. We worked with the company to create original monologues based on interviews with Partition survivors, and Sarah worked with the actors to create workshops for college students based on the Theatre of the Oppressed techniques she’d studied in Brazil. Sarah ended up working with us through the life of the year-long project, and her participation helped to make it the most rewarding artistic experience of my life.

Erica: In my earliest professional acting days, working under the guidance of brilliant directors like Wendy Dann, Susannah Berryman, and Rachel Lampert to name a few, I managed to absorb from them what probably amounted to a full masters degree in acting from their mentorship and patience!

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Kathleen: The Statera team invited me to speak about my project “Voices of Partition” at the first Statera conference in Cedar City, Utah. I’ve been passionately committed to the mission of Statera ever since.

Lucia: I am so lucky to have already made connections with artists in Ithaca that I admire and default to for my big questions and challenges. Two of those women are Kathleen Mulligan and Erica Steinhagen. They are people who I feel really “see” me and my artistry and have introduced me and invited me to join them in leading the Ithaca branch of Statera.

Erica: My friend, colleague, and co-coordinator Kathleen Mulligan approached me about it, and after a couple years of witnessing and hearing of her experiences at conferences, and the I was honored to become a part of it!

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Erica: I think I’m the big sister. I like to be the loving push towards strategizing and meeting goals. With my students I am so glad that I am someone they can trust and come to as a sounding board in addition to being their teacher. Mentorship is something I do every single day, and it brings me so much joy to work in this capacity with my students, creating a safe space for them to explore and learn. I love so much seeing the successes of that work. 

Kathleen: Ithaca has a lot of artists—and a large number of women artists. But we’re all kind of existing in our own silos. In theatre (the group of artists I know best) there’s a lot of people vying for a very limited number of opportunities (with some of the choice ones going to people from NYC, etc.) We’re not a big city—and the community can only support so many theatres. I’d guess that it’s the same in music, dance, visual arts, etc. I know some really astonishing women artists in this town (one is Erica, my partner on this Statera initiative)- and I’d love to get us out of our silos and joining together to support each other and lift each other up.

Lucia: I feel so strongly that now, more than ever, is the time to lift up women in our arts community. We need these voices and these stories RIGHT NOW and I believe that Ithaca is a place where big steps can be made in changing the way women are seen in arts environments. As someone with dual passion in activism and the arts I am so grateful to now have a space to put that energy into action. I feel that this work in the Ithaca community will allow for change and growth here, I believe that this kind of change will branch out to other communities and be a spark for big growth in our national arts mentality.  

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Lucia: I’m incredibly excited to say that I have been asked to be a part of Ithaca Shakespeare Company’s 2019 summer season and will be performing in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in July 2019 here in Ithaca. I have never worked on genuine summer stock theatre in rep before and I am so looking forward to that upcoming work. 

Erica: I am so proud to be a founding member of the Cherry Arts Collective, and we are soon to announce our upcoming season at our Cherry Blossom Gala on June 2! thecherry.org. I will be playing a dream role this summer as the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods at the Hangar Theatre June 28-July 13. hangartheatre.org.

Kathleen: I’ve been invited to perform the one woman show The Belle of Amherst in Beirut, Lebanon this coming October. So, my summer is going to be about getting that learned and produced! I’ll also be serving as a mentor in an official capacity for a rather astonishing student of mine at Ithaca College named Erin Lockett. Erin received a very competitive summer research grant from the college to create a one woman show based on the life of Lorraine Hansberry. So, my student and I will be working on parallel projects—both one woman shows- and both about women who were artistic revolutionaries!

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship.
Sign up for Statera Mentorship: Ithaca Chapter at www.stateraarts.org/ithaca-mentorship.
And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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Statera Mentorship: Meet the Boston Regional Coordinators

Mentorship is at the core of Statera's mission of taking positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts. Statera Mentorship is now in the Boston Area and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the Boston Regional Coordinators. Here are some quick stats before we dive in:

Boston Chapter Founded: Winter 2019
Dates: Class I runs from July 1 - December 31, 2019
Application deadline: Class I mentor/mentee applications are due by June 1, 2019
Website: Statera Mentorship: Boston Area
Instagram: @StateraArts_Boston
Facebook: Statera Mentorship

Boston Regional Coordinators (left to right) Sarah Morrisette, Julie Hennrikus, and Caroline Cronin.

STATERA: What do you see as the greatest need and/or the most common need for mentorship relationships?

Sarah: It’s so easy to feel isolated and alone in this industry. So much energy is spent comparing ourselves to each other through closed doors and amplifying the “us vs. them” syndrome. I believe we have so much to gain from working together instead. From celebrating each other's triumphs and learning from each other’s mistakes. Theatre is the most collaborative art form and we should reflect that in the way we work behind the scenes. I believe that by lifting each other up, we lift up ourselves. Mentorship relationships are a fantastic tool for creating opportunities and amplifying voices.

Julie: I give talks about making a career in the arts, and I often tell folks that this journey isn’t like other career paths that are highways with entrances, exits and rest areas. We’re all on a roller coaster ride. It is thrilling, and makes life more exciting, but the ride is constant, and exhausting. You’re not doing anything wrong if you feel overwhelmed, or if you need to work three jobs to make it all work. Often, too often, folks who have had amazing careers don’t think they should be mentors because they are still juggling. That’s wrong. We can all learn from each other. Folks who have been on the ride for a long time have a lot to offer.

Caroline: There is power in numbers and connectivity. We are all incredibly unique and valuable humans, and I think mentorship is a beautiful way to bring together people (in our case women) who already have so much to give individually, and who will be able to give so much more as a pair and then as a part of a movement.

STATERA: Tell us about your work in the theatre / or in the arts.

Julie Hennrikus: I’ve had a really interesting career so far. Like so many others, I wear more than one hat at a time. Recently I created Your Ladders, which is a subscription site for artists to learn business skills, get trainings, and have a supportive community on their artistic journey. I also teach arts management classes as adjunct faculty at different colleges. Finally, I am on my own journey as a published mystery author.

Sarah Morrisette: I am a Boston based actor, educator and collaborator. I’m currently the Education Associate at New Repertory Theatre, the professional theatre in residence at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA and the Resident Theatre Teaching Artist at Hyde Square Task Force, a youth community development organization in Jamaica Plain. These two positions have kept me extremely busy this past year!

Caroline Cronin: I have floated a bit around between London where I went to graduate school, New York City, and now I am back home in Boston pursuing my acting career here.

STATERA: Can you share about your journey to the Boston arts scene?

Sarah: I was born and raised right outside of Boston, so the city is very much my home. After graduating from Ithaca College in 2013 with my BFA in Acting, I was unsure what I wanted to do next. I had started studying Theatre of the Oppressed and felt a strong connection to social justice theatre. I lived in Mozambique, teaching theatre to youth and co-directing and producing a dance drama about personal stories of HIV/AIDS. I also did an internship at the Center for Theatre of the Oppressed (Centro de Teatro do Oprimido) in Rio de Janiero, Brazil and studied the techniques of Augusto Boal from the place it all originated. Since studying in Brazil, I have worked with various international projects, bringing my skills in social justice theatre techniques. These have included collaboration with Kathleen Mulligan, David Studwell and Theatre Wallay in Pakistan working on the Voices of Partition Project and the 4th annual meeting of Theatre of the Oppressed in Tome, Chile. In 2016 my boyfriend and I moved to Jamaica Plain. Boston seemed like the perfect place to dive back into performing and to create community.

Caroline: My journey here has just started! I wasn't very happy living in New York so I decided to come home for a little bit and see if I can break in here. I've been back home for less than a year so the past few months I have been trying to audition, and start making connections with anyone I can.

Julie: I’ve worked in the arts for over thirty years. Early on, I worked in small commercial theaters, as a company manager and a box office manager. I also ran the box office for the Institute of Contemporary Art for their 1990 Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment exhibition. I created what is now the Harvard Box Office. Then I went on to program 19 spaces, including Sanders Theater, as part of the Office for the Arts at Harvard. I moved on to Emerson College, where I was the General Manager and Director of Marketing of Emerson Stage. I also started teaching arts management courses while I was at Emerson. I moved on from there to run StageSource, a service organization for the New England performing arts community. That was an amazing opportunity to understand the needs of the sector on the front line, and to create resources to help. While I was at StageSource, we created the Gender Parity Task Force, the A11Y Initiative (to support Deaf artists and audiences), and the Gender Explosion Initiative (supporting and amplifying trans and non-binary artists). We started the Line Drawn Initiative, addressing sexual harassment in the performing arts community. I still work with the initiative, and am proud of the work that is being done.

STATERA: What is your own most memorable mentorship experience?

Caroline: This is about to be mine.

Julie: As a teacher, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor a lot of folks over the years. One of my former students introduced me to their mother by saying “This is Julie. She tells us everything is going to be alright, and then helps us figure it out.” I am very proud to have been part of a number of journeys for folks. I’ve also been mentored, especially in my writing life. When I was writing my second contracted novel I mentioned that I was having trouble getting through the first draft to one of my mentors. She told me that a first draft was always like putting a log through a meat grinder--it never got easier. Then she said, “you’ve got this.” That was reassuring. I try and do the same thing when I’m mentoring folks. Let them know that the path isn’t always easy, provide some advice on how to navigate it, and then support them on their journey.

Sarah: I feel so strongly about the power of women mentorships. Many of my most memorable mentorship experiences stem from one special relationship I have to a former professor of mine, Kathleen Mulligan. Kathleen was my Voice and Speech professor at Ithaca College. During my time at school, we become close when she agreed to privately coach me on some vocal issues I was having. From the start she was an encouraging voice when I felt lost or unseen. After graduating, Kathleen invited me to join her project Voices of Partition, a collaboration with Theatre Wallay, a theatre company based in Islamabad, Pakistan. In January of 2015 we traveled to Islamabad together to conduct the first week of workshops with Theatre Wallay. There were so many moments on this incredible trip that to this day give me the chills. I remember sitting beside her on the flight as we descended into Islamabad. I was both scared of the unknown and felt on top of the world, pushing myself to take risks alongside someone I respected and cared for so much. Kathleen opened doors for me that have completely changed my life. To this day, our relationship is a reminder of the power of female connections.

STATERA: How did you become connected to Statera Mentorship? 

Sarah: Perfect transition! Kathleen introduced me to Statera. For many years Kathleen raved about the annual StateraArts Conference and how I “MUST” get myself there. After doing some research I was blown away that an organization like this even existed. I was completely in awe of the work this organization is doing and knew I wanted to be more involved somehow. During the conference, I attended a Statera Mentorship lunch to learn more about the program. By the end of the lunch hour, I was connected with Julie Hennrikus, who is now one of my fellow regional coordinators.

Caroline: A lovely friend of mine from college put me in touch with another lovely friend from college, Sarah, who had already begun working with Julie on the StateraArts Boston chapter. The second I heard about it, I knew I needed to be a part of it.

Julie: Because of the work I’ve done in the area of Gender Parity, Martha Richards reached out and invited me to a convening in Toronto. I met a great group of folks there, and we stayed in touch. She reached out again, and invited me to the Statera Conference last fall.

STATERA: Talk to us about your leadership style and why you're called to work in this capacity for your community. 

Julie: I am a good strategic thinker, but can also figure out tasks for folks. I’m also a good communicator, love to learn, and have a positive attitude. When I started teaching at Emerson, I found and fell in love with a new career path. I don’t just love teaching, I love lifting folks up on their path. There’s a part of me that understands folks need to be practical, but there’s a larger part of me that knows the only way we’re all going to get through this is if artists do their work. They’ve, we’ve, been called. The calling doesn’t always make sense. But the path is a joyous one. Not always happy, but joyous. If I can help someone feel better about their journey, and also provided resources and lessons to help them, I’m content with my path.

Sarah: I believe good leadership is based on strong communication, listening and trust. Through my studies of Theatre of the Oppressed and Paulo Friere’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I believe that the needs of the community must come from the community itself and a true leader listens to their neighbors and creates systems and practices that reflect their immediate needs. I hope to work alongside fellow women* artists in Boston to create a community that is inclusive, supportive and joyful. Our mentorship chapter will have specific needs that may not be present in other cities. I want to be thoughtful in recognizing our needs and be a strong advocate for women’s* voices in the Boston theatre scene.

STATERA: What recent personal projects or upcoming projects are you excited about?

Sarah: Yes! Feel free to check out the websites of both organizations I’m working with right now to learn more. New Repertory Theatre’s Classic Repertory Company will be wrapping up our current season at the end of May but next year we will be touring unique adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and The Scarlet Letter. Do you know a school, community center, library or other venue that would be interested in booking our production? Reach out to [email protected] for more information!

Hyde Square Task Force is an incredible organization for inner city youth that you should know about, if you don’t already. Their mission is “to amplify the power, creativity, and voices of youth, connecting them to Afro-Latin culture and heritage so they can create a diverse, vibrant Latin Quarter and build a just, equitable Boston.” Check out the website this summer for updates about our devised theatre performance - written and performed by HSTF youth!

Julie: When I started Your Ladders, I wanted to create an online business school for artists. I’ve morphed that into a subscription model that provides courses, but also provides a path of learning that will support folks as they navigate their path. The founder rate is $19 a month, and gives folks access to all the classes, an online community, and monthly webinars. I’m really excited about this new model, and would love folks to join me!

Caroline: I am just wrapping up a production of William Shakespeare’s Othello with a company called Seven Stages Shakespeare in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Everyone in the New England MUST put Seven Stages on their radar. They are doing amazing things. 

Interested in learning more about Statera Mentorship? Visit www.stateraarts.org/mentorship.
And if you have questions, please visit Statera Mentorship: Frequently Asked Questions.

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