Author
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2nd 1/2 of my interview with Actor, Director Tony Award Winning Playwright Frank Galati
4-18-22 In the second half of my interview with Frank Galati, Frank continues to describe the serendipity of his extraordinary career, and talk about the creation, with Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, of the brand new musical Knoxville, based on the on the Pulitzer Prize winning book A Death in the Family by James Agee and Pulitzer Prize winning play All the Way Home by Tad Mosel which will have its premier at the Asolo on Saturday 4-23-22.
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First 1/2 of my Interviews with Actor, Director, Ton Aware Winning Playwright Frank Galati
4-15-22 Interview with Actor, Director, Teacher Tony Award winning Playwright Frank Galati. I began my interview with the indefinable Frank Galati while he was directing a production of 1776 for the Asolo Theater. He was summarily whisked away for rehearsal so we never got to talk about 1776. In this half our conversation Frank talks about his early life.
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Interview with Jane Plitt creator of the
2-19-22 Scholar, Business Woman, Feminist, Author, Screenwriter Jane Plitt has been a champion advocate for small business, women, and social justice. She was chosen by SAVVY magazine as one of fourteen outstanding women in New York State and by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Small Business Advocate. Her current passion is bringing to light the true story of how Martha Matilda Harper, a servant girl from the time she was seven years old, became a successful entrepreneur and created modern franchising in 1891 with her Harper Method, a healthy hair and skincare salons. Having written three books on the subject, Jane has now created a delightful and inspiring video about Marvelous Martha, which will be shown on February 23 from 4:00-6:00, at the Manatee Performing Arts Center 502 3rd Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205 (941) 748-5875, tickets at $8,00- $12.00. And can be seen at Through Women’s Eyes film festival and available remotely March 10-14 any time! click. https://twe2022.eventive.org/films/.
Listen to this charming, self-deprecating woman describe her six year journey to finally bring Martha Harper the credit she deserves and was denied – and highlight the possibilities for woman and girls which they too have been denied.
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Introducing Lee Gundersheimer – The Players Theater’s new Artistic Director
-31-22 Actor, Director, Playwright, Administrator, and Educator. Lee Gundersheimer has done it all. Actor in 75 shows in New York and more all over the country. Director of over 80 plays, from Shakespeare to Annie. Playwright of 7 full length plays and 4 one acts including “Incommunicado,” nominated for four Audelco Awards, and opened the new Federal Theater Season off Broadway and Pas De Deux which won Best play in the New Play Festival on Theater Row. Administrator – he built and ran two theaters in New York; a Rep Company an off Broadway theater, was the Managing Director of a professional Shakespeare Festival and Arts and Culture Coordinator for the city of Winona, MN. Educator he taught at 7 University’s. Listen to this passionate man describe a lifelong commitment to every aspect of Theater.
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Interview with Carrie Seidman who launches her new newsletter
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1-25=21 Carrie Seidman Passionate, talented and courageous Carrie Seidman is a dancer, a journalist, a cancer survivor, and parent of child with mental health issues. She discovered her passion for dance at three years old while watching her older sisters do what she was “too young “to do. Although assured that she could not begin to study until she was five Carrie managed to bully her teacher into letting her begin at “almost five.” And that tenacity is the hallmark of her life. Soft spoken and basically shy Carrie has a will of iron. She has survived everything life has thrown at her and emerged victorious. A graduate of Columbia University’s School of Journalism, Carrie has been a journalist for 40 years: a full time staff writer for the New York Times, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque Tribune. For the last 10 years she wrote and incredibly popular column for the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Now, she’s created a new venue for her writing. She says “ Well, thanks to popular demand, I’ve caved and set up a newsletter on Substack.com to serve as a new platform for my writing and musings on Sarasota, community, family, creativity and connection. Please consider checking it out at https://carrieseidman.substack.com/welcome and I’d be grateful if you’d spread the word. I have missed you my readers!! -
Lynne Bernfield sings a song from her CD and explains why she wrote it
5-11-20 Interview
The Anatomy of an Artist Series with Lynne BernfieldLynne Bernfield sings a song from her CD and explains why she wrote it
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I was studying Hypnosis with Stephen Gilligan, who’d been a student of Milton Erickson, the father of clinical hypnosis. Something Stephen said caused me to write this song, I don’t know what it was, because I was in trance at the time. Click the link to listen to “You Really Can.” -
Lynne sings a song from her CD and explains why she why she wrote it
Although I loved and do still love NY, LA in the 70’s was a revelation. It wasn’t crowded, people really were laid back and friendly, it still had the weather it’s still pretending to have, we hadn’t heard of smog, and I could live on unemployment. There was so much money available that a publisher would give you $100.00 (that was a lot of money) just to hold a song,. I went there to pursue my songwriting career and, like me, all my friends were scuffling to carve out a career in show business; actors, singers, writers, composers, comics… so I wrote “Hollywood Has Got Her”
These songs are all on my CD “I Won’t go With a Whimper” which was produced by the ridiculously talented Michele Brourman, who also arranged the songs and played all the keyboards. Michele is a brilliant singer/songwriter/performer/composer/musical director and producer. Check her out at Michelebrourman.com
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Lynne Bernfield sings a song from her CD and explains why she wrote it
I’m a therapist. The first time Sara (not her name) came to see me she was impeccably dressed in a business suit and low-heeled pumps. She sat very straight and described her problem matter-of-factly, showing no emotion, as though she was speaking about another person. She’d mentioned a stuffed animal she’d had as a child that she was very fond of. When she returned the following week, I handed her a stuffed animal. She put her arms around it, buried her head in it and dissolved in tears. Later that day I was thinking about her – and wrote this song. “Behind the woman, there’s a child” click the link to listen
These songs are all on my CD “I Won’t go With a Whimper” which was produced by the ridiculously talented Michele Brourman, who also arranged the songs and played all the keyboards. Michele is a brilliant singer/songwriter/performer/composer/musical director and producer. Check her out at Michelebrourman.com
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Lynne Bernfield sings “The Sweet Single Life”
I spent much of my 20’s worrying about the fact that, although there were always men in my life, I wasn’t MARRIED! When I moved from NY – where I was born and raised – and moved to LA, I began a new life. One day I realized that I was not only very happy, I no longer cared that I wasn’t MARRIED. And I wrote this song in celebration.
The Sweet Single Life is the first cut on My CD “I Won’t Go With A Whimper”
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Interview with Film Commissioner Jeannie Corcoran
2-24-20 Jeanne Corcoran is the director, Sarasota county film & entertainment office since 2007. She is an award-winning writer/producer/creative director and on-camera talent, in television and video productions, including dozens of concept-to-completion projects plus original tv and video content, music, books, electronic media, and web content. Listen to this amazing woman describe all the things she has done and is doing and come to the Film Commission’s 6 & a mix event – at Suncoast Technical College : 4748 S Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233 on Thursday Feb 27 – see details below
Featuring two upcoming young stars from Los Angeles, who have been on abc and other networks, cable and streaming, plus marvel and disney and numerous other major feature films and tv shows — Booboo Stewart (x-men, descendants, twilight saga and much more) and his sister Fivel Stewart (Hansel and Gretel, etc.) will speak on our vip panel in the conference center at 6:30 pm and if you’d like to just attend the beverages and nibbles mixer at 5:30 and then the vip panel, it’s only $12 total! if you’d like to come to any of the six workshops that run from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm you can register for those too at a different total cost of $50 for everything including the workshop, but it is not required, of course!
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And if you have any questions, call the office at (941) 309-1200 extension 104
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/six-and-a-mix-tickets-86606968775 -
Lynne Bernfield at Bookstore1’s Book Fair 8-10-19 at 2:00
The Anatomy of an Artist Series with Lynne Bernfield
7-29-19 Lynne Bernfield at Bookstore1’s Book Fair on August 10th at 2:00
Come talk to Lynne and get a signed hardcover copy or audio version of her book.
“When You Can You Will, why you can’t do what you want to and what to do about it.:Click on this link to hear her talk about the book
Clink on this Link to listen to the introduction to the audiobook
And get to know all the Book Fair authors before the event at
Teas Days 6517 Superior Avenue 6:00-7:00 on Thursday Aug 8thClick link below for information and free registration
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https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mingle-with-authors-in-sarasota-tickets-65795412851 -
Memorial to Actor, Director, Playwright, and Author E Katherine Kerr
7-22-19 Actor, director, playwright, author and teacher E Katherine Kerr said, that “as a girl from Indiana, with no exposure to theater and no formal training she should never have become an actor.” Listen to the hilarious story of the first time she was on a stage which convinced her never to step foot on a stage again. But time after time she found herself on stage until she finally accepted that she was meant to be an actress, Hear how she was discovered by her idol Mike Nichols, and the extraordinary career that followed in which she shared stage and screen with stars like Meryl Streep and Cher. Having spent years working on stage, film, and TV and as one of the principle members of the prestigious Westport Theatre Group, Katherine brought her talents and skills to Sarasota where she was gratefully embraced and will be missed by the Sarasota Theater Community.
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Interview with Robert de Warren Part 3
6-3-19 Part 3 of my interview with Ballet Master Robert de Warren begins with a description of the frightening climax to his tour with Iran’s National Folklore Organization to celebrate America’s Bicentennial and his departure from Iran as that country descended into chaos. It goes on to describe his seven year tenure with La Scala in Milan which Rudolph Nureyev chose him to lead: a star studded period during which Robert choreographed and designed ballets for the world’s most prestigious dancers and for which Princess Margaret was the Ballet’s patron. It concludes with a description of the ironic way Robert began his 13 years leading the Sarasota Ballet Company.
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Interview with Sheilah Rae receiving a Lifetime Award from the NY theater Barn
4/29/19 On May 6 2019 “The New York Theatre Barn is honoring co-founder and board member Sheilah Rae with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her exceptional contributions to musical theatre as a writer, composer, lyricist and performer for over 50-years, and her outstanding service and vision for New York Theatre Barn for more than a decade”. Sheilah found her life path very young. During the performance of “South Pacific” 5 year old Sheilah told her mother that she was “going to do that.” Her parents arranged for her to study dance with the renowned Edna McRae. Since Ms McRae also required that her students know music, 6 year old Sheilah began piano lessons. She was soon studying dance, piano, music theory and violin at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. She got her first role on Broadway in “Fiddler on the Roof” right out of college and never stopped adding to her arsenal of talents and accomplishments. Listen to this multi-talented, effervescent woman talk about a career in which she has done everything. And hear a song from one of her musicals (“I Married Wyatt Earp,” now called The Belle of Tombstone) lyrics by Sheilah and music by Michele Brourman.
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Interview with Writer Kelly Dumar
4/22/19 Kelly Dumar A poet, playwright, and engaging workshop leader, Kelly generates enlivening writing experiences for new and experienced writers. Her Aim for Astonishing photo-inspired process elicits profound personal awakenings, deepens connection with others, and fosters beautifully crafted writing in poetry and prose. Author of three poetry collections, Kelly is also author of Before You Forget— The Wisdom of Writing Diaries for Your Children. Kelly inspires readers of #NewThisDay – her daily photo-inspired blog – with her mindful reflections on a writing life. Each post
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Introduction to the When You Can You Will audio book by Lynne Bernfield
4/1/19 On Sunday April 14th at 2:00 at Bookstore1 (12 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236) Lynne Bernfield will discuss concepts in her book When You Can You Will which explain what stops people from changing. She says “When you can’t do what you want to do there is always a good reason.” Come discover the reason you haven’t been able to do what you want to do. Listen to the introduction to the When You Can You Will audiobook and call Bookstore1 at 941-365-7900 for reservations.
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Interview with Andrei Maleav Babel
Andrei Maleav-Babel is a Russian Immigrant. The son and grandson of writers and artists, Andrei wrote musicals and directed his parent’s friends in his plays, by the time he was 10 or 12. Luckily coming of age as Perestroika was occurring in Russia, Andrei was able to start his own theater as a very young man. Barely able to speak English, he met, courted and married an American sociology student and became a Professor of Acting at the prestigious FSU Conservatory for Actor Training, one of the top ten actor training companies in the United States. Listen to him tell his amazing story and talk about his direction of the Conservatory’s production of Ibsen’s’Ghosts opening on Jan 4th
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Interview with entrepreneur, consultant, author and public speaker and Sensei George Schofield
10/22/18 George Schofield is an entrepreneur, consultant, author and public speaker, but that is not all. As a single parent he raised his small sons, and has zealously studied Sogetsu Ikebana, the ancient art of Japanese flower arranging. Listen to him describe his realization that he had spent his life learning those things knew he didn’t know, and now wanted to discover “what he didn’t know he didn’t know” Always attracted to the beautiful and elegant George joined The Sarasota Chapter of Ikebana International where he studies with Sensei, Patricia Bonarek. Typically he progressed quickly through the rankings, is now an accredited Sogetsu Ikebana Instructor (Sensei), and has achieved a Japanese name. On Thursday Nov 11th at 11:00 AM, as part of Bookstore1’s Bridge to Japan: A Celebration of Japanese Culture, George will perform a ceremony, creating a Sogetsu Ikebana flower arrangement for the store window. Listen to this atypical, thoughtful, interesting man talk about a life dedicated to pursuing personal growth as well as helping others achieve their best possible life. And come to Bookstore1 12 South Palm Ave, (365-7900) to see George demonstrate this ancient art 7900
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Part 3 – Interview with actor, author, lecturer, editor, reggae archivist, photographer and, producer Roger Steffens
9/17/18 Part 3 of my interview with Roger Steffins begins with his description of how he discovered Bob Marley and Reggae Music and how this discovery became a lifelong obsession. Today his collection of records, posters and other memorabilia, is the largest in the world. Hear about his frustrating campaign to establish an archive of this collection as the Museum of Reggae Music in Jamaica. Then he describes his years of doing a radio show on MPR, the creation of the Reggae/African Music newsletter which lasted 28 years and had as many as 60,000 subscribers, his relationships with film greats Waldo Salt, Bill Link and John Ritter which led to his career as an actor and narrator of film, audio books and documentaries.
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Part 2 – Interview with actor, author, lecturer, editor, reggae archivist, photographer and, producer Roger Steffens
9/10/18 The radicalization of Roger Steffins. Part 2 of my 3 Part interview with Roger takes him through his service in the army during the Vietnam War. Listen to Roger describe his extraordinary experiences, including; training in Psyops, having had the Tet Offensive happen all around him, and being responsible for tons of food and clothing delivered to displaced refugees. Listen to him talk about the impact his war-time experience had on his beliefs, the life he then chose to lead as a result, and the work it spawned. This segment ends with my asking Roger about his relationship with the legendary Bob Marley.
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