In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Apollo Theater will host Behind the Scenes: Women in Theatre on Monday, March 12. The free panel, which focuses on women’s careers in the theatrical industry, is presented by the Apollo Theater Education Program, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, The Broadway League and the League of Professional Theatre Women, as part of the “Made in NY” Industry Series. The “Made in NY” Industry Series is a series of free discussions providing New Yorkers with an inside look at the media and entertainment industry. The panel begins at 6:30pm and is open to the public.
The panel is also part of The Apollo Celebrates Broadway, presented in partnership with the City of New York Theater Subdistrict Council. The series also includes a Broadway-themed Amateur Night and Apollo Music Café featuring stars Leslie Uggams, Lillias White and Chester Gregory.
Behind the Scenes: Women in Theatre will feature some of the most distinguished women in theatre who work in the areas of sound design, casting, producing, choreography and music. The panelists will offer career advice and share personal accounts of their own unique experiences working in this highly creative and competitive industry.
The panel will be moderated by Amanda Pekoe, a marketing and advertising executive who founded the Pekoe Group, a full-service boutique company that creates inventive marketing strategies and media solutions for its clients. She received both her BFA in Theatre and MFA in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College.
Panelists for Behind the Scenes: Women in Theatre include:
CARIN FORD – sound engineer (Carrie the Musical; La Cage aux Folles)
STEPHANIE KLAPPER – casting (Dividing the Estate; Bells Are Ringing)
MARI NAKACHI – producer (Time Stands Still; Dinner with Friends)
WENDY SEYB – choreographer (The Pee Wee Herman Show on Broadway and HBO; The Toxic Avenger)
LINDA TWINE – music director, conductor (The Color Purple; Caroline, or Change)
The panel begins at 6:30 pm. Doors open at 6pm. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. RSVP to rsvpmedia@media.nyc.gov. Panelists are subject to change. The Apollo Theater is located at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd and Frederick Douglass Blvd. Sign language interpretation will be available at the event.
“As a woman in the theatre who loves her job, I am personally aware of the increasing opportunities for women that our industry provides,” said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League. “The Broadway League is committed to supporting and collaborating with those who work behind the scenes to make the magic of theatre and film possible, and we encourage communication of those roles to inform and inspire students and young professionals in their quest for careers in entertainment. Broadway’s diverse and talented people create magic on and off stage to produce shows that audiences enjoy.”
“The League of Professional Theatre Women is delighted to be partnering with the Mayor’s Office, the Broadway League and the Apollo Theater on this exciting career panel of extraordinary women in our field,” said LPTW co-Presidents Kristin Marting and Lorca Peress. “We are currently celebrating our 30th anniversary of making significant inroads for women in theatre, and look forward to discussing and encouraging more opportunities throughout the industry.”