Ringling College: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Women in the World: 2020

What do Billy Porter, vinegar, menstruation taboos, the second shift, and the glass cliff have in common? Come to my Listening to Women talk on February 13, 2020, to find out! We've already been featured in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Venice Florida Weekly Arts Scene. Better yet, why not book the entire series? We'll be meeting this year at the Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota's first contemporary museum located in the newly-renovated historic high school.

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SPOILED – My Play Lives Again in 2020

You've thought about violence against women - but have you thought about it from the perspective of men? Men are, after all, the perpetrators the vast majority of the time. How can we possibly begin to understand the issue if we only look at half the picture? SPOILED, my vision for a play exploring this theme with examples from India and the US, came to fruition in 2015 when actor and playwright Elizabeth Hess crafted a one-woman show around the idea. But the issue is unfortunately pretty damn timeless, and the Hess Collective has been able to rework it to…

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Gender Activism: 4 Tips

[box] I spoke about activism - specifically, activism for gender equality - at the UN Women USA GCC lunch in October. For those who've asked for a reminder of my four activism tips, I offer the speech - tips and video. Good luck. Keep me posted.[/box] I want you to be an activist. Gender equality is important for everyone – it isn’t just something we do to be nice to women. Research shows that more gender-equal environments - communities, companies, countries – do better. More gender-equal communities have healthier children. More gender-equal companies have better returns for their shareholders.  More…

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SPOILED

Spring 2020: Our play SPOILED is heading to La Mama in NYC! Over 5 years ago, I originally conceived of the idea of a theatrical work exploring violence against women around the world, but told from the male perspective. My research and personal experiences told me that this viewpoint was critically important to understand – and that theater was a perfect vehicle to do this. Teaming up with experienced playwright and actor Elizabeth Hess helped create the original version of SPOILED, a one-woman play dramatizing real stories from India and the US. This latest version now includes a larger cast…

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Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 2019

Delighted to be able to attend CSW in New York this year. Our UN Women-USA board convened a panel on Providing Social Services and Protection to Women and Girls in Conflict Zones and hosted an evening reception for fellow national committees. And at Dining For Women’s discussion on Achieving Sustainable Impact: Gender Equity Through Social Protection Systems is Imperative I got to meet new staff from Integrate Health, one of my favorite organizations working in Togo. (Established in 1946, CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.)

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Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival (TWE) 2019

The 20th Anniversary of TWE featured films from France, Tunisia, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, and all over the USA, showcasing an incredible array of themes, including: River-rafting, with a purpose, in South Africa Tackling gender biases in Papua New Guinea with the women’s rugby team Adolescent growing pains in 1970’s Ireland Two women in love – with a wheelchair between them Twenty-somethings in China looking for boyfriends – and more Women and girls on the quest for aviation Plus artists, activists, athletes, and many more. Mark your calendars for TWE 2020: March 6, 7, & 8 at Burns Court Cinema,…

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