League of Professional Theatre Women Hosts Victoria Bailey at Leadership Lunch, 2/25

The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW), a non-profit organization committed to promoting visibility and increasing opportunities for women in the professional theatre, has announced Victoria Bailey as the guest speaker at the LPTW's annual Leadership Luncheon. Ms. Bailey will share her insights into cultivating new audiences for the theatre during the keynote address. The luncheon will take place February 25th at 2:00pm at Sardi's Restaurant.

Victoria Bailey is executive director of Theatre Development Fund (TDF), the largest not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts in the country. TDF advances live theatre and dance by building audiences for the theatre and increasing knowledge about theatre and dance. Its tkts booths and its membership, education, subsidy, access and dance programs all further its core mission. One of Ms. Bailey's most visible accomplishments has been the shepherding, along with the Times Square Alliance and the Coalition for Father Duffy, of the rehabilitation of Duffy Square which is dominated by the new tkts booth with it glowing red steps. Additionally, since her tenure at TDF began in 2001, the education programs (Open Doors, Residency Arts Project, and Stage Doors) have increased their reach and now serve more than 6,000 students annually; the TDF Accessibility Programs (TAP), which offer a range of services to make theatregoing more accessible to individuals with disabilities, have also greatly increased membership and now have a mailing list of nearly 8,000 patrons. For students who are low vision or blind, TDF now offers audio description, as well as sign language interpreted and open captioned performances, for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Ms. Bailey was also instrumental in the execution of TDF's Playwrights Project, a comprehensive study of the lives of American Playwrights and the production of new American Plays. The Project culminated in Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play written by Todd London with Ben Pesner and Zannie Giraud Voss, which was published in December 2009 and has stimulated national conversations about this critical issue. Prior to her appointment at TDF, she had a nearly 20-year association with the Manhattan Theatre Club, first as business manager, then as general manager. While at MTC, Ms. Bailey managed close to 200 plays, both on and Off Broadway, including the Tony Award-winning Love! Valor! Compassion! Previous to her employment at MTC, she worked at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Additionally, she has worked as a consultant for a range of Off Broadway and regional theatres and has served as a member of the Executive Board of the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers. Ms. Bailey is a member of the adjunct faculty at the School of the Arts, Columbia University, and is a member of the board of the Times Square Alliance. Ms. Bailey also serves on the New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards Selection Committee. She has recently completed serving a three-year term on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee. Ms. Bailey received a B.A. in history from Yale College.

Tickets to the February 25th event are $45 for LPTW members and $50 for non-members. Reservations will be taken until midnight on Sunday, February 21st by visiting www.TheatreWomen.org or by calling 800-838-3006. Payment may be made online or by check, made out to "League of Professional Theatre Women," and sent to LPTW, P.O. Box 2292, New York, NY 10108. Attendance is limited so please reserve your tickets as soon as possible.

Sardi's Restaurant is located at 234 West 44th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.

For more information, visit the LPTW website at www.TheatreWomen.org.