Warner Theatre and WNPR Present Three-Part Series Making Her Story

This summer, WNPR's Where We Live sits down with three prominent Connecticut women from very different backgrounds in the Warner Theatre's Nancy Marine Studio Theatre. The three-part series begins on July 11 at 7 pm with Cindi Bigelow, President and CEO of Bigelow Tea, continues on August 8 at 7 pm with Priyamvada Natarajan, Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University and the series closes on September 12 at 7 pm with Carolyn Kuan, Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

Host Lucy Nalpathanchil will ask each about "her story" -- the journey that led to her success in business, science or the arts. We'll explore questions like, how have they confronted gender bias in their careers? How do they balance work expectations with their personal lives? And what do they want the next generation of women leaders to know? This live series will also be taped for broadcast on the popular Where We Live daily radio program on WNPR. Join us for this 3-part summer series, and bring your questions! Tickets include a brief pre-event reception at 6:15 pm with Lucy Nalpathanchil and our featured guest, as well as the production team from WNPR.
Cindi Bigelow is the third generation President and CEO of Bigelow Tea, the US market leader of specialty teas that produces over 1.7 billion tea bags annually. She holds a BS degree from Boston College, an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, and an Honorary Doctorate from University of New Haven. Socially and community-minded, she frequently makes appearances speaking to students and industry leaders, sharing insights on business ethics and career development, and has received numerous awards for her years of community service.

Priyamvada Natarajan is a theoretical astrophysicist interested in cosmology, gravitational lensing, and black hole physics. Her research involves mapping the detailed distribution of dark matter in the universe, exploiting the bending of light en-route to us from distant galaxies. In particular, she has focused on making dark matter maps of clusters of galaxies, the largest known repositories of dark matter. Her work has demonstrated that cluster strong lensing offers a unique and potentially powerful laboratory to test evolving dark energy models. Natarajan was the chair of the Womens Faculty Forum from 2011-2013 at Yale. She was on the Steering Committee of the Womens Faculty Forum from 2003 to 2010. She is deeply interested in institutional change with regard to gender parity in the Academy. She is also on the Board of the Swiss Edge Certified Foundation that works toward gender equality in the workplace.
Carolyn Kuan is recognized as a conductor of extraordinary versatility. She has enjoyed successful associations with top tier orchestras, opera companies, ballet companies and festivals worldwide. Her commitment to contemporary music has defined her approach to programming, and established her as an international resource for new music and world premieres. Appointed music director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in 2011, she has recently signed a new six-year contract extending their creative collaboration through May, 2022.

Tickets are $15 for one night or $30 for all three nights of the series. To purchase tickets, call the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or visit warnertheatre.org.

About the Warner Theatre
Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat Studio Theatre, 200 seat restaurant and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, the Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, the Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA's mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region. To learn more about the Warner Theatre, visit our website: www.warnertheatre.org