Andromeda's Sisters Fundraiser For Neo-Political Cowgirls Announced In East Hampton

Immerse yourself in the wild and indomitable female spirit with the Third Annual Andromeda's Sisters Gala to benefit the dance theater company The Neo-Political Cowgirls. The compelling three-day journey includes play readings, a private estate fundraiser and an interactive creativity workshop on June 14th 22nd and 23rd which can be enjoyed collectively or individually. The brain child of Kate Mueth who is the founder of the 501 ( c ) 3 company Neo-Political Cowgirls, Andromeda's Sisters is an arts and advocacy forum to create more work for women in theater and to increase the female voice in the narrative of our society's stories. Mueth brings her vibrant, unconventional, mind-expanding magic to the event. This is not your typical write-a-check and have a cocktail fundraiser. Guests will be treated to talented voices of the theater, advocacy, and legal world to expand their horizons and network with fascinating women. This is the uniquely fertile soil where community, arts and advocacy merge to grow both roots and blossoms. And men are most welcome to join in the fun.

Kate Mueth talks about her inspiration for the event: "Andromeda's Sisters is The Neo-Political Cowgirls' version of a Gala. We use that word as we'd like to change what a 'gala' looks like. We'd like it to become an activating celebration, a chance for supporters to get closer to the work we do, to learn why we do it, and to feel the joy and celebration we share with audiences through our professional performance and education outreach. We want to fill it up with inspiration and education and connection and activation and community problem solving and networking and the highlighting of hard-working women in the theater and social justice organizations, leaders, and powerful creatives.

'Andromeda's Sisters,' is a title taken from a moment in our devised theater production ANDROMEDA (summers of 2016 and 2017 at Montauk County Park) when Poseidon's nymph daughters swim against the currents of the sea to help save Andromeda who is lashed to a rock by their father and about to be consumed by a violent sea monster. The young girls didn't have to save Andromeda, in fact if they'd given over to their father's wrath, they should have even hated her. When women swim against the tide of society's powerful thinking and behaviors and expectations, we do remarkable things. When we help our sisters regardless of friendship or kinship or convenience, we are extraordinary humans walking the talk for real change. When women do these things we then, in turn, become examples for our children, our neighbors, our fellow employees, our families and the men in our lives."

Andromeda's Sisters is generously sponsored by Jackie Lowey of Saunders & Associates and Melissa Cohn and Family First Funding LLC, Private Client Group.

SCHEDULE:

Friday, June 14th, John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY

7:00 - Cocktail Garden Party

8:00 - Performance of 7 One Act Plays by Women-Identifying Playwrights

Cast to include Cathy Curtin (Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Homeland) and Laura Gomez (Orange is the New Black)

Very special guest playwright Joy Behar will present new work

Post Show - VIP Backstage Prosecco Meet and Greet

Saturday, June 22nd, At a Private Estate in the Hamptons

3:00-5:00 Amy Spitalnick (Integrity First for America) interviews civil rights attorney Roberta Kaplan about their landmark suit against the leadership of the violent white nationalist movement

Sunday, June 23rd, John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY

10:30-1:30 - Women's Workshop For Creative Deep Diving and Interview/Conversation With Sarah Greenman of StateraArts interviewed by Kate Mueth, NPC Founder and Artistic Director

Tickets can be purchased https://www.npcowgirls.org/andromedas-sisters-2019

June 22 Fundraiser Interview:

A formidable litigator with decades of experience in both commercial and civil rights litigation, Roberta Kaplan is the founding partner at Kaplan Hecker & Fink, a new law firm fusing a high-stakes litigation practice with a groundbreaking public interest practice. Kaplan is best known for successfully representing her client Edith Windsor in United States v. Windsor, ultimately arguing the case before the United States Supreme Court. In Windsor, the Supreme Court ruled that a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violated the U.S. Constitution by barring legally married same-sex couples from enjoying the benefits of marriage conferred under federal law. The consequences of the Windsor decision were both rapid and profound, leading to marriage equality nationwide two years later.

Amy Spitalnick is the Executive Director of Integrity First for America, a nonpartisan- nonprofit organization dedicated to holding those accountable who threaten longstanding principles of our democracy. Most notably, IFA is suing the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups who violently attacked Charlottesville. Amy joins IFA with over a decade of experience in government, politics, and advocacy. She most recently served as Communications Director and Senior Policy Advisor to New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Amy previously served as an advisor and spokesperson for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, and as Communications Director in the New York State Senate. She has also worked for a number of federal, state, and local campaigns and advocacy organizations. Amy was named a City & State 40 under 40 Rising Star in 2013.

June 14 One Act plays:

New Work from Joy Behar

Joy Behar is a comedian, writer and actress and co-hosts ABC's The View.

Sat Nam by Anna Ziegler

Anna Ziegler is an award-winning playwright whose widely produced play PHOTOGRAPH 51 won London's 2016 WhatsOnStage award for Best New Play. It was selected as a "Best of the Year" play by The Washington Post (twice) and The Telegraph. Nicole Kidman won the Evening Standard Award for Best Actress at the West End production. Ziegler is developing a series for HBO and screenplay for Scott Free Productions. Oberon Books has published a collection of her work entitled Anna Ziegler: Plays One.

Nightswim by Julia Jordan

Julia Jordan is currently working on two musicals; Bernice Bobs Her Hair (book and lyrics, composed by Adam Gwon); and Storyville (original book, lyrics by Kristen Anderson Lopez, composed by Lisa De Spain.) She is also working on the feature film of her play Dark Yellow (Susan Smith Blackburn Award shortlist) which premiered at Studio Dante in 2006. A film based on the same play but entitled Tell Me Something I Don't Know is currently in development. Other plays include, Tatjana in Color (The Francesca Primus Prize, short-listed for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award, Best Plays by Women 1997); Boy (Susan Smith Blackburn Award honorable mention); St. Scarlet; Nightswim; Smoking Lesson. Plays for children include, Summer Of The Swans; Guitar (music by Duncan Sheik); and Walk Two Moons (music by Lucas Pappaelias.) Other musicals include, The Mice (part of Harold Prince's 3HREE) and Sarah, Plain and Tall (Kleban Award for libretto and an ATT Onstage award.) Her short film, The Hat, premiered at Sundance and was the most played short shown on Bravo and IFC that year.

Clare by Suzanne Bradbeer

Suzanne's play Confederates opened the 2016-17 season at TheatreWorks - Silicon Valley and received seven Bay Area Critics Circle nominations including Best Production. Other productions include Naked Influence(Capital Rep); The God Game (Gulfshore Playhouse/Capital Rep, 4th Wall Theatre Company, Hudson Stage, etc.); Shakespeare in Vegas(Dreamcatcher Rep/PTNJ); Full Bloom (Barrington Stage; Hudson Stage, etc.); Lone Star Grace (Theater Workshop of Nantucket); Rita Faye Pruitte(Six Figures Theatre Company); Broken Window Theorem (Barrington Stage, Mile Square Theatre).

Five Star D-A-D by Liana Sonenclar

Liana Sonenclar is a writer and actress based in New York City. As an actress, she has performed Off Broadway, and she also shoots comic memes for Elite Daily. Her original play "Before This New Year" was presented for industry this fall. Her most recent short story, "Alibi", was a finalist for the Al Blanchard Award at the New England Crime Bake, in which she was the youngest author in history to place. Liana currently works for the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Mistress Marlene by Margo Hammond

Margo's plays have been produced in London, England, Milan, Italy, NYC and at various theatres across the U.S. Mistress Marlene has been published in Smith & Kraus' "Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2015" and "Mae the Magnificent" in their 2019 edition. Luna Stage (West Orange, NJ) recently included "Mae" in their 7th Annual New Moon Short Play Festival. Margo's full-length, "Let Maisy Rest In Peace" was recently presented at Barter Theatre's 2019 Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights (January 2019) and also received a reading at Mile Square Theatre (Hoboken). Margo's other plays have been seen in NYC at 78th St. Theater Lab, Soho Playhouse and Theater 54 (for AND), at CAP21 & Little Church Around the Corner and Directors Company (for ARTC) and at Workshop Theater Co. Her play, Look Me In the Eyes was produced in Colorado Springs, CO at Six Women Playwright's Festival and in San Diego, CA at North Park Playwright Festival. Margo is the grateful 1st Place recipient of the 2016 Jerry Kaufman Award for Excellence in Playwriting.

The Perfectionists by Lucy Boyle

Lucy Boyle is a playwright whose plays include The Blue Deep (Williamstown Theatre Festival with Blythe Danner and Heather Lind), Girls' School Gothic (Hangar Theatre), and Mort (F*It Club). She wrote for the ABC Family television series HUGE, created by Winnie Holzman. She was a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre's Youngblood Playwrights Collective, and the Dramatists' Guild Fellows. She received her BA from Brown University magna cum laude and her MFA in acting from Brown/Trinity Rep.

June 23 Creative Workshop:

Sarah Greenman of Statera Arts

Sarah Greenman is a playwright, painter, actor, and advocate for women in the arts. As an artist and community organizer, Sarah's work is joyful, inclusive, strategic, and fiercely focused on equity and collective liberation. She holds a BA in Creative Writing with a Women's Studies emphasis from Mills College where she was awarded the Gertrude Hung Chan Playwriting Prize for her original play LENI and the June Jordan Prize for Poetry. Sarah's plays have been produced in New York, Oakland CA, Berkeley CA, Portland OR, Santa Maria CA, and Seattle WA. Sarah is also a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory Theater (PCPA) where she most recently served as interim Director of Outreach and Education. UPLIFT. AMPLIFY. ADVANCE. Statera takes positive action to bring women into full and equal participation in the arts.

www.stateraarts.org