Co-hosted by Sirius/XM Radio's Julie James and actress Christine Pedi (NEWSical the Musical), the 11 AM event will feature appearances by Emmy Award-winning actress-comedian Judy Gold (The Judy Show) and the Mamma Mia! "Dynamos," Carol Linnea Johnson, Corinne Melançon and Stacia Fernandez.
Also attending will be LPTW 30th anniversary leading ladies Ruby Dee (Checkmates, A Raisin in the Sun), Eve Ensler (The Good Body), Rosemary Harris (The Road to Mecca The Royal Family), LaChanze (The Color Purple, Ragtime), producer Elizabeth McCann, Estelle Parsons (Good People, August: Osage County), Chita Rivera (Nine, Chicago, West Side Story) and producer Fran Weissler.
At Turning 30, women from all disciplines in the theatre are invited to gather in Times Square to give a celebratory salute to the important strides and contributions women are making in the theatre.
The organization's international award event will follow Turning 30 and will be held Oct. 16 at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The first Rosamond Gilder/Martha Coigney International Award will be presented to Rwandan artist Odile Gakire Katese, a playwright, novelist, screenwriter, poet, drummer and actress. The award recognizes an artist who, in her own right, has had a powerful impact on her community and the international community at large.
The Edith Meiser Oral History Series will begin Nov. 7 at 6 PM at the Bruno Walter Auditorium of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The League will tape an Oral History interview with a notable woman of theatre. Future tapings will be announced in spring 2012. In 2012, the "Celebrating Our Legacy - Oral History Exhibition" will open March 8 for two months and is presented in association with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. "Celebrating Our Legacy" will feature over 100 women in a photographic gallery exhibition of distinguished theatre women.
Women in Theatre Magazine will have an expanded 30th anniversary issue, which takes a look at women's role nationally in the artistic leadership of theatres across the country in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors; and 30 Plays Celebrate 30 Years, honoring professional theatre women and 30 years of League history, will include 30 theatrical events ranging from intimate readings to full productions, beginning in January and produced throughout 2012.
The League of Professional Theatre Women is a non-profit organization, which strives to deliver its mission of "promoting visibility and increasing opportunities for women in the field."
Turning 30 will feature sound design by Sound Associates and is supported by The Actors’ Fund, Victoria Bailey and Theatre Development Fund, as well as the Times Square Alliance.
In the event of rain, Turning 30 will be held on the stage of the Times Square Tourist Center, located at 1560 Broadway on 7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets. For more information, visit www.TheatreWomen.org.
