News: Neo-Political Cowgirls Present "Andromeda's Sisters," a Two-Part Arts & Advocacy Forum on Zoom

Blythe Danner. Image courtesy Emily Owens PR

Neo-Political Cowgirls (Kate Mueth, Founding Artistic Director), an organization created for women in theater to help increase the female voice in the narrative of our society’s stories, will present its annual fundraiser, Andromeda’s Sisters: An Arts and Advocacy Forum, remotely via Zoom on Friday, August 14 and Thursday, September 3. Tickets for Andromeda’s Sisters will be tiered, providing access to audiences from all walks of life. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit the Cowgirls' site. All funds raised will directly support the theater work and arts education outreach of The Neo-Political Cowgirls. 

This fundraiser is an opportunity for not-for-profit social justice organizations and leaders to speak about their work; for audiences to network and get engaged in advocacy and creative exploration; and for female-identifying playwrights and actors to be celebrated through their stage work. This signature event will be presented in two parts: one evening of monologues written by female identifying playwrights, and another of social justice and advocacy.

 
On August 14th, NPC’s theater arts program will present a reading of monologues written by female-identifying playwrights. The lineup will include Lucy Boyle (The Blue Deep) and her piece written especially for Blythe Danner (Will & Grace; Huff) in the role of Goody Garlick, a true historical figure tried as a witch in East Hampton, NY in the 1600s. Joy Behar (The View) contributes a brand-new monologue written especially for Catherine Curtin (Homeland; Stranger Things; Orange is the New Black), about a woman who just found her husband cheating on her. Dipti Bramhandkar (The Accident) writes The Funeral for Florencia Lozano (Narcos; As the World Turns), who portrays the Other Woman as she grieves the loss of her lover, and Brown Girl’s Guide To Self-Pleasure about a woman of a certain age who visits her local sex toy shop, performed by Laura Gomez (Orange is the New Black). The estate of the acclaimed poet June Jordan has granted NPC permission to have Ms. Jordan’s “A Poem About My Rights” read by Portia. Writer Lynn Grossman (TriQuarterly; Story Quarterly; Equator Magazine) contributes a new piece performed by Welker White (The Irishman; Goodfellas; The Wolf of Wall Street) from the perspective of the bitch in BITCH. Sarah Bierstock (Honor Killing) presents her new piece MAD (Mothers and Daughters) performed by Ellen Dolan, who portrays both mom and grandma and the harrowing dynamics of the relationships between them. Tanya Everett (The Public; HERE; The Tank) writes a new piece, One Thousand Miles, about the details from a relationship webinar about what truly makes a relationship last. Artist and writer Mia Funk will present a new work in which she marries movement to her written words and choreographer Vanessa Walters will share two pieces extracted from her ongoing epic project, RIPENING.

The September 3rd event will focus on advocacy and is co-produced by Richard Solomon, founder and CEO of Vantage Point Consultants, and co-founder and Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Holocaust Museum. The first portion of the evening will be a conversation with Integrity First for America Executive Director Amy Spitalnick and attorney Roberta Kaplan about IFA’s landmark lawsuit against the two dozen neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the August 2017 Charlottesville violence. Roberta Kaplan also co-founded the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund and is an adjunct professor of law at Columbia University Law School. Journalist Dahlia Lithwick will be moderating the conversation. During intermission attendees will have a chance to be in breakaway rooms and talk with invited guests of note. 

The second portion of the September 3rd event will feature Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, as she speaks about the organization’s tireless work pursuing equality and social justice at home and around the world. Recent work by the organization includes a partnership with activist and professional football player Colin Kaepernick to fight for criminal justice reform; extensive tracking and analysis to help eradicate the increasing “forcible disappearances” of citizens in Venezuela; and helping students learn about the right to health during a global pandemic in its Speak Truth To Power educational program. Following Kerry Kennedy’s comments, noted artists and performers will read from her powerful human rights book Speak Truth to Power.