Women in Theatre Advocacy Group Announces First Full Production at Gala
By Lynette Carrington
The Bridge Initiative: Women in Theatre held its second annual gala at Stagebrush Theatre in Old Town Scottsdale on February 24. One-hundred guests celebrated the accomplishments of the nonprofit that incubates and celebrates professional female theatre artists, promoting gender parity across all theatrical disciplines.
After securing a grant from Arizona Commission on the Arts in 2015, co-founders of The Bridge Initiative Brenda Jean Foley and Tracy Liz Miller set out to make The Bridge Initiative a theater company that could pay its talent.
“There’s a lack of women representation in theater. Instead of sitting in a corner and complaining, we wanted to do something,” said Foley
The gala included musical performances and short plays that were humorous, compelling and insightful. Dr. Lance Gharavi, associate professor and artistic director of theatre in the School of Film, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University was honored with the Ally of the Year Award in recognition of his support of The Bridge Initiative, and Elaine E.E. Moe received the Woman of the Year Award.
Up until now, The Bridge Initiative had been producing readings. During the gala it was announced that the first full-length production of The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson will debut at Tempe Center for the Arts for a three-week run in December 2018.
Andy Rodriguez-McCradic helped underwrite the The Bridge Initiative’s season at the ASU Kerr Cultural Center. “As a long-time director, I was in a position to make a difference,” said Rodriguez-McCradic. “If you want to make a difference, you have to step up. I hope my donation to them qualifies as stepping up.”
“What we do in film, what we do in theater and what we do anywhere in a role of empowerment and leadership and creating platforms for women to share their talent – this is what tonight is all about,” said gala attendee and co-founder of Worldwide Women’s Film Festival Eva Louis
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