Posted: 9:18 AM - May 19, 2007
From The Winchester Star dated Thursday 17 May 2007.
Here's an interesting article involving one of our Sowers cousins.
By F. C. Lowe
The Winchester Star
Winchester --- A mother lost to cancer and family members
who survived the illness were the motivation for forming Heiress Productions.
Area native Mary Willis White is cofounder of the not-for-profit theater production company, raising awareness and funds for cancer organizations.
Her parents, Glenne White (11 years, breast cancer) and C. Ridgely White V (six years, prostate cancer) of Winchester are survivors.
"Advanced technology and the capability of physicians saved my parents lives," White said in a recent e-mail. "Both my parents are lucky, and both have long set examples for me of giving back in the community."
She met her partner in the nonprofit endeavor --- Laura Faith, who lost her mother to cancer --- in a film class.
After working together on an assignment, the two realized they had the same passions --- to produce a show where they had some artistic control (which White describes as “every actor’s dream”) and to give something to cancer education and research.
Their mission came to fruition when “Lunch Hour” by Jean Kerr opened April 26 at the Lion Theatre in New York City.
Proceeds (50 percent of the net) from the show, which runs through Sunday, will benefit Gilda’s Club of New York, formed in honor of the comedian Gilda Radner, who died of cancer in 1989. (Radner was the original star of “Lunch Hour” in its first Broadway production.)
The club offers a place where men, women, and children living with cancer --- and their families and friends --- can join to build social and emotional support, according to www.gildasclubnyc.org.
In a May 4 review posted on nytheatre.com, Michael Criscuolo said "Heiress Productions is off to a good start with their new revival of Jean Kerr's 1980 domestic comedy, 'Lunch Hour.' This talented new fledgling company shows they've got what it takes to mount a polished looking production. Their choice of material may be a little pedestrian, in this case, but they’re still a bunch worth keeping an eye on."
Getting started was a labor of love as the two women set off to find a play, theater space, and funds.
“To go the route alone and take the risk alone was daunting, to take the risk together would be either ‘misery loves company’ or ‘two heads are better than one,’” White said.
And it has proven to be an effective route for both of them.
“Saying the words ‘my mom died from cancer’ or ‘my 22- year-old sister is a cancer survivor’ seem small in comparison to the reality of living with cancer in my family,” Faith said. “Creating Heiress Productions is my reaction --- a way to use passions, to heal, and to have a positive influence on the battle against cancer.”
They will celebrate their first Heiress anniversary June 7, and this milestone will afford them the opportunity to apply for grants, White said.
Both women studied and performed in the theater before embarking on the production route.
Faith, a graduate of Gordon College with a degree in communications and theater, did theater work in the Boston area and taught acting at Bellvoir Terrace, a fine and performing arts camp.
White, a music education graduate of Shenandoah University with a horn performance certificate, performed at Wayside Theatre in Middletown and at Shenandoah University. After moving to New York eight years ago, she performed in the city and taught at the Manhattan School of Music. She teaches tap at Broadway Dance Center and Steps in addition to her work with Heiress. She also was a cast member in “Lunch Hour.”
The next Heiress show has not been chosen, but titles are under consideration for the fall as well as the 2008 season.
A Web site is under construction and should be online in the next few weeks.
And they don’t plan to slow down when the current show closes this weekend.
“Currently, we are working on an outreach program of theater classes and performances that we, as an organization, will offer to our nonprofit partners,” White said. “Essentially we will be going into the hospitals and residences of these partner organizations to bring some of the magic of theater to the children who are dealing with cancer [as patients or family members of patients].”
Contact Heiress Productions Inc., 255 W. 75th St., Suite 1F, at 917-441-1592 or e-mail Heiressproductions@gmail.com. The Web site www.heiressproductions.org is under construction.
--- Contact F. C. Lowe at flowe@winchesterstar.com
Here's an interesting article involving one of our Sowers cousins.
By F. C. Lowe
The Winchester Star
 | Photo provided by Heiress Productions Laura Faith (left) and Mary Willis White are co-founders of Heiress Productions Inc., a not-for-profit theater production company, raising
awareness and funds for cancer organizations.
Both my parents are lucky, and both have long set examples for me of giving back to the community. ---Mary Willis White Co-founder, Heiress Productions |
Area native Mary Willis White is cofounder of the not-for-profit theater production company, raising awareness and funds for cancer organizations.
Her parents, Glenne White (11 years, breast cancer) and C. Ridgely White V (six years, prostate cancer) of Winchester are survivors.
"Advanced technology and the capability of physicians saved my parents lives," White said in a recent e-mail. "Both my parents are lucky, and both have long set examples for me of giving back in the community."
She met her partner in the nonprofit endeavor --- Laura Faith, who lost her mother to cancer --- in a film class.
After working together on an assignment, the two realized they had the same passions --- to produce a show where they had some artistic control (which White describes as “every actor’s dream”) and to give something to cancer education and research.
Their mission came to fruition when “Lunch Hour” by Jean Kerr opened April 26 at the Lion Theatre in New York City.
Proceeds (50 percent of the net) from the show, which runs through Sunday, will benefit Gilda’s Club of New York, formed in honor of the comedian Gilda Radner, who died of cancer in 1989. (Radner was the original star of “Lunch Hour” in its first Broadway production.)
The club offers a place where men, women, and children living with cancer --- and their families and friends --- can join to build social and emotional support, according to www.gildasclubnyc.org.
In a May 4 review posted on nytheatre.com, Michael Criscuolo said "Heiress Productions is off to a good start with their new revival of Jean Kerr's 1980 domestic comedy, 'Lunch Hour.' This talented new fledgling company shows they've got what it takes to mount a polished looking production. Their choice of material may be a little pedestrian, in this case, but they’re still a bunch worth keeping an eye on."
Getting started was a labor of love as the two women set off to find a play, theater space, and funds.
“To go the route alone and take the risk alone was daunting, to take the risk together would be either ‘misery loves company’ or ‘two heads are better than one,’” White said.
And it has proven to be an effective route for both of them.
“Saying the words ‘my mom died from cancer’ or ‘my 22- year-old sister is a cancer survivor’ seem small in comparison to the reality of living with cancer in my family,” Faith said. “Creating Heiress Productions is my reaction --- a way to use passions, to heal, and to have a positive influence on the battle against cancer.”
They will celebrate their first Heiress anniversary June 7, and this milestone will afford them the opportunity to apply for grants, White said.
Both women studied and performed in the theater before embarking on the production route.
Faith, a graduate of Gordon College with a degree in communications and theater, did theater work in the Boston area and taught acting at Bellvoir Terrace, a fine and performing arts camp.
White, a music education graduate of Shenandoah University with a horn performance certificate, performed at Wayside Theatre in Middletown and at Shenandoah University. After moving to New York eight years ago, she performed in the city and taught at the Manhattan School of Music. She teaches tap at Broadway Dance Center and Steps in addition to her work with Heiress. She also was a cast member in “Lunch Hour.”
The next Heiress show has not been chosen, but titles are under consideration for the fall as well as the 2008 season.
A Web site is under construction and should be online in the next few weeks.
And they don’t plan to slow down when the current show closes this weekend.
“Currently, we are working on an outreach program of theater classes and performances that we, as an organization, will offer to our nonprofit partners,” White said. “Essentially we will be going into the hospitals and residences of these partner organizations to bring some of the magic of theater to the children who are dealing with cancer [as patients or family members of patients].”
Contact Heiress Productions Inc., 255 W. 75th St., Suite 1F, at 917-441-1592 or e-mail Heiressproductions@gmail.com. The Web site www.heiressproductions.org is under construction.
--- Contact F. C. Lowe at flowe@winchesterstar.com