Actress Laurie Wardell to play Esther, a woman who re-invents herself to find her creative path in life
Los Angeles, CA | February 22, 2023. This March, author Esther Pearlman celebrates the first performance of her autobiographical solo woman play Re-Inventing Me at SoloFest, the largest one-person play festival in the country. On the advice of her friend and advisor Lisa Gold, Esther decided to turn to playwriting after writing 11 books.
“The
play been a lot of fun to do,” said Esther, who is a visual artist as well as an
author. “I’d say it was a natural next step for me after so much other creative
work. I’d like people to know what I’ve done over my life, to inspire them with
what I have overcome, and to have them enjoy my humor.”
Esther
grew up poor in Southwest Los Angeles, wearing homemade clothes classmates made
fun of, while her family struggled to live on limited funds. The “No Jews or
Blacks” sign posted on the front yard of her neighbor’s boarding house didn’t
help this little Jewish girl’s self-esteem. But friendship did… Enter Kelly,
whose adventurous spirit and courage helped Esther find her way to a life of
Re-invention. As the play progresses, we experience the various identities
Esther moves through in an attempt to find herself – from the Unconfident Child
with learning difficulties, to the Attractive Young Woman who draws the
attention of pre-fame Jack Nicholson and eventually her husband Marty, to the
27-Year College Student, to a Sexy Dancer Instructor, to an Eager Model in
Training, to the Chatty Extra, and more.
As
actress Laurie Wardell read Act One for her successful audition, she identified
with a life of re-invention. “I had an immediate connection to Esther because
of her creativity, directness and humor,” says Laurie. “We have similarities in
our lives, as in being a writer, a dance instructor, as well as our shared
experiences in overcoming obstacles. I have always been a storyteller and this
is a story I wish to tell.”
Re-Inventing
Me features the
playful and colorful artwork of Esther Pearlman as backdrops to indicate her
various Re-Inventions and more. “It only made sense,” notes Esther, “since both
art and writing are such a big part of my life.”
The
play Re-Inventing Me will be performed live on Thursday, March 9th,
at 8 pm at the Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman, Oaks, CA.
Tickets for the 75-minute show are $25 and can be purchased at www.whitefiretheatre.com. The performance will be recorded,
edited and made available afterwards for three months to out-of-towners and
others to view in the On Demand section of the theater’s website for $20.
“Regarding
the play’s theme of re-invention, I can see that I learned something from every
evolution,” notes Esther. “It’s never too late, or too early, to re-invent
yourself.”
Playwright
/ Co-Director / Producer Esther Pearlman
Esther
Pearlman enjoys art and finds it to be fun. In addition to oils, watercolor and
collage, she has been very involved in doing black ink and Japanese Washi tape
artwork. She has produced over 1200 pictures with this process. Venues where
her art has been shown include the Lark Gallery, Izen Miller Gallery, Neutra
Institute Gallery, Loveland Museum Gallery, Blue 7 Art Gallery, and bG Gallery.
She also loves to write. Her latest book is Looking at the Bright Side, Mostly. Three of her earlier works are It’s
Not Easy Being a Woman, Volumes I, II and III. Her book, A Face Is a
Face Is a Face, features her Japanese Washi tape pictures. Esther has been
happily married to a highly successful pharmacist for many years. He is now
retired. She and her husband, Marty, have three children – two sons and a
daughter – and two grandchildren, a boy and a girl. She loves being a wife,
mother and grandmother too. See A Face Is a Face Is a Face for a book of her art.
Actress
Laurie Wardell
Laurie
Wardell is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, currently residing in Crestline,
California. She has always been driven to the fine art of storytelling. Laurie
studied acting with actor Grant James (Tombstone) and she has an
extensive dance background with an emphasis in ballet in which she studied at
Gayle Corkery School of Ballet. She has thrived in the roles of Libby Ruth in Always
a Bridesmaid, Mrs. Starr in A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas, Anne
Boleyn in Henry VIII, and Pam McHugh in A Gift to Remember. She
is an accomplished singer/songwriter of folk, jazz and rock music, who is
currently performing at various engagements in Southern California, having
recently performed at a Lake Arrowhead Historical Society charity event. In
addition to being an actress, Laurie is a fashion stylist and a Pilates
instructor. https://www.backstage.com/u/laurie-wardell/
Solo
Coach / Producer Jessica Lynn Johnson
Jessica
Lynn Johnson, recipient of Best National Solo Artist Award, is the Founder
& CEO of Soaring Solo LLC, a company dedicated solely to the Direction and
Development of one person plays. Jessica is passionate about the
transformational power of solo theater and has aided in the creation of over
100 solo shows (and still going strong)! As a published playwright and
performer, Jessica has “edu-tained” international audiences touring her own one
person shows ZE and Oblivious to Everyone for over 13 years. www.soaringsolostudios.com/
Co-Director
/ Producer Robin Quinn
Robin Quinn is a writing coach and
book editor who makes her nest in Los Angeles. During her 30+ years in the book
business, she has edited over 300 books – specializing in memoir, spirituality,
health and self-help. She has written 10 scripts which were produced for
children’s TV, including for such shows as Mighty Max and Bump in the
Night. Robin has worked closely with Esther on her books for many years,
and she enjoyed the process of working in this new medium of plays as Esther’s
writing coach and more.
