Saturday, October 21, 2023
Producer Jessica Lynn Johnson IWOSC Guest to Talk One Person Plays Saturday 10/28
Friday, May 19, 2023
Esther Pearlman’s Play Re-Inventing Me Is Now Available On Demand
The play follows Esther’s journey of Re-Invention
as she tries on different identities on her way to a Creative life.
“How beautiful it is to be any human at any age to have your life story up there on the stage,” commented Lisa Gold, a business coach who had encouraged Pearlman to try playwrighting. “I was a little worried whether it would really happen, but Esther did it all.”
The play starts with Esther’s early life. She 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.
In interviews with attendees after the show, time and time again there was praise for the play and for the performance of actress Laurie Wardell. “I was amazed,” said Phillip Erasin. “To be able to remember all those lines, and to make it look so effortless for over an hour. I think she really captured the essence of Esther and her life.”
A word that came up about Esther’s story repeatedly was “Inspiring.” Here’s how Gold described the takeaway: “I’ve got a lot of 80s ladies that I am coaching, who want something more in life,” she noted. “The fact that I sat in the audience tonight and watched the culmination of Esther’s work, her writing, her casting, her life, her enthusiasm, it just makes me want to be her when I grow up.”
One of Esther’s successful Re-inventions is as a visual artist. The playful and colorful artwork of Esther Pearlman is featured in many of the backdrops in the play.
To stream the touching and amusing play “Re-Inventing Me,” go to www.whitefiretheatre.com, click on “On Demand Viewing” from the menu on the main page, then on the icon for the show on the lower right on the next page.
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 portraits. 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. www.estherpearlman.com
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. Her song “Shades of You” (written and performed by Laurie) plays as she bows and over the credits. https://www.backstage.com/u/laurie-wardell/
Solo Coach / Producer Jessica Lynn Johnson
Jessica Lynn Johnson, recipient of the 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 also 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.
www.writingandediting.biz
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Author Esther Pearlman’s Play Re-Inventing Me to Be Performed at SoloFest, Thursday, March 9, 8 pm
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.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Memorial Weekend Zoom
Webinar - Writing the Celebrity Biography
IWOSC
Westside Satellite Host Robin Quinn interviews Ray Richmond,
author of Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an
Extraordinary Life
Saturday,
May 28
12:30
– 2:30 p.m. Pacific
Free
to IWOSC members
$10
for nonmembers
Online using Zoom
Registration
closes at noon, May 27
More info &
RSVP: https://iwosc.org/writing-the-celebrity-biography/
Los Angeles | May 24, 2022 – Originally Ray Richmond was approached to write a Betty White
biography to coincide with her 100th birthday, January 17th,
2022. Unfortunately the world lost Betty on December 31, 2021 – just 24 days
after Ray’s book about her was released. Fans were drawn to the original
hardcover edition of Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary
Life, and it outsold its first print run. A packed schedule of media
interviews followed for Ray.
During IWOSC’s May Westside Satellite,
Host Robin Quinn will interview Ray about his writer’s journey on the book and
his experience of telling the story of Betty White’s life.
o How he got the job
o Choosing an approach to the book
o Selecting Mary Tyler Moore co-star
Gavin MacLeod for the Foreword
o How he started the book
o Selecting material from all the options
o Getting to the person behind the image
o Interviewing other celebrities about
Betty, including Carol Burnett and Candice Bergen
o Managing photo rights and credits
o Navigating the media attention when the
book sold well
o How this experience was different than
writing previous celebrity memoirs
o And more!
Westside Satellite
Host Robin Quinn is
an LA Book Editor and Coach, who has served the publishing community for more
than three decades. Her recent editing projects include Amazon bestseller Everyone
Is Psychic: How to Awaken Your Intuition to Improve Your Relationships, Enrich
Your Life & Read Others by Ann O’Brien, the mystical novel The Hsien
by Rehmannia Dean Thomas, and multi-award-winning Heroines of Avalon and
Other Tales by Ayn Cates Sullivan. In addition to editing, she also
provides copywriting services and ghostwriting. Her specialties include spirituality,
self-help, health, memoir and uplifting fiction. www.writingandediting.biz
Saturday, January 09, 2021
An Afternoon with Esteemed Literary Agent Ken Sherman
Los Angeles, CA – 01/09/21. The Westside Satellite of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) will feature veteran literary agent Ken Sherman as their guest on Saturday, January 16, 12:30 pm. Sherman will be interviewed by Satellite Host Robin Quinn, a Los Angeles book editor. The program will be presented on Zoom. This informal interview will provide an opportunity to get an update on what’s happening with representation for book authors, to become acquainted with this particular agent, and to hear his thoughts on craft and building a lasting career as an author.
Ken Sherman is President of Ken Sherman & Associates, a
Los Angeles based literary agency established in 1989. His literary
agency handles film, TV and book writers and often sells film and TV rights to
books. The agency is open to most adult fiction genres, including literary,
romance, women’s fiction, fantasy/SF, suspense/thriller/mystery, and horror, as
well as nonfiction. He makes contact with most of his new writers through
referrals.
This event, which will focus mostly on books, is free to IWOSC members, $10 for non-members.
To RSVP, go to: iwosc.org/los-angeles-westside-writers-group/
Westside Satellite Host Robin Quinn
A long-time IWOSC member and LA Book Coach and Editor, Robin Quinn specializes in self-help, memoir and uplifting fiction. For questions about the Westside Satellite, contact Host Robin Quinn at robinkayquinn2 AT gmail DOT com. Learn more about her services at www.writingandediting.biz.
Thursday, December 10, 2020
WINNER AT
26th ANNUAL IRWIN AWARDS!
Last night, I was co-host and award-winner
at the prestigious Irwin Awards.
My award was for “Best Media Kit.”
This virtual
event was the Book Publicists of Southern California’s first meeting on Zoom.
I’d like to congratulate all 12 of the “Irwinners” of last night’s 26th Annual Irwin Awards, run by the Book Publicists of Southern California (BPSC). The Irwin Awards originated in 1976 to honor book publicist Irwin Zucker, founder of the book group. At age 93, he is still an active publicist. The awards are a way for book people to stand out with their projects.
I was very excited to receive the first award of the evening for Best Media Kit. When Irwin initially saw it, he said, “This is the best press kit I’ve ever seen. It covers all the angles.” I took that as quite a compliment coming from a veteran publicist like Irwin.
The media kit was written for the sci-fi series, 30th Century, by author Mark Kingston Levin, PhD. A brilliant man with a PhD in quantum mechanics, Mark had been awarded over 30 US patents for his ideas. His dream was to become a science-fiction novelist in his retirement, and he did publish the three books in his trilogy before he passed away last year.
Here is the full list of winners:
B. Michael Antler, Author, Josephus: A Novel. Best Historical Fiction
Michael Bowker, Author, Gods of Our Time: A Paris Love Story, Best International Novel of Year
Virginia Dale, Author, Rich White Americans, Best Fiction of the Year
Sarah Frank, Author, The One Chance Series, Teen Author of the Year
Lori Golden, Author, My House of Lies, Best Memoir of Year
Bo Lebo, Creative Director, New Health Options, Publicist of the Year
R.L. (Rick) Hann, Author, Executive Malice, Best Mystery Novel of Year
Robin Quinn, Lead Writer, Book Editor: Quinn's Word for Word, Best Media Kit for Mark Kingston Levin’s 30th Century Sci-Fi Trilogy
David Ruggiero, Author, Say Goodbye and Good Night, Most Romantic Book of Year
Lon E. Varnadore, Author, Junker Blues, Best Science Fiction Series
Sara Winokur, Author, Double-Blind. Best Mystery-Thriller of Year
Ron Zayas, Author, Lessons from the Len Master, Best Business Book of the Year
It was an honor to help BPSC transition to the world of virtual meetings on Zoom. Because of my frequent use of the platform since COVID struck, I offered to host the group, and became a co-host of the evening. I was happy in this way to pay back to the group and Irwin Zucker for their support of my business over the many years.
We’ll be back with the BPSC’s next event in February. Visit the website for the Book Publicists of Southern California for more information about “How to Make the Media Fall in Love with You” in 2021.
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
- Panel Discussions and Conversations
- Author AMA (Ask Me Anything) Live Chats
- Author Readings
- Virtual Booths and
- a Book Giveaway sponsored by Books That Make You
- "Are memoirs art of the heart or works of narcissism?"
- "Where does the memoirist draw the line or is anything fair game for the memoirist to address?"
- "How do memoirists tell the true story and avoid issues associated with so-called fake memoirs?" and
- "What are the memoirs that memoirists themselves recommend?"
THIS GREAT GROUP OF WRITERS.