Who We Are

The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW) is a membership organization championing women in theatre and advocating for increased equity and access for all theatre women. Our programs and initiatives create community, cultivate leadership, and increase opportunities and recognition for women working in theatre.

WHAT WE DO

Provide support, networking and collaboration mechanisms for members.
Offer professional development and educational opportunities for all theatre women and the general public.
Celebrate the historic contributions and contemporary achievements of women in theatre, both nationally and around the globe.
Advocate for parity in employment, compensation and recognition for women theatre practitioners through industry-wide initiatives and public policy proposals

We invite you to be a part of the LPTW.
We need your creativity, your voice, your activism!

OUR MISSION
LPTW champions women in theatre. Our programs promote networking, collaboration, training, and increased equity and access for all theatre women+

OUR CORE VALUES

The League of Professional Theatre Women values the individual talents, skills, and artistry of all theatre women represented in our industry. In the spirit of full inclusion of all our varied identities, we are committed to a culture of EDIA:

Equity: To ensure fair treatment to all members and prospective members
Diversity: To honor each individual by acknowledging our differences with grace & respect.
Inclusion: To build and nurture a community that fosters a diversity of expression and actively encourages all members to contribute.
Accessibility: To provide open access to our events and programs for all members & guests.

Join us as we change and challenge our industry

[email protected]

By embracing these principles, LPTW opens a pathway to greater understanding of all its members and an appreciation of how we can best serve one another. We commit to an environment of transparency for all members: providing access to information, resources and services within our professional network. We are dedicated to holding ourselves accountable to these values with continued oversight and education.We welcome you to be a part of the League of Professional Theatre Women. We need your creativity, your voice, your activism!*race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, tribe, socio-economic status, thinking and communication styles.

Board and Staff

OFFICERS*
Co-Presidents – Katrin Hilbe & Ludovica Villar Hauser
Executive Vice Presidents – Kim Marie Jones & Wendy Peace
VP of Membership – Lynnie Godfrey
Co-Secretaries – Cheryl L. Davis & Susan Izatt
Co-Treasurers – Melody Brooks & Diane Davis

Board of Directors
Michole Biancosino
Karen Cecilia
Christine Cirker
Annemarie Hagenaars
Tanya Khordoc
Jenna Lazar
Illana Stein
Cynthia Straus

LEGACY COUNCIL
Margot Astrachan

Linda Chapman

Joan Firestone

Yvette Heyliger

Shellen Lubin

Lorca Peress

Sheilah Rae

Harriet Slaughter

Ludovica Villar-Hauser

STAFF
Administrative Director – Gabriella Rose Balsam
Bookkeeper – Timely Totals
Social Media Manager - Meg Gilbert

ADVISORY COUNCIL CO-CHAIRS
Theresa Rebeck
Daryl Roth

ADVISORY COUNCIL
Margot Astrachan
Andre Bishop
Rachel Chavkin
Lisa D’Amour
Jane Harmon
Enid Nemy
Lynn Nottage
Estelle Parsons
Phylicia Rashad
Sarah Ruhl
Tim Sanford
Elizabeth Williams

PAST PRESIDENTS*
Mary E. Hodges 2020-2022
Shellen Lubin 2019-2021
Catherine Porter 2018-2020
Kelli Lynn Harrison 2017-2019
Lisa Rothe 2016-2018
Carmel Owen 2015-2017
Pamela Hunt 2014-2016
Maxine Kern 2013-2015
Lorca Peress 2011-2014
Kristin Marting 2011-2013
Rachel Reiner 2009-2011
Naomi Grabel 2009-2011
Lynne Rogers 2007-2009
Joan Firestone 2005-2007
Sheilah Rae 2003-2005
Harriet Slaughter 1999-2003, 2005-2007
Isobel Robins 1999-2003
Shari Upbin 1994-1999
Kathleen Gaffney 1992-1994
Amie Brockway 1992-1994
Lynda Sturner 1988-1992
Berenice Weiler 1988-1992
Billie Allen 1984-1988
Doris Cole Abrahams 1984-1988
Julia Miles 1982-1984
*also on Advisory Council

Announcements

LPTW eNews: November
Member Projects & News: November

Professional Seminar
The League of Professional Theatre Women in association with Honor Roll! presents
ARTIST AS ACTIVIST: THE POWER OF PERSONAL STORY
Presented by Yvette Heyliger
The clock was turned back on many hard-won rights. In this workshop, you will learn a technique used by community organizers and activists to help you to talk about the issues you care about and to inspire others to act - the Personal Story.
Saturday December 3rd, 2pm-4pm EST on Zoom
RSVP HERE!
Free for LPTW and HonorRoll! members to attend

LPTW Travel: Start the New Year in London!
The League of Professional Theatre Women's trip to London will be held Jan. 22-29, 2023
Accommodations are at The Strand Palace Hotel**** conveniently located to all West End Theatres, especially The National.
Click HERE for detailed information!
Inquiries to Mary Miko [email protected]

In Memoriam: Susan L. Schulman
By Lauren Yarger
With the death of Broadway Publicist Susan L. Schulman, we have lost not only one of our best press agents and a trailblazer for women in the industry, but one of the most enthusiastic lovers and supporters that Broadway has ever known. Additionally, I have lost a good friend.
Born and raised in New York City, Susan was a graduate of New York University and Columbia. She began her career at Lincoln Center before beginning a career working with theatrical publicists Bill Doll, Mary Bryant, Arthur Cantor, Frank Goodman and Merle Debuskey. Among the shows she worked on in the 1970s were the original productions of Applause, Company, Sly Fox, Follies and Dancin'. Read More on the LPTW Blog.