Why are you doing this show?

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Tonight I asked the cast the following questions:
Why are you doing this show? What drew you to The Vagina Monologues?
Below are some of their answers… as you can see, it’s about much more than just vaginas.
  • I was a victim of domestic violence, this show gives me an opportunity to fight back.
  • To raise awareness: I was a victim of domestic violence, I thought “It would never happen to me.”
  • I was a victim of domestic violence, I want the world to know that it can happen to strong, smart women.
  • I grew up in a house where we didn’t talk about vaginas. My hope is that by destigmatizing the word through our show, it will allow a woman to feel comfortable to speak-up if a bad situation happens.
  • It’s my personal way of taking my life back after being in an unhealthy relationship. Through something I love! Using my ‘creative side’ and submerging myself in theater.
  • After losing my self confidence in an unhealthy relationship, it has helped me to reclaim my feminism.
  • It gives me a sense of purpose. I feel connected. Sometimes we get stuck in the daily bullshit of everyday life. This has reminded me to step outside of my little world.
  • It makes me feel present. By taking the time to live ‘in the moment’.
  • It reminded me to step outside of my comfort zone. I have more to offer.
  • The monologues have taught me so much about the lives of other women. I get to see the world from a different perspective. 
  • The show has made me comfortable with my own vagina! I used to not think too much about it, now we’re friends!
  • It has reminded me that theater is an amazing vehicle for advocacy.
  • It has inspired me by watching women working together, instead of tearing each other down. 
  • It’s awesome to have so many women from so many different backgrounds come together in a positive, collaborative, supportive environment.
  • The show is important for the next generation to see. We want to show them how to be strong. We have an obligation to take care of, and educate the generation behind us.
  • I want to use the arts in a way so that I can be a positive female role model. Art should be sustaining, there is a lot of garbage in the media today.
  • I want women to be proud of being in-touch with their bodies. We’re not freaks for being in-touch with who we are. 
  • Coming to rehearsal and taking these few minutes to sit in a circle and connect with each other, to talk about our day and be present in the moment…is the BEST part of my day.
  • I look forward to it as well, all day long; I think about it. I can’t wait for rehearsal.
  • We all have different reasons for doing this show. That’s the beauty of it.
Show Dates:
May 22, 2011 3:00 PM
May 24, 2011 7:00 PM
Venue:
Triad Theatre
158 West 72nd Street
New York, NY, 10023
Tickets:
$20.00 (General Tickets)
$100.00 (VIP Sponsor)
There is also a 2 drink minimum (cash only) which covers the cost of the venue. (Non-alcoholic drinks are available).


 Donate: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreabertola/thevaginamonologues;
 Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168529;

Vanities!

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Let’s take a trip down memory lane…. I just found this press release from the first show I directed. Ah, nostalgia. Nine years later… Lauren and I have teamed up again to direct The Vagina Monologues. Note: the following press release is from 2002, please don’t try to buy tickets….I’m sorry to report, you totally missed the boat on that one.
Vanities directed by Andrea Bertola
Presented this Weekend (August 16, 2002)
At Brundage Park Playhouse
Photos By Joe Gigli
Randolph – Jack Heifner’s hit play VANITIES, to be presented by the Brundage Park Playhouse, directed by Andrea Bartola, assistant director, Lauren Balaban, is a laugh-out-loud yet bittersweet comedy about the growth of a friendship among three small town women coming of age in the 1960s and ’70s.
Randolph – Jack Heifner’s hit play VANITIES, to be presented by the Brundage Park Playhouse, directed by Andrea Bertola, assistant director, Lauren Balaban, is a laugh-out-loud yet bittersweet comedy about the growth of a friendship among three small town women coming of age in the 1960s and ’70s.
Remember those high school vows between close friends to stick together and never change? But then you begin college, experience different things and realize the sentiments which you once shared have sadly diverged on different paths. Just when you’ve made that adjustment and settled into university life, adapting to new friends’ oddities, you have to make yet another change – this time into the “real” world.
The play reflects each woman’s personal evolution from adolescence to adulthood as well as society’s evolution from the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the Watergate scandal. The first scene brings the audience in on the girls’ lives while they are still high school students, the second carries them forward to 1968 college life — at which time they are still intimately interconnected — and the third reunites them after several years of separation. By that time — 1974 — they are
living in the New York City area, and their lives have taken different turns, at least on the surface.
Kathy, played by Gwynne Crowley, is the organizer who gives form to all their plans. While not at all sure what she really wants in life, she guesses that she’ll probably become a Physical Education teacher until the right guy comes along.
Lauren Delaney is portraying the role of Joanne, a naïve girl and future happy homemaker. She sees college not so much as an opportunity for learning, but as a means to sustain the relationship with her cherished pals — and to stay close to her dream guy — until she finally gets the family life that she believes will be idyllic. She works hard to maintain a view of the world that no seriously disruptive thoughts or events can penetrate.
In contrast to Joanne, Mary is a seething volcano, constantly trembling on the verge of eruption — and possible extinction — as she desperately seeks ways to gain freedom from parents whose resources are liberating, but whose control is stifling. Played by Melissa Crecca, shocking events and rebellious thoughts are Mary’s specialty.
The original New York production of Heifner’s play ran for five years and became one of the longest running plays in Off-Broadway history.
The show will run Friday and Saturday, August 16 and 17, 2002 at 8:00 p.m. in the playhouse on Carrell Road in Randolph. Admission will be $5.00. For more information and/or reservations call the playhouse at (973) 989-7092.
Click a Thumbnail to View Gallery
Vanities Directed by Andrea Bertola

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Support My Show!

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According to the United Nations, ONE out of every THREE women on the planet will be physically or sexually abused in her lifetime.




Quick links: Three ways you can support the cause:

3) Buy an ad in our program! Contact Andrea

I am proud to be granted the rights to direct a V-Day benefit production of  The Vagina Monologues, on May 22nd and May 24th at the Triad Theater in NYC. V-Day is a global activist movement to stop violence against women and girls.  
In addition to ticket sales, I have set up a fundraising page. My goal is to personally raise $1,000. If you can’t attend the production on May 22nd or May 24th, this is a great opportunity for you to show your support!
As the organizer for the event, I was asked to pick a NYC based beneficiary. That was an easy choice! I wanted to pick an organization that uses theatre to empower young women. viBe Theater Experience is an organization that I have worked with in the past. I’m extremely passionate about their mission. viBe provides a safe space for under-served girls (ages 13-19) to express their voices, take on challenge and responsibility and gain the self-confidence to succeed personally, socially and academically.   See the YouTube video below for more information! 

We were asked to donate 10% of all net profits to V-Day 2011 Spotlight on Women of Haiti. After that, we have set a goal of 94 cents of every dollar raised to be donated to  viBe Theater Experience. Help us raise awareness. The truth is shocking. According to the United Nations, ONE out of every THREE women on the planet will be physically or sexually abused in her lifetime.

“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.”
-Sarah Ban Breathnach

Favorite Lady Gaga Quotes

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In honor of seeing Gaga tomorrow…. 
(Thanks to my sister for the AWESOME B-day present). 
Here are some of my favorite Lady Gaga quotes.

Dream big. Be true to yourself. And kick some ass while you’re at it.
– Andrea

“I had a boyfriend who told me I’d never succeed, never be nominated for a Grammy, never have a hit song, and that he hoped I’d fail. I said to him, ‘Someday, when we’re not together, you won’t be able to order a cup of coffee at the fucking deli without hearing or seeing me.” – Lady Gaga

“I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time.”
— Lady Gaga

“‎Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put on some sunglasses, cuz we were born this way bitch!”
— Lady Gaga

“I used to walk down the street like I was a f’ing star… I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be – and then to fight so hard for it every day that the lie becomes the truth.”
— Lady Gaga

“I’d wear any of my private attire for the world to see. But I would rather have an open flesh wound than ever wear a band aid in public.”
— Lady Gaga

“I would rather die than have my fans see me without a pair of heels on. And that’s show business.”
— Lady Gaga

“A middle finger is more New York than a corporate ambush.”
— Lady Gaga

“That’s the most Warholian thing about what I do… I embrace pop culture. The very thing that everybody says is poisonous and ostentatious and shallow, it’s like my chemistry book… and I make what I believe to be art out of it.” — Lady Gaga

“I am a feminist. I reject wholeheartedly the way we are taught to perceive women. The beauty of women, how a woman should act or behave. Women are strong and fragile. Women are beautiful and ugly. We are soft-spoken and loud, all at once. There is something mind-controlling about the way we’re taught to view women. My work, both visually and musically, is a rejection of all those things. And most importantly a quest.” — Lady Gaga

Do you have a favorite Gaga quote? Or just an inspirational quote in general?
Leave it in the comments!

The 2011 V-Day Cocktail Menu

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A special thank you to our in-house bartender, Lauren Balaban. I mentioned that we needed a V-Day drink menu and within 30 minutes…this gem was in my inbox.
If any of you need a fantastic Assistant Director, you can’t have her… she’s all mine.
Without further adieu, I present….

The 2011 V-Day Cocktail Menu
The Feminist
Light Rum, Amaretto, Kahlua, & Peppermint Schnapps topped off with gingerale.

Vagina Punch
Light Rum & Dark Rum, fresh lime juice, orange and pineapple juice, with a dash of grenadine.

The Leg Opener
Vodka, Southern Comfort, Sloe Gin, Peach Schnapps, & Triple Sec, shaken w/ orange juice and grenadine, served up.

In The Pink
Our version of the NYC Cosmopolitan, shaken with a splash of grapefruit juice, served up.

A Mimi In Miami
Tequila, Midori Liquor, Triple Sec, sour mix & fresh lime juice, served on the rocks.

The Moaner…
A sidecar, on the rox, made with Bourbon, Triple Sec, fresh lemon juice & topped off with Grand Marnier


Don’t miss out on a wild night! Get your tickets to “The Vagina Monologues” now:
(100% of the proceeds go to charity)
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168529

Do you have a fun idea for the V-Day drink menu? Leave it in the comments!

Get Your Tickets!

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For Tickets:
 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168529

We expect to sell out immediately. There is a large cast and a limited number of tickets. 
Get your tickets now…
 The show is outrageous, sexy, raw and empowering. Not for the faint of heart.

Bonus? There is a bar in the theatre. This is sure to be a wild night. 



Tickets:
$20.00 General Admission
$100.00 VIP Seating
2 drink minimum.

Dates:
May 22nd, 2011 @ 3pm
May 24th, 2011 @ 7pm.

“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. 

But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.”
-Sarah Ban Breathnach

Can’t make the show? Make a donation. Even $10 helps! http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/andreabertola/thevaginamonologues







This New York Website Designer has happy clients!

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I just finished a new site for Desi Dermatology. It was a pleasure working with Basir and Mohiba on their site. I really enjoy working with professionals that have new and innovative ideas for their websites. They seem to adore the outcome… it’s a win-win situation. 
Thanks Basir, for the great review! 
“Andrea created a great website for us: http://www.desidermatology.com — she was very helpful at every step of the way and very prompt. Highly recommend.” -Basir Tareen
Read more reviews on Yelp!


Are you looking for a New York website designer? Visit www.thenewyorkwebsitedesigner.com for more information on websites.

Videos for your Website!

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The New York Website Designer is thrilled to announce a partnership with Russ Geltman, to provide an exclusive package for clients! Russell Geltman is a New York based Cinematographer who got his start in Television in Los Angeles, working as a Union Camera Assistant on shows such as “Entourage”, “ER”, and “Deadwood”. With this partnership, you can have Hollywood quality videos on your website!

For online videos, Russ uses state-of-the-art, equipment resulting in unrivaled quality for a truly affordable price.  Contact Andrea to discuss your budget for your online video needs and we will provide you with a proposal.

View Russ’s Reel:


Five Reasons Why You Should Add Video to Your Website:

1)  The Personal Touch.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. A video gives your website visitors a well-rounded picture of who you are while setting a welcoming vibe. (It’s also a great way to show there is an actual human being they are interacting with…and not a SPAM company!)

2)  Search Engine Optimization. By posting your video on YouTube, you will increase your online visibility by 125%. Videos help generate a buzz and drive traffic to your site. Especially if the video goes viral! Read more about Search Engine Optimization >>>

3)  Keep Visitors on Your Website. You want to keep visitors on your website for as long as possible. 69% of internet users watch video online (Pew Research 2010). Visitors  are more likely to watch an entire video clip than they are to read an entire webpage, blog post or article.

4)  Credibility. An educational video will help you to establish yourself as an expert. Online educational videos have risen in adult viewership from 22% to 38% since 2007. (Pew Research, 2010). By providing useful information, how-to-videos and online seminars; your clients will regard you as a trusted expert.

5)  The ‘WOW’ Factor. Show your website visitors that you have your finger on the pulse with the latest technology. Your website is modern and your use advanced marketing tools will only be a positive reflection of you and/or your company! 
For more information visit: www.TheNewYorkWebsiteDesigner.com