On February 12th, Ms. Lee was the subject of the League of Professional Theatre Women’s Oral History at the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Robert Viagas conducted the interview. Baayork Lee has performed in over a dozen Broadway shows. For the original production of A Chorus Line, she created the role of Connie, while serving as …
The purpose of theatre is to wound our memory. — Paula Vogel Paula Vogel, Tony-nominated playwright for Indecent, was interviewed by Linda Winer, in an Oral History presented to League members and their guests at the NY Library for the …
“At the beginning of my career, a lot of people weren’t very gracious. They thought, ‘Okay. She’ll be around for a couple of months.’ Well, not so fast.” “I had to find a niche for myself. I had to find plays that push the envelope.” “I read Albee’s work in college. Never in my wildest … Continue reading
I started doing yoga with my cast 17 years ago. Everyone liked it so much I’ve continued. I do half an hour at the start of each rehearsal with everyone in the room — actors, stage managers and designers. It clears the mind and prepares us for the emotional work of the day. … Continue reading
On Tuesday I began packing my bags, which was unexpected since I had arrived in Houston, TX only a week earlier to begin rehearsals on the World Premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Describe The Night. Hurricane Harvey had been raging since Saturday and on Tuesday we’d taken advantage of a brief break in the near constant … Continue reading
Television has been anticipating a woman president for years. In “Madam Secretary” Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) rose to a vice-presidential candidate; in “The Veep,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character succeeded to the presidency; on “Scandal,” a powerful Washington crisis-manager (Kerry Washington) is also the president’s confidante. The skits on the satirical “Saturday Night Live” played Hillary … Continue reading
I’m lying on my new acupuncturist’s table and she’s taking my pulse for the third time when she tells me, “You’re on the veranda.” How’s that? “You’re not sick, but you’re not well, either.” OH in so many ways, lady. The rejection letter that told me I scored very well with readers but not just … Continue reading
As Director of Labor Relations for the Broadway League, Producer Elizabeth McCann and I used to joke during negotiation sessions we would know we “made it” when the day came we would clinch a deal while in the ladies room! The male negotiators would always emerge from the men’s room proudly announcing they “sealed a … Continue reading
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (beneath the root of a tree, at the bottom of the ocean), you know that sexual harassment in the workplace has been a topic in the news lately. What performers and other theatre professionals may tend to forget is that while they are artists, they are also “acting” … Continue reading
