Andromeda'S Sisters
Honorary Chairwoman
Julie Ratner
Host Committee
Mary Minard
Josh Gladstone
Sylvie Del Giudice
Charles Weilman
Stacey Golden
Nancy Atlas
Dana Chittavong
Julia Prince
Barbara Layton
Ali Pratt
Steering Committee
Meg McCarthy
Susan Stout
Susanne Kelly
Christine Panico
Valerie Hoffmann
Kate Mueth
Program Order
Welcome and Intro to Andromeda’s Sisters 2023
Honoree– Julie Ratner
Kate Mueth, Founder, Artistic Director, The Neo-Political Cowgirls
Honorary Chairwoman– Julie Ratner, Co-Founder and President, The Ellen Hermanson
Foundation
Actor Introductions - Kate Mueth
Pooya Mohseni
Irene Glezos
Josh Gladstone
Annika Helgeson
Readings of Monologues
Panel Introductions - Kate Mueth
Laurie DeJong, Moderator
Pooya Mohseni, Actor and Advocate
Rahma Soliman, United Nations IOM
Dr. Florence Rolston, OB / GYN
Final Thanks - Kate Mueth
Special Thanks
Without the generosity and talents of many, many people, Andromeda’s Sisters could not come to life. We are so grateful to the following people:
The Neo-Political Cowgirls Board Of Directors, The Andromeda’s Sisters Steering Committee: Susan Stout, Meg McCarthy, Christine Panico, Valerie Hoffmann, and Susanne Kelly, Julie Ratner, Anne Gomberg, The Andromeda’s Sisters Host Committee: Barbara Layton, Sylvie DelGiudice, Charles Weilman, Josh Gladstone, Stacey Golden, Julia Prince, Nancy Atlas, Dana Chittavong, Mary Minard, and Ali Pratt, James Lane Post, Jessica Mackin, Bridget Leroy, Ty Wenzel, Heather Buchanan, Blythe Danner, Ann Stewart, The Leiber Collection, Annika Helgeson, our actors and panelists, Laurie DeJong, our wonderful volunteers, The Gang of Scott’s Protein Balls, Michael Clark and LTV, Stephanie Oddo, Roman and Dushy Roth, Wolffer Winery, Kidd Squid, Grainne Coen, Susan Stout and Tom Spahr, Gianna Volpe, Kate McManus, Sara Jo Strickland, Gabriele Raacke, Our Sweet Swag Bag Sponsors, Christina Sun.
Garden Performers: Emma Engel, Chase Walker, Annika Helgeson, Sabrina McManus, Violet McManus
Garden Story Devised and Directed by Annika Helgeson
As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, The Neo-Political Cowgirls rely on donations from friends, foundations, grants, and fundraising campaigns. The work of developing this imperative financial support is every day, relentless, and necessary. If you appreciate our creative, accessible offerings by way of fully mounted productions, arts education, community outreach and place-making, and advocacy events like Andromeda’s Sisters, please consider an annual, monthly, or legacy commitment to help carry this work and make our efforts a little lighter. As a nomad company, (we have no home building to sink money into) every dollar donated goes directly into people and programming. Artists and theater workers get paid. Students, the at-risk, and intergenerational community members receive impactful programs for FREE. Women and girls receive growth opportunities to connect, create, and launch themselves in the world of powerful arts-producing ways. When you become a support of NPC, we are doing this work TOGETHER.
Thank you for being in community with us, we see you, we appreciate you.
Warmly,
Kate Mueth and The Neo-Political Cowgirls
Get your tickets to THE DREAMER (A Midsummer Night’s Dream Through The Eyes Of
A Young Girl) for a very special run at LongHouse Reserve August 17, 18 and 20. Limited
seating available for this magical outdoor production
Headshots and Bios
Julie Ratner is the co-founder and chairwoman of The Ellen Hermanson Foundation, a breast cancer charity she and her sister Emily Levin started in 1996. Named in honor of their sister Ellen who died of breast cancer at the age of 42 in 1995, the foundation has distributed more than $5 million in grants, most of which have stayed on the East End of Long Island; the focal point of the foundation’s fund-raising efforts. The Ellen Hermanson Foundation has been recognized for its support of medically underserved breast cancer patients and survivors, and in keeping with its mission, funded The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. Providing state of the art diagnostics and treatment protocols, no one is turned away due to a lack of medical insurance or ability to pay for medical care. In 2000, the foundation created Ellen’s Well, a program, administered by Southampton Hospital that provides psychosocial support services free of charge to breast cancer survivors and their families. The profound vision of Ellen’s Well is that women cannot only survive breast cancer, they can thrive. Before creating the foundation, Ratner worked for 15 years as a school librarian at the Brearley School and at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City. With a passion for education and working with students, Ratner enrolled in the Department of Higher and Adult Education at Teachers College Columbia University in 1990. She earned her Doctorate in Education in 1996 writing her dissertation on academic dishonesty and moral development. Currently Julie is serving on the Board of American Friends of Soroka Medical Center, the advisory council of Integrity First for America and Combatants for Peace. She is also a member of Eleanor’s Legacy and Tri-State Women’s Leadership Council.
Pooya Mohseni is a multi award-winning Iranian American actor, writer, filmmaker and transgender activist. She recently appeared in the world premiere of The Sex Party (Menier Chocolate Factory) in London. Her other stage performances include the Lucille Lortel and Obie-winning play English (Atlantic Theater Company), Hamlet (Play On Shakespeare Festival), One Woman (United Solo), She,He,Me (National Queer Theater), Our Town (Pride Plays), Galatea (The WP Project), The Good Muslim (EST), White Snake (Baltimore Center Stage), and the Audible production of Chonburi Hotel & The Butterfly Club (Williamstown Theater Festival). Her film and television credits include Law & Order: SVU, Big Dogs, Falling Water, Madam Secretary, Terrifier and See You Then, streaming on all digital platforms. She's part of the advisory council for The Ackerman Institute's Gender & Family Project.
Irene Glezos is an award-winning actress, writer and producer. A native of Washington DC, she graduated with a degree in drama from Catholic University and has pursued a career that includes stage, screen and television. Favorite stage roles include Lady in Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending for which she was nominated Best Actress by the Big Easy Entertainment Awards in New Orleans and Maria Callas in Terrence McNally's Master Class for which she was nominated Outstanding Leading Actress by the Connecticut Critics Circle. Other favorite theatrical credits include Fairouz in the U.S. premiere of Naomi Wallace's In the Heart of America (directed by Tony Kushner at the Long Wharf) and Georgie in Simon Stephens' Heisenberg directed by Austin Pendleton at TheaterLab in NYC. Her work in television includes numerous episodes of Law and Order, HBO MAX's Sex and the City and And Just Like That and The Blacklist. She's appeared in many films, including most recently, Gravitas Ventures' Delusional now streaming on Amazon Prime and as mob boss mom Belle in Tony’s Auto Repair which recently premiered at the Soho Film Festival.
Josh Gladstone served twenty one seasons as the Artistic Director of the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY. This summer he directs the theatrical adaptation of the new screenplay The Wreck of The Circassian at Southampton Arts Center and several staged readings at The Carl Fisher House and The Library in Montauk, as well as producing The Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton at LTV Studios where he serves as Associate Producer. Josh is also Associate Producer for The Hamptons Festival of Music’s second season, with performances coming up at LongHouse Reserve and in partnership with The Hamptons International Film Festival. Other recent projects include producing Love Letters starring Harris Yulin and Mercedes Ruehl at The Suffolk Theater and Associate Producing the Off Broadway premiere of Hitler’s Taster’s by Michelle Kholos Brooks. At the Drew he directed and produced such plays as Romeo & Juliet, Extinction, The Underpants, All My Sons starring Laurie Metcalf and Alec Baldwin; Clever Little Lies starring Marlo Thomas; Tony Walton’s productions of Tonight at 8:30 starring Blythe Danner, Equus starring Alec Baldwin and Moby Dick Rehearsed starring Peter Boyle; and The Glass Menagerie starring Amy Irving. Regional credits: Children’s Theatre Co.; Shakespeare Theatre, DC; and four seasons as co-founding Artistic Director of the Hamptons Shakespeare Festival. Josh is delighted to once again collaborate with the Neo-Political Cowgirls and his brilliant wife Kate Mueth.
Annika Helgeson (all pronouns) is an actor, dramaturg and all-around theatre artist currently pursuing a BFA at Boston University. She recently worked Off-Broadway on The Dreamer, and has been thrilled to continue her involvement with The Neo-Political Cowgirls’ heart-forward mission at the intersection of artistry and advocacy. Her theatremaking centers love, the wisdom of nature, and the sovereignty of all beings in the hopes that art can teach/remind us how to treat ourselves, one another, and the earth with care.
Laurie DeJong
CEO, LDJ Productions | Founder, Paper Fig Foundation
Laurie DeJongrings more than 25 years of event and business strategy and leadership experience to LDJ. As founder and chief executive, she oversees the strategic direction, culture and structure of the company.
Laurie is sought after as a director of high profile fashion, beauty, tech, media, and luxury automotive events globally. She was Agency Producer for the New York Fashion Week central showcase platform for over a decade and has spearheaded the multi-million dollar platform's strategic move to semi-permanent homes multiple times. Other LDJ clients include Google, L’Oréal, Chanel, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic Festival, Time Magazine and many other Fortune 500 companies. Under her leadership, LDJ has made multiple appearances on the Inc. 5000 list, the Women Presidents Organization's list of the "50 Fastest- Growing Women-Owned Businesses in North America" and was named one of New York's 50 fastest-growing companies by SmartCEO.
As a longtime mentor of women and girls globally, her philanthropic efforts have led to the formation of the Paper Fig Foundation, the “for purpose” arm of LDJ Productions. Together, LDJ and PFF have helped launch or grow Fashion Week’s in Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria. PFF operates a Skills Training Institute in Kasese, a rural community in Southwest Uganda to teach at risk young women skills to support themselves and their families. Laurie is a Trustee of Marist College and was recently selected as one of the “Top 20 in 2020” by Enterprising Women Magazine for her work in continuing to successfully guide her company and foundation through the pandemic. www.ldjproductions.com | @ldjprodnyc
Dr. Florence Rolston is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who has lived and worked in Southampton since 1997. She is the daughter of Caribbean immigrants who enjoys cooking, travel, reading and family.
She has been a Partner Physician at Hamptons Gynecology and Obstetrics in Southampton, NY since 1997. She joined Hamptons Gynecology and Obstetrics after completing residency training, with a particular interest in menopause management and cancer screening.
Dr. Rolston completed her Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Hospital, SUNY at Stony Brook in 1997, and graduated with a Medical Doctor Degree at the Morehouse School of Medicine in 1993. Dr. Rolston holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1988).
She is a member of the Southampton Hospital Board of Directors since 2009, and a member of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center Board of Directors since 2015. She has served as Vestry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Southampton (2005-2011) and is on the North Fork Breast Health Coalition Advisory Board (2002-2008).
Rahma Soliman
Officer, The United Nations International Organization for Migrants (IOM)
Originally from Egypt, Rahma Gamil Soliman has been working at United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) Office to the UN as the Media and Communications Officer since 2016. Aside from her work on bringing visibility to migration issues to the UN, she is the Project Manager for the joint IOM-United Nations Alliance of Civilizations initiative: PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival. For the last 12 years, PLURAL+ has been inviting young people to submit their creative videos addressing the topic of migration, diversity, social inclusion, and prevention of xenophobia, allowing thousands of young people from all over the world to express their views on these issues in a creative, original and fun way.
Before joining IOM, she worked with refugee and migrant populations in Cairo as a Refugee Status Determination Legal Officer with the Africa and Middle East Refugee Association (AMERA) and later at the Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights (EFRR). During that time, she was able to gain a closer insight on most of the migration and displacement related issues in the Horn of Africa as well as Middle East and North Africa regions. She is a graduate from the Centre for Migration and Refugee Studies at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
Kate Mueth founded the award-winning The Neo- Political Cowgirls 17 years ago to help fill the dearth of opportunities for and stories from the perspectives of women on our theater landscape. She conceives, choreographs and directs new, site-specific theater and dance theater that is “Mind-bending, gorgeous, provocative and wild” in execution. Kate is an Equity actor, a proud Board Member and Officer Emeritus for The League of Professional Theatre Women, and co-founder of The East Hampton Arts Council. Kate has worked as actor/director/choreographer with such luminaries as Blythe Danner, Cathy Curtin, Aida Turturro, Tony Walton, Peter Boyle, Lizzie Larsen, Laura Gomez, Florencia Lozano and more. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Bay Street Theater and The John Drew Theater at Guild Hall as well as on stages in NYC, Chicago, Boston, and abroad. The summer of 2021 Kate directed a first annual outdoor production of Shakespeare In The Park in East Hampton Village: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged, followed in 2022 by a workshop production of a new devised work based on Shakespeare’s famous A Midsummer Night’s Dream, — now finding it’s second, fuller incarnation at HERE Arts in NYC. This work examines the classic text’s themes through the lens of Dreamer, a modern girl on the cusp of womanhood grasped by the anxiety sickened clutches of a world on fire in every possible way. Favorite acting roles include Lady M, Varya, and Mrs. Wadhurst in Tonight at 8:30 with Blythe Danner. Latest film work- acting in and choreographing Josh Klausner’s award- winning feature WANDERLAND. History of new, devised works for NPC includes HYSTERIA, BAUBO, Wody Girtch Mama, Trojan Women Redux, ZIMA!, VOYEUR, EVE, B(e)RD and countless one- offs. Other recently devised work- HYSTERIA, a “surround fear experience” played to East End audiences as well as attendees at The Old South Church in Boston fall of 2019. In 2017 she worked side by side with her director husband Josh Gladstone to create a run of a post-punk Romeo and Juliet where she played a ribald Nurse and choreographed popping stylized dance and movement for the adventurous interpretation at The John Drew Theater at Guild Hall. Kate directed a world-wide troupe of rock musicians in a bioethics examination rock opera, Playing God, in Helsinki in 2016 which had its American debut at The Danny Kaye Theater in New York. Also in 2017 she worked in collaboration with the Helsinki-based theater company Taiteen Sulattamo to create 100 Women, a theater production bringing professional performers together with women dealing with mental illness. The summers of 2016/17 her production of ANDROMEDA, a “Myth for the masses,"Gave voice to the universal refugee," (East End Beacon) in its performance in the hills of Montauk out under the stars. EVE, a 13-room, immersive experience, enjoyed two seasons in the Hamptons then an Off-Broadway run in the fall of 2015 at The Gym at Judson. VOYEUR, a branded NPC site- specific experiential performance made in various unusual spaces, made its European debut in Berlin in July of 2015. Kate has a lengthy biography in theater arts teaching and curriculum building over the past 30 years. Her work in conceiving, developing, directing and teaching the theater arts programs January Girls, Young Cowgirls, Dude’s Eye View, Girls’ Gaze and Project Hero continue to annually serve and empower our community’s youth, at-risk, and marginalized populations. She has furthered her passion for Arts Education by training with the prestigious Arts Leadership program at Lincoln Center and trained with Jacob’s Pillow in their celebrated Curriculum In Motion Institute, and now serves on their advisory board. She centers her work around shifting American culture to become more invested in the performing arts as ignition for human connection, problem solving, and thriving. Kate was proud to be honored by Katlean DeMonchy with a Hamptons Muse award, one of several women recognized for creative and social change work. She is mother to August Gladstone, a recent Emerson College graduate now residing in Los Angeles working for 3Arts Entertainment as he builds towards becoming a show runner and writing for film and television, and is wife to the talented Josh Gladstone. Kate splits her time with work between East Hampton, NYC, nationally and internationally. The Neo- Political Cowgirls are professional wild dance theater and arts education outreach- a powerful marriage of Arts and Advocacy. www.npcowgirls.org
Photos: Lisa Tamburini