Her Story
About Laurie
I've been doing theater since I was quite young, in my early 20s. I moved to Italy and went through kind of a hiatus when I had my two children. When I came back, I started teaching for about 13 years in middle school, teaching language arts, but I always managed to incorporate some aspect of theater just to keep the kids engaged and entertained. Towards the end of that career path, a lot of the kids were telling me I should really do theater. So when I retired, I went back to it and started writing a lot. Several of my short plays have been either published or produced, and I'm having one produced in Miami this summer with Miami One Act, which has been around for something like 15 years. This is my third play with them, so I'm excited about that. I do short films every now and again, and I'm about to embark on another big film project that I can't really talk about yet. I directed a short film and produced it in late 2024, and that was on the film festival circuit. It won a couple of awards and got accepted into festivals. It was actually based on a true story about a homeless woman that someone I know works with. I wear a lot of hats - I'm a director, a producer, a writer, an actor. Right now I'm focusing more on writing than anything, modifying the play we just finished producing and sending it to other places in the hopes it'll be produced elsewhere. I just spent the past 2 months running around like a crazy person trying to be a producer and director at the same time. It was exhausting, but also very rewarding, and I learned a lot.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Laurie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I guess just never giving up. Never giving up, and keeping a positive attitude, and being around people that are talented and supportive. Although, you know, not everybody is like that, but I mean, appreciating those people. You just have to keep putting out that energy and that positive energy, you know, both for yourself and towards other people. That will go a long way towards helping you live your dreams, but also just really working hard, you know, always developing skills and keeping at it. The work is what does it for you. But also, you know, gratitude. Always be grateful.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever received is just never give up. You know, times get tough, and you think you may not be getting anywhere, but you just have to keep putting out that energy and that positive energy, both for yourself and towards other people. That will go a long way towards helping you live your dreams, but also just really working hard, always developing skills and keeping at it. The work is what does it for you. But also, you know, gratitude. Always be grateful.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't take any crap. You know, if somebody tries to tell a young woman, well, you know, you're not... you don't look right, or you're not this, or you're not that, or you're not whatever, you are absolutely enough. And, no matter, no matter what, you know, it doesn't matter what anybody else criticizes you about, you know, just don't take any crap. Just work hard, stay positive, keep working, and know that you're enough. But you can do it. And if you keep at it, you will be successful.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is always keeping things above ground financially. So, you know, I'm looking out for grants and trying to do fundraisers and things like that. That's always very challenging for me, because it's not really... I mean, you could call it creative, but it's not something that I really like to spend a lot of time doing, but I have been spending time doing it. I find it very time-consuming, and not that it necessarily takes away from the creativity, but I guess I would like to find someone to do that for me. That would be helpful.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Gratitude is super important to me, because if you keep that at the top, then no matter what, you've always got a certain amount of happiness going for you. Gratitude brings happiness because you realize what you have. No matter what the circumstances are, there's always something that's shining in your life, so you may as well be grateful for it. That's probably the top value. And then, in my personal life, it's family. I really think family is ultra-important, and that includes extended family as well. I mean, you know, my really good friends and things like that, but definitely my immediate family, and then, you know, it spreads out from there.
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