It was a big success last night

At Elaine Stangland's apartment with Gloria Steinem and Christina Biaggi for a Women's Media Center Fundraiser

View from Elaine's apartment window over the Dakota onto Central Park.

Emme Aronson (co-Emcee), Me, Roz Abrams (co-emcee), Karen Karpowich, NYWA president,

Gloria, Me, Karen Karpowich, Rancy Guggenheimer (Son of Elinor Guggenheimer, founder of NYWA)

Photo by Barbara Nelson

Photo by Barbara Nelson

Photo by Barbara Nelson

Photo by Barbara Nelson

I was honored this morning (at 7am!! Having flown in from LA so for me it was 4am) with the Elinor Guggenheimer Lifetime Achievement Award presented to me by the New York Women’s Agenda. Gloria Steinem gave me the most moving, human, generous introduction. As I told her, it’s the first time I did the trophy-exchange photo op with tears running down my cheeks. The award was in recognition of my co-founding (with Gloria, Robin Morgan, Jessica Neuwirth and others) The Women’s Media Center. I have had various meetings all day and interviewed a wonderful psychologist about male sexuality for my book about aging and now I’m going to take a nap before seeing my pal, Kerry Washington, in David Mamet’s new play “Race.” Richard (in L.A.) Can’t believe I go to the theatre alone. Shucks, I do it all the time. Got an all day board meeting of The Women’s Media Center tomorrow so I need to crash right after I hug Kerry backstage (I hope I remember to take pictures with my Blackberry). It is soooo cold in the city!!! Reminds me of the frigid sub zero temp last winter during my play when my dog Tulea refused to go outside and pee’d in the apartment lobby—no fool she.

I have other days/photos/blogs from Sunday etc but Jodie Evans has my camera with the photos–and my reading glasses. Are you like me…when you’re tired you drop things and forget things? Well, that’s all for now or I won’t get my nap which will be brief enough as it is.

Next time.

PS: at least I got a snap of the Rockefeller Xmas tree. And the Saks Fifth Ave store windows are grandkids-worthy.

Tables are turned: Now It's my turn to pay backstage respects.

With Kerry Washington backstage after seeing her in “Race.” It/she was riveting. I am so proud of her. What a strong presence in a tough role.

Said hi and congrats to Richard Thomas, as well. We were together in the Actor’s Studio production of “Strange Interlude.” He was 10 years old and his father was my ballet teacher.

Nancy Zehner, Ann Kaplan and Gloria Steinem

Annette Allen, James Benedict and Lori Ordover

This took place while I was recently in NY but because of the internet isses I haven’t posted this before. We had a lovely dinner in the home of Caroline Hirsch. Gloria Steinem sat at one table and I at another and we switched at dessert time. Besides the interesting conversation, two things moved me in particular about the evening: the multigenerational aspect with mothers bringing daughters and daughters bringing mothers and the presence of two good men. It always touches me deeply when men show up in support of women’s organizational efforts and really GET it.

After dinner I did an emotional reading from my memoirs about my experiences making ”On Golden Pond.”

So there you have it.

Left to right: Loreen Arbus, Gloria Steinem, Jodie Evans, Helen Zia, Carol Jenkins, Teresa McBride and, in front, Pat Mitchell, and me (holding a totally day-glo Tulea) — Click to enlarge

Last night many of the Women’s Media Center’s board came to see “33 Variations” and then we all were invited to dinner by Jodie Evans. Jodie, by the way, is also co-founder of the important peace organization Code Pink.

Today the Women’s Media Center had our board meeting and tonight, at Gloria Steinem’s cozy home, the Sisterhood is Global Institute’s new, soon-to-burst-forth, viral presence, had a board meeting. So tonight, I go to bed energized and optimized.

Board members of the Women’s Media Center (photo by Michael Rudd)

Pat Mitchell and her husband Scott (photo by Michael Rudd)

See you next time.

Outside the theatre after the first preview. Fun, huh?

Gloria Steinem and Christina Biaggi

Pat Mitchell, Eve Ensler and Rev Debra Haffner

Gloria Steinem and Christina Biaggi

Fans outside the theatre. To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect there would be many fans outside the stage door…one or two, maybe. So this was quite a loving surprise and the comments—about Tulea, about my memoir (one man even quoted something I wrote that had affected him a lot), about my blog and about the play which many had seen.
Speaking of Tulea, she actually watched the show in the arms of her pet sitter sitting in the orchestra—never taking her eyes off me!!

These gorgeous flowers came from my friend Val Kilmer who is my neighbor in New Mexico. Lucky me!!!

Last night was a good night and I received so many nice comments on my blog from people who were there. Who knew what a wonderful viral community could evolve from a blog. I was so happy to have my friends there last night. Afterwards the whole cast and production team went to Dan Marino’s next door for a drink. Zach Grenier who plays Beethoven said today that he had a glorious conversation with Gloria Steinem about Beethoven. No surprise to me that Gloria could teach him a few things about the master. She’s so amazing.

After that I went to dinner with Eve Ensler and Pat Mitchell. I am blown away that Pat and Eve not only came to the show but spent the evening (till 1am) talking to me about it. I say this because Eve is in the midst of a massive national campaign to focus attention on the sexual violence in the eastern Congo. She and Dr. Mukwege, a heroic Congolese doctor devoted to saving the lives of the women who have been raped and mutilated every day are meeting with the Secretary General of the UN today and will soon leave on a national tour. I urge you to go onto her organization’s (V-Day) website to learn more about the situation in the Congo and what you can do to help. Check out where they will be appearing in case you can attend one of their events. The V-Day website is on the front page of this website as I am on the V-Day board-as is Pat Mitchell.

Everyday I thank God for friends like Pat and Eve. Pat is the President and CEO of the Paley Center (formerly the Museum of Radio and Television). Before that she was President/CEO of PBS and before that she ran the Documentary unit at Turner Broadcasting when Ted had her producing epic 12-hour docs about the Cold War, the Vietnam War, The Millenium and A Century of Women among others.

Again, I meant to get up this morning and do some serious blogging catch-up but stayed out too late and barely made it to the theatre in time for rehearsals. This is the start of what is usually a challenging time in the life of a play. Definitely one thing I remember vividly from 45 years ago when I was last here: When the playwright begins to tweek the play and we get new lines, even new scenes, every night.

I have a few new things to learn right now so I will sign off with my usual…

See you next time.