PAAL Launches North Carolina Chapter In The Triangle, Johannah Maynard Edwards Of WTF As PAAL Chief Rep

Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts (PAAL) will launch its North Carolina chapter in the Triangle at the 2019 Women's Theatre Festival in North Carolina. Women's Theatre Festival has developed programming for parents at this year's festival that exemplifies parent support. Because of this, PAAL is proud to partner with WTF on this year's festival. As a result of WTF's commitment, PAAL will continue the partnership through the launch of the regional chapter in North Carolina. Due to her devoted service to access in the field of theatre and commitment to integrating parent support in both structure and content, Johannah Maynard Edwards, Executive Director of Women's Theatre Festival, has been named the PAAL Chief Rep for the launch of this chapter.

PAAL Chief Reps are individuals committed to physical gatherings for parent artists in their communities to create platforms for shared experiences, creative expression, and update on PAAL's national and local initiatives for institutional change.

Due to its history supporting parent artists, Women's Theatre Festival (WTF) has been invited to identify as the host organization for 2019-2020 for the local PAAL chapter, meaning that its location and programming are friendly to parent artists and available to ensure that these physical gatherings happen. By committing to act as the host organization for the local PAAL chapter, an organization commits to exhibiting public support for parent artists by joining the national network as a sign of support for the cause regionally and nationally. Because WTF has committed to parent support and initiatives well before the launch of this chapter, PAAL Founder Rachel Spencer Hewitt calls their commitment to being the PAAL host "a perfect fit," saying, "I've been blown away to discover the work that WTF has developed over its history to support theatre artists. PAAL is thrilled to invite them to be a host organization for their region as a testament to their inherent supportive structures and history of radical support for their community."

Johannah Maynard Edwards, who has lead WTF as a mother, artist, and executive director, has developed programming for their summer festival happening this weekend, July 12-14, that integrates over seven parent-focused offerings over the course of three days, including:

• WTF Kids Programming with Seed Art Share (multiple times - bring your kids!)
• The Keynote Breakfast with PAAL Founder Rachel Spencer Hewitt
• I Can't, I Have Kids: How To Make Art While Parenting
• Mothers In Academia: "Swings" In Performance
• CRY IT OUT directed by PlayMaker's Rep Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch
• Panel discussion following Cry it Out
• A Mother's Heart (Play)
• Family Friendly WTFringe show "The Adventures of Pink and Purple," a new musical by local parent artist Amanda Almodovar. It will be at 10 am on Sunday 7/14 at ArtSpace.

In her recent piece for the upcoming Women's Theatre Festival, Johannah Maynard Edwards writes, "At Women's Theatre Festival, we believe a woman shouldn't have to choose between making great theatre and being a mother. We've carved out space and created programming specifically by and for parent artists."

The PAAL North Carolina team also welcomes actor and mother Katie Paxton as the local PAAL Ambassador. PAAL Ambassadors serve as liaisons between local or national communities and the surrounding institutions, advocating for opportunity and initiatives. Katie will also be performing in the reading of Cry It Out by Molly Smith Metzler at the WTF Festival in partnership with PlayMakers Repertory Company, directed by Vivienne Benesch, Artistic Director of PlayMakers, and featuring parent artists in the cast. PAAL Chief Rep Johannah Maynard Edwards will lead the post-reading talkback discussion.

For more information on Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts, visit their website. Women's Theatre Festival in North Carolina has more programming listed on their site as well, and tickets for the festival can be found online here.

More on the festival:

WTF Con
Where you can catch:

• The Keynote Breakfast with Rachel Spencer Hewitt
• I Can't, I Have Kids: How To Make Art While Parenting
• Mothers In Academia: "Swings" In Performance

Dates + Times: Can be found in https://wtfest2019.sched.com

Venue: HQ Raleigh, 301 S Harrington Street

Tickets: $99-150 for Festival Pass; $75 for One Day Pass; $10-20 for Individual Workshop Admission

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