Womens Way of Ohio/Kentucky
womensway@ymail.com
513-923-1414
About Us
Introducing our Board of Directors
Bev Bowers
President
Bev founded Womens Way in 2005 after feeling there was a need to support women artists. After taking classes in Film and TV production at Waycross Media she realized there is an inequality in the industry towards women. The positions in the entertainment industry from in front of the camera, behind the camera, from writing the plays, to directing women held only a small percentage of existing positions. She felt women needed to work together to make changes in the industry. Women needed to create their own stage, their own jobs, their own productions to help even the playing field and to get the experience they needed to apply for jobs in the larger industry pool. Also, women’s music did not fit the normal bar or tavern setting. Their style of music tended to lean towards a listening room environment. Womens Way looked for those types of settings and booked them. Since that time she has worked to encourage women to have their own music festivals, engage new listening venues, write and direct their own plays, films and to network together with other nonprofits to work in harmony to grow their audiences, grow opportunities and jobs in the industry. Bev has gained additional experience in film by working with JoFilms director Sarah Knight including Producing, co-ordinating fund raising and assisting with music production.
Phebe Beiser
Phebe (Karen) Beiser teaches online creative writing classes with women from around the world through Catherine of Siena Virtual College. She is active with Women Writing for (a) Change, both as a student and teacher. She volunteers with the New Media Circle, currently recording, hosting, and producing audio podcasts.
After a trip to India, she and another traveler recently published a photo-essay memoir called Goddesses on the Ganges. Phebe plays harmonium at the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center during kirtans (call and response chanting). Occasionally she will experiment with the accordion she inherited after her mother's passing. Her taste in music runs from Indian ragas to Handel operas as well as the Beatles, Laura Nyro, and the Troubadours of Divine Bliss. She is founder and co-director of the Ohio Lesbian Archives and was formerly on the Board of Crazy Ladies Center. Phebe retired in 2006 from the downtown Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County.
Nancy Broermann
Nancy has been a board member for Womensway since 2008. There isn’t a live concert that she doesn’t enjoy! She is a resourceful, supporting stand that each musician/artist is successful. She provides creative leadership and service.
She taught in elementary schools and has marketed and published several family history books. She is an Archivist writing about the past and work to preserve historical artifacts. Nancy has volunteered in leadership capacities in organizations such as Landmark Education and Toughlove International. Her stand for families led to having the Governor of Texas declare annually February 14 as “Parents and Children against Violence” day. For years she was the central point of contact for families in crisis handling hundreds of phone calls referred to her by 911 and other social agencies.
Nancy is also involved in a new business venture, http://www.yourhiddenadvantage.com/.
Nancy supports families looking for new ways of parenting, whether it be with their toddlers, child, teens, and adult children. She works in a way that honors all of the family. She continues to use her talents to reach out to the community. Nancy is married and has two adult children and one very special granddaughter.
Sarah Knight
Sarah Knight’s documentary, Hot Flash, about Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women, won the Audience Favorite Award at the 2009 Cinema on the Bayou Festival. It received nominations for a 2010 Blues Music Award and for Best in Show at the 2008 Rappahannock Film Fest. The film was acquired by UK-based Shorts International.
She is currently in production on her next doc, Diamond are a Girl’s Best Friend, a portrait of Nicole Sherry, Head Groundskeeper for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards – one of only two women in that job in Major League Baseball.
Sarah’s feature, The Rhythm of Chaos (Shohreh Aghdashloo of House of Saddam and The House of Sand and Fog will co-star), was presented at the 2008 Tribeca All Access. Her project, Shady Creek (to feature C.J. Sanders of Ray), was a finalist for the 2008 Sundance Creative Producing Initiative and Film Independent Fast Track programs, as well as a semi-finalist in the RedConnector Filmmaker Competition.
Her adaptation of the bestselling novel, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, was featured in the 2007 IFP Market Emerging Narrative section, was invited to the 2007 Film Independent Screenwriter’s Lab, and was a second round finalist for the 2007 & 2008 Sundance Labs. The film chronicles the saga of three generations of American Indian women. Q’orianka Kilcher (Pocahontas in The New World) will star and co-produce.
In 2004, Sarah attended the Berlinale Talent Campus, and produced the 10th Anniversary of the Avignon-NY Film Festival. In 2003, Oxygen Network commissioned her to write a pilot, and IFP selected her to participate in the Rotterdam CineMart Producer’s Lab with her adaptation of the stageplay, Wallflowering.
Her 35mm short, Qiana (director, screenwriter, producer), premiered at Angelika 57 in Manhattan and won acclaim at several film fests as did her first 35 mm short, Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder (director, writer, co-producer). Other films include the internet cult hit, Survivor in da ‘Hood (director, co-writer).
Theatre directing credits: NY - See Sally Run (New Perspective’s), Gladiator (Raw Space), Again & Again (ATA) & Today’s Decisions (Theatre Studio, Inc.); LA - An Ideal Wife, based on her adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s "An Ideal Husband," (Pacific Resident Theatre-workshop space), Two Rooms (Actor’s Lab & Sanford Meisner Center) and So Help Me God (LA Repertory Theatre).
Sarah assisted director Taylor Hackford on The Devil’s Advocate, director Mikael Salomon on Hard Rain, producer Peter Macgregor-Scott on Batman Forever & Black Beauty and producer Robert Shapiro on My Favorite Martian.
She also has an extensive dance background, having studied ballet (Vaganova and RAD), modern, jazz and tap for over 13 years. She has trained with the School of American Ballet (NYC Ballet), San Francisco Ballet School, Houston Ballet Academy, North Carolina School of the Arts, and attended master classes with Arthur Mitchell and Gus Giordano.
Sarah is a member of BAFTA East, 85 Broads, and the Stellar Network. She is represented by Samara Harris Anderson at the Robert Freedman Dramatic Agency, and attorney Zeke Lopez at Fox Law Group.
Roberta Schultz
Roberta Schultz plays guitar, sings and writes for the Kentucky women’s trio, Raison D’Etre who have 8 recordings and one live concert DVD to their credit. Her songs have gained recognition in the MOVA Songwriting Festival(with Pierce Pettis judging) , Mike Pinder’s(Moody Blues) Song Wars, and the Great American Song Contest. As a Teaching Artist for the Kentucky Arts Council, she has worked with Kentucky students on writing songs inspired by literature and visual art. Her song lyrics are published in two Motif (Motes Books) anthologies edited by poet, Marianne Worthington.
In 2009 Schultz was trained by HealthRhythms founders, Dr. Barry Bittman and Christine Stevens, to become a HealthRhythms Empowerment Drumming Facilitator. Since then she has guided drum circles for ArtsWave, Berea's Festival of Learnshops, Creative Aging, NKADD, Women Writing for a Change/Womens Way, and The Kentucky Association for Gerontology.
Sue Tekulve
Sue Tekulve worked at P&G for 25 years in consumer affairs . She then returned to school to earn her degree which allowed her to work with at risk adults and children until she retired this past year. Sue brings a sincere interest in developing good programming for our community for adults and children. She is interested in music and writing. With her business skills and compassion Sue brings a much needed insight to our work. When there is a problem or misunderstanding Sue is able to help clarify the subject and bring all parties together. We are looking forward to tap into Sue’s computer skills, people skills and her love of music and the arts. Sue has been involved with Womens Way since the beginning and has played a key role in programming.
