Julie Hébert
Julie Hébert
menu

All posts in: News

On set with Look What She Did!
Julie Hébert directs Sonay Hoffman

Julie & Sevdije check Sonay’s shot.

Last weekend we accomplished our biggest-yet Look What She Did! shoot, involving 8 crazy-great women telling us about 8 crazy-great women. Hey, wait a minute, one of our interviewees was a guy, the first one ever on our project. Rick Zieff offered to do his interview in drag, but we decided that was unnecessary as we are flexible and open-minded gals. Rick was invited based on his sheer enthusiasm about his subject, Ernestine Fields, the Teddy Bear Attorney, a woman who has created a national program called Comfort in the Courthouse to help children in Family Court. Ernestine visited our backyard set on Saturday and we were thrilled to meet her in person and hear more about her projects.

Our harmonious all-female crew had a tremendous time working together (stringing up tablecloths in the lemon trees to diffuse the sunlight…) and listening to stories of women who fought to change their worlds and created important, lasting effects for all of us. On Saturday we heard about a brilliant scientist/artist from the 17th century, an Academy-Award winning costume designer who inspires unconventional beauty, the first Black female novelist who wrote her major work while hiding in the Underground Railroad, and one of the seminal founders of Jazz in America– unheralded women who we want to know about!

Sevdije Kastrati shoots Susie Landau Finch

Susie Landau Finch on Milena Canonero.

Sunday we started with a beautifully told story by our lead editor, Farrel Levy, on an artist-nun who saw spiritual meaning in the most unlikely places.

Sevdije Kastrati with Ferrel Levy

DP Sevdije with umbrellas.

We also heard about the first art photographer, a woman who elevated photography from its designation as archival by daring to infuse her work with feeling; we finished the weekend hearing about the woman who founded the Feminist Health Initiative, a housewife who shocked everyone with her radical commitment to women’s control of their own bodies.

Brighter Jan

Jan Oxenberg talks about Carol Downer

I am so grateful to my friends who took the time to tell us these inspiring stories, many of whom are not that comfortable in front of a camera. It is the core mission of this project that we should hear stories about real women from real women, and I so appreciate your commitment in showing up for this lovingly hand-made series.

And to our mind-blowingly great and dedicated volunteer professional crew– thank you. It would not be possible without the generous gifts of your time and talent.

I had a ball, can you tell?

The Look What She Did! crew

The Look What She Did! crew.

Directing “American Crime” in Austin
Juliet Hebert on set of American Crime in Austin.

Julie Hébert with American Crime in Austin, TX.

Once again a total joy to hang out in Austin for a few weeks, directing Episode 204 of American Crime. I could not have had a better time working with our world-class actors and crew who are tremendously talented and deeply collaborative. Really something. I feel such gratitude to all. Here I am chained to a post for safety while shooting inside a moving bus. (Christena Alcorn our intrepid Script Supervisor is my wing-woman.) Now on to write Episode 209! Back in Austin in November. Yes!

Attending the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards

Going to the Emmy’s for the first time was a trip. Our show, American Crime, was nominated for ten Emmy’s, the most for any broadcast show.

Juliet Hébert and Lori-etta Taub at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards

Juliet Hébert and Lori-etta Taub at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards

That was amazing and happily, our own Regina King won for her brilliant work, but she was the only one for us that night; however, all the writers and our spouses were seated close to the front (just behind the Orange is the New Black folks with whom my husband kept trading jokes…) so we had a close-up view of the stage and all the luminaries. In the excitement of getting ready I forgot to power up my phone, which died soon after we arrived! So not too many behind-the-scenes photos… but here’s what I got:

 

 

 Lessons Learned (in case there is ever a second trip to the Emmy’s…)

Andy Samberg gets it started

Andy Samberg gets it started

  1. 1. Thank the person who does your hair, then brush it out after they leave.
  2. 2. Pay attention when your spouse asks “Are you sure you want to wear that?”
  3. 3. Four-inch heels are for people under fifty.
  4. 4. Safely ignore all of the above because no one’s looking at you anyway.
  5. 5. Drive your own car.
  6. 6. Meet your friends ASAP. The crowd is nervous, over-dressed and desperate.
  7. 7. Beware of martinis with too much vermouth! The bartenders are cute, but…
  8. 8. Remember: You are a VIP. One of 7,000 VIP’s in attendance. Hmmm.
  9. 9. Be jovial when you are herded into chutes designed to move cattle, er, I mean VIP’s.
  10. 10. Smile when you lose, cry when you win, and don’t skip the after-party. The food’s good.

New book by Lenora Champagne

So proud to say my friend Lenora Champagne’s collection of plays has just been published!

New World Plays contains her first three works and they are beautiful. I wrote the introduction entitled “The Audacity of Her Vision” because Lenora has an audacious vision as an artist and it’s evident in these striking plays. Like me, Lenora is originally from rural south Louisiana… and despite a lifetime in the big city, we can’t shake our muddy Cajun roots. Potent imagery from home is laced through these sophisticated works of avant-garde theater in a way that is both startling and familiar. Lenora is a true sister, as an artist and a homegirl, and I hope you’ll check out her book.

raw

The book, published by NoPassport Press in their “Dreaming the Americas” series, includes three early plays:  Isabella Dreams the New World, My Nebraska, and Coaticook, along with a foreword by playwright, screenwriter and director Julie Hebert, an introduction by poet, playwright and director Fiona Templeton, and a thoughtful interview by American Theatre editor-in-chief, Jim O’Quinn.
You can order it directly online from No Passport Press at www.nopassport.org/inprint,

or from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or lulu.com.

See more of Lenora’s experimental work on her website: lenorachampagne.com

Look What She Did! New Interviews

Happy to say we’ve posted six new interviews on the Look What She Did! YouTube channel. Check them out here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/lwsdchannel/videos

Ellen Gavin, Roberta Levitow, Julie Sgarzi, Alice Tuan, Melinda White and Ruth Cusick tell us about some amazing women– women you need to know about, including a founder of the ACLU, an El Savadoran immigrant, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and Mother Uganda. The women being interviewed are as interesting as the women they’re talking about. We’ve fallen in love with them all. See for yourself.

Support our little dream project by clicking the link and subscribing to our channel and you’ll be the first to know when we post new interviews. Say “Yes, we want to hear from these women. Yes, we want to hear about these women.”  Click and enjoy!   https://www.youtube.com/user/lwsdchannel/videos

Tree at San Fransisco Playhouse

My play Tree just finished a sold-out run at the San Fransisco Playhouse. It was great to be in rehearsal with my dedicated and inspired colleagues, director Jon Tracy and actors Carl Lumbly, Cathleen Ridley, Susi Damilano and Tristan Cunningham. Through their beautiful work and talents I rediscovered the play and in fact found nuances of character and story that I hadn’t seen before. Each production of a play is so very different and this one took my heart away. I can’t even say how moving it was to be back in San Francisco after all these years and seeing so many old friends. I was humbled by the response from both audience and critics who gave it rave reviews:

“A mature, richly theatrical work … as beautiful as it is moving” (San Francisco Chronicle)

 “A profound examination of love, family [and] race” (The Huffington Post)

“… one of those rare gems …. at the heart of why you see theatre in the first place” (Stark Insider)

More photos at SF Playhouse website: http://sfplayhouse.org/sfph/tree/

IMG_5827 IMG_5679 IMG_5848

 

 

 

 

Look What She Did! behind the scenes 12/05/14

A few photos from our two-day Look What She Did! shoot last weekend in my backyard.

We had Dr. Julie Sgarzi speaking about Jungian analyst Gilda Frantz who at 87 has just published her first book;kvioAm2zeT4ZIkka3YCJnW2oh_bUvrvxFIIIwMDKNKI

Activist attorney Ruth Cusick told us about Magdalena Aguirre a woman who escaped the civil war in El Salvador then sent money back to her family over the years to fund a family compound of four houses;zXtOAtO8xw5nWdUsdh-iairVSJLF2qKzHaE_xUq6f2M

Director Roberta Levitow conjured up Rose Mbowa, known as Mother Uganda, a woman who said no to Idi Amin;ABWDmpjWk2mztRwjZDmEa8hCUWM1nxlgybGJ089KrMk

Playwright Alice Tuan reminded us of Rachel Crothers a woman who wrote and directed plays on Broadway before women had the right to vote;

r3kn0V7FlGgbbQSSGGYJ6OK2SWmb34phIo5E32ud5lA

Business leader Melinda White extolled the virtues of her mentor CEO Maggie Wilderotter, one of the most influential business women in America;

-tnnyBIe5cQKxCUivUXaGpzuwHZkehHAOiNMVaUKwNM

Writer Ellen Gavin touched us with her portrayal of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn a bold and brilliant activist, a self-made woman who changed the world.

lrjlcMGkR1M1cHbaNv6Mk8Pcp9yWsR8Z3MJhx9Kqo5E

We had a blast listening to the stories of these amazing women and recording them for you. The edited interviews will be posted in the New Year.

Meanwhile, hearty thanks to our generous and talented crew this time around: DP Ellie Ann Fenton, Producer and Sound Engineer Courtney Graham, Producer and Bon Vivant Jill Klein, and thank-god-they-know-how-to-do-this-stuff Editors Farrel Levy and Franzis Muller. This project couldn’t happen without a lot of women giving a lot of time and I am so grateful to you all. More fun to come!

 

ob70T46h_4o0vxy8iIGalKI0i5H-2XeaxIVX6krK1KE lJtCP_olrNTu4UR2t2UpDMyYse9_ogpNsuSoZMWfJR0 8yGGk0YoNZIad3m2UG6VrPLmJiKDSBDVFCkK6OD8URI

 

 

 

 

 

 

_MKjbaUOtdp8ZzdVVnNTkJlAKteAbb17J_F_J9aq0y8 qpXesRfL49vLbUpGpVEvdLdQ8b_a6OdfuGwVS_PU4w8 mMsngGLnMcyhmdgdfJwzTd-Dyu99RmfX46AJuYiVp6A

 

 

 

 

 

For more pictures and information check out the Look What She Did! Facebook page

Also, take a look at the Look What She Did! YouTube Channel!

LOOK WHAT SHE DID! JILL KLEIN on CLARA SHORTRIDGE FOLTZ

So proud to present our very first Look What She Did! interview with the audacious Jill Klein.

This is a project dear to my heart where we interview great women talking about other great women who have inspired them. We’ll be posting new interviews over the next few weeks, so keep checking in here and on my Facebook page.

We just finished another shoot this past weekend of six new amazing interviews which we’ll be sharing with you in the New Year.

Help us kick off Look What She Did! by forwarding the links to the interviews, liking the FB page and subscribing to our YouTube channel.

We are in the early stages of this project which I hope will go on for many years– as there are many astonishing women in the world– and we would very much appreciate your support. Thanks!

Night Falls Q&A

Join me online November 12th and 16th at 7pm PST for a streaming video and Q&A for a play I wrote and directed called Night Falls. The play was choreographed by Deborah Slater and debuted at the ODC Theater in San Fransisco California in October 2011. I am excited to chat with the collaborators about our time bringing Night Falls to life on stage as we watch the play together with you in real time.

Links to 2ndlineTV:

Nov. 12th: https://2ndline.tv/night-falls-1

Nov. 16th: https://2ndline.tv/night-falls-2

 

Synopsis of Night Falls… a physical play:

“Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver, poet

Peregrine can’t sleep. The following day she’s turning sixty and has to give a speech which she’s not yet written… so she bounces off the walls of her apartment in the middle of the night trying to figure out what to do about getting older and what the hell she’s going to say to a bunch of young people looking for advice. Peregrine– played by several performers– excavates her life for clues. What has she done wrong? What has she done right? What should she do now? And then, an unexpected visitor alters the course of the night.

Canadian Documentary

I was delighted to participate in this documentary film about current-day Cajuns in America. I first met the director, Monique LeBlanc, when she arrived with her small crew in Tennessee where I was directing an episode of Nashville. As soon as I saw her, I called her “Cousin!” because she looked (and felt…) like a part of my family. They shot a bit of me working as a director that day, and I suppose some of that footage will end up in the documentary; but mainly, it was just a kick to have them around — the French cousins. They all spoke French to one another, and English to the rest of us.

Later Monique and the crew interviewed me at my home in Los Angeles about memories of my Acadian grandparents and family, and how their influence has played out in my work as a writer and in my life in general. I was most proud to show them my collection of fine art by Louisiana artists. Last August I went to New Brunswick for about ten days on a self-created writing retreat among the small towns and villages of my Acadian ancestors. It was a tremendous experience in so many ways. First of all, the lobster was a-mazing… but feeling the connection to the warm, open, sassy people I met, most of whom had French names that echoed the families I grew up among, recognizing their culture, their food, their physical characteristics as my own was kind of mind-blowing. I loved it. And in the course of writing while there, I remembered French phrases that my grandparents used, phrases I hadn’t thought about in fifty years. I am so grateful to Monique for bringing me back to this homeland.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the film and hearing about the other artistic Cajuns spread throughout our American culture. I’ll post when I know more about where the film will be aired/screened. Here is Monique’s description of the documentary:

DEVENIR AMERICAIN – BECOMING AMERICAN

BECOMING AMERICAN is a one-hour documentary produced by the independent production company CinImage Productions for Radio-Canada, the French Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for the World Acadian Congress. The film focusses on the Acadian presence in the United States.

The documentary begins by exploring the lives of Acadians who remained in America after they were deported from French Canada by the English, men who went on to play significant roles in the military, business and political spheres of the newborn nation.

But the film is far more about present-day Americans with Acadian ancestry, a discovery of their work and contribution to the country they call home. From Maine to South Carolina, from New York to Montana, from Louisiana to California, we criss cross the territory on a quest to meet , discuss with and celebrate a people of talent, conviction and determination.

 

Here are a few pictures of my time in Canada:

IMG_0199

Shoreline view

IMG_0190

View from my window

IMG_0880

Monique

IMG_0203

New Brunswick

FullSizeRender

The Cormiers next door to where I stayed.

FullSizeRender 2

Grand-Pré Acadian National Historic Site – Nova Scotia

FullSizeRender 3

Grand-Pré Acadian National Historic Site – Nova Scotia