Irene Gandy Honored by The League of Professional Theater Women
Niki Hatzidis
This month the League of Professional Theatre Women honored Irene Gandy, a veteran Broadway press agent, and producer, for their Oral History Project series. Irene, with spurts of glitter and sparkle from boots to eyeglasses, reminisced with the audience about her experience in theater from go-go dancer to revered publicist and Tony-Award winning Producer. The evening’s discussion was produced by Ludovica Villar-Hauser and Gandy was interviewed by her dear friend and colleague, fellow producer, Voza Rivers.
The League of Professional Theatre Women champions women in theatre with over 500 members spanning all professional discipline and women of diverse backgrounds. Created on the belief that there is a need for parity in the industry with equal roles for women in positions from artistic director to lighting designer to producer, and everything in between. The League’s Oral History Project is an opportunity to celebrate women who have made a tremendous contribution to theatre. The goal of these public speaking events is to preserve the legacies of the women whose commitment and dedication influenced the theatre industry for the better.
On February 10th, the league honored Irene Gandy and her accomplishments and tireless efforts to furthering opportunities in theater for the Black community. Gandy is the only Black female member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM) on Broadway. With a career spanning 40 years, Irene has worked in over 100 Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Lady Day starring Audra MacDonald and the South-African musical Sarafina she co-produced with Vosa Rivers. You might have seen some of her most recent productions on Broadway such as Great
Society, American Son, China Doll, and You Can’t Take It With You. She also was an Associate
Director of Special Marketing for CBS Records and worked with music artists the likes of Earth Wind and Fire, The Jacksons, and Patti LaBelle.
At the talk, Gandy spoke about her roots, growing up in West Berry, Long Island as one the first black families of a community of 10,000 people. “It was just regular people, working, living their lives and a lot of church, a lot of church, a lot of church,” Gandy repeated to laughter from the audience. Irene talked about how she longed for a life that was a little more free than the one her neighbors who were settling into a life of structure in West Berry. “I just got on to a train and left. And nobody knew where I went,” Gandy said about her big move to the West Village. Irene talked about how she instantly found a community through her work as a waitress and a go-go dancer. “You took care of people and people took care of you,” Gandy said. Irene talked about meeting actors and playwrights at salons hosted by artists and writers like James Baldwin, and how that was her introduction into the industry.
Irene spoke about how her can-do spirit and her out-going personality led her to be a press agent, from dancing in the Catskills to filling in last minute as an Owl in a children’s play for Electric Circus. She then ran into an old friend who was working for a new ensemble company called the Negro Ensemble that aimed to get performers into the union. He was struggling to find someone who wanted to be a press agent. Irene decided to jump right in. This was the initial catalyst of Irene’s decades-long career in the industry.
This spontaneous, throwing oneself into the deep end, mentality is what has helped Gandy excel in her career. She is fearless in her ability to try things and learn all that she can on the job. She also spoke about the importance of paying attention. “You never know who is running things,” Irene said about her ability to listen to those at all levels of the industry. Irene mentioned the advice James Earl Jones gave her about the secret to success being a good make up kit and talent. “I have a good makeup kit and I have talent.”
Gandy credits her success to those who have helped her along the way and the significance of building a community and helping those within to succeed. “You can’t do it alone,” Irene said about finding people who truly care to work with on projects. This is why Gandy is dedicated to mentoring and working in community outreach in order to help others reach their full potential and usher a new generation of diversity into the theater industry. “It’s bigger than me,” Irene says, “we have to take risks.”
Irene currently works for Jeffery Richards and Associates and we are eager to see what’s next because she has no plans of slowing down. “Legacy is legs. Keep moving.”
Photo By Nathalie Schueller Photography