The Culver City Women’s Voices workshop will be an 8-week storytelling workshop concluding in a public presentation and reception. The final presentation on Saturday November 9th at 3pm at the Veterans Memorial Building in Culver City.
The November 9th performance is made possible in part by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with support from Sony Pictures entertainment.
The Culver City Women’s Voices Workshop will be led by Terrie Silverman (writer, director, dramaturg) of Creative Rites
TERRIE SILVERMAN, MFA, is an award-winning Writer/Performer, Story Advocate, Coach, Teaching Artist, Director, Dramaturg and founder of Creative Rites Workshops & Coaching. She’s delighted to have a long history with LAWTF as a Teaching Artist, Board Member and recipient of the Rainbow Award. Ms. Silverman is the Producer and Host of Gorgeous Stories, one of the longest running shows in L.A. – 24 years & counting(!) Terrie has guided thousands of aspiring to professional writers, actors, Moms and Professionals to release the critic and uncover their story gold. Additionally, Terrie has guided actors and non-actors, to develop hundreds of Solo-Shows– many award-winning, that have toured nationally and internationally. Ms. Silverman has also has served as a Solo-Show Director and Dramaturg. It’s the joy of Terrie’s life to be invited into people’s stories and have them experience being seen, heard and championed.
Meet the Participants!
Bridget Renshaw
Bridget Renshaw is a voice-over actress and comedian. She is known for bringing her sharp wit mixed with her sweet personality to the stage. Bridget has lent her voice to big brand commercials like Samsung, Toyota and Barbie, animations like Super Z, and video games including Dynasty Warriors. She wrote and produced the stage show Hollywood Hustle for Second City. She’s performed in numerous sketch and improv shows, as well as published a children’s poetry book, Cornucopia. You can find her on instagram @thebridgetrenshaw.
Jennifer Bouchard
Jennifer Bouchard is a poet/actress residing in Los Angeles. As a domestic violence survivor, the majority of her writing revolves around her healing process. Jennifer was featured as a slam poet for The Healthy Housing Foundation, as well as other venues around LA and New York City. She has had her work published in Abstract Elephant Magazine, Open Doors NYC, and A Poet’s Place. She also recently published her first collection, White Helmet.
Lenora Rahquel Ashby
I grew up in love with Fashion Design and Poetry. I used recycled junk food wrappers and candy packaging to create wearable art. Like any other teenager I ate a lot of junk food and found the packaging to be the perfect material for hair bows and earrings. My nickname shortly became Skittles for my “skittle bow” hair wrappers I made for me and my friends. I was also infamous for my “paper clip suspenders” that I linked together to create a chain and hooked each end to my belt loops. Harajuku street fashion was my biggest inspiration because the creativity was unbound. Needless to say, I can find beauty and use in anything. My passion is storytelling and I love exploring that through Fashion Design and Poetry. I hope to share my love for writing poetry and journaling with marginalized communities. As a Panamanian Gullah girl growing up in the DMV I observed the large southern personalities of the Gullah women in my family and the celebratory spirit of my Panamanian family merge. They are a huge inspiration in my creative endeavors, as I hope to share the essence of my family in all the work I do. As a Theatre Arts major at Santa Monica College I have the opportunity to explore storytelling through Acting, Dancing, Directing and Writing. I plan to continue my studies in Fashion Design and Theatre Arts. Through Santa Monica College and LA County Arts I received an internship with Invertigo Dance Theatre. A phenomenal Culver City based company that focuses on using dance for storytelling and healing arts. At Invertigo Dance Theatre I am the Programs & Community Engagement Intern which allows me the opportunity to serve the participants at the programs Invertigo Dance Theatre offers.
Lila Yomtoob
Lila Yomtoob has worked in the media space for 25 years and counting. Her work includes producing, directing, writing, sound editing, post supervising and accounting on narrative and documentary features, television and shorts. Her work has received honors and accolades worldwide including an Emmy AWard for sound editorial on Baghdad ER (HBO). Lila is a storyteller by nature. The work she feels most connected to are imaginative and telling, whether comedy, drama or documentary. She is passionate about social issues, bringing people together, and creating. Lately she has been producing documentaries, working on a cooperative filmmaking structure and experimenting with stand up comedy. As a former member of IATSE 700 and 871, one of her goals is to create a culture of collaboration and kindness around her productions. Lila enjoys gardening, backgammon, laughing, and cute animal videos. She is of Iranian, Iraqi and Jewish heritage and was born in Chicago, raised in L.A., and grew up in New York City. She currently lives in LA with her partner Bill and her furry best friend Shorty. You can learn more about her and her work at yomtoob.com
Mikkel Simons
Mikkel is an actor, writer, and comedian from the SF Bay Area, now based in LA. She holds her BA in Drama from SFSU and is a Second City Hollywood Conservatory Alumni. Mikkel has performed in numerous stage productions including Isabella in the World Premiere of Cynthia Wands’ The Lost Years (Contra Costa Civic Theatre) and a whopping 14 characters in Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Kentwood Players), to name a few. The type of content that Mikkel enjoys creating has three E’s: engage, enlighten, entertain. For more, please check out http://www.mikkelsimons.com and follow her on IG (@mikkelsimons).
Serena Anis
Born and raised in Texas, Serena moved to LA to get her degree in USC’s BFA Acting Program. Her training also includes the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Program, John Rosenfeld Studios, and the Stand Up 4 Your Power stand-up comedy course. She has performed in three Hollywood Fringe shows: Me Be Me, her first solo show, the sketch show BUGS!, winner of HFF 2023’s Best Comedy Award, and Flyover State, winner of Best First Fringe Play. Other accolades include UCB’s Diversity Scholarship and USC School of Dramatic Arts’ Aileen Stanley Memorial Award for her performance as Kattrin in Mother Courage and Her Children. Serena has been acting, writing, and doing comedy since she was a child and loves creating new connections and perspectives for her audiences. She is strong at both comedy and drama, bringing the house down with her humor as well as her tears. Her mixed identity allows her to see the world through a multifaceted lens, and she strives to share this through writing and performance. The first solo show she wrote and performed, Me Be Me, is the first of more to come. Currently, Serena is working on a solo Halloween-themed theatre show called Prom Queen of Hell!!!, which is a hilarious mash-up of the movies She’s All That, Carrie, and The First Omen. Reach out to her at serenawahina@gmail.com for inquiries, follow her on instagram @serenawahina for creative updates, and catch Me Be Me, for more in-depth, interesting, relatable details about Serena and her life! PS: Serena’s last name, Anis, is pronounced like the spice, not the orifice.
Soraya Schwarzenecker
I’m Soraya Schwarzenecker, a 25-year-old actress born and raised in the small countryside town of Gainfarn, Austria. Growing up surrounded by nature, I spent much of my childhood hiking, helping at a nearby horse farm, and riding horses. My artistic journey began at the age of 5 when I first picked up the accordion. By the time I was in 1st grade, I had joined a choir and a small theater/ musical group in my hometown, which sparked my love for performing. I continued to explore my passion for the arts at a middle school that specialized in music, where I took my first acting classes and attended musical workshops. In high school, Iexpanded my musical skills by learning guitar, flute, and ukulele. My education also focused on early childhood education, as I attended a specialized high school majoring in kindergarten and preschool teaching. Throughout my high school years, I dedicated much of my free time to volunteering in refugee camps. This experience was deeply rewarding and eye-opening. I primarily worked with children, playing games and organizing activities to bring joy and a sense of normalcy to their lives. My ability to speak Persian proved invaluable, as I often found myself translating between Persian and German or English, helping to bridge communication gaps. With a love for travel and a curiosity for different cultures, I took a gap year to explore Australia and New Zealand for six months. Upon returning to Austria, I studied acting in Vienna while working part-time as a preschool teacher for two years. Driven by my passion for acting and my desire to see new places, I moved to Los Angeles in 2021 to further my career. I have since attended two different acting schools, and in May 2024, I proudly graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. During my studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, I wrote and performed my first solo performance ‘Flames of Freedom’, which was inspired by the Iranian movement Women, Life, Freedom. This experience sparked a new creative path for me, where I realized my love for writing. Since then, I’ve been working to strengthen my voice as a storyteller, combining my performance background with writing to create meaningful and inspiring work.