Welcome to the first ever Write Teacher(s) Gift Guide! Here you’ll find a carefully curated list of 12 products/services/experiences that I believe would make the perfect gift for that artistic soul in your life! And, let’s remember, above all else – let’s move into 2016 with the Gift of Love. Learning. And compassion for one another.
Merry Christmas & Happy Shopping!
- The Simplified Planner, by Emily Ley. It’s no secret, I love Emily Ley. Everyone who gets one of these babies in their hand is sure to never have another planner ever again. Simple, streamlined, and quite pretty – The Simplified Planner is the perfect gift for the freelance creatives, mammas, teachers, and lovers of pen and paper in your life! Place your order today right here, and visit EmilyLey.com for other planner covers, (Mint Dot and Gold Pineapple are also available, pictured here is the classic Happy Stripe) and additional products.
2. Out of Print (Tees) – I am the biggest bookworm, and I wear that badge proudly. So when I found out about Out of Print Clothing, I was intrigued. A bit about the company, in their own words: Books, worn well. As the landscape of how we read and experience literature continues to change, Out of Print is dedicated to celebrating our favorite stories while promoting literacy in underserved communities. Each product sold donates a book to a community in need and also supports the authors, publishers and artists who made these iconic works an integral part of our lives. Comfortable t-shirts and sweatshirts with original artwork, AND a portion of the sales go to donating books to communities in need? Sign. Me. Up. Gets yours today, and hurry, cause FREE SHIPPING Day is 12/17!
3. The Giving Keys – (jewelry with a purpose). I’m not going to even TRY to do this company justice with my words. It’s better to hear it right from the horse’s mouth:
This story begins with a New York hotel room key. Actress and singer/songwriter, Caitlin Crosby, started wearing the hotel key as a necklace while on tour and had the idea to start engraving old, used keys with inspirational words. Realizing that, in a way, we are all like these keys – unique, flawed, scarred, and sometimes discarded by others – she wanted these keys to have their purpose renewed over and over again. Caitlin always knew she wanted a charitable dimension to The Giving Keys, and within a few months she found the missing link. On a rainy day walking on Hollywood Boulevard, Caitlin saw a couple named Rob and Cera sitting under an umbrella holding a sign that read Ugly, Broke, & Hungry. Caitlin invited them to dinner, where she serendipitously discovered that Cera made jewelry. This was a magical a-ha moment where Caitlin asked them to be her business partners. Rob and Cera joined the team and started making Giving Keys the very next day. Step by step, Rob and Cera saved enough money for a hotel room, then an apartment, and then a home to call their own! Today, they are living in San Diego where Rob works for the San Diego Zoo and Cera is also employed. This was the start of our company’s passion to help those who have been affected by homelessness. Read more about our impact here. Today, The Giving Keys are carried in over 1200 stores in the US and internationally including Nordstrom, Fred Segal and Kitson. We are busier than ever making keys for you – our community. Our products are worn proudly and intentionally by individuals from all walks of life who want to be inspired and touch others with their words.
I mean, what’s not to love? Every time I turn on the news lately, it’s filled with such sadness. Hatred. Horror. So stories and companies such as The Giving Keys – well, they add light back into this world. They bridge the gap that exists between too many of us. Order a key for that special someone in your life who needs a bit of encouragement. A little extra love.
4. The Untold Stories of Broadway, Volumes 1 & 2 (must have reading for any Broadway lover). I’d gather to say Jennifer Ashley Tepper is one of the most inspiring people on Broadway to date – for she is living her dream. She is living proof that you are the one who is in charge of your own career path. If you dream it, put the work in – and don’t stop till you get there! The Untold Stories of Broadway are an absolute essential to any theatre classroom. It takes a village to put on a show, and Tepper beautifully depicts who and what that village is – from the stars onstage, to the masterminds behind the curtain, to the front of house staff – you’ll get an inside look into it all, and hear from the people who have made The Great White Way what it is today. Order your copies here.
5. DUETS with The Write Teacher(s) Volume 3 (tickets to the greatest cabaret show you’ll see this spring!) I’m so happy that we’ll be back for the third year in a row at Feinstein’s/54 Below! This year’s concert is restructured and ready to go – Conceived and produced by yours truly (in association with thewriteteachers.com), the evening will feature music from across the musical theatre canon, pairing one Broadway/NYC singer with one Broadway hopeful. The unknowns will be matched with a professional who has inspired them to take the leap and go for a career in the arts. For this special third edition, expect a slew of very special performers to be announced…(get your tickets in advance, and use the code DUET5 for $5 off tickets in the main dining room! Tickets can be purchased here.)
6. Imagine This Season, by Nat Zegree (music) – Nothing gets me into the Christmas season like Christmas tunes! So, as you shop, purchase this single from Nat Zegree. (And then gift the gift of music by getting an iTunes gift card or two!) I swear to you, this song will warm the coldest of hearts. Get it now.
7. Song Books from NewMusicalTheatre.com (sheet music) – Attention all singers! NewMusicalTheatre.com is the place to go for all your new musical theatre needs. Songs by the leading composers in New Musical Theatre are available here for your downloading and purchasing pleasure.
8. HOMELAND, Seasons 1-4 (DVDs) – Ladies and Gentlemen, if you haven’t already seen HOMELAND, it’s about time you catch up. Engaging and mesmerizing, coupled with brilliant acting, this is a show that will undoubtedly keep you on the edge of your seat until the last second of each and every episode. The Season 5 finale is this Sunday (12/20), and will not return until Fall. So, television lovers, use these months to catch up on one of the greatest series Showtime has ever created.
9. Ellyn Marie Marsh. LIVE! From Carnegie Hall. (Tickets to an unforgettable night of entertainment at Joe’s Pub). Ladies and GENTLEMENNN. Start the new year off with a bang, and get thee to Joe’s Pub to see Ellyn Marie Marsh in her one woman show. A bit about what to expect: In Live! From Carnegie Hall, Ellyn Marie Marsh shares her sharp comedic wit and high belting, offering an evening of popular songs, musical theater songs, and of course, medleys- accompanied by stories of performing on Broadway and persuading her daughter to be doctor. Tickets are available here.
10. If You Find This Letter, by Hannah Brencher (book). This memoir is the perfect gift for dreamers, both young and old. It’s the perfect gift for young writers, entrepreneurs, and those who need that extra push in going after the careers that make them happy. Purchase yours today right here. And read more of Hannah’s words at hannahbrencher.com.
11. Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (donation!) – Consider a gift that keeps on giving this year. And while it may not be able to be wrapped up and put under a tree, I assure you that your gift will go to good use. I have never been more proud to say that I am and SDCF Observer. Not only did I get into the program, but I was given the opportunity to live and work at The Pioneer Theatre Company for the entire rehearsal process of their new Christmas show, It Happened One Christmas. Working alongside Karen Azenberg was both a pleasure and a privilege, something that I will never forget. And, it was an experience that was made possible by the SDCF. More information about the foundation is available here.
12. Subscription to 2econd Stage Theatre (theater tickets!) – Consider giving the gift of entertainment to your favorite theater-goer this season. Subscriptions to 2econd Stage Theater will allow patrons to receive the best ticket prices, the best seats, great flexibility, restaurant discounts, and specially priced guest tickets so you can bring friends and family. Find our what package is right for you and your loved ones, here.