By Rita Wilson

"In 1989, after having attended LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) I was in Los Angeles and aching to do some theater. I auditioned for AS YOU LIKE IT for a new company called Shakespeare Festival/LA. They put on free Shakespeare in plazas and outdoor venues around the city. I was thrilled to get the role of "Celia" and to finally be a member of Actors' Equity. What is so wonderful is that I became friends with Ben Donenberg, the heart and soul behind Shakespeare Festival/LA. For 16 years now we have done a fundraiser, which is a celebrity reading of Shakespeare comedy, that allows Ben to fund the program which teaches Shakespeare in schools (Will Power to Youth) and enables free Shakespeare productions to continue in LA. I am thankful and proud to be a member of Actors' Equity."