Ann’s full-length solo play Tales from Cloud 7: Burdens & Blessings had its world premiere at The New Theatre/Theater Workspace in Hollywood before traveling north to open the San Francisco Fringe Festival, where it was applauded by audiences and critics alike. Burdens & Blessings was also part of the EDGE OF THE WORLD FESTIVAL at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center's Davidson/Valentini Theatre at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza. Burdens & Blessings was originally developed through The Last Word: A Playwrights’ Collective, under the direction of Catherine Coke, and at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica (in association with Laurie Lathem’s GO SOLO workshop).
Ms. Farthing's other full-length solo play, Tales from Cloud 7: The New York Stories, premiered at the North Hollywood International Theatre & Arts Festival. Her short film Wunderbar! A New York City Cab Ride, excerpted from The New York Stories and the result of her collaboration with director Drew Campbell.
Nothing to Lose, a collection of short plays with monologues, premiered at West Coast Ensemble, where she was a member for four years. While at WCE, Ms. Farthing produced the winning productions of the WCE Annual Full Length Play Contest two years in a row: one of these, Brother Champ, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. During her tenure at WCE she was also nominated for a Robbie Award for producing Charley's Aunt.
Ms. Farthing’s short play The Playwright was produced as part of WCE's Ten Minute Play Project, and was also done as part of Women Write Now! at the Arena Stage in Houston. Developed in a workshop sponsored by Women in Theatre, The Playwright finished in the Top 10 of the Act III: Short Play Competition sponsored by Los Angeles’ Inner City Cultural Center.
Previous award-winning directing projects include productions of Miss Julie, Vanities, and the world premiere of Harriet Dexter's Joys and Blessings, for which she was honored as Best Director at Theatre Americana, where the following year she directed the world premiere of Mary Jane Taegel's Going Bare. At the Company of Angels Theatre in Hollywood she directed and co-produced Enigma, and, for Women in Theatre, she produced both the showcase and commercial runs of Women's Sexual Fantasies: WIT in Fantasyland at the Cast Theatre. She also produced the limited engagement of Carolyn Allport's AndrewTalk at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, prior to its tour throughout California.
During her term with Women in Theatre, on which Board she served, Ms. Farthing produced the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Festivals of New Plays; for this and other contributions to the organization, Women in Theatre honored her with their "Top Banana Award."
Ms. Farthing served on the Board of Directors of the National Repertory Theatre Foundation and as Literary Manager for NRTF's National Play Awards for five years. She has also taught scene-study, directing, audition skills and improvisation. Her prose has been published in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.
In 2003 and 2004 Ms. Farthing served as a voter for the OVATION Awards, sponsored by the
Los Angeles Stage Alliance, attending more than 50 Equity-waiver productions in Los Angeles County each year. During this time she also served as a voting member of the Los Angeles Theatre Awards portion of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s Annual Media Awards.
For three years Ms. Farthing volunteered as a seminar facilitator with Hollywood Supports, a nonprofit entertainment industry organization which addressed workplace diversity issues surrounding sexual orientation and HIV status. Ms. Farthing facilitated more than 30 seminars throughout Southern California, as well as in Dallas, Denver, and San Francisco, for a variety of entertainment companies in addition to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Los Angeles Police Department. For her work with the LAPD, she received commendations from the City of Los Angeles and from the Los Angeles Police Commission, as well as the Rainbow Award from the Christopher Street West Association.
Ms. Farthing has a bachelor of arts degree from California State University Los Angeles (where she was awarded honors at entrance), and has done post-graduate work in film, playwrighting and criticism at UCLA, USC, and the American Film Institute. A native of Los Angeles, Ms. Farthing currently lives in Manhattan with her husband actor Michael Selkirk, and two cats, Mo and Tora.
