Shirley Simpson to star in “LEADING LADIES,”  A NEW ONE-WOMAN SHOW to benefit emerald coast theatre company  The one-night only benefit performance is Thursday, Feb. 26   Miramar Beach, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2015) — Tickets are on sale for “Leading Ladies,” a new theater piece written and performed by Shirley Simpson and staged for the first time for Emerald Coast Theatre Company (ECTC), a not-for-profit professional theater company based in Miramar Beach, Florida. “Leading Ladies” will be staged one night only on Thursday, Feb. 26 in the Azalea Ballroom at the Baytowne Conference Center in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome reception hosted by ECTC founders Nathanael and Anna Fisher and the ECTC board, followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. and capped with a champagne toast with Shirley Simpson. Shirley Simpson’s new one-woman show, “Leading Ladies,” brings to life memorable legendary greats we will always love such as Katharine Hepburn, Erma Bombeck, Gracie Allen, Shirley Valentine and more. Simpson has performed each of these unforgettable women to great acclaim, during solo performances, but never before has she portrayed them all on stage during the same evening. So this production is receiving its Northwest Florida debut. “To have our own theater right here on the Emerald Coast is just the best possible addition. To enjoy live, first-rate entertainment both for us, our families and our visitors is an exciting gift. I’m so pleased to bring “Leading Ladies” to the stage as part of my support for ECTC,” Shirley Simpson said. A former producer, writer, and performer in New York’s Madison Avenue media market, Simpson’s TV series, The Vital Link,” was nominated for an ACE Award.  A member of Actor’s Equity, she works as an actress, serves on the board of New Stage Theatre and is chair of the Eudora Welty New Play Series. She starred as Laurette Taylor in an off-Broadway premiere in NYC, and recently starred as Daisy in “Driving Miss Daisy” and performed in the title role of “Mrs. Mannerly” at New Stage Equity Theatre in Jackson, Miss. Her work has earned critical acclaim. The Clarion Ledger lauded her for her “commanding presence.” Planet Weekly raved about her “perfect comedic timing,” and the New Jersey Star Ledger wrote, “watching her performance, at once subtle and animated, is pure delight.” Nathanael Fisher, ECTC’s producing artistic director is delighted to have a seasoned actress star in its first fundraiser. “Shirley Simpson is as incomparable as the women she loves to play, and we are honored to have such a gifted actress of stage and screen recognize our efforts to bring quality educational and professional theater to the area. Mrs. Simpson has been a talented professional for many years and that distinction is exactly what ECTC plans on bringing to Northwest Florida.” Tickets are $100 per person. Proceeds benefit Emerald Coast Theatre Company. Seats are limited, advance purchase is recommended. To purchase tickets, visit emeraldcoasttheatre.org or call (850) 687-1637. ### PHOTOGRAPHY Link to images of Shirley Simpson here. VIDEO LINKS ###   ABOUT EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY Emerald Coast Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2012 by Nathanael Fisher, MFA, and his wife, Anna Fisher. Based in Miramar Beach, Florida, ECTC’s mission is to enrich and entertain the Emerald Coast community through professional and educational theater. ECTC operates year-round with a two-fold mission to provide both educational and professional offerings to the Northwest Florida community. Educational outreach includes after school and home-school programs, touring and staged productions, summer camps, workshops and classes. The professional theater efforts are focused on family-oriented productions, festivals and collaborations as well as acting and improv workshops and classes for adults.

Shirley Simpson Leading Ladies ONE-WOMAN SHOW