At the All Souls' Players request, Bobbie's first professional production was "Angel Street" followed by "A Black Girl's Conversations With God." Other Equity NYC production credits include associate producer on Moni Yakim's "Goat Boy" and producer of Ionesco's "Victims of Duty." "The Great American Backstage Musical" and the long running revues "As The Beat Goes On" and "The Nerve" and "Whatever Happened to the Kids From Brooklyn," a two-woman musical revue which won a MAC Award (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) for Outstanding Comedy.

Bobbie began her theatrical career as an actress, studying with Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg and Gene Frankel. She appeared in over 30 NYC productions in theaters such as: Playwright's Horizon's, AMAS Rep., Hudson Guild, The Gene Frankel Theater, TNC, All Souls' Players, and the Jean Cocteau Repertory. She additionally appeared in regional productions working with Jose Ferrer, Katherine Houghton and others.

She has also produced several major events, among them the first annual "Soap Opera Day Celebration" along with The Mayor's Office of Film, Television and Broadcasting, "Ruth Warrick's 'Confessions of Phoebe Tyler' Book Launch" with guest Ruby Keeler, the "Mr. Bill in Space' Book Launch" for Real-Good Productions, a "Salute to Viveca Lindfors" and "A Salute To Milton Ager." She also co-produced the "Farewell To Bowie Kuhn." (The speakers included Howard Cosell, Sonny Werblin and President Emeritus Gerald Ford).

Bobbie graduated first in her class from Cornell University with a degree in Labor Relations and spent 10 years in that arena. She also graduated from Columbia University's Teachers' College.

Tell us more about the Times Square Group

David F. Slone, my son, is my co-artistic director. We're blessed with a dedicated board and wonderful volunteers. The dream began when I visited my beloved alma mater, New Utrecht High School only to find out they didn’t do shows anymore! Not okay with me!!! Since dreams come true - in time - we were given some money. We knew what we had to do with it.

We engage students in programs designed to raise their self-esteem, expand their worldview and let them know they count. We have two programs going and another ready to go. They are: TSG'S Theater/Appreciation Play-Development Workshop, our TV Show Development Workshop and our Young Playwrights Workshop.

The first exposes young people to the entire process of developing a show, from the first "around-the-table" reading to opening night. It involves them at every step. They get to meet with the lawyer, the press agent and the general manager, etc. as well as with the artistic team. The students get a chance to give feedback and see that their opinions are seriously considered. We look for intelligent, entertaining shows that have commercial potential and would appeal to the theater going audience.

ZAZOU, our first show, was developed last season with the help of students from LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and The Performing Arts, De LaSalle, and The Beacon school. Eartha Kitt is interested in starring in a production.

Thus far, we have one show, in addition to The F. Scott Fitzgerald/ Richard Whiting show, chosen for development in the 2002-2003 season and, if we have the time we've selected a third: "Heartbreaker" is the true story of a young songwriter's heartbreaking love affair with a Hollywood icon, during the last year of her life. It's both funny and poignant. The author, who is basing the show on his book of the same name, recently appeared on E! Entertainment's "The True Hollywood Story, The Last Days of Judy Garland."

"The S.C.R.A.P. Workshop" is a loving send-up of ASCAP and BMI type musical-development workshops.

We developed our second program, our TV Show Concept Development Workshop, in response to a suggestion from the NYC Board Of Education. We were told that no one was working with the students in terms of television. It was a perfect opportunity for us because Barbara Garshman, former head of Prime Time Development for NBC East Coast has been working with us and will use her years of experience as a network buyer/developer and producer/writer to help students become creative alchemists. They'll take their raw ideas and turn them into gold. They'll graduate the workshop with fully developed TV proposals that they'll pitch to the network executives who make programming decisions. Since the students will be writing as in small teams they'll need to learn to collaborate, evaluate and keep their word to each other.

This program will be initiated at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art & the Performing Arts during the spring semester. It will also be featured as this year's staff development program for LaGuardia's Drama Department. We intend to continue it at LaGuardia and also take it to schools that have no present performing arts programs.

The third program we developed, our Young Playwright's Workshop, is a two-semester program in which students will write one-act plays and present staged readings of them. They'll write a 40-45 minute one-act play. During the second semester they'll re-write the play with feedback from their peers and top industry professionals and will present a staged reading of their piece. We'll invite producers as well as the public to the readings. In addition to developing their writing skills the students will have to learn to collaborate, negotiate and make decisions and they'll learn to present themselves positively. We're targeting students who attend schools that don't offer exposure to theater arts. We're open to developing programs requested by the NYC School system.

First industry job

An off-Broadway show called "Off White." I was a superficial queen mom.

Career highlight

Winning the Mac Award with my partner, Spector. Horowitz & Spector won for Outstanding Comedy. We write silly and serious songs. We sing the silly ones. I also loved seeing the audience (and reviewer's) reaction to "The Betrayal of Nora Blake" in London and in West Palm Beach. Look for this six-actor musical that I'm producing with Mark Schwartz and Bob Cuillo in New York this season.

Career disappointment

This turned out to be my biggest piece of luck! We didn't get the theater we wanted to begin previews in this year - the week after Labor Day.

Greatest challenge

Getting the Board of Education of the City of New York to accept that the 1999 Drama Desk Awards be held at La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. With Dr. Linda Masson's help we convinced the board and had a grand success.

Best business advice you received

When I was bringing "The Betrayal of Nora Blake" to London, I asked my attorney, Bob Harris, if he knew a London attorney. He said, "Before you worry about an attorney, get yourself a good general manager. A GM will know the turf." We worked with the wonderful firm, Cole-Kitchenn. We were referred by Ralph Roseman, who was our American GM. David Cole and Sam Burgess were godsends.

Most memorable show/event

My most special theater memory was hearing the audiences laugh at performances of "The Betrayal of Nora Blake." I also have special memories of Juanita Hall in "South Pacific", John Raitt in "Carousel," Carol Haney in "Pajama Game," "Fiddler on the Roof," "West Side Story," "Gypsy," "Sweeney Todd," "New Faces of 52," "Proof," Pearl Bailey at the Apollo and Reba McEntire in "Annie Get Your Gun." I especially remember all the events I produced (how can I forget them!). I consider pulling up to Gibraltar in the Leonardo da Vinci a major event of my life. Maybe, the most memorable events of all were winning the MAC Award in middle age and winning SING in high school! Yay! I can't give one answer. It would be like saying I remember one child more than another.

What people would be surprised to learn about you

I was extraordinarily shy with friends when I was little. I would gladly sing for an audience of adult strangers, but I was terrified to talk to or play with my peers.

Office paraphernalia

If you mean three Macintosh computers, TV and VCR, DSL, Fax, CD burner, scanner, tape deck, copy machine, Palm Pilots, piano, microwave, refrigerator, feng shui fountain and an I-Cybie robot dog named Upuaut - we have them.

Bobbie can be reached at 212-391-4602; e-mail: horowitzprod@earthlink.net

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