On being a part of the Miracle on 42nd Street, she said, “I benefited so much from living in Manhattan Plaza, I thought others should be made aware of the remarkable experiment in housing. Miracle on 42nd Street was a passion project for me that began in 2007. The original concept was to showcase the buildings as examples of what Affordable Housing can be and how it can benefit and support people, revive neighborhoods and increase revenues.”
When asked what she enjoyed most about producing this film, she said, “Connecting with all my old friends and neighbors and sharing stories of living in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s. But making documentaries like most of filmmaking is like getting 24-hour root canals. It’s basically a labor of love.”
On her plans for 2020, she said, “Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we had plans to move back to New York City. Those plans are currently on hold. Before this epidemic broke out, I was helping cast a new play/musical in New York entitled ‘Looking For An Echo’ based on a film I cast over 20 years ago. That too is on hold. Also, the feature I am working on is also on hold for now. I am currently helping with a fundraiser for Congressman Adam Schiff, my hero.”
She also opened up about working with director Alice Elliott. “We definitely had different viewpoints about how the story of Manhattan Plaza should be told, but that is what makes for creative filmmaking,” she said.
On being a producer in the digital age, she said, “I am so far behind the curve about digital media. I am always trying to catch up. I did my first Zoom conference call on Monday. Baby steps.”
She concluded about Miracle on 42nd Street, “Without Manhattan Plaza, I never could have established my career. Manhattan Plaza gave me, and my sons, a sense of safety and security which was so rare, especially back in the 1970s. I raised my oldest son there, and my youngest son was baptized in my apartment by Rodney Kirk, the manager of Manhattan Plaza, who was also a Lutheran Minister. It was a magical place to live. To this day, I miss the camaraderie the buildings afforded. That is why this movie is so important to me. It was like nirvana in the middle of hell.”
