UPWIFT will be screening a web series, short film and pilot episode by UPWIFT member Laura Dowling Shea. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and a mixer with the UPWIFT board. This is a free Event. $5.00 suggested donation. All proceeds will go to support women working in the film industry.
About Laura:
Laura Dowling Shea has always been a natural leader, no matter the endeavor. As an actress, she is committed to being her best by giving a performance that is true to her audience and herself. Shea seizes every opportunity with a positive attitude, hard work and innate talent.
Laura Dowling Shea was born in Boston Massachusetts to Dr. Lawrence Paul Borzumato and Deacon Judith Alice Dowling Borzumato. The oldest of five children, she was raised in various Northeastern states, primarily Boston suburbs and Upstate New York, moving every couple of years. Her parents were involved with the Catholic Worker and the Civil Rights movement, having marched with Dr. King and involving their children in the crusade. Through these experiences, Shea learned at an early age how the power of one’s voice and words can make an impact on people. This translated into pursuing an acting career.
In high school she performed in many plays and musicals and continued through college at SUNY ULSTER (in Stone Ridge NY) where she worked on over 20 productions both as an actor and costumier. Some of those shows include Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Look Homeward Angel, She Stoops to Conquer, The Diary of Anne Frank, and the Annual Renaissance Faire where she played opposite Brian Benben in The Moral Play of Everyman. Shea was also one of six ensemble players in Actors in Action Resident Theater Company at the Ulster Performing Arts Center. Highlighted shows include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Kennedy’s Children, Prisoner of Second Avenue and 6 Rms Riv View.
After college, Shea moved to NYC to widen her opportunities as an actor. Not long after, she had a turning point in her life when one of her younger sisters died of Leukemia at the age of 21. She suddenly stopped acting and dove into a career in the corporate world. She knew one day she would be back in front of the spotlight, telling stories and reaching audiences and 20 years later she kept her word.
Currently, Shea is in post production on two projects and has produced and/or starred in projects for television and the internet including Last Resort (with Roscoe Orman), Fluidity for Showtime (directed by Linda Yellen), How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom, Prom King and Scratch This.
When Shea isn’t acting, she helps to raise money (over 20K over the years) and awareness for the Leukemia Society. She has also raised money for the Paul Newman Charity, The Hole in the Wall Gang, which supports kids with disabilities a camp opportunity. She is a Reiki Master and a Certified Yoga Instructor.