Creativity
Ms. Kurlander was born in Washington, DC and grew up in the college town of Ithaca, New York where she attended an alternative elementary school. She began performing on stage when she was 4 1/2, playing the violin. When she was 11 years old, she appeared in her first theatrical production playing a singing orphan in an original opera staged at Cornell University. Ms. Kurlander went on to perform as an actor and singer in community, regional and summer stock theatre before moving to New York City in the early 1980s to pursue her acting career.

Ms. Kurlander studied acting with the acclaimed teacher William Esper, as well as modern dance, ballet, voice and several other disciplines, and became a member of Actor’s Equity when she was cast (from an open call) in the National Tour of the Broadway show, Biloxi Blues. Following a six- month tour of American towns (big and small), Ms. Kurlander returned to New York to dedicate herself to avant-garde theatre and community organizing.

Ms. Kurlander has been a member of the Castillo Theatre company, which is part of the ASP, since 1987. She has performed in over 35 productions, is on the directing staff, and performs with the Castillo Players, the resident improvisational comedy troupe. In 2007, Ms. Kurlander starred as Susan B. Anthony in Backstage: A Love-Hate Relationship of the Women’s Movement. During the 2008-2009 Castillo Theatre season, Ms. Kurlander will co-direct the musical Coming of Age in Korea with dancer/choreographer Desmond Richardson.

Community Organizing
In the mid to late 1980s, Ms. Kurlander spent several years volunteering as a community organizer for grassroots organizations, working in Harlem and in many of Brooklyn’s poor communities. She also participated in community organizing initiatives while on tour in Chicago and Philadelphia.

In 1988, Ms. Kurlander worked full-time as a top aide/scheduler to Dr. Lenora B. Fulani during her history-making independent run for the presidency. Following the campaign, she worked for Dr. Fulani in Harlem, and co-edited the book Independent Black Leadership in America.

Business Development
When Ms. Kurlander took the helm at the ASP in 1990, she was its only staff member; the organization had a budget of $200,000 annually. Today, the ASP employs 34 people in four cities, reaches 10,000 youth, and has over 900 people volunteering annually. Since 1990, Ms. Kurlander has systematically led the creation of the ASP’s unique partnership with the business community, growing the ASP’s budget to $7 million, entirely through private sources.

In the late 1990s, Ms. Kurlander launched a fundraising campaign to establish a unique development center for poor and minority youth. As a result of the campaign’s success, the All Stars Project, Inc. is headquartered in New York City at the 42nd Street Performing Arts and Development Center, a 31,000 square foot, $19 million facility with four theaters.

Members of the ASP’s President's Committee hail from every firm on Wall Street, and include hundreds of managing directors and many CEO’s. The hundreds of President’s Committee members contribute between $1,000 and $50,000 annually and function as volunteers and fundraisers for the programs and as advisors to the All Stars Project’s senior staff. Ms. Kurlander has also developed ASP’s vibrant Board of Directors, consisting of business leaders and on-the-ground experts in the ASP’s programs and approach.

Partnering with retired prima ballerina Susan Jaffe, Ms. Kurlander has also established the ASP’s Artist Committee whose members include: actor Charles S. Dutton, actor/comedienne Fran Drescher, choreographer/dancer Bill T. Jones, dancer/choreographer Desmond Richardson, theatre director Robert Wilson, and actor/singer Donna Murphy.

Other Business Projects
In the early 1990s, Ms. Kurlander raised investment capital to found a new company, Performance of a Lifetime, which provides performance-based training to corporate professionals. The company now serves dozens of corporate clients worldwide. In 2003, Ms. Kurlander also raised investment capital for the independent film, Nothing Really Happens (Memories of Aging Strippers), which garnered four film festival awards.

Ms. Kurlander regularly advises other businesses and non-profits on growth strategies.

Ms. Kurlander holds a BA in Theater and Business from SUNY Empire State. She is a cyclist, runner, tennis player; and has recently taken up golf and banjo. Ms. Kurlander has two cats: Wiggy, a.k.a. Wiggles, (who is named after Ludwig Wittgenstein) and Pickles (who is named after Wiggles). Ms. Kurlander resides in New York City’s Greenwich Village.