Friends In Deed

Last updated

Friends In Deed is a non-profit organization headquartered in New York City, founded in 1991 by Cynthia O'Neal and Mike Nichols as a response to the growing[ needs update ] AIDS crisis[ where? ]. The organization was founded to provide support for people with life-threatening illnesses as well as the friends and family of those with such illnesses, and for anyone experiencing grief or bereavement for any reason.

Contents

Philosophy

According to Nichols and O'Neal, Friends In Deed's purpose is to promote the idea that the quality of life does not depend on the circumstances. [1] [2] During an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, O'Neal said that American culture views illness, dying, and death as a form of failure, and that this causes Americans to be unable to deal with terminal illnesses. [3] In order to help its clients cope with the idea of death, Friends In Deed focuses on being "present-minded": giving people a sense of perspective about their illness, discouraging them from living in a state of rage or negativity. [4] [5]

Jonathan Larson and RENT

Jonathan Larson, the author and composer of the Pulitzer prize winning musical RENT, attended several Friends In Deed meetings shortly after the group's founding in 1991. The "Life Support" group in the RENT musical is based on Larson's experiences with Friends In Deed, including explicit references to the Friends In Deed philosophy (e.g. "no day but today," the question of losing one's dignity, etc.) [6] Cynthia O'Neal was invited to give a support group for the original cast of RENT at the New York Theatre Workshop, and has been invited on several occasions to meet subsequent casts of RENT. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rent</i> (musical) American rock musical based on La Bohème

Rent is a rock musical with music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in Lower Manhattan's East Village in the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

<i>The Oprah Winfrey Show</i> 1986–2011 American syndicated talk show

The Oprah Winfrey Show, often referred to as The Oprah Show or simply Oprah, was an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced and hosted by its namesake, Oprah Winfrey, it remains the highest-rated daytime talk show in American television history.

Jonathan Larson American composer and playwright (1960–1996)

Jonathan David Larson was an American composer, lyricist and playwright who explored the social issues of multiculturalism, addiction, and homophobia in his work. Typical examples of his use of these themes are found in his musicals Rent and Tick, Tick... Boom! He received three posthumous Tony Awards and a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the rock musical Rent.

Tatum ONeal American actress

Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress and author. She is the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon (1973) opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. She also starred as Amanda Wurlitzer in The Bad News Bears (1976), followed by Nickelodeon (1976), and Little Darlings (1980). O'Neal later appeared in guest roles in Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. From 2006 to 2007, she portrayed Blythe Hunter in the My Network TV drama series Wicked Wicked Games.

Todd Bridges American actor

Todd Anthony Bridges is an American actor. He portrayed Willis Jackson on the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and had a recurring role as Monk on the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. Bridges worked as a commentator on the television series TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest... from 2008 to 2013. Bridges is the last surviving original actor of Diff'rent Strokes.

Oprahs Book Club Talk show segment of books chosen by Oprah Winfrey

Oprah's Book Club was a book discussion club segment of the American talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, highlighting books chosen by host Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey started the book club in 1996, selecting a new book, usually a novel, for viewers to read and discuss each month. In total the club recommended 70 books during its 15 years.

Harpo Productions American multimedia production company

Harpo Inc. is an American multimedia production company founded by Oprah Winfrey and based in West Hollywood, California. It is the sole subsidiary of her media and entertainment company Harpo, Inc. The name "Harpo" is "Oprah" spelled backwards, and it was also the name of her on-screen husband in The Color Purple.

Adriane Lenox is an American actress, best known for her performances in Broadway theatre. Her performance in the play Doubt: A Parable garnered her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2005. She received another Tony Award nomination for After Midnight in 2014.

Lynn Whitfield American actress (born 1953)

Lynn Whitfield is an American actress. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her breakout performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical film The Josephine Baker Story (1991).

<i>Dr. Phil</i> (talk show) American tabloid talk show

Dr. Phil is an American talk show created by Oprah Winfrey and the host Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002. On both shows McGraw offers advice in the form of "life strategies" from his life experience as a clinical and forensic psychologist. The show is in syndication throughout the United States and a number of other countries. Occasional prime time specials have aired on CBS. The program has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award every year since 2004.

<i>The Color Purple</i> (film) 1985 film by Steven Spielberg

The Color Purple is a 1985 American epic coming-of-age period drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. It was Spielberg's eighth film as a director, and marked a turning point in his career, as it was a departure from the summer blockbusters for which he had become known. It was also the first feature film directed by Spielberg for which John Williams did not compose the music, instead featuring a score by Quincy Jones, who also produced. The cast stars Whoopi Goldberg in her breakthrough role, with Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Willard Pugh, and Adolph Caesar.

<i>The Color Purple</i> (musical)

The Color Purple is a musical with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker and its 1985 film adaptation, the show follows the journey of Celie, an African-American woman in the American South from the early to mid-20th century.

Mystery Diagnosis is a television docudrama series that aired on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Each episode focuses on two or more individuals who have struggled with obscure medical ailments, and their quest for a diagnosis. The program details the patients' and doctors' difficulty in pinpointing a diagnosis; often due to nonspecific symptoms, masquerading syndromes, the rarity of the condition or disease, or the patient's case being an unusual manifestation of said condition or disease.

Teavana Corporation is an American tea company, which previously had locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Middle East. On December 31, 2012, Starbucks acquired Teavana in a deal with an estimated value of $620 million. On July 27, 2017, Starbucks announced it would close all 379 Teavana stores by 2018. However, a very limited variety of Teavana products continue to be sold at Starbucks.

Jill Bolte Taylor American neuroscientist

Jill Bolte Taylor is an American neuroanatomist, author, and inspirational public speaker.

Oprah Winfreys endorsement of Barack Obama Endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for US President by Oprah Winfrey for the 2008 election

Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Senator Barack Obama was one of the most widely covered and studied developments of the 2008 presidential campaign, as she has been described as the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey first endorsed Senator Obama in September 2006 before he had even declared himself a candidate. In May 2007 Winfrey made her official endorsement of candidate Obama, and in December 2007, she made her first campaign appearances for him. Two economists estimate that Winfrey's endorsement was worth over a million votes in the Democratic primary race and that without it, Obama would have received fewer votes. Then-Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich claimed that the endorsement was so significant in making Obama president-elect that he considered offering Obama's former seat in the Senate to Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey American talk show host, actress, producer, and author

Oprah Gail Winfrey is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media," she was the richest African-American of the 20th century, was once the world's only black billionaire, and the greatest black philanthropist in U.S. history. By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world.

<i>Ryan and Tatum: The ONeals</i>

Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals is an American reality television show aired between June and August 2011 on the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The series focused on actors Ryan and Tatum O'Neal and a reconciliation process the two began in an effort to redevelop their father/daughter relationship after twenty-five years.

Edwina Findley

Edwina Findley, also known as Edwina Findley Dickerson, is an American actress.

<i>Tick, Tick... Boom!</i> (film) 2021 film by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Tick, Tick... Boom! is a 2021 American biographical musical drama film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda in his feature directorial debut. Written by Steven Levenson, it is based on the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson, a semi-autobiographical story about Larson's writing a musical to enter the industry. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Robin de Jesús, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry, Judith Light, and Vanessa Hudgens.

References

  1. Krach, Aaron. "That's What Friends Are For." A&U Magazine, January 2000.
  2. Reynolds, Dale. "A Friend Indeed." A&U Magazine, December 1998.
  3. Cynthia O'Neal, interview by Oprah Winfrey, The Oprah Winfrey Show, October 17, 2005.
  4. "Big Town, Big Heart," New York Daily News, September 11, 2006.
  5. Staskowski, David. "Projects With Heart." Metropolitan Home, November 1992.
  6. Tommasini, Anthony. "The Seven-Year Odyssey That Led to 'Rent'." New York Times, March 17, 1996.
  7. O'Neal, Cynthia, "Life, the Musical." Out, December 2005.