Betty began her career as an art teacher in Chicago, but felt restricted and sought out an open forum for self-expression at the Second City Improv. She went on to act in movies and gained widespread recognition with her role in the hit police series Hill Street Blues. Betty was nominated for six Emmys and won Best Supporting Actress in 1985.
In the late 1980s, Betty ventured into television and film directing. She received an Emmy for directing the cable hit sitcom “Dream On” and fed her desire for directing through such pieces as “The Brady Bunch Movie”, “Doctor Dolittle”, “I Spy, “Private Parts”, and “John Tucker Must Die”. An accomplished director and winner of the Director’s Guild of America Award, the Emmy, and the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award, Betty has also branched into producing such entertaining films as “Charlie’s Angels”, “I Spy”, and “Surviving Christmas”.
CAROL H. WILLIAMS |
Carol started her career at Leo Burnett Company in Chicago, and quickly earned a position as the first female and first African American Creative Director and Vice-President. After 13 years at Leo Burnett, she served two years as Senior Vice President, Creative Director at Foote, Cone & Belding in San Francisco.
Carol created some of the most memorable campaigns in history, including:
The timeless Secret Antiperspirant campaign
“Strong Enough for a Man, But Made for a Woman”
The entertaining Pillsbury campaign
“Say Hello to Poppin’ Fresh Dough”
Now, as the leader of Carol H. Williams Advertising (CHWA), with offices in California, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and New York, Carol continues to develop captivating advertising for Fortune 500 clients such as the Clorox Company, Genera Motors, Pfizer and the Walt Disney Company.
Carol is also passionate about using her talent and resources to help dozens of philanthropic endeavors, including the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, US Dream Academy, the National Newspaper Publishers Association and several local community organizations in Oakland and Chicago
JOYCE PIVEN |
Joyce’s career has spanned actress, director and teacher-mentor. She and her late husband, Byrne Piven, were actors in the Compass Players. She currently still teaches at the Piven Theatre Workshop and serves as its artistic director.
In 1954, Joyce Hiller met Byrne Piven at the University of Chicago. They weremarried a short time later. In the 1950s, the Pivens were two of the founding members of the Playwrights Theatre Club, along with Paul Sills and David Shepard. Playwrights featured such budding stars as Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Ed Asner and Barbara Harris. They later formed the Compass Players, a forerunner to The Second City.
Later she and her husband founded the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois and became a teacher to a generation of stars such as John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Aidan Quinn, Adam McKay, and their son Jeremy Piven.
