The Leading Ladies is more than just a club at Hofstra University; they are a safe haven that offers support to anyone having problems within any creative or performance-based industry. Meeting biweekly on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., the club promotes freedom of expression through creativity, discussion and exploration.

Co-President Adriana Toruno, a senior theatre performance major, noted that this club is simply a creative space where people can share what they wish and feel empowered about it. Although the club consists of mainly female drama majors, the public relations chair, Haley Thompson, junior theater performance major, emphasizes that this club is open to all genders and majors despite the name of the club.

Both Toruno and Thompson agreed that this club can be looked at through a feminist lens, however they advocated that everyone can have a productive standing in these conversations, providing alternative viewpoints.
“We want as many people, and as many voices, and as many opinions to come together because that’s how real change gets made,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely not female exclusive, anyone is welcome to come.”
Being a female dominated field, there is a lot of discussion surrounding being a woman in theater and the shared experiences that come out of it. Most women have felt like they needed to tolerate discrepancies in the workplace. This club is meant to bring forth support for each other, creating a safe and inclusive environment for voices who often struggle to be heard. Thompson commented that advocating for one another and informing people on how to advocate for themselves is incredibly important.
“We want to be able to educate and brainstorm ideas about how to make reliable change,” Thompson said. “Because more often than not, we are having the same experiences and are able to turn those experiences into its own art.”
A few of the meetings this semester have been dedicated to something that they call “space to create.” This is a laidback environment where anyone is allowed to share projects that they’ve been working on, whether it be a poem they’ve written or a monologue they want to practice aloud. The idea is that they are able to share a form of art and feel confident about it, while also receiving helpful feedback from others in the group.
The club first applied for approval at the beginning of last year, but unfortunately got denied the first time around. This proved to be discouraging, but they did not let this deter them from making the club a reality. They workshopped it and presented the new idea to the board later on, earning them an approval status. Toruno and Thompson added that it was difficult convincing the board to understand the purpose of the club, even though there are so many other performance-based clubs on campus.
A defining factor that differentiates this club from others is that it operates at a lower level of commitment. While most other performance-oriented clubs are audition based, requiring extensive hours of dedication and commitment, this club serves as a space that is open to anyone at any time. It is not required that you show up to every meeting; the club is there for you when you need it. People are allowed to float in and out as they see fit. Toruno explained how creating art for yourself, on your own time, can be a really healing experience.
“I think as performers, it’s rare to have time to slow down and really just be with each other, and create in a low pressure environment,” Toruno said.
When entering an industry that can seem very competitive and cutthroat, it’s crucial to learn how to advocate for yourself. Developing these skills can help you later in your own career. It’s also encouraging to be able to celebrate each other’s successes. Thompson recalled an activity that they do called “roses and thorns” where they discuss the highs and lows of the industry with each other.
Toruno and Thompson plan on bringing in guest speakers who are able to educate students about specific parts of the industry so they can familiarize themselves with different areas of the field. At one of their recent meetings, they hosted a female faculty luncheon which proved to be extremely successful with those who attended. The professors acted as mentors to the students, providing intel on how they can better prepare themselves for their career and what they have to look forward to. This also gave freshmen the opportunity to get to know their professors on a more personal level.
Toruno and Thompson highlighted an event that they hosted last semester – a festival that showcased various forms of student work. It was broken down into different categories such as poetry, performances, photography, paintings and more. It was a casual event, people brought blankets and there was a booth set up for face painting. Some students felt that they didn’t get to perform enough in the department, so this gave them the opportunity to share any projects they were proud of. The club plans on hosting another festival this school year.