An Exclusive Interview with Laura Tate!
An Exclusive Interview with Laura Tate! by Richard Lhommedieu on Mixcloud
Laura Tate first charmed audiences with her singing and acting at the age of nine and continues to entertain thousands of listeners today. Born in Dallas, she traveled the country with a number of theatrical and musical companies before settling in Los Angeles to sing and act in stage productions as well as on television. She also began a career in film production, eventually producing an award-winning documentary.
Laura is an active member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, and Actors Equity Association. Today she lives in the mountains of El Paso and enjoys the city’s rich cultural heritage and desert beauty.
Singer
Laura’s lifelong singing career has taken her throughout the country, including singing and acting in theatrical productions in Dallas, Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. She is in much demand in her new adopted hometown of El Paso as the headliner for large fundraising concerts and special events.
Past Performances:
-El Paso Museum of Art Azul Gala
-El Paso Community Foundation Plaza Theatre Film Festival
-YWCA El Paso del Norte Region Benefit
-Temple Mount Sinai-El Paso, “Tribute to Carole King”
-CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children)
-Alzheimer’s Association of El Paso Gala
Actor
As a working actor in Los Angeles, Laura Tate has co-starred in network television programs on ABC, NBC and HBO. For two years, she performed in a touring theatrical group, developing shows in Dallas or other cities and then taking them on the road with various productions. During her career in Los Angeles, she often took on live theater roles, performing in Santa Monica Theatre and other venues.
Laura was trained at Herbert Berghoff Studio School of Acting, New York City, and Stella Alder School of Acting, New York City. She has also developed curriculum and taught Acting, Theatre History, and Film History at University of Texas-El Paso.
Acting Credits (partial listing)
“Play It Again, Sam” (with Tommy Smothers)
“Dallas” (CBS)
“First in Ten” (HBO)
Producer
While in Los Angeles, Laura Tate started out working in craft services on set, learning about every aspect of music production, and worked her way up to production assistant, assistant director and eventually directed music videos, documentaries, and commercials in California, Tennessee, and Texas. She worked with a wide variety of singers and groups, ranging from Phil Collins and Gloria Estaban to MegaDeath and Cheap Trick. Her own production credits include music videos for the Bellamy Brothers, Nashville Bluegrass Group, and others.
Her production work led to directing and producing documentaries, one of which received national acclaim and won the PBS Golden Apple for Education. That documentary, “Held in Trust,” told the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, the first black graduates from West Point, and was narrated by Ozzie Davis and Colin Powell. The film was later inducted into the Smithsonian Institute Film Archives.
Advocate
Laura Tate’s commitment to her community and to important humanitarian and educational causes is a driving force in her life. With her ability to move gracefully from corporate fundraising and Junior League social events to singing gigs in hometown bars and cozy cafes, Tate inspires everyone she meets with her natural compassion and dedication.
Awards and Recognition
– Co-Chair for the 2014 Centennial Commission of the University of Texas at El Paso, her alma mater (B.S. and M.A.)
– President’s Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama
– President of the El Paso Junior League
– Appointed to the statewide Board of Directors of the Texas STAR Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association
– Director’s Circle at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts
– Texas Women for the Arts Member
– Las Palmas Hospital Advisory Committee
