Toby Orenstein

Toby Barbara Orenstein
Born
Toby Barbara Press

(1937-05-23) 23 May 1937 (age 87)
Bronx, New York City, New York United States
Alma materColumbia University (BFA)
Occupations
  • Director
  • Educator
  • Business Owner
Organization(s)Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, Young Columbians, Toby's Dinner Theatre
SpouseHal Orenstein
Parent(s)Sam Press, Mildred Press
HonorsMaryland Women's Hall of Fame, Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre

Toby Barbara Orenstein (née Press; born May 23, 1937) is an American theatrical director, producer, and educator. She has two honorable mentions for the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre.[1] Orenstein was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2008.[2] Selected by Eleanor Roosevelt for her federal education project in the Harlem, Orenstein taught Dramaturgy to students in a local public school in the late 1950s.[2][3] In 1972, at the request of pioneering businessman and philanthropist James Rouse, Orenstein founded the non-profit Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts through which, the nationally acclaimed theatre troupe the Young Columbians was created for the United States Bicentennial.[2] Later, Orenstein established the award-winning Toby's Dinner Theatre in 1975.[3][4]

Alongside her work in theatre, Orenstein is a community and social activist, and is the president of the board of directors for the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts.[5] She raises funds for scholarships and community programs including over ten years of producing Labor of Love to raise money for the AIDS Alliance of Howard County.[4] Orenstein has also chaired and directed the Howard County Arts Gala for the Arts Council (3 years), participated in the events for the Carson Scholars Fund, and directed and produced plays for United Service Organizations and the United States Armed Forces stationed overseas.[4] In 2014, Orenstein was honored with the Leadership Award for Accessibility by the Howard County Commission on Disabilities.[6]

  1. ^ "The Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University Announce the Winner of the 2017 Excellence in Theatre Education Award". TonyAwards.com. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Toby Barbara Orenstein, Maryland Women's Hall of Fame". msa.maryland.gov. 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Lazarick, Len (2017). COLUMBIA AT 50 : a memoir of a city. [S.l.]: BOOKLOCKER COM. ISBN 978-1634924542. OCLC 1002120080.
  4. ^ a b c Maryland State Archives (2008). "Toby Barbara Orenstein, Maryland Women's Hall of Fame". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  5. ^ "Board of Directors - Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts". Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  6. ^ Beachy, Mark (February 12, 2017). "Announcement of WINNERS of MD Theatre Guide's Best of 2016 Readers' Choice Awards". mdtheatreguide.com. Retrieved October 16, 2017.