Gifts/packages for actresses??

[Samara.tanner]

Posted: 1/26/17 at 8:15pm

I am writing a letter to Sasha Hollinger from Hamilton as I had the pleasure of talking to her over the phone a little while back that is to my camp counselor. I'd like to send her a little package of goodies, but I am not sure what to send. I'd love to do art, but I have absolutely no artistic talent whatsoever, which sort of sucks. Please, please, please!!! let me know if you have any suggestions or tips or really anything at all!! Thanks!! 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/26/17 at 8:33pm

As someone who has a handful of friends in the public eye, refrain from sending anything and just make an anonymous donation somewhere.  Actors/actresses get a little creeped out when they receive things.  Just move on and keep your nice memory.  

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 1/26/17 at 8:50pm

I agree with BrodyFosse that you should steer away from sending any gifts. A sincere note explaining what that conversation meant to you would probably be received better. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/26/17 at 11:59pm

I concur. Gifts for someone you don't KNOW is weird....exemplified by the fact you have no ideas.  The letter is a nice, personal thank you.

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 1:46am

I understand your sentiment. But then I watch some of those Broadway.com backstage videos of actors in their dressing rooms, showing items that people have sent and I wonder what happens to it all. Actors are gypsys, never staying in one spot (i.e., dressing room) very long, and for some their housing is ever-changing, too, so I assume most have learned the art of minimalism and traveling light. 

As with stagedooring or passing an actor on the street and striking up a conversation, we may feel they are our best friends -- live theater adds to that feeling -- and we give gifts to friends, so it makes sense, right? But they're not. 

I love the idea of a brief, thoughtful handwritten note on some simple stationary. I work in philanthropy, a field where a kind, genuine note can touch someone's heart far more than a tangible gift. 

 

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 2:12am

^One performer I know has a room in her childhood home that has all of her gifts throughout the years. Most of them keep things given to them.

I personally don't find it creepy at all and a lot of them I've met love getting gifts. 

[Comden Green]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 3:29am

Forget the gift.    Creepy or not. 

 

Send the nice note.    She's still just a stranger you talked to once.  

 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 5:14am

mailhandler777 said: "^One performer I know has a room in her childhood home that has all of her gifts throughout the years. Most of them keep things given to them.

I personally don't find it creepy at all and a lot of them I've met love getting gifts. 

 

"

No, most of them dont keep the stuff long term.

[Samara.tanner]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 6:43am

What would you suggest are "neutral" gift ideas? That's what I'd like to give her, since I'm not really that great at making fan art. I wasn't planning to give her something huge, but she does know who I am, and we sometimes converse over social media.

[Samara.tanner]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 6:43am

What would you suggest are "neutral" gift ideas? That's what I'd like to give her, since I'm not really that great at making fan art. I wasn't planning to give her something huge, but she does know who I am, and we sometimes converse over social media.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 6:51am

dramamama611 said: "mailhandler777 said: "^One performer I know has a room in her childhood home that has all of her gifts throughout the years. Most of them keep things given to them.

I personally don't find it creepy at all and a lot of them I've met love getting gifts. 

 

"

No, most of them dont keep the stuff long term.

 

"

The people I know do keep the stuff given to them.

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 11:27am

Refrain.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 11:44am

This past December, I was shopping at Target, and I happened to see some socks with little slices of pie on them. I've been a fan of Jessie Mueller's since Drood, so I thought it would be a nice little something to say thank you for her performances that I've had the pleasure of seeing. They were maybe $1.50 for the pair or something like that. I mailed them to her with my letter and basically said they were a small happy holidays/whatever/no reason gift. About a month later I got the sweetest note from her thanking me for them. So in short, this is the first time I've sent an actor I admire something. I don't believe in doing it often, but if it's a person you really like and you just happen to find the perfect little something (I stumbled on them by accident) then go for it. I was by no means looking for something to send her. The pie socks were just too cute to resist.

 

[Demitri2]

Posted: 1/27/17 at 12:49pm

Sally Ann Howes hasn't opened a fan package since her KWAMINA days. 

[kjck89]

Posted: 1/29/17 at 10:36pm

I would suggest something small..maybe a small souvenir gift from where you are from that you can include with your letter?

I think it is pretty common for fans to give their favorite performers gifts. I follow a lot of stage actors on instagram and they always post gifts they receive from fans and they seem genuinely appreciative of it. I would assume if it creeped them out they wouldn't post it. What I am always skeptical of is when fans give food... that always makes me a little uncomfortable. lol

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 1/30/17 at 4:16am

Samara.tanner said: "What would you suggest are "neutral" gift ideas? That's what I'd like to give her, since I'm not really that great at making fan art. I wasn't planning to give her something huge, but she does know who I am, and we sometimes converse over social media."

What do you talk about on social media? Can you think of anything she would appreciate? 

As PThespian said, something from a current or past show seems to be a good option from what actors tend to show off in vlogs or on social media.

In a general sense, you don't need to have artistic ability to put together a nice gift. For example, if you can think of a piece of music or a quote that's meaningful, you could print it out and frame it. Just take care when you're doing it and it should look great, no artistic ability necessary. A lot of Martha Stewart-style crafting projects don't actually involve much skill. 

[Rainah]

Posted: 1/31/17 at 1:46am

If you want to do something less creepy there's a few official channels for sending broadway actors gifts.

schmackary's nyc will deliver cookies to their dressing rooms, they have an arrangement with most of the theatres I believe. And I know there's a few similar establishments. That seems like a safe bet to not be creepy, sending it through a properly set up channel with a nice little note.

 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/31/17 at 8:59am

"schmackary's nyc will deliver cookies to their dressing rooms, they have an arrangement with most of the theatres I believe. And I know there's a few similar establishments. That seems like a safe bet to not be creepy, sending it through a properly set up channel with a nice little note.schmackary's nyc will deliver cookies to their dressing rooms, they have an arrangement with most of the theatres I believe. And I know there's a few similar establishments. That seems like a safe bet to not be creepy, sending it through a properly set up channel with a nice little note."

 

IMO - that is a great idea and I would love that type of gift - lol.

[SarahNYC2]

Posted: 1/31/17 at 10:04am

I third the Schmackary's idea. My opinion would be a small token that has some meaning-like the socks with pies on them. Or the cookies. I am a germaphobe. If I was getting gifts from people I did not know I would not want food if I did not know where it came from. Schmackary's is well known in the broadway world and to me is similar to order a food gift from a well known place.

Truthfully with gifts no matter who you are the ones that are kept and appreciated are the ones that you know someone put thought into and that has some meaning to them. If you follow/have engaged with an actor or actress you probably know something about them. Just like with family and friends. My daughter celebrated her birthday this weekend. We have a pug and everyone knows that we are pug obsessed. One of her friends gave her a bag of gifts centered around pugs. She was so touched that her friend put that kind of thought into the gift.