The Entertainment World
Norma’s love of story-telling began at the age of 5, when the farm across the street from her home in Massillon, Ohio was transformed into a professional summer stock theatre, starring television and film stars of the day. Even at that young age, Norma’s parents took her and her sister to at least one play or musical each summer, initiating her fascination with the magic of live theatre. She started working at the theatre at 15. Norma eventually elected to major in dramatic arts and received her B.A. from Kent State University, with a minor in public relations.
Norma’s theatre career focused on public relations, audience development, and general management at theatres across the country, including Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach, and the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. On Broadway, she assisted producer Elliot Martin during his productions of A Touch of the Poet starring Jason Robards, Tom Stoppard’s Dirty Linen and New-Found-Land, and Caesar and Cleopatra starring Rex Harrison. Off-Off Broadway she produced Viveca Lindfors’ one-woman show, Anna.
Eventually seguing to television and film, Norma developed two projects that were picked up by major producers but not greenlighted. She then worked as Assistant to producer Marian Rees on the Hallmark film, Miss Rose White, which won the Emmy for best television movie of the year. She returned to NYC to work with Paraview, assisting on a number of projects in development, as well as production on the Discovery Channel 3-part series, The Power of Dreams.
Norma also produced and wrote a 52-part series of 90-second video news inserts, The Natural Cat, and a direct response TV commercial for How to Save $5,000 Every Time You Buy Or Lease A New Car. She helped to create a product line of videos, audiotapes, and workbooks based on the book Switched-On Living and was a producer of an infomercial for that venture, as well as coordinating media buyers, telemarketing, and fulfillment companies.
She has also worked as a legal secretary, including jobs at Disney and Lifetime Television.
Norma’s company, Sand Castle Enterprises, LLC, produced the DVDs, The Dog Whisperer: Beginning and Intermediate Dog Training for Puppies and Dogs and The Dog Whisperer, Vol. 2: Solving Common Behavior Problems for Puppies and Dogs. She was also a producer for a delightful music video featuring the Agape International Youth Choir, I’m Being Santa, which can be seen on YouTube.
In addition to her on-the-job training, Norma has taken numerous seminars, including Bordiga’s “Nuts & Bolts” Production Seminar; McKee’s Story Structure for Screenplays; Jim Kelly Durgin’s Script Supervising (introductory classes), and Guy Magar’s Action/Cut Seminar (Directing Film and TV).