Cheryl Cohen Greene, DHS

‘The Surrogate’ movie info.

Hi Everyone,

Click on the link below to find out what is happening with the movie!! I wish the name could have remained the same but ‘Six Sessions’ sounds OK!

Let me know what you think!   Love~~~ Cheryl 

John Hawkes Drama ‘The Surrogate’ Primed For Awards Season as …
John Hawkes Drama ‘The Surrogate’ Primed For Awards Season as Fox Searchlight Changes Title and Sets Release Date. 7 minutes ago | The Film Stage …
www.imdb.com/news/ni28533836/

EDITORIAL The Campaign Against Women The Republican assault on women’s rights and health is undeniable, severe and continuing.

This is an Editorial from the NY Times/ May 19, 2012

This is serious! Please cut and paste this if you can’t open it here.  Love~~ Cheryl

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/opinion/sunday/the-attack-on-women-is-real.html?smid=pl-share

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MANY AMERICAN WOMEN?

I’m not referring to sexual issues. I’m referring to Political Issues. The latest Poll on the female vote for President shows ROMNEY LEADING OBAMA 46% to 44%.  What is wrong with the 46% of us  in favor of Romney? Any independent minded woman who votes for Romney is cutting her own throat!

The Republican Party is waging  a War on Women. In case you haven’t noticed, They are dismantling Planned Parenthood and their attack on abortion rights are clearly attempts to diminishing basic health care for working class women. They are attacking issues we all felt were settled a generation ago. 

Are women being swayed by Hilary Rosen’s comment on CNN that Ann Romney, “never worked a day in her life.”? and Romney’s reply. “I made a CHOICE to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work.”  The operative word in Romney’s reply is CHOICE. Most working class women don’t have a choice. Granted, Ms Rosen’s original comment could have been articulated in a more efficient fashion. Her reply the next day in response to the Republican attack of her comment made the following point, “This isn’t about whether Ann Romney or I or other women of some means can afford to make a choice to stay home and raise kids. Most women in America, let’s face it, don’t have that choice. This is about a waitress at a dinner someplace in Nevada who has two kids whose daycare funding is being cut off because of the Romney/Ryan budget and she doesn’t know what to do.” 

Let’s not forget Mr. Romney’s comment on national television March 15, 2012 stating, “I’m going to get rid of Obama Care that’s the easy one, but there are others. Planned Parenthood, we’re going to get rid of that”.  Come of ladies we can’t be complacent about this up coming election. We have to vote according to our beliefs. We can’t go backward. We need to vote more women into positions of power and influence. Let’s be smart about this.

President Obama has been nothing but pro-women in his three years in office. Don’t forget the first real piece of legislation he signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Which required equal pay for women in the work place. Then of course don’t forget he has placed two women justices on the Supreme Court: Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 78 years old and has had pancreatic cancer. Who do you think Mr. Romney will replace her with. The Court is already 5 to 4 against women’s rights issues. Allowing him to appoint another Supremen Court Justice would allow the conservative movement to tilt the Court in their favor for at least another generation, doing irreparable harm to Women’s Rights and the nation at large!

Wake up let’s understand that we need to take control of our own destiny. Vote for more women like the Massachusetts Senatorial Candidate Elizabeth Warren.

I have faith in my fellow SISTERS!!! PLEASE LET’S DO THIS!!  Love~~~Cheryl

My Father Died!!!

My 90 year old Father died April 11th. He had been suffering with dementia and finally succumbed to bone cancer (as a result of prostate cancer). It wasn’t an easy death. Unlike my first husband Michael’s. He was in the middle of teaching his special needs kids when he turned to return to his desk, fell and was probably dead when he landed on the floor. 

I’m writing about this because most of us won’t be fortunate enough to just go into the great unknown softly and gently, e.g., one minuter you’re there and then you’re not.

My Father’s death made me again aware of my own. I say again because the ‘grim reaper’ has touched me several times, taken a swipe, then moved on. 

I don’t want to die the way both my parents did. I want to be able to decide when enough is enough. BUT, we live in a society that respects animals, right not to suffer, and not their caregivers as well. I don’t think any creature should suffer at the end of their life, us included. 

 If I’m not able to do it myself, I want to have the right to ask for an overdose of heroin to be injected into me,. I choose heroin because I’ve heard it’s quick and easy. If I’m wrong and there is something better, please let me know. 

Please don’t misunderstand, I LOVE LIFE and I’m not afraid to die, I just don’t want to be drugged into a stupor via morphine,etc…. My fear is my Dad was suffering unimaginably, because no body really knows what the dying are experiencing in a drug induced coma. 

I noticed Dad’s chest was very warm as he struggled to breath and remained so for several hours after he died. It felt as if his motor (heart) had revved up so high to keep him going, that it finally burned itself out.

I was raised Catholic and left the church when I was 18. I don’t believe there is a god who is less compassionate than I am. There is no god who would reject me for taking my own life. I wish we lived in a society that treated it’s citizens with respect and not one that treats us as if we are intellectually challenged and can’t make informed decisions for ourselves. Right now there are too many of those who are in office, both on the state and national levels who feel it’s their ‘sectarian’ right to control the rest of us. (birth control, accurate sex information, same sex marriage laws, helping the top 1% stay where they are, lack of funding for educating the 99% etc….)

There are a few enlightened States where people can die with dignity. Thank you Oregon and Washington. 

I want California to follow in their footsteps. I’d prefer not to have to leave my home in order to  have my legitimate last wishes met. I’ve just joined Death With Dignity National Center. Here’s their website should you feel the way I do about the last important decision of your life being in your own hands! 

http://www.deathwithdignity.org/acts/   With Love~~~~ Cheryl

I LOVE YOU DAD!!!!!                

MY SECOND PODCAST WITH DR. DICK!!

Here is the second half of my Podcast Interview with my friend Dr. Dick!! I hope you find it helpful. Check out his wonderful website!

 http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/04/04/podcast-327/

Love~~~ Cheryl

Check out my interview with Dr. Dick!!!

Yesterday I did my first interview with an amazing sex educator, therapist, and friend,

Dr. Richard Wagner, aka, Doctor Dick.  Check out the link below. I’ll post our second interview next week.

By the way, my hip surgery has been a great success. I’m feeling closer to my old self every day!  I still have some work to do to get my strength back, but I’m looking forward to it.  Thanks to all of you who wished me well!

I hope you enjoy this podcast!  Love~~~ Cheryl

http://www.drdicksexadvice.com/2012/03/28/podcast-326/

Anonymous asked: Could you be any more awesome?! Best, WD

I don’t know. I’d just like to be able to heal in an awesome fashion when I have my hip replaced tomorrow!!

Thank you!!! ~~~ Cheryl

Sundance Awards

Many of you are probably aware that ‘The Surrogate’  won two awards at The Sundance Film Festival: Audience Favorite, US Dramatic Film & Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting

I’ve included a link to one of the best reviews. I’m very proud of this film and it’s accurate portrayal of Surrogate Partner Therapy. Hopefully, Fox Searchlight will be released it this Autumn.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/surrogate-284609

I appreciate all of you good wishes!!

Love~~~ Cheryl

Catching up on Our Sundance Experience!!

A look into the work of a sex surrogate – CNN Newsroom - CNN.com …
In a fascinating interview, Brooke speaks with Cheryl Cohen Greene, a sex surrogate and …
newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/…/a-look-into-the-work-of-a-sex-su…

1/25/12

We leave for home today. I wish we could have stayed until Sunday, but real life calls. The voting for the Grand Jury Prize will be held this Saturday! Keep your fingers crossed!!

The Surrogate is a smashing success!! Two standing ovations at it’s premiere Monday which is unheard of at this festival. Later that day it was purchased by Fox Search Light Films, so it’s guaranteed world wide distribution. Everyone we meet who saw it thinks it deserves an Academy Award Nomination  as well as Best Actor- John Hawkes and Best Actress- Helen Hunt. I’m hoping William H. Macy is also including in the nomination category for Best Supporting Actor.

We hear that it’s very likely it will be released this Autum!!! When you see it you will understand why I’m so excited and proud.

When I saw viewed it for the first time Monday, I cried and laughed with many in the audience including men. When I asked what made me cry more than most, it was because of the memories it evoked of my time with Mark, knowing how he would have enjoyed seeing it, and because it’s the first time Surrogate Partners have been portrayed  as the truly caring, loving guides we are.

Bob, Susan and I, attended the Official Cast and Filmmaker Party later Monday evening. There we had our chance to speak with Helen, (soooo great), John, (I love this man. He is brilliant), Bill (WHMacy). I now  call him “Bill”. They were also thrilled with the response the movie received. I told Helen I couldn’t have been more pleased with her portrayal of me. We had spent hours talking and discussing each session I had with Mark. She even asked

 me to read her lines into a tape recorder, so she could work with her dialect coach to speak with my Boston Accent. (but not quite as thick as mine). It made me very happy when I heard her say Mark the way I do.

Earlier during Q&A after the Premier, Helen, when asked about her challenge to be comfortable with the nudity her role required, said she wanted to give an accurate portrayal of me and the true intimacy of my work.  Thank you Helen!!! 

I had more time to speak with Robin Weigert who played Calamity Jane on Deadwood. I believe she is one of the best actresses in I’ve ever watched. She had a very small role in this film. I’m hopeful we will all have the chance to see her in more challenging roles which she loves. 

Bob and I are exhausted, but ecstatic. As soon as we get home we do a taping of the Dr. Drew shown on HLN an affiliate of CNN. I’m hopeful we can relax this weekend.  A first happened today. One of the great drivers who took us to and from many of the venues we needed to get to, asked me for my autograph. I have to say it was nice feeling. He also took a photo of Bob and Me!!  

The drive to Salt Lake City from Park City was spectacularly beautiful. We were surrounded by snow covered cliffs, and the approach to SLC, from the canyon we were in, opened onto a wide panoramic expanse with mountains way across on the other side of the large plain the city sits on and on either side of us. I definitely to visit UTAH again to go hiking. The locals say Spring is a beautiful time to visit.  

 1/27/12 

 Well now that we are home and back to our real world, we are anticipating the Sundance Judges decission with regards to the best movies at the festival. We are hopeful the The Surrogate will win, but no matter if it does or doesn’t, we all know how perfect it is and feel confident it will be popular with audiences.

If you’re interested, the Sundance 2012 awards show will be on at 7:00 Mountain Time (6:00 on the coast) this saturday January 28th. It will also be live-streamed at WWW.SUNDANCE.ORG/FESTIVAL. Cheryl’s movie “The Surrogate” has a very good chance to win the Grand Jury Prize in the dramatic film category.

 Sorry about the change in print. I did a cut and past and this is what came out. I hope you find what I’ve written interesting. As you can probably imagine I was tired each night when we were at Sundance, and I’m not quite caught up on my sleep.

Now I prepare for hip replacement surgery on Feb. 8th. Please think positive thoughts of me recovering quickly. I’ve got lots more living to do!!!

LOVE~~~~ Cheryl

Our First Full Day @ Sundance

We’ve had a fantastic day. Lunch with my cousin Susan’s friends in Park City. Then back to our condo to prepare for the evening. We attend The Official Film Premier Party @ the Bing Bar in Old Park City. 

We saw many of the wonderful people who were in the cast, including John Hawkes, William H. Macy, Robin Weigert, Annika Marks, as well as the Director/Writer Ben Lewin, Producers Judi Levine and Stephen Nemeth, Executive Producer Doug Blake, Cinematographer Geoffery Simpson, Film Editor Lisa Bromwell, Script Supervisor Tecia Esposito, Assistant Production Coordinator Alexandra Lewin also Marco Beltrami who wrote the Musical Score. 

We also met Ben Lewin’s agent Michael Lewis ~~ Very nice!

We met some of the investors from Melbourne Australia. Judy Levine affectionately refers to them as the Melbourne Mafia. Wonderful people. 

Bob, Susan and I had our photos taken with Bill Macy. And I had a photo taken with John Hawkes, Susan Fernbeck, and Robin Weigert. Now I just have to get copies!

Everyone is very excited about the Premier tomorrow afternoon. Some people had seen it before it was finished, and told me they have high hope for how it will be received. 

We will view it at the Eccles Theatre with 1270 other film buffs.  Keep your fingers crossed. Early tomorrow evening we will attend The Official Cast and Filmmaker Party. Helen Hunt will be there and I’ll get a chance to congratulate on her sensitive portrayal of “moi”.  

I’m off to dreamland!!

Love ~~~ Cheryl