GOOD TALK WITH THE AMERICAN DREAM AND OTHER FAIRY TALES SPEAKERS

Director, producer, and writer Kathleen Hughes has spent 30 years putting a human face on some of the most critical issues of our time. She recently directed and produced, with Abigail Disney, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales. She is also the executive producer of Abigail’s weekly podcast, “All Ears With Abigail Disney.” In Season 4 of All Ears, Abigail uses the film as a jumping-off point to ask big-thinking business leaders, union organizers, economists, and others how they would fix our broken economy. She first teamed up with Disney as co-director and producer of the Emmy Awarding-winning feature, The Armor of Light, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Over the years, Kathleen has produced, directed, and/or written many Bill Moyers documentaries, as well as for PBS, PBS’s “Frontline,” Retro Report, and ABC News.  She received numerous awards, including three Emmys, the duPont-Columbia Gold Baton, the Gracie Award, the Sidney Hillman Prize, the Dateline Club’s Society of Professional Journalists First Amendment, the Harry Chapin Media Award, and the Christopher Award.

 

Sam Miller began working at Disneyland in 1970 as a cashier at a Fantasyland food stand. She recalls it was an unexpected thrill when Roy Disney, Abigail’s grandfather, welcomed all the new hires during their orientation. Sam remembers that when she addressed him as Mr. Disney, he told her she would call him Roy and hoped she could make a career at the company. Unexpectedly, she did exactly that. Over the years, her skills with problematic guests and the ability to keep a sense of humor found her transferred into Talent Administration at the company’s studios in Burbank. Working daily with actors, directors, and every phase of TV and film productions, she became familiar with how the studio functioned, valued its workers, and changed towards its Cast Members over the years. She retired in 2015 but returns to Disneyland regularly to visit friends and enjoy the magic.

 

Artemis Bell was an overnight custodian at the Disneyland Resort for 10 years. She was active in her union and fought for her fellow cast members. Since leaving Disney, Artemis has been working on finishing her education. She recently worked on an independent short film and says she's working on finding the best version of herself.

 

 

Ralph and Trina Blair met and fell in love while working the night shift as custodians at Disney.  They married and are raising their three daughters and Trina’s son from her first marriage.  Housing is so expensive in the region that even working full time, the couple cannot afford to buy or rent a home, so they live with Trina’s mother in crowded conditions. In 2019, with Trina’s help, Ralph spearheaded the creation of the SEIU food pantry for Disney workers.  Hundreds of people have come to rely on the support. Ralph’s vision was that the people who went to the pantry would receive not only food but information on government services that could help with health care and housing.  He also found a way to provide diapers and baby formula to families with infants.  After the pandemic, Ralph left his job at Disney, deciding it was more important to stay home and care for the kids full-time. Trina has moved to the day shift.  She is now working in Fantasyland on the attractions. Her favorite is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.