Lights, Camera, Legacy: Celebrating Women in Cinema at the Woman’s Club of Red Bank

Posted on by WCRB

Members and guests gathered at the historic Reckless Estate for an inspiring morning of brunch, panel discussions, and cinema history as the Woman’s Club of Red Bank hosted its annual fundraiser, with this year’s theme being Lights, Camera, Legacy — Women in Communications Shaping the Future of Cinema.


Film Honoree & Panelists

Our film honoree, Diane Raver, shared a compelling recap of her journey through the motion picture industry, illustrating how a single spark of inspiration—spoken aloud—turned into reality when she co-founded the Garden State Film Festival. She also took us back to New Jersey’s cinematic roots, highlighting Thomas Edison’s foundational role in making New Jersey the birthplace of American filmmaking.

DID YOU KNOW: Around the time the Woman’s Club of Red Bank was first established in 1896 as a literary society called the Round Table Coterie, Thomas Edison was working on inventing “an instrument which does for the Eye what the phonograph does for the Ear.”

Moderated with warmth and enthusiasm by our Vice President, Joanne Farina, the panel discussion held the room captive with empowering, real-world stories from industry leaders:

Diane Raver, Madison Santos, Jessica Varian Carroll, Casey DeStefano, and moderator Joanne Farina
  • Casey DeStefano (DGA): A seasoned director and dedicated mentor actively guiding young women in acting, Casey captivated attendees with tales from her extensive TV credits—shows nearly everyone in the room recognized! She shared details on her latest fiction short, AngryMom (Director/Producer: Casey DeStefano; Writers: Casey DeStefano and Faith King), supported by Film Independent.
  • Jessica Varian Carroll: An author whose creative journey feels like manifestation in action—from launching her organizing business to publishing her memoir, She Had No Business: A Real Life Tale of Faith, Courage, and Beating the Odds. With her book currently being adapted for the screen, Jessica’s story provided a powerful look at bringing women’s voices from page to film.
  • Madison Santos: An actor and producer passionately advocating for female-led projects on both sides of the camera. Originally from Los Angeles, Madison and her fiancé, Coleman, recently launched Unlimited Studios—an independent production studio designed as a vibrant collaborative hub for creatives to produce, build, and promote their work.

A Delicious Brunch, VIP Treats, and Big Wins

The morning wasn’t just intellectually stimulating—it was visually delightful and delicious! Guests enjoyed a scrumptious continental breakfast spread and loved posing for photos in front of the event’s step-and-repeat backdrop.

VIP guests took home curated swag bags filled with treats and local information, and every guest was gifted a copy of Jessica Varian Carroll’s beautiful book, Magnificently MADE. To top off the festivities, the door prize drawing brought extra excitement to the room—including one very lucky guest who walked away with three prizes!

Preserving History: Investing in the Reckless Estate

Maintaining a historic landmark like the Reckless Estate means balancing essential repairs with big dream upgrades. The year 2026 has been packed with important clubhouse maintenance projects.

We are proud to share that urgent repairs to our second-floor soffits and water damage are complete, thanks to a matching grant from the Monmouth County Historical Commission and a generous $10,000 grant from Karen Marh of Solder True Life. On our long-term wish list, installing a full HVAC air conditioning system is moving closer to reality—guided by Preservation Chair Sue Kevra, with funding from last year’s annual event, the New Jersey Historic Trust, and the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT).

Proceeds from this year’s Lights, Camera, Legacy event—along with our May comedy night and other fundraising initiatives support the following:

  • Installing a town-required new fire escape
  • Purchasing a new filing system for our newly created Archive Room
  • Renovating and reorganizing our second-floor decorating storage space

Heartfelt Thanks to Our Team & Community Supporters

An event of this scale takes a dedicated village, and we want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped bring it to life:

  • Our Generous Sponsors: Thank you for your continued faith in our mission. (Be sure to check out their logos featured on our website!)
  • President Christina Hardman O’Neal: Who almost single-handedly prepped and managed our beautiful breakfast spread.
  • Beautification Committee Co-Chairs Jennifer Noonan & Jennie Sherman: For crafting the stunning mantelpiece designs and floral table arrangements—including a custom painting painted by Jennifer Noonan specially for our mantel!
  • Carol Ingaro: For designing all graphics, flyers, and promotional e-newsletters sent to our subscribers.
  • Danielle Murello: For driving our digital outreach across Facebook and Instagram to keep our community engaged.

Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, donated, or shared in this unforgettable morning with us!