STEPHANIE BUTLER

Stephanie Butler's first great first taste of showbiz occurred when she was seven years old, and had the role of Mother Nature in the school play. Stephanie may have been destined for a life in the entertainment industry, but until recently, that destiny had gone unrealized. Now, however, Stephanie has found her way back into the business that called to her as a child. It seems that Mother Nature presently has a new incarnation, as Field Producer and occasional correspondent for the gay-themed entertainment news program, "Under the Pink Carpet."

" I kept myself involved in theatre during high school and college," Stephanie remembers, "but back then I didn't even remotely consider the possibility of a profession in the entertainment business. It didn't seem realistic or practical as a career goal." She was, however, often cast in the role of a witch in the school's children's shows. Recalls her first gay "boyfriend," Kenneth, "We knew she wouldn't play a witch forever. A bitch maybe, but not a witch -- though she could cackle with the best of them."

When high school, and her days of playing a witch, were over, Stephanie focused on more academic pursuits but continued to be active in the performing arts. She was an integral member of STAR – Student Theatre at Rutgers, where she worked extensively behind the scenes and became involved in lighting, set design, and production. Ultimately, she graduated class Valedictorian with a B.A. in Psychology, and from there went on to pursue her law degree, also at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey.

It was at law school where Stephanie met fellow Rutgers student Tony Sawicki, who would eventually become the director, producer and host of "Under the Pink Carpet." "We clicked immediately," Sawicki now recollects. "Even though we were academics, we both leaned toward the spotlight. And we both hung out in gay bars, although Stephanie was far more popular than I was."

Following law school, Stephanie worked as a practicing attorney for several years. By this time she had developed a reputation as a beautiful, big-boned girl with an almost limitless potential for throwing back martinis. But, she now admits, "If someone back then told me that I would be successful at the bar, I would have thought they meant the bar of the court, not the gay bar."

She was restless, however, having never completely abandoned her interest in the entertainment world. When Tony Sawicki went into development with "Under the Pink Carpet," Stephanie was eager to jump in and become involved. She started as the correspondent in a campy pilot segment called "She's Steffi, She's a Fag Hag." While it was a perspective she was intimately familiar with, and she enjoyed working in front of the camera, Stephanie's strong talent for producing television from behind the scenes became most apparent. Soon after the show went to air, Stephanie had developed into an integral part of the production team, with a primary focus on field-producing the program's entertainment reports. However, she continues to appear on camera during cast-presented segments and does continue to correspond for special reports.

With her theatrical background, glowing camera presence, legal and psychological acumen, and astounding popularity at the local gay bars, Stephanie is ideally suited for her role in the irreverent and highly entertaining "Under the Pink Carpet." "I guess I'm just right for the job," muses Steffi, tired after a long night out with the boys. "It's not easy being the queen goddess of gay men, but if the shoe fits, a girl's gotta wear it."