Rappaport To The Rescue

BIO:

Kitty Block leads one of the world's most effective animal protection organizations in ending cruelty toward all animals. Block was named president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, now called Humane World for Animals, in January 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the organization’s history.

Block first joined the organization as a legal investigator in 1992 and was instrumental in bringing cruelties such as horse slaughter and the killing of dogs and cats for their fur in China to light. She led efforts to secure protections for dolphins with successful litigation and landmark dolphin-safe tuna legislation. In addition, she was one of the architects of a successful lawsuit over commercial whaling brought against Japan by Australia in the International Court of Justice.

She has served as an adviser to the White House on trade and the environment, and she has served multiple elected terms on the International Dolphin Conservation Agreement International Review Panel, which works with governments on monitoring violations of the agreement. In 2023, Forbes named Block to its 50 Over 50 list of women who are changing the world.

Block received a law degree from George Washington University in 1990 and a bachelor’s degree in communications and philosophy from the University of New Hampshire in 1986. She is a lifelong animal lover who helped her mother rescue and care for pets and other animals in need as a child. Block lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and daughter, and rescue cats, Misti and Storm.

Amy Sedaris is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She played Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central comedy series Strangers with Candy (1999-2000) and the prequel film Strangers with Candy (2005), which she also wrote.

Sedaris appeared as Hurshe Heartshe in the Adult Swim comedy series The Heart, She Holler (2013-2014), as Princess Carolyn in the Netflix animated comedy series BoJack Horseman (2014-2020), and as Mimi Kanasis in the Netflix sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020). She received further critical acclaim as the creator and star of the TruTV surreal comedy series At Home with Amy Sedaris (2017-2020) which earned her two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

Sedaris appeared in various films, including Maid in Manhattan (2002), School of Rock (2003), Elf (2003), Bewitched (2005), Chicken Little (2005), Shrek the Third (2007), Jennifer's Body (2009), Puss in Boots (2011), Chef (2014), Ghost Team (2016), Handsome (2017), and The Lion King (2019). More recently, she has appeared in both The Mandalorian (2019-2020) and The Book of Boba Fett (2022) as Peli Motto.

Rachel Dratch grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. After graduating from Dartmouth College with a degree in Drama and Psychology, she moved to Chicago, where she studied with Del Close at Improvolympic. She was on the house team, "Victim's Family", with Adam McKay. Rachel went on to tour with the Second City Touring Company and eventually advanced to the Second City Mainstage, where she appeared in four revues: "Pinata Full of Bees", "Citizen Gates", "Paradigm Lost", and "Promisekeepers Losers Weepers". For the latter two, she received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress in a Revue. After leaving the mainstage, she wrote and performed in the two-person sketch show, "Dratch and Fey", with Tina Fey. The show was seen at Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in NYC, and the Aspen Comedy Festival. In the fall of 1999, Rachel joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975), where she performed for seven years. Her memorable characters include Boston teen Denise, the Lovers professors with Will Ferrell, junior high school student Sheldon, and Debbie Downer.