Like so many very shy youngsters, I was drawn to the theater at a young age as a way to hide myself by exploring other identities. Elaine Zeve, my dear second grade teacher, saw something in me and encouraged me to explore other characters to become more self-assured. This story will be a pictorial review of my acting career from 1963-college, when it drew to a close.

Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel”, 5th grade, 1963
Louis Pasteur Elementary School, Detroit
I grabbed this photo of myself as Gretel from 5th grade in the all-school production (K-8) from my father’s home movies. He had me put on my costume and act out a scene in our living room so he could capture me for his movie. The choir sang all the parts, but I acted the role and was thrilled to be cast for the sold-out show.
The Featured photo depicts me as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” at a Jewish overnight camp: Camp Nahelu, which I attended for two summers before heading north to the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. You can see my name on the program and I carry my brother’s terrier stuffed animal as Toto. It was my first singing lead. I was 10 years old.
As a Junior Girl at the National Music Camp in 1964, I was in Drama Workshop. We did not put on any productions. In Intermediate Girls, the next two summers, we had to choose between majoring in Drama or Operetta, as they met at the same time. I always chose Operetta, so was in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta both summers, directed by Dude Stevenson and Mel Larimer. We performed in full costume at 4 weeks and did a “knicker production” (no costumes, limited staging, no professional photos) at 8 weeks. I was always in the chorus. I have a decent voice, but not good enough for a lead.

Mikado, 1965
I am standing on the right, front row, second person in. We are wearing black wigs, but the kimono was my own, brought by my aunt from a trip to Japan.

Iolanthe, 1966
I am on the floor down front, gazing longingly at Captain Shaw, face in profile. We are fairies. Iolanthe is my favorite of the G&S operettas. They all have silly plots, but the music is lovely.
I went to high school in 1966 and had an opportunity to appear in plays at my school, as well as camp. I never had a lead in high school, but always worked on makeup, becoming the head of that department, planning and implementing the makeup for all the large shows at the school.
I was not accepted as a drama major that first summer in HSG division (I was the next summer), so put together a series of other classes. Operetta was no longer a major and over 100 students participated in the late afternoon fun class, including instrument majors. It was just great to be in the chorus with Dude and Ken Jewell (a renown Michigan choral conductor). At this point, the leads were on their way to careers in opera.

Blind girl in Miracle Worker, freshman year, high school

Mikado, 1967
National Music Camp

Mikado, 1967, professional photo

Randi/chorus in Bye Bye Birdie, sophomore year, I am in my “mother’s” arms, horrified seeing Conrad on the ground.
Dondero High School

Hamlet, 1968
National Music Camp
I was a “player” in the play within the play. You can see me behind Gertrude, upper left of the photo

Princess Ida, 1968 (I’m Chloe at the end of the first row on the right)

Elaine in Arsenic and Old Lace, junior year
Dondero High School

Light Up the Sky, 1969 Act I, I played the role of Irene Livingston, the glamorous actress, originated by Kitty Carlisle on Broadway
National Music Camp

Light Up the Sky, 1969
Act II
National Music Camp

The Sorcerer, 1969
(before the opening, as captured by the camp photographer)
National Music Camp

Overture for The Sorcerer, 1969
National Music Camp

National Music Camp, 1969. Scene from The Sorcerer; “All is prepared for sealing and for signing. The contract has been drafted as agreed.”

As Hermia (with Lysander, before the show) in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, 1969
National Music Camp

“Midsummer”, 1969
National Music Camp

Alma Hicks (Mayor’s wife best friend) in Music Man, senior year
Dondero High School, 1970
Off to Brandeis in September, 1970, where I majored in Theatre Arts. I appeared in various shows (including more Gilbert and Sullivan) where, as I grew in confidence and technique, I did have leading roles.

The Devils, 1970
chorus member; first Main Stage show at Brandeis

Ruddigore, 1971, Freshman year

Poster from Orientation Show, 1971
On the right end of second row; student written and directed show
Chorus, Sophomore year

Gianetta, Gondoliers, 1972
Sophomore year

Gondoliers, 1972
Production shot

Til Like a Dream, 1972
Theatre workshop group, performed outside the student union in May

1972, Sarah Brown, “If I Were a Swing”
FINALLY, a lead in a Main Stage production
As I wrote about in Follow the Fold and Stray No More, I gave up the acting dream after this performance. I student taught first semester of my senior year (of course – drama and acting), so was unavailable to even audition. Second semester, my closest friend, Michael Allosso, cast me in two of his shows in the small “Theater 3”, used for student directors at the time. I was Clea in “Black Comedy”, the ex-girlfriend who shows up to provoke mischief. For his Senior Honors Thesis, he directed (in Spanish), “An Evening with García Lorca”. One of the poems he acted out was “Le esposa infiel” (The Faithless Wife). This is a famous, multi-stanza blank-verse poem. Michael had a guitar player, seated at a table, with a glass of wine, strum a classic “Malagueña”, while I danced (choreographed by another mutual friend), acting out the poem with my dancing, to stunning effect as someone else recited the poem.
By this time, I was known as a top stage manager and was recruited to stage manage the complicated production of “Lenny” in Theatre 2, which at the time was a black box theater. It was set up with wagons to pull set pieces on and off the stage to become the night club where Lenny performed (nothing automated in 1974). It had over 200 cues. My “prompt book” (the master script with all the stage directions, cues for stage and light calls) was huge.
Also, the director and costume designer did not get along, so I was their go-between. The grad student cast as “Hot Honey Harlow” (not the real name of Lenny’s wife, but he did marry a stripper, as portrayed by Valerie Perrine in the multiple Oscar-nominated 1974 Dustin Hoffman movie), was not comfortable in her own body, so the director asked me to teach her how to walk in heels and a bikini. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the Theater department considered this project to be my honors thesis and I was awarded departmental honors for it. I gave my original program to the Lenny Bruce archives when they were donated to Brandeis a few years ago.
Later that summer, the show transferred to a professional theater in Boston with the same director and leading man. The director came to visit me in our first apartment; we were newlyweds in the summer of 1974. He asked for my book, but did not offer me the job of stage manager. I was not a member of Actor’s Equity (the professional union), so could not get the job. I was livid, but eventually, gave up my precious book. He gave us free tickets to the show. That is the closest I’ve been to the inner workings of the theater in almost 50 years.