“By then I knew I wanted to direct. And that I could direct. And that’s important–being confident about that. And I began to read. I started reading scripts, for instance, for the Women’s Project, which was focused on women directors and women playwrights . . .”
Directing for the Women’s Interart – The Price of Genius
** Correction: Susan misidentified playwright as Betty Endrizzi. Correct playwright is Betty Neustat.
Susan Lehman became a member of Actors Equity in 1961. Member also of SAG-AFTRA. She has been working in the professional performing arts ever since.
Her first Broadway was in 1962 in I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE ... ensemble, understudying Barbra Streisand and Bambi Linn. Other Broadway included THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE and SHOW ME WHERE THE GOOD TIMES ARE. Susan toured all over the East playing Tzeitel in the First National Company of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. She played Mrs. McIllehenny in City Center Encores! production of 70 GIRLS 70. Two Off-Broadway Drama Desk nominated plays .. FALLING (2012) and Transport Group's I REMEMBER MAMA (2014) .. MAMA repeat summer 2016 at Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. Maude in the Off-Broadway Musical based on the HAROLD & MAUDE movie. Leads and supporting roles in over 40 plays/musicals: Fanny in FUNNY GIRL, Babe in PJ GAME, Annie in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Carrie in CAROUSEL, Marian in THE MUSIC MAN, Winnifred in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, Mammy Yokum in LI'L ABNER, Smitty in HOW TO SUCCEED, Irma in IRMA LA DUCE, Reno in ANYTHING GOES, Meg in BRIGADOON, Jack's Mum in INTO THE WOODS. Sang and danced in many Revues and Cabaret all over the USA.
Roles on Soaps: ALL MY CHILDREN, RYAN'S HOPE and AS THE WORLD TURNS. A "gentle folk" senior dancer" in Disney's ENCHANTED (appeared on 2008 Academy Awards for ENCHANTED nominated song, "That's How You Know".)
Directed projects in NYC for Circle Rep,The Woman's Project, Women's Interart, Allenberry Playhouse in PA, Capital Rep in Albany. Trained to direct w/Mike Nichols and Herbert Berghof and Acting w/Alvina Krause at Northwestern, and w/Uta Hagen and Austin Pendleton at HB. Trained/directed on ALL MY CHILDREN (ABC) and TEXAS (NBC). BS in Theater at Northwestern University.
Susan worked in bread and butter jobs over the years ... favorite as a professional Broadway usher where she gets paid to see a show and tell people where to go.
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