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Linda Lavin (1937-2024)
William & Mary Theatre alumnae and generous donor Linda Lavin '59 passed away on December 29, 2024.
Ms. Lavin was a Tony Award-winning actress and singer who starred in film, television, and on stage. Born in Portland, Maine to musical parents, Lavin began performing at age five and graduated from William & Mary in 1959.
Ms. Lavin's time at William & Mary was marked by her extensive involvement in the Theatre Department. During her freshman year, she was cast by Dir. Althea Hunt to play Margo in Dial "M" For Murder (1955) and Rosalind in William Shakespeare's As You Like It (1956). The following year, she played Rosa Gonzales in Summer and Smoke (1956) and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1957). Later that year, she was the leading actress in the Backdrop Club's original musical play Theatre is a Lady (1957). The Flat Hat reviewer Virgil McKenna praised her performance: "Linda Lavin was undoubtedly the star of the show. In fact it seemed that Theatre is a Lady was the perfect vehicle for the extraordinary talent of this actress" (May 21, 1957).
During her junior year, she worked on lights for the production Hark Upon the Gale (1957) and scenery crew for The Matchmaker (1958). She also performed in the Department's productions of Ghosts (1957) as Regina Engstrand and The Matchmaker (1958) as Dolly Levi, both directed by Howard Scammon. As a senior, she performed as MME. Josephine, the Madwoman of La Concorde in The Madwoman of Chaillot (1958).
In the summer of 1958, she played the Widow Huzzit in the annual production of The Common Glory, an outdoor symphonic drama by Paul Green presented along Lake Matoaka on the campus of William & Mary. Her profile from the program states:
Linda Lavin intends to pursue a career in the professional theatre as steadfastly as she, in the role of Widow Huzzitt, pursues Cephus Sicklemore; and to those who have seen her performances in the William & Mary Theatre she will very likely, as does the Widow, achieve her goal. She has worked with little theatre groups in her home town of Portland, Maine, and has appeared on television. Miss Lavin has been a vocalist with dance bands and had the feminine lead in a pre-Broadway musical by David Baker and Ira Wallach in 1955. She spent the 1957 season as a resident principal with the St. John Terrell Music Circus in Camden, N. J. In addition to the feminine lead in the 1957 William & Mary Varsity Show and leading roles in the Restorations comedies presented under the auspices of Colonial Williamsburg, Miss Lavin has appeared in several William & Mary Theatre productions: Margo in Dial M for Murder, Rosalind in As You Like It, Rosa Gonzales in Summer and Smoke, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Mrs. Levi in The Matchmaker. She is president of Theta Alpha Phi drama fraternity and is a senior at the College of William & Mary.
After graduating from William & Mary, she headed to New York, and started her career as a singer in clubs and Off-Broadway shows. Lavin then performed in a broad range of productions on Broadway, including dramas, musicals, and comedies. In 1987, she received the Tony, Helen Hayes, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound." She was nominated for Tony Awards for her work in "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife." After many guest roles on several TV series, Lavin took on her most famous role as single mother Alice Hyatt on the successful comedy "Alice," which ran for nine years on CBS (1976-1985). She sang the theme song on the show, and won two Best Actress Golden Globe awards for her performance.
In 1984, the College recognized Ms. Lavin with its Alumni Medallion and served as grand marshal for the Homecoming Parade. During commencement exercises in 2009, she received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. She was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York City's Gershwin Theatre on January 24, 2011. Ms. Lavin established W&M Theatre's Linda Lavin Theatre Research Award that same year.
In addition to supporting our students' research aspirations, Ms. Lavin returned to campus as a Class of '59 Artist-in-Residence to offer master classes in the department. Her financial generosity toward our students was well-matched by the sensitivity and warmth of her teaching.
Through her philanthropy, incredible talent, and dedication to the arts, Ms. Lavin has left an indelible mark on our Department and the many lives she touched. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friendfs, and all those who had the privilege of knowing her.
Thank you to [[dwwall, David Wall]], W&M Libraries Special Collections Assistant, for his help collecting information and photos from the Department of Theatre, Speech, and Dance Records and Linda Lavin Papers.
