Broadway Dims Lights Tonight in Honor of Tony Winner Marian Seldes

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Marian Seldes, a Tony Award-winning actress, five-time nominee, and the recipient of a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. She died on Monday at the age of 86. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory this evening, October 8th, at exactly 7:45pm for one minute.

"Marian Seldes's name is synonymous with theatre. Her persona on the Broadway stage was as real as her genuine grace and kindness off stage," said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League. "Her lovely elegance and iconic talent will be deeply missed by her family, friends and fans."

With a career that spanned 60 years, Marian Seldes made her Broadway debut in 1947 in the Robinson Jeffers adaptation of Medea directed by John Gielgud and starring Judith Anderson in the title role. In 1967, she won a Tony Awardâ as Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role in A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee. Ms. Seldes has a long association with the playwright, appearing in The Play About the Baby, Tiny Alice, Counting the Ways (as part of Beckett/Albee plays) and Three Tall Women, a tour de force for the actress. She entered the Guinness Book of World Records for her appearance in Ira Levin's Deathtrap when she didn't miss a single performance of the play's four-year run.

Other stage credits include Equus, Painting Churches, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, and The Chalk Garden. She received Tony Award nominations for her performances in Father's Day, Deathtrap, Ring Round the Moon, and Dinner at Eight. Her last appearance on Broadway was in 2007 in Terrence McNally's Deuce.

In 2010, Ms. Seldes received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement honoring her contribution to the theatre and her extraordinary talent.

Ms. Seldes also had an extensive career in movies, television and radio. She authored two books: "The Bright Lights," a memoir; and a novel, "Time Together."

She taught for many years at The Juilliard School and later as an adjunct professor at Fordham University.

Ms. Seldes is survived by her daughter Katharine Claman Andres (Clay); grandsons Timo, Guthrie and Wells Andres; her bother Timothy Seldes (Susan); nephew Gilbert Seldes; niece Elizabeth Seldes Annacone (Paul); and grandnephew Emmett Carnahan. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Garson Kanin whom she married in 1990. Her first marriage, to Julian Claman, ended in divorce.

Photo Credit: Kevin Thomas Garcia