ELTC Artistic Director Talks Emma Goldman: My Life with Lorna Lable

During a busy rehearsal schedule, Lorna Lable and Gayle Stahlhuth, artist director of the Equity professional East Lynne There Company, took a few minutes to talk about Emma Goldman and Lorna, herself. They were sitting in Madison Square Park, NYC, not too far from either of their apartments - a good place to meet.

When Gayle asked Lorna the usual question of "how did you get into theater?" Lorna launched into her first career: modern dance. She studied dance under Jane Dudley while working for her Masters Degree in Dance and Theater at Columbia Teachers College, and went on to become a member of Ruth Currier and Eleo Pomare Dance Companies in NYC.

"I danced at Lincoln Center and City Center, but it was at City Center that I cried when I walked through the stage door and onto the stage for the first time. I could not believe I was there! I'd seen so many dancers on this stage - and now I was on the same stage! Very moving. When I was in the audience, I sat so far back that I was sitting in front of the lighting booth. I got to know the light operator. Pretty soon, I was watching the shows in the booth with him. He knew all the gossip. It was great."

Lorna managed her own company for four years, appropriately naming it The Lorna Lable Dance Company. The troupe received excellent reviews from "Dance Magazine" and other publications, and she did everything from choreography to costuming.

Gayle asked why she stopped.

"Someone seeing one of our shows informed me that there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, and I thought: 'That's it! I can't run this company anymore if I have to worry about toilet paper.' So, I went into theater."

Lorna started attending auditions and looking for an agent.

"It can be difficult to get an agent to come see your work," she said, "so a friend and I created evenings of performances of original one-act plays. It helped actors and playwrights - and agents did come! This was back in the 1980s, and we were among the first to create these one-act evenings. Now, there are many companies out there doing one-acts so that actors can be seen by agents and producers."

Lorna played the part of "Helga," the owner of the funeral home in "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral," at Soho Theatre.

"I was hired to learn the role by shadowing the woman who was playing the role originally. I never had a real rehearsal. And when she could no longer do the role, I stepped in. Quite an experience."
Lorna has also performed in a string of commercials for a variety of companies including Verizon and K-Mart. She also works in film, and had roles in "Keeping the Faith" with Ben Stiller, and "The Wiz," to name a few. Her television work includes stints on "Third Watch," all of the various versions of "Law and Order," and all of the NYC-based soaps from "Edge of Night" to "All My Children."

And often, her dog, Emmett, works with her.

It was during the winter of 2008 that Gayle asked Lorna if she would be interested in doing a play about Emma Goldman for East Lynne Theater Company.

Lorna laughed.

"I remember. I said I didn't know who she is, and you said, how could I be Jewish and not know Emma Goldman? Now, I feel like I'm one of her descendants. She loved to danced, she loved to talk, she stood on picket lines - always for the underdog. Just like me. I love to dance, to talk, and always cheer for the underdog."

I asked her if there was anything about the writing and rehearsal process she wanted to talk about, and she answered:

"I've been blessed with the people I'm working with, Karen Case Cook, the director, and you. I try to show my appreciation by feeding Karen and you. I love to cook!"

She is a very good cook - as well as a dancer - and a writer and an actor. And audiences can see her from June 16 through July 10, four times a week, Wednesdays through Saturdays, at 8:30p.m. at The First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St., Cape May, where ELTC is in residence.

Patrons have the opportunity to meet Lorna and Karen, and ask their own questions at the after-show opening night party on Wednesday June 16 at The Washington Inn, 801 Washington St.

Another opportunity is on Friday, June 25, when there is an after-show Q&A with Lorna, Karen, and Gayle.

Mainstage tickets are $28 general admission; $23 for seniors and those with disabilities and their support companions; and $13 for full-time students. Children ages 12 and under are always free. Season tickets are still available through June 30: 5 shows for only $90. Checks may be mailed to the office, 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204, or through the website, www.eastlynnetheater.org. For information and reservations, call 609-884-5898 or visit the website. To make a reservation using a credit card, call 866-280-9211.

Dinner/Show Packages are available at The Merion Inn, Aleathea's, 410 Bank Street, Frescos, and The Washington Inn. Reservations must be made by calling the restaurants.

The twenty-first year of "Tales of the Victorians," where an ELTC performer reads a classic American tale at various Cape May locations during tea-time, begins on Thursday, June 17 at 4:00p.m. at The Butterfly Tea Room, 109 Sunset Blvd., with Gayle Stahlhuth performing. This much anticipated event continues every Thursday at 4:00 through the summer, and moves to Saturdays in the fall. Tickets are only $10 and ages 12 and under are free. Contact ELTC for information on other locations and for reservations.

The production of "Emma Goldman" would not be possible without season sponsors Curran Investment Management, Aleathea's Restaurant, La Mer Beachfront Inn, and funding received through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

To post a comment, you must register and login.