For Goodman Theatre’s nomination, Associate Producer Steve Scott wrote, “In a community overflowing with actors of exceptional talent, Mary Beth Fisher is without peer. She brings a fierce intelligence, a meticulous craft, and an amazing emotional breadth and depth to each of her roles, and these qualities have made her a genuine treasure in the world of Chicago theater. Although she has appeared on virtually every stage in our city (and has worked with a whole fleet of regional and New York companies), much of her most distinctive work has been at Goodman Theatre, where she has shone in an astonishing variety of roles: the trashy sister in Marvin’s Room, a dizzy socialite in Heartbreak House, the uptight doctor in Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House, the beleaguered wife in Dinner with Friends. Her most celebrated work at the Goodman has come in her collaborations with playwright Rebecca Gilman; her unique blend of rueful irony, passionate intelligence, and emotional honesty led to indelible portrayals of the central heroines in the premiere productions of Spinning into Butter and Boy Gets Girl. Above all, Mary Beth is an ensemble player in the best sense of that term: a compassionate mentor for younger actors, an energetic and upbeat collaborator in the rehearsal room, and a consummate professional in every aspect of her work and her life. For all of us who have had the good fortune of working with and knowing Mary Beth, she is that rarity: a theater artist at the top of her game whose skill and artistry are matched by her offstage generosity and great good spirit. She brings honor and honesty to every endeavor with which she is associated, and we are thrilled to count her among our family of artists.”
Other inaugural LUNT-FONTANNE FELLOWS include: Suzanne Bouchard, Seattle Repertory Theatre (Seattle); Dan Donohue: Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland); Lee Ernst: Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Milwaukee); Jon Gentry: Arizona Theatre Company (Phoenix and Tucson); Donald Griffin: ALLIANCE THEATRE (Atlanta); Francis Guinan: Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago); Naomi Jacobson: Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.); Kim Staunton: Denver Center Theatre Company (Denver); Todd Waite: Alley Theatre (Houston); and Jack Willis: American Conservatory Theatre (San Francisco).
About Ten Chimneys Foundation
Ten Chimneys is the home and retreat of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, widely considered the greatest acting couple in American theatre history. (The estate is fully restored to its original glory. With all of its contents and personal mementos in place, it looks just as it did in the 1930s and ‘40s, when friends like Helen Hayes, Noël Coward, Katherine Hepburn, and countless others visited the Lunts summer after summer.) For much of the 20th century, Ten Chimneys was the center of the theatrical universe – an important place for the luckiest of artists to retreat, rejuvenate, and collaborate. The Lunts were known for their dedication to the “next generation” of actors. They reveled in mentoring young actors. Legends such as Laurence Olivier, Uta Hagen, Montgomery Clift, and Julie Harris proudly considered themselves protégés of the Lunts. The Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program continues that tradition of mentorship – as Ten Chimneys reassumes its historic role as a powerful resource and inspiration for American theatre.
