Dolores Sutton (born Dolores Lila Silverstein, February 4, 1927 – May 11, 2009) was an American actress, writer and playwright. Her career spanned seven decades and encompassed television, stage and movie roles.
Early years Born in New York City to Benjamin and Mary Silverstein, Sutton graduated from New York University in 1948 with a B.A. in philosophy.
Career In 1960, playwright Sophie Treadwell selected Sutton for the female lead in a revival of her play, Machinal after having seen the actress perform on television.
While working on her master's degree, Sutton wrote a radio script (Siblings), sold it to NBC, and landed the voice role. This started her career as an actress and writer.
As an actress, Sutton worked in experimental theater and was a star with the National Repertory Company. Her Broadway credits included Rhinoceros (1961), General Seeger (1962), and My Fair Lady (1993).
Sutton's work as a playwright included adapting Thomas Wolfe's The Web and the Rock for the stage. Critic John Simon's review of a production of the play in New York magazine included the comment, "Most of the novel's sweep, its period panorama, was gone; what was left was the churning, puerile poeticism." Sutton also had the lead in the play, leading another reviewer to write, "She is far better as an actress than as a writer."
Death Sutton died of cancer on May 11, 2009, at the Actor's Home in Englewood, New Jersey, aged 82.
Acting credits Stage Sutton played lead roles in three Broadway plays. 1960: Rhinoceros as Daisy 1961: General Seeger as The Woman 1994: My Fair Lady as Mrs. Higgins
Her Off-Broadway credits include leading roles in the following plays: 1956: The Man with the Golden Arm as Molly 1958: Career as Barbara Neilson 1960: Machinal as Helen Jones when she won the Vernon Rice Citation 1963: Brecht on Brecht 1969: To Be Young Gifted and Black in various roles 1972: The Web and the Rock as Esther (also the playwright) 1973: The Seagull as Irina Arkadina 1990: What's Wrong with This Picture as Bella
Film 1958: The Mugger 1963: Nine Miles to Noon as Julia Dimou 1966: The Trouble with Angels as Sister Rose Marie 1968: Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows as Sister Rose Marie 1986: Dream Lover (voice) 1988: Crossing Delancey as Aunt Miriam 1989: Crimes and Misdemeanors as Judah's Secretary 1990: Tales from the Darkside: The Movie as Amanda (segment "Cat From Hell")
Television 1963: Gunsmoke as Jenny Gant in “The Bad One” (S8:E20)
References
External links
Dolores Sutton papers, 1945-1996 and undated, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts LLA archive