Denise Smolarek

I'm not done praising the people who worked on my recently staged play. Today is Denise Smolarek's turn.

I first met her when we were doing Little Women together. I was playing the father of the 4 girls. She was playing their aunt. She had great presence on stage, and a clear gift for comedy.

I made a point of inviting her to audition for the role of Yuliana, and I am very glad I did. The role requires a certain dashing glamor, combined with a very real motherliness, and Denise supplied both - all with a Russian accent that had many audience members wondering whether she really was Russian!

And somehow, despite the fact that her character's methods were more than a little manipulative, she always won the sympathy of the audience when she finally confessed to her main motivation.

Mother and glamorous spy,

her plight made the audience sigh.