Priscilla Allen; Grande dame of San Diego theater, 70
ZapRatz
By Blanca Gonzalez
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 21, 2008
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/obituaries/20080821-9999-1m21allen.html
When Priscilla Allen entered a stage, she owned it. And not just
because of her 6-foot height.
Known as the grande dame of local theater, Mrs. Allen was a popular
fixture on the San Diego stage for more than 40 years. She appeared at
the San Diego Repertory Theatre, the Old Globe Theatre, Starlight
Musical Theatre, Vantage Theatre and other local theaters.
Generations of drama students learned from her at San Diego schools
and San Diego Mesa College, while moviegoers knew her for a role in
the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Total Recall.”
Mrs. Allen died Aug. 14 at her La Jolla home after a battle with
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was 70.
Mrs. Allen was theatrical royalty in San Diego, friends and colleagues
said.
“She worked at every theater in town. When she came onstage, you
couldn't take your eyes off her,” said longtime friend D.J. Sullivan,
a local acting coach, director and actress.
Mrs. Allen's versatility and talent made her a beloved and
well-respected actress, friend and colleague Ole Kittleson said.
Onstage, Mrs. Allen's roles included Queen Elizabeth, Madame Arcati in
“Blithe Spirit,” Mrs. Peachum in “Threepenny Opera” and Big Mama in
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
In a 1998 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Mrs. Allen said
she was content to be the wacky neighbor or prison matron. “Let's face
it – we all want to be gorgeous,” she said. “But these wrinkles . . .
this face is what I'm selling.”
She made her big-screen debut in “Total Recall,” a 1990
science-fiction epic in which she played Schwarzenegger's character in
drag. She was known as the “exploding head” or the “Two Weeks Lady”
for her big scene when her character tries to clear customs on Mars
and keeps repeating the term “two weeks” until her disguise
self-destructs to reveal Schwarzenegger.
Mrs. Allen helped start the drama department at the San Diego School
of the Performing Arts and later transferred to Point Loma High
School.
Mrs. Allen was born July 19, 1938, in Buffalo, N.Y., to Lawrence and
Mildred Lawson. She grew up in La Jolla, graduated from La Jolla High
School in 1956 and began acting at what was then San Diego State
College. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from San Diego
State.
In 1963, she married Denis Allen, who shared her passion for the
theater. The couple spent a year in Los Angeles before returning to
San Diego, where he joined the police force. They performed in several
plays and musicals together until he was killed in the line of duty in
1977.
Mrs. Allen, who received numerous education and acting awards, is
survived by her daughters, Jennifer Allen of New York City, Hillary
Allen of San Diego and Meredith Christiansen of San Antonio, Texas;
and three grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held from noon to 2 p.m. today at the San
Diego Repertory Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza. Donations are suggested to
Project Wildlife at projectwildlife.org or to English Springer Rescue
America at springerrescue.org.
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