Golden Triangle
"It's a comic Romeo and Juliet about
rifer/actress Renee Tay- she appeared with the national touring
two
warring catering families," Ms. Tay-
Annie
Get
Your
Gun,
Li'l
companies
of
lor learned she was preg-
lor
explained.
"The children fall in love,
Movie
Wish
You
Were
Here.
nant with her only child Abner and
and
the
families
try to thwart them.
The
Errand
Boy,
The
Last
credits
include
while she was starring in
Because
the
children
are so passionate,
White
Palace.
and
Lovers and Other of the Red Hot Lovers
there's
nothing
the
families
can do about
:t.;
Ms.
Taylor
and
her
husband
began
their
27
years
ago
at
Strangers
it.
personal
and
professional
collaboration
the Fisher Theatre,
"Of course, it has a happy ending since
where she currently has one of three lead- more than 30 years ago, after meeting
it's
a comedy."
through
the
manager
who
represented
ing roles in Bermuda Avenue Triangle.
As
strictly a writing team, Ms. Taylor
both
of
them.
"Maybe n1 find out Pm pregnant again,"
and Mr. Bologna (a supporting actor in the
"Our
manager
told
me,
Tm
going
to
in-
joked the 60-year-old comedienne, who
Chapter Two, Blame It on Rio and
wrote and has acted in both plays with her troduce you to someone you're going to films
Honor
Thy Father) split their work time
have
a
comic
rapport
with,'
and
I
did,"
re-
husband, Joseph Bologna.
between homes in California and New
called
the
humorist,
a
frequent
talk-show
Bermuda
Avenue
Tri-
Rounding out the
Jersey.
angle cast, in town through June 25, is guest dating back to the Jack Paar years.
"I like to work in the morning, and my
"We
were
married
six
months
later.
Beatrice Arthur, twice an Emmy winner
husband likes to work in the afternoon,"
"Fora
great
part
of
my
life,
I
was
a
suf-
for her TV roles in the sitcoms "Maude"
ferer and a very unhappy person, so what Ms. Taylor said. "We divide up. Sometimes
and "The Golden Girls."
The newly written comedy follows the impressed me about my husband was we work during the day, and sometimes
work at night.
experiences of two widows as they share what a happy person he was and how he we "There's
a lot of trust between Joe and
could
get
joy
from
looking
at
a
sunset
and
a Florida condo as well as affections for
me. People need to trust and love each
the
other
basic
things
in
life.
the same man, who draws the lines of the
"I got married in a Catholic church be-
triangle shaping their relationship.
cause
my husband's family would not have
"My character starts out by being very
depressed, feeling abandoned and going come to the wedding if a priest did not
away to begin a new life against her will," marry us. Ever since
then, we've been getting Renee Taylor in
married by a rabbi. We Bermuda Avenue
renewed our vows when Triangle.
we were married 10
said Ms. Taylor, who juggles stage per- years, 20 years and 25 years, and we had
formances around her continuing role as a rabbi do it for us.
"For our 30th anniversary, we're going
Fran Drescher's mother in the television
to
have a party in California to raise
series "The Nanny."
"During the course of the play, there's money for temple scholarships. The tem-
a total transformation, and she learns how ple is going to invite 1,000 people."
The couple's son, Gabriel, also a writer
to have fun, love herself and appreciate
and
actor, was raised as a Jew. He had a
her talents.
"Bea Arthur plays a woman who is bar mitzvah and continues to feel a strong
angry all the time. The part needs some- tie to Judaism. Although he saw to it that
one who's both angry and lovable, and his own recently born son was given an
when I think of somebody like that, I think Italian name, he also saw to it that there
was a bris.
of Bea Arthur."
"My husband and I are interested in
Ms. Taylor, a graduate of the Academy
of Dramatic Arts in New York, studied writing about our lives, the world around
with Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. While us and the people we love," Ms. Taylor
writing and performing in the off- said. "I think we have a higher purpose in
Broadway review The Third Ear, she was our marriage, and it has to do with com-
spotted by director Mike Nichols, who cast edy. We see ourselves as being funny.
"We're interested in psychology and
her in the comedy hit Lu v.
After going on to other Broadway roles, study people because we're writing about
them. I'm very interested in metaphysics
and the New Age. I meditate and listen to
spiritual tapes."
While the two are on tour, the play con-
sumes most of their time.
"We're still shaping it," the entertainer
said. "We keep making little changes in it
every night in front of the audience, and
the audience really writes it with us. When
we hear laughter in recognition, rather
than just laughter because a joke is funny,
it tells us about the play and helps
SUZANNE CHESSLER
formulate it."
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
The couple has a new movie coming out
in September — Oh No, Not Her. In it they
share an additional responsibility — the
job of director.
N:N1
-‘
,
Being happy on stage.
Renee Taylor
returns to the Fisher
for a romantic comedy.
other more when they do comedy because
they can't write comedy if they're angry or
hurt and they can't go on stage if they're
angry. All of it has to come out of joy and
happiness and love.
`The happiest time in my career is right
now. When I was very young, I wanted to
be a movie star and very glamorous. When
I got older, I wanted to inspire people and
be inspired myself.
"When I didn't get parts for superficial
reasons — not being pretty enough — it
was very hurtful. When I got older, I just
tried to have fun. More things seem to
come when people are that way."
❑
Bermuda, Avenue Triangle will be at the
Fisher Theatre through June 25. Perfor-
mances are at 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays,
7:30 p.m. Sundays and 2 p.m. Saturdays
and Sundays. For information, call (313)
872-1000, Ext. 0.