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"I have an understanding of what
they went through," says Light, who
knew Detroit native Gilda Radner, a
victim of ovarian cancer (on opening
night, Light sent several of her floral
bouquets to the New York branch of
Gilda's Club, a wellness center for can-
cer patients). _
"I have a friend who had ovarian can-
cer and endured the same clinical trial as
Vivian Bearing, only my friend is still
alive," adds Light. "She gave me her
journal and it was an enormous help."
Light says her friend saw the play
and found it to be a transformational
experience. "She said the play could
have brought up all kinds of fears
about death and dying, but instead
its a powerful, [positive] experience."
Audiences, too, seem to find the
play inspirational. "On Tuesday
evenings following the performance,
we have talk-back, where the audience
participates in a question-and-answer
period with the cast and either a doc-
tor, nurse, psychologist or oncolo-
gist," explains Light.
"We get positive feedback, and
people generally say they feel uplifted.
Cancer patients and survivors find
themselves transported to another
place, remembering who they [really]
are is their soul — not their body.
And people who have lost family and
friends to cancer find closure."
The play makes Light feel closer to
cancer patients. "I always empathized,
but now I feel I am more profoundly
connected," says the actress. •
The role of Vivian is a departure
for Light. Other than her long run on
Who The Boss, some of her notable
lead performances include those in
made-for-TV movies. The one that
had the biggest impact on her was
The Ryan White Story, in which she
played the mother of the little boy
stricken with AIDS.
Light finds similarities between
Ryan White and Wt, in the sense
they both have a deep and lasting
effect, she says.
The Trenton, N.J.-born and raised
Light began her acting career imme-
diately after college. Following grad-
uation from Carnegie Mellon, she
worked with repertory companies in
Milwaukee and Seattle, touring in a
variety of productions. After 4 1/2
years, Light settled in New York and
landed a small part in A Doll 's House
on Broadway, starring Liv Ullman.
However, it wasn't until Light took
on the role of Karen Wolek on the
ABC soap One Life To Live that audi-
ences started to notice her talent.
"I almost didn't take the role of

Karen," recalls Light, who played
the part for five years and earned
two Daytime Emmy Awards. "I had
been in New York several years and
it was at that point I was thinking of
getting out of the business. I hadn't
worked for a while, and thought I
maybe ought to think about doing
something else.
"It was a time when I was re-evalu-
ating what I wanted to do. In fact,
[that's] one of the things I love most
about Judaism — that we are a
thoughtful people and we discuss and
think everything through.
"So I began to wonder, 'What am I
doing in this business? How can I
give back the gift that I have been
given?' I felt that most of what I had
been doing was really for my ego.
"The soap came along and it was
something that I never wanted to do,
but it was presented to me as a way to
reach people. And I guess I did," adds
Light, who went on to marry her
OLTL costar Robert Desiderio.
Judaism, Light goes on to say, has
always impacted her life. "There is
something very empowering in it for
me — I love it traditionally, cultural-
ly, religiously and spiritually," says the
actress, who observes the High
Holidays and didn't work this year on
Yom Kippur.
"Growing up, I was religious' but
not spiritual, but now I would say I
am less religious but more spiritual. I
have been studying Kabbala for the last
two years. I feel very proud to be
Jewish."
Light's off-Broadway run in Wt
will end in January, but she will be
joining the touring company and will
continue to play the lead role in
Washington, D.C., Miami, Boston
and San Francisco.
"I am so grateful to be in this bril-
liant play," she says. "It's demanding
and requires a lot of stamina, but it's
written so beautifully that it's a plea-
,
sure to do.'
Theatergoers across the country
who are able to catch Light's mesmer-
izing performance are in for a real
treat.

Wt plays at the Union Square
Theater, 100 E. 17th St., in New
York. Performances are Tuesday
through Saturday evenings at 8
p.m., with Wednesday, Saturday
and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.
$35-$49.50. For tickets, call
Ticketmaster, (212) 307-41001, or
the box office, (212) 505-0700.

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