Emmy Award-Winning Actress To Perform At Bucks County Playhouse

NEW HOPE, PA — With more than six decades of acclaimed performances on stage and screen, Emmy Award–winning actress Penny Fuller has worked alongside some of the most iconic figures in American entertainment — from Glenn Close to Lauren Bacall, and from Robert Redford to Jake Gyllenhaal. Now, she brings those extraordinary experiences — and the stories behind them — to Bucks County Playhouse for a rare and intimate evening.

On Sunday, May 17, at 7 p.m., Fuller will join music director Bruce Barnes and Bucks County Playhouse Producing Director Alexander Fraser — a longtime friend — for “A Life in the Theater,” a one-night-only event in the Playhouse Barn. The evening will feature personal stories, reflections and songs from Fuller’s remarkable, award-winning career.

With seating limited to just 60 guests, this exclusive event offers a unique opportunity to experience one of American theater’s most distinguished performers up close and in conversation.

“For all the inspiring cabaret acts I’ve seen, Penny Fuller’s at the top of the list,” says Producing Director Alexander Fraser. “She digs into songs with a piercing intelligence and a big sense of humor, befitting a serious actress whose career started with Shakespeare and Shaw and morphed into her becoming one of the great Broadway stars of the swinging 1960s. She worked with the greats: I became life-long friends twenty years ago with her and her music director Bruce Barnes… and now’s my chance to coax out some stories about working with the greats… Richard Rodgers, Charles Strouse, Neil Simon, Stephen Sondheim… and perform songs that have made Penny an indelible part of the American theater.”

“Well, Alex has been after me to perform at the Playhouse for the last ten years, and here we are,” says Penny Fuller. “I have no idea what he’s going to ask me… but it’ll be a roller coaster ride to be sure!”

Tickets are $95 and include a drink from the bar, light fare, and an evening of storytelling and song. Tickets are available by calling the Bucks County Playhouse box office at 215-862-2121 or visiting BucksCountyPlayhouse.org.

Fuller is an Emmy Award–winning actress whose distinguished career spans more than six decades across Broadway, television and film. A consummate performer equally at home in leading roles and complex character work, she has received six Emmy Award nominations, winning in 1982 for “The Elephant Man,” and two Tony Award nominations for her work on Broadway.

Trained at Northwestern University under legendary acting teacher Alvina Krause, Fuller quickly established herself as a formidable stage presence in New York. She gained early recognition stepping into major roles on Broadway, replacing Elizabeth Ashley opposite Robert Redford in “Barefoot in the Park” and succeeding Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles in the original production of “Cabaret.”

Her breakthrough came in 1970 when she starred as Eve Harrington in “Applause,” the musical adaptation of “All About Eve,” earning a Tony Award nomination for her performance opposite Lauren Bacall. Fuller held her own in one of Broadway’s most iconic rivalries, establishing herself as a leading actress of formidable intelligence and presence.

Over the years, Fuller has collaborated with some of the most celebrated artists in American theater. She appeared alongside a young Glenn Close in the musical “Rex,” and later returned to Broadway in Neil Simon’s “The Dinner Party,” earning her second Tony nomination while starring opposite Henry Winkler, John Ritter and Len Cariou. More recently, she appeared in the Broadway revival of “Sunday in the Park with George,” sharing the stage with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Beyond the stage, Fuller has built an extensive career in film and television, frequently appearing alongside major Hollywood talent. She is widely recognized for her role in the Oscar-winning “All the President’s Men,” starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, and for her comedic turn in “The Beverly Hillbillies” opposite Cloris Leachman. Her television work includes “China Beach,” “Mad About You” (as Helen Hunt’s mother), “NYPD Blue” and “ER,” where her guest appearances — alongside actors such as George Clooney and Dennis Franz — earned multiple Emmy nominations.

Fuller’s Emmy-winning performance in “The Elephant Man” remains one of her most celebrated achievements, a testament to her depth and emotional precision as an actress. With a career defined by versatility, longevity and collaborations with some of the most iconic names in American entertainment, she remains a revered figure in the performing arts.