Loretta Swit: actor, artist and activist

…and she’s coming to Forestburgh Playhouse

By Jonathan Fox

FORESTBURGH, NY — While visiting with Loretta Swit last week, I learned more about her than the average fan has time to absorb. Perhaps best known for her 11-year stint as TV’s Margaret “Hot Lips” Hoolihan on “M*A*S*H,” for which she won two Emmy awards (and six nominations) as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a comedy series, Swit was very busy long before she came to national attention on the multiple-award-winning series.

The daughter of Polish immigrants, Swit first performed at the age of 7, playing “The Snow Queen” in a dance recital in her home town of Passaic, NJ. Then and there, she decided to make the theatre her life, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and subsequently spending several years at the Gene Frankel Repertory Company.

Swit grabbed the attention of larger audiences, amid rave reviews, while performing the role of mousy stenographer Agnes Gooch in a Las Vegas production of “Mame” opposite Susan Hayward. Prior to landing the coveted role of Major Houlihan, she garnered praise for her offbeat interpretations of various guest-starring characterizations in a variety of television appearances on shows such as “Gunsmoke,” “Mission:Impossible” and ‘Mannix.”

After her tremendously successful run with “M*A*S*H,” Swit easily could have rested on her laurels, but admittedly she “lives to work” and is happiest when performing. Often as not, she has chosen work on the stage over television. In 1989, Swit received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1990 won the coveted Sarah Siddens award for her performance in director Nash’s Chicago production of “Shirley Valentine,” with which she has since toured all over the world.

Today, the actress is busier than ever. Just before making her way to the Catskills, Swit completed a highly successful run with director Ron Nash in a Theatre At Sea cruise with Leslie Uggums and Suzannah York starring in “42nd Street,” selling out the 6,000-seat theatre nightly.

When asked how she found her way to the Forestburgh Playhouse (FBP), Swit explained her love affair with the playhouse, director Nash and artistic director Norman Duttweiler. “Ron and I met through “Shirley Valentine,’” she said, “and he invited me up to the theatre to see what was happening in the Catskills. When I saw what they were doing, I couldn’t believe it. The work they do here is so amazing.”

She immediately became a fan, for what has turned out to be a long-term relationship. “I’ve been coming up here for so long, I feel like a subscriber. I’m not just a friend—I love this theatre.”

When asked about her commitment to perform the starring role in “Doubt” (premiering at the FBP for three performances (August 1 through 6) Swit said, “In light of the film opening, the subject of the original play came up during a fundraiser, and I told Ron how much I admired the writing and the compelling role, along with the subject matter. After all, ‘Doubt’ is about just that: doubt. It’s not just about the Catholic church, but also the human condition, and therefore a universal theme which everyone can relate to.”

It didn’t take Nash long to consult with Duttweiller, and the two jumped at the chance to invite Swit to grace the playhouse with her talent. After much schedule adjustment and a strong desire to return to the playhouse (she has appeared here several times over the years), Swit managed to find a window of opportunity in her incredibly busy schedule.

“It’s a plum role,” she declared over tea between rehearsals. “It is not just about the hierarchy of the church. It’s about a chain of discipline and such a meaty role, since it addresses so many issues, mainly about how we, as human beings, communicate—and without communication, where are we?” she asked.

Along with being in high demand for performing, Swit designs jewelry, paints in watercolors and devotes much time and energy to multiple campaigns as an activist for animal rights. Following her performances at the FBP, she will participate in a book signing event on September 12 at Barnes and Noble Bookstore on 66th and Broadway in New York City.

For a rare opportunity to see Loretta Swit live on stage in our own backyard, call the theatre at 845/794-1194 for reservations. I already have my seat secured and wouldn’t miss it for the world. Be sure to make reservations for the cabaret following the show. (Swit is busy working on her own cabaret show and (secretly) told me she may debut it at the playhouse.) Now that is something to look forward to.