Pamela Gaye Walker

Pamela Gaye Walker

Walker backstage, preparing to play Georgia O'Keeffe. Photo credit: Bader Howar

Pamela Gaye Walker is an American actress, writer, director, and producer for film and theatre. She is a member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA), and Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (SAG-AFTRA).[1] She is the founder and President of Ghost Ranch Productions.[2] She is known for Shakti's Retreat (2013)[3] and Trifles (2009).[2]

Walker is married to the actor and stage/film producer John Walker. Professionally, John and Pamela starred together in over twenty shows at The Peninsula Players Theatre in Door County, Wisconsin.[4] Her marriage proposal took place onstage there, after the opening night performance of Children of a Lesser God.[5]

In Chicago, Walker worked and taught acting at Victory Gardens Theater, where she played Georgie in Theresa Rebeck's Spike Heels and the Chicago Tribune's review said, "she's a sharp, funny, delightful comic actress, and she anchors the production in warmth, grace, spontaneity and beauty."[6] She was also in Murder in Green Meadows by Doug Post, and Claudia Allen's Hannah Free, which garnered her the Actress of the Year Award from the Academy of Theatre Artists and Friends. Walker also received a nomination by the Joseph Jefferson Award committee for Outstanding Achievement by a Principal Actress in a Play for her work in Sea Marks at The Royal George Theater.[7]

One of her most highly acclaimed roles was as Georgia O'Keeffe in the two-person play, Alfred Stieglitz Loves O'Keeffe, based on the volatile love and artistic relationship between painter Georgia O'Keeffe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz.[8]

Critical reviews of Walker's work include:

Backstage: "Walker beautifully conveys O’Keeffe’s inner turmoil, self-centeredness and eroticism...volatile, sensuous, playful, withholding and insecure..."[9]
Pasadena Weekly: "Walker and Ortlieb bring the lovers to life. Alone, each performer is formidable. Together, the play leaps off the stage and into the stratosphere."[10]

Walker worked as an actor with Theatreworks in Donald Margulies' Brooklyn Boy,[11] at the Magic Theatre in Theresa Rebeck's world premiere of What We're Up Against,[12] and in two plays for the Aurora Theatre – Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman[13] and Amy Herzog's After the Revolution.[14] Most recently, in May 2015, Pamela starred with her husband, John, in the world premiere of Empty Nester by Garrett Jon Groenveld.[15][16]

Early life

Walker grew up in South Bend, Indiana; she has a twin sister (Patricia) and three older brothers. Her father suffered a stroke when Pamela and her sister were three years old.[17]

Career

Theatrical studies and early career

Finishing her undergraduate work at the University of Notre Dame, Walker majored in theatre, where she starred as Winnie in Samuel Beckett's two-character play Happy Days.[18] It was at Notre Dame that she met her future husband, fellow actor and eventual theatre and film producer John Walker. They performed together in Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, You Can't Take it with You, Fiddler on the Roof, Molière's Imaginary Invalid, Barefoot in the Park, Treasure Island, among other plays.[19]

After graduation, Walker trained in New York at Broadway's Circle In The Square Theatre Conservatory, where her teachers included Larry Moss (The Intent to Live), acting coach to Helen Hunt and Hilary Swank; Michael Kahn (The Acting Company); Jacqueline Brookes (Broadway actress); and Nikos Psacharopoulos (Artistic Director, Williamstown Theatre Festival).[20]

Theatre credits

Title Role Theatre Director
Empty Nesters Francis Playground, Thick House, SF Amy Glazer
After the Revolution Mel Aurora Theatre Joy Carlin
What We're Up Against Janice Magic Theatre, SF Loretta Greco
John Gabriel Borkman Mrs. Wilton Aurora Theatre Barbara Oliver
Hauptmann Mrs. Lindbergh Cherry Lane Theatre, NY Terry Mccabe
Buckets O' Beckett (w/ John Mohoney) Wife Mercury Theatre, Chicago Matt O'Brien
The Last Schwartz Bonnie Zephyr Theatre, L.A. Lee Sankowich
Brooklyn Boy Nina Theatreworks, Palo Alto, CA Joy Carlin
Alfred Stieglitz Loves O'Keeffe Georgia O'Keeffe Fremont Theatre, L.A. Mary-Pat Green
No. 11 (Blue and White) Suzanne Phoenix Theatre, S.F. Paul Draper
Hannah Free Rachel Victory Gardens, Chicago Sandy Shinner
Sea Marks Timothea The Royal George Peter Forster
Spike Heels Georgie Victory Gardens, Chicago Amy A. Field
The Good Times Are Killing Me Sharon Halsted Theatre, Chicago Arnold Aprill
Alfred Stiglitz Loves O'Keeffe Georgia O'Keeffe Players Theatre, Columbus Paul Draper
Sea Marks Timothea Peninsula Players Sabin Epstein
Great To See You Liza Theatre Neo, L.A. Mary-Pat Green
Murder In Green Meadows Joan Victory Gardens, Chicago Curt Columbus
South Pacific Janet/Nellie U.S. Drury Lane Theatre, Chicago Todd Booth
Clarence Cora Milwaukee Chamber Montgomery Davis
Happy Days Winnie Notre Dame, Guest Artist Julie Jenson
The Fancy Man Amy The Royal George Peter Forster
Sex In the Title Lola Theatre NEO, L.A. Mary-Pat Green
Children of a Lesser God Sarah Norman Peninsula Players Bob Thompson
The Jewish Wife Wife The Cypress Group, Chicago John Nicholson
Little Shop of Horrors Audrey Peninsula Players Bob Thompson
The Sea Mrs. Tilehouse The Cypress Group, Chicago John Nicholson
Biloxi Blues Daisy Peninsula Players Nancy Simon
Hurry, The Train is Leaving Barbara Theatre Geo, L.A. Mary-Pat Green
Juno And The Paycock Mary Peninsula Players Bob Thompson
The Early Male Years Cynthia Northlight Rep, Chicago Mary Monroe
The Importance of Being Earnest Gwendolyn Peninsula Players Carl Benson
Repeat With Madeline Madeleine Voltaire, Chicago Jim Mcdermott
A Life Mibs Peninsula Players Montgomery Davis
Coming Back Mother The Cypress Group, Chicago John Nicholson
The Middle Ages El Peninsula Players Montgomery Davis

Television and film credits

Title Role Year
Remember Me Dr. McInerney 2016
Shakti's Retreat Penelope 2013
Play by Play Mrs. Chisholm (Short) 2011
Seducing Charlie Barker Fiona 2010
Trifles (Short) Minnie Wright 2009
The Incredibles Additional Voices (voice) 2004
The Package (Short) The Mom 2004
Wooly Boys Starla 2001
Blueberry Pancakes (Short) Chris 2000
Saved by the Bell The New Class (TV Series) Matthew's Mom 1999
Last Rites (TV Movie) Sheila 1999
Mercury Rising Susan (uncredited) 1998

Awards and nominations

Category Award Theater Result
Actress of the Year Academy of Theatre Artists & Friends Chicago Theatre Won
Outstanding Achievement by a Principal Actress in a Play Joseph Jefferson Award Chicago Theatre Nominated
Rated "Best Actress, 2001" Reviewplays.com Alfred Stieglitz Loves O'Keeffe Los Angeles Theatre
Best Play Alfred Stieglitz Loves O'Keeffe Valley Theatre League Nominated
Artistic Director Achievement Awards Alfred Stieglitz Loves O'Keeffe Valley Theatre League Won

References

  1. "JE Talent, SF". JE Talent.
  2. 1 2 Carpentier, Martha C.; Jouve, Emeline (2015-10-09). On Susan Glaspell's Trifles and "A Jury of Her Peers": Centennial Essays, Interviews and Adaptations. McFarland. ISBN 9781476622064.
  3. "Shakti's Retreat | A Comic Thriller by Pamela Gaye Walker". shaktisretreat.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  4. "Peninsula Players". Peninsula Players.
  5. Chowenhill, Dennis. "Virago Theatre Notes". Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  6. "`Spike Heels' Trips In Bid To Get Laughs". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  7. "After the Revolution | Aurora Theatre". auroratheatre.org. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  8. "Pamela in Stieglitz Loves O'Keeffe | Pamela Gaye Walker". Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  9. "THE LAST SCHWARTZ". Backstage.com. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  10. "Theater: 'The Last Schwartz' gets the last laugh | Arts". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  11. "'Brooklyn Boy' makes good | August 4, 2006 | Mountain View Voice | Mountain View Online |". www.mv-voice.com. Retrieved 2006-08-04.
  12. "What We're Up Against". Variety. Retrieved 2015-02-14.
  13. "John Gabriel Borkman | Aurora Theatre". auroratheatre.org. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  14. "'After the Revolution' review: Heartbreaking". SFGate. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  15. "The Empty Nesters rings true at the Thick House". forallevents.info. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  16. Schiffman, Jean. "'Empty Nesters' never gets off the ground". The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
  17. "Celebrity makeover: home edition". KPCNews. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
  18. "A happy ending for Happy Days | Chad Jones' Theater Dogs". Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  19. "Archives of the University of Notre Dame :: Specialized Indexes :: Theatre Chronology". archives.nd.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
  20. "Outside Mullingar". Issuu. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
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