Helen Slayton-Hughes - Biography

Bachelor's in Drama from Syracuse University, 1951. In cast of "Richard III" with Peter Falk. Drama dept had a little summer stock company, the Oneida Castle Players, where she did plays with fellow student Jerry Stiller. In 1976 she also picked up a Master's in Communication Theory from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Very first gig after college was singing, mostly chorus, in the American Savoyards G&S repertory co. at the Jan Hus House in New York. There followed decades of community theater (also four children), non-union and waiver theater, adding up to over 200 plays, from east coast to Bay Area. Moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to pursue more TV and film. Added six grandchildren to family tally. As a side fun thing, writing musicals. Have been working with composer Dana Howell for past three years on "Limberlost" - based on naturalist Gene Stratton Porter's work. One version of the musical was chosen in 2013 to receive a staged reading at Fullerton College Playwrights' Festival. Since then half the songs have been thrown out and new ones written. A concert version of the latest version coming up in Glendale in October 2014.