Jane Lawrence Smith (February 3, 1915 – August 5, 2005), born Jane Brotherton, was an American actress and opera singer who was part of the New York art scene beginning in the 1950s.[1]
Jane Lawrence | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jane Brotherton February 3, 1915 |
| Died | August 5, 2005 (aged 90) |
| Occupation(s) | Stage, film actress |
| Spouse | Tony Smith |
| Children | 3, including Kiki Smith and Seton Smith |
Life and work
editJane Brotherton was born in Bozeman, Montana, and grew up in Mount Vernon, Washington.[1][2] Her father was Lawrence Langham Brotherton, a founder of the Bozeman Canning Company.[2] She attended Mount Vernon High School[3] and the University of Washington School of Drama.[2]
In 1943 she, created the small role of Gertie in Oklahoma! on Broadway. The same year, she married Tony Smith, an architect who later achieved fame as a minimalist sculptor.[1] Her close friend Tennessee Williams was best man at her wedding. The Smiths became the parents of three daughters, Kiki Smith, Seton Smith and Beatrice (Bebe) Smith Robinson.
She performed the lead role in the no wave opera XS: The Opera Opus (1984-6) that was created by composer Rhys Chatham and artist Joseph Nechvatal.[4][1][5]
Her only film role was that of Clementine Brown in Sailor's Holiday (1944) opposite Arthur Lake and Shelley Winters and in which she was credited as June Lawrence.[1]
She died at age of 90 on August 5, 2005, at her home in Greenwich Village, NY.[1]
Broadway appearances
edit- Oklahoma! (1943) as Gertie Cummings (opening night cast)
- Inside U.S.A. (1948) in multiple roles (opening night cast)
- Where's Charley? (1948) as Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez (opening night cast)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Roberta (August 22, 2005). "Jane Lawrence Smith, 90, Actress Associated With 1950's Art Scene, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Jane Lawrence, Movie Actress, is From Bozeman". The Bozeman Courier. February 11, 1944. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Skagit Girl Wins — Jane Brotherton Second in Posture Contest". The Bellingham Herald. February 18, 1929. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
Miss Jane Brotherton, Mount Vernon high school girl...
- ^ Willoughby Sharp, "Joseph Nechvatal, Machine Language Books, 1984. pp. 52-55.
- ^ Pollock, Jackson. "Number 7." http://www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
External links
edit- Jane Lawrence at IMDb
- Jane Lawrence at the Internet Broadway Database
- [1] mp3 of "murmuring tOngue Of Ovid" (20:53) Jane Lawrence Smith reading from Ovid's poem Metamorphosis' in 1985 as part of an audio art piece by Joseph Nechvatal on Ubuweb
