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A Day with Judi Dench |
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Click here to view more photos of Dame Judi from the ishakespeare.com website
Thanks to
Betty B. for bringing this to my attention
A Special Thank You to Ann C. (lady in blue above) for sharing these photos
Thanks to Ginny A. for sending these articles Click here to go to Ginny's account of her day with Dame Judi
A Special Thank You to Jane H, USA, (bottom
right with Dame Judi) New My Day With Dame Judi Dench By Website Visitor / Contributor, Ginny A, USA
Hi Friends,
After our "pick-me-up" and the unexpected sighting of Judi outside the
shop, Ann, Kathy and I said our good-byes to Jane H and her family, who
were not going to the cocktail party. The other gals from the MW/DJD
Chronology site had already gone their separate ways; and we would see
some of them again later at the gorgeous private home "The Oaks", owned
by Margaret and Fletcher Collins. The weather forecast for this day had
been a bit "iffy": A 20% chance of showers - possibly even thunder
showers. It had remained hot and sunny all day and stayed dry during most
of the cocktail party (which took place primarily outside on the beautiful
patio and flower-decked grounds). We were so fortunate!
A Special Thank You to Ginny A, USA, for sharing
this special experience with all of us Cocktails and Dinner with Judi By Website
Visitor / Contributor, Ann C, USA Jane did a good job telling about Judi at Blackfriars Playhouse. All that I can add, is that I gave her flowers outside the theater. She said thank you and that that was very sweet of me. She maintained her grace all day, despite being mobbed and continually being subjected to constant flashes from cameras. Her answer to the question of having her picture taken was, "Of course!" After the play, "The Importance of Being Earnest", she had a press conference. The next event was a cocktail party at the private home of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Collins called The Oaks. It was a lovely old home, built in the 1800's. A bar was set up on the patio of the back yard garden. As it was quite warm, most people, Judi included, gathered in the garden. This time, Judi was wearing black slacks, white top with a long black, long sleeved jacket. She wore a beautiful red print scarf over her left shoulder. I was told that a member of the actors troop had given it to her. I was told prior to the festivities, that 100 tickets would be sold for the cocktail party, and I think that Judi talked and /or posed with pictures with all of them. Again with grace and dignity. At one point, Judi had a small wardrobe mishap. Her jacket slipped off of her shoulder and she couldn't get her shoulder pad back in place. Sandy H. stepped in to Judi's rescue and fixed the offending shoulder pad. I asked if I might take a picture during this episode and Judi said yes. The look on Judi's face is priceless, and I can imagine all kinds of captions for it. Dinner was held in a small
restaurant called The Dining Room, which had been closed to the public for
the night. There were 6 large round tables set up with places for 9-10
people. Place cards on each table were named with movies or TV programs
that Judi and Michael did together. Judi did not mingle too much, but
conversed with her table. She was beginning to look tired by this
time. As she said later, in response to a toast made to her, she was
"flagged', and was it really 3:15 am in London? In her remarks, Judi said
how much the day had meant to her and you could tell how heartfelt she
was. During her remarks, someone called out, "Come back again", and Judi
said she hoped someone would yell that out. I did have a few minutes of
one on one with Judi, while we formed a queue (her words) for the ladies
room. The evening ended all too soon at 11:00 pm when Judi left without
fanfare. On the whole , it was a memorable day which I will always
treasure.
A Special Thank You to Ann C. for sharing
her experience with us My Visit with Dame Judi Dench By Website Visitor / Contributor, Jane H, MI, USA First of all there were three coincidental things that happened that I want to mention. When I called the Holiday Inn to make my reservation the man at the desk asked me "Do you want a room with a view?" I had to chuckle at that since Judi had made a movie by that name. Then when I picked up my tickets I was in row "H" which reminded me a of little anecdote Judi tells about her father saying "We're right here, Darling, in row H." Then after everything was all over and I was back in the hotel, I called the front desk to ask when the local paper would be delivered to the hotel and they said "Four in the Morning," another movie Judi made in 1965. I just thought these things a little funny. When I arrived on Friday evening, I met with Kathy from Salt Lake City, Utah and Ginny Arnold from Massachusetts. We had dinner and made our plans for the next day at Blackfriars Playhouse. It is very small and only holds 300 people but it is the only replica of the original Shakespeare theatre in existence. It is quite beautiful inside with carved wood. The seating is wooden benches with a removable backrest and cushions on the seats. I was in row H directly in front of the stage. We arrived early as we had arranged to meet some of the people from Chris's website and also some from the ATGB yahoo group. Ginny's daughter had made buttons for several people that had contacted her in advance. They had an I, and a heart, and then below a picture of Judi. They were quite nice and the picture was one of her best. We were all standing around waiting for them to let us in the lobby when a silver Volkswagen pulled up and people started getting out. My niece, Carol Lynn said, "That woman looks like Judi Dench." Of course it was and she walked up and started talking to the group when she noticed the buttons. "How lovely" she said. "Where did you get these?" Ginny told her that her daughter had made them and she said, "I love them." Ralph Cohen then said that she would be available inside for people to talk to so they approached the door. I was in a wheelchair near the door. Judi stopped and said hello and said, "You've got one too." Referring to the button. Then she said, "I'm very, very glad" in that lovely accent of hers and proceeded to go inside the building. After everyone was seated Mr. Cohen brought her on stage where she sat in one of four chairs. She was dressed in beige slacks and long linen looking jacket with the traditional scarf over her shoulder. She had a bottle of water, which she occasionally took a drink from. She looked beautiful and I was surprised at how tiny she is. I knew her height was only a little over five feet but her hands and her features were surprisingly small. I thought her face was bigger because in Mrs. Brown and Shakespeare In Love, her face looked larger. Mr. Cohen came to the podium and as a way of introduction; he told a story of how he and his family met Judi. Another gentleman spoke and revealed a picture of Michael with a dedication plaque attached to a beautiful hand carved frame. He said this would hang in the Playhouse. When Judi came up she was emotional and talked about how sad she was that she was here and Michael wasn't. She wiped a tear from her eye and continued talking about the Cohen's and how quickly they all became friends with her family. She quoted a line from the part of Cecily (which she played long ago) in the play The Importance of Being Earnest about being sad having to part from people she had just met. Then the troupe serenaded Judi with lines from Shakespeare and a fun song about beer and drinking. Judi laughed a lot at the song. She and Mr. Cohen were sitting on little stools on the side of the stage during this. After this there was an intermission while they set up for the play and Judi was downstairs signing autographs and visiting with fans. My sister Carol had her sign a book for me and then she asked Mr. Cohen what were the plans for Judi during the day. He said they would be upstairs during the next break and again downstairs. She explained that I was in a wheelchair and it was difficult for me to get to these places and he graciously said that Judi would come to me during the next break, which she did. Unfortunately I was unable to think clearly and didn't ask her all the things I wanted to but she is a very generous, gracious lady and I was blown away by the experience. I told her I had just seen Four In The Morning and she said, "That's going back a bit". She was there about 7 or 8 minutes and was also signing other pictures and programs that people were giving me to pass on to her. The play was very good and I thought the actors did a great job. A man played Lady Bracknell. Oh yes, when Judi was speaking she apologized for the movie so I guess she didn't like it much either. After the play a lady reporter from the local paper, the News Leader, came up and interviewed me for the article in the paper ( See the end of the article below ). All in all, it was a tremendous experience for me because I know I will probably never get this opportunity again. She doesn't come to the states that often and I will never get to London. There was a cocktail party and a dinner afterwards, which I did not attend, so someone else will have to report on that portion of the event. Jane Holland
A Special Thank You to Jane H, MI, USA for sharing her experience with us
Famed actress Judi Dench visits Blackfriars Playhouse British actors supported theater By Cindy Corell/staff
Vincent Lerz Dame Judi Dench speaks Saturday at a press conference while visiting the Blackfriars Playhouse. Behind the actress is a photograph of her late husband, Michael Willams. STAUNTON -- A 7-year-old name Kate Cohen started it all. In 1977, she accompanied her parents, Ralph and Judy Cohen, and siblings to a theater exhibit that British stage actress Judi Dench was co-hosting. The night before the family had seen Dench's performance in "Much Ado About Nothing." The actress who would one day win an Academy Award and be honored as a dame played the role of Beatrice. While the elder Cohens mumbled their appreciation of the actress' work, young Kate introduced herself and remarked that Dench was the "best Beatrice I've ever seen." Dench asked the young girl how many Beatrices she had in fact seen. "I've only seen three, but you're the best," Kate replied. Nearly 30 years later, Dench is more than repaying the compliment. Dench and her husband, renowned actor Michael Willams, and the Cohens became close friends after that first meeting, and the Cohens moved back to the U.S. where they both took jobs at James Madison University. When the English professor and theater buff co-founded Shenandoah Shakespeare, the couples had even more in common, and when Shenandoah Shakespeare evolved into the construction of the Blackfriars Playhouse, Dench and Williams signed on to help. Williams served on the advisory board and Dench became the honorary co-chair of the fund-raising effort. Williams passed away several months before the theater opened. On Saturday, he and Dench were honored at a tribute at the theater. Also attending was former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, a fan of Dench's work. "I shall never forget walking through this door about a half an hour ago," Dench said. "I think how lucky that Kate was so gracious to me about Beatrice. If she hadn't been, I wouldn't be here today." When a photo of her late husband was unveiled, framed in wood custom-made by Staunton resident Paul Borzelleca, she put a hand to her mouth and seconds later, beamed. Dench apologized for the emotion she showed on the stage. "It's sad that I'm here and Michael isn't here," she later told the crowd. Dench and Williams played the main roles in a BBC comedy "A Fine Romance," and worked together on other projects. But their first loves were always the stage. She called the Blackfriars exquisite and complimented those who had been a part of making it happen. "We did have this once in England, but we don't so much anymore," she said of the theater. "You are lucky." Dench fulfilled her duties in the fund-raising department during the day's events. Patrons paid $500 to attend the tribute, a matinee of "The Importance of Being Earnest," a reception and dinner at a downtown restaurant. The house was nearly filled for the occasion. At a press conference following, Dench said those who have given to the Blackfriars project should be proud. "Anyone would have their breath taken away," she said. "It's very seldom that you get workmanship like this. It's a very manageable space. You want to speak in it. You want to act in it." Dench won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in "Shakespare in Love." She's played a variety of roles, from Jean in the BBC program "As Time Goes By" to "M" in the James Bond flick, "Die Another Day." She will next be seen in "The Chronicles of Riddick" also starring Vin Diesel. Jane Holland from Detroit has -- and will continue to -- see them all if she can. She's one of several dozen Dench fans who drove to Staunton for the programs on Saturday. "I just think she's beautiful," Holland said.
Silver Screen Royalty Visits Queen City
WHSV.com News She won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in "Shakespeare in Love." And this weekend, she's visiting the Queen City. A standing ovation greeted Dame Judi Dench as she took the stage at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton Saturday afternoon. She was in town for "A Day with Judi Dench," which included a tribute to her late husband, actor Michael Williams. Dench and Williams joined the advisory board for Shenandoah Shakespeare in 1990, but this is her first visit to the Valley. "Walking into the theatre, I find that, I found that completely overwhelming," Dench said. "We don't get the chance to build theatres like this in England. We just don't do it. And so walking into it, just now, it took my breath away." Former U.S. Secretary of State Madelaine Albright was among those in the audience for the event, which also included a matinee performance of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." "This extra time that she's put into coming here means so much to us, and I think this is one of the great moments in the Blackfriars and in Shenandoah Shakespeare's history, and I'm just delighted she's here," said Shenandoah Shakespeare executive director Ralph Cohen, a longtime friend of Dench's. Dench will also be participating in Sunday's graduation ceremonies at Mary Baldwin College. She'll help grant the scholl's first Master of Fine Arts degrees. And she'll be receiving her own honorary degree - her first from an American school of higher learning.
Thanks to Kathe C, USA, for first bringing this event to my attention
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