Independent Arts News Reporting Emmy Award-Winning Actress Penny Fuller to Appear at Bucks County Playhouse for One-Night Event, “A Life in the Theater”
Reported on Friday, May 15, 2026
Pictured Above: Penny Fuller. Photo Credit: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA
From Bacall to Gyllenhaal, the stage legend brings six decades of stories to an intimate Bucks County Playhouse event on Sunday, May 17th
New Hope, PA – With more than six decades of acclaimed performances on stage and screen, Emmy Award–winning actress Penny Fuller has worked alongside some of the most iconic figures in American entertainment — from Glenn Close to Lauren Bacall, and from Robert Redford to Jake Gyllenhaal. Now, she brings those extraordinary experiences — and the stories behind them — to Bucks County Playhouse for a rare and intimate evening.
On Sunday, May 17, at 7 p.m., Fuller will join music director Bruce Barnes and Bucks County Playhouse Producing Director Alexander Fraser — a longtime friend — for “A Life in the Theater,” a one-night-only event in the Playhouse Barn. The evening will feature personal stories, reflections and songs from Fuller’s remarkable, award-winning career.
With seating limited to just 60 guests, this exclusive event offers a unique opportunity to experience one of American theater’s most distinguished performers up close and in conversation.
“For all the inspiring cabaret acts I’ve seen, Penny Fuller’s at the top of the list,” says Producing Director Alexander Fraser. “She digs into songs with a piercing intelligence and a big sense of humor, befitting a serious actress whose career started with Shakespeare and Shaw and morphed into her becoming one of the great Broadway stars of the swinging 1960s. She worked with the greats: I became life-long friends twenty years ago with her and her music director Bruce Barnes… and now’s my chance to coax out some stories about working with the greats… Richard Rodgers, Charles Strouse, Neil Simon, Stephen Sondheim… and perform songs that have made Penny an indelible part of the American theater.”
“Well Alex has been after me to perform at the Playhouse for the last ten years, and here we are,” says Penny Fuller. “I have no idea what he’s going to ask me… but it’ll be a roller coaster ride to be sure!”
Tickets are $95 and include a drink from the bar, light fare, and an evening of storytelling and song. Tickets are available by calling the Bucks County Playhouse box office at 215-862-2121 or visiting BucksCountyPlayhouse.org.
Penny Fuller is an Emmy Award–winning actress whose distinguished career spans more than six decades across Broadway, television and film. A consummate performer equally at home in leading roles and complex character work, she has received six Emmy Award nominations, winning in 1982 for “The Elephant Man,” and two Tony Award nominations for her work on Broadway.
Trained at Northwestern University under legendary acting teacher Alvina Krause, Fuller quickly established herself as a formidable stage presence in New York. She gained early recognition stepping into major roles on Broadway, replacing Elizabeth Ashley opposite Robert Redford in “Barefoot in the Park” and succeeding Jill Haworth as Sally Bowles in the original production of “Cabaret.”
Her breakthrough came in 1970 when she starred as Eve Harrington in “Applause,” the musical adaptation of “All About Eve,” earning a Tony Award nomination for her performance opposite Lauren Bacall. Fuller held her own in one of Broadway’s most iconic rivalries, establishing herself as a leading actress of formidable intelligence and presence.
Over the years, Fuller has collaborated with some of the most celebrated artists in American theater. She appeared alongside a young Glenn Close in the musical “Rex,” and later returned to Broadway in Neil Simon’s “The Dinner Party,” earning her second Tony nomination while starring opposite Henry Winkler, John Ritter and Len Cariou. More recently, she appeared in the Broadway revival of “Sunday in the Park with George,” sharing the stage with Jake Gyllenhaal.
Beyond the stage, Fuller has built an extensive career in film and television, frequently appearing alongside major Hollywood talent. She is widely recognized for her role in the Oscar-winning “All the President’s Men,” starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, and for her comedic turn in “The Beverly Hillbillies” opposite Cloris Leachman. Her television work includes “China Beach,” “Mad About You” (as Helen Hunt’s mother), “NYPD Blue” and “ER,” where her guest appearances — alongside actors such as George Clooney and Dennis Franz — earned multiple Emmy nominations.
Fuller’s Emmy-winning performance in “The Elephant Man” remains one of her most celebrated achievements, a testament to her depth and emotional precision as an actress. With a career defined by versatility, longevity and collaborations with some of the most iconic names in American entertainment, she remains a revered figure in the performing arts.
About Bucks County Playhouse
Bucks County Playhouse, whose theatrical legacy dates to its founding in 1939 by a roster of Broadway luminaries, celebrates the 13th anniversary of its 2012 reopening and restoration. Welcoming more than 80,000 patrons annually, the Playhouse continues to help drive the economic resurgence of New Hope and the surrounding region. In 2014, Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman and Josh Fiedler assumed leadership of the Playhouse, guiding its artistic revitalization and helping it reclaim its reputation for attracting top Broadway and Hollywood talent. Productions of “Company,” starring Justin Guarini, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were named to The Wall Street Journal’s Best of Theatre list in 2015. In 2018, the Journal again recognized the Playhouse — and artistic associate Hunter Foster — for its acclaimed production of “42nd Street.” The following year, the publication hailed Bucks County Playhouse as “one of the best regional theaters on the East Coast.” Box office records have been repeatedly broken by signature productions including “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” “Steel Magnolias” (directed by Marsha Mason), “Million Dollar Quartet,” “42nd Street” and “Guys and Dolls” (all directed by Foster), as well as “Mamma Mia!” (directed by artistic associate John Tartaglia and choreographed by Shannon Lewis).
A brief pause during the COVID-19 pandemic did not diminish the theater’s momentum. The Playhouse continued producing onstage and onscreen throughout 2020, culminating in a live summer season in 2021 that welcomed an increasing number of first-time patrons. The 2023 season featured notable productions including Jonathan Larson’s “Tick, Tick … Boom!” (directed by artistic associate Eric Rosen, who returned in 2024 to helm the audience and critics’ favorite “Anastasia: The Musical”), “The Bridges of Madison County,” directed by Foster, and “The Rocky Horror Show,” starring Frankie Grande. Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” became the highest-grossing show in Playhouse history, a record eclipsed by a new production of “Elf: The Musical” in 2025. In both 2024 and 2025, more than 40% of the Playhouse audience consisted of first-time attendees, drawn to record-breaking productions including “Elf: The Musical,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Grease!” and “Anastasia: The Musical.” The Playhouse continues to attract top creative teams — artists who relish the opportunity to work on the historic stage where Grace Kelly, Robert Redford and Jessica Walter began their careers.
