Michael Thoma (m. 1951–1957; divorced) Joseph Patti (m. 1966-2014; his death)[citation needed]
Rosemary Prinz (born January 4, 1931)[1][2] is an American actress. She is known for playing the role of Penny Hughes on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (1956–1968, 1985, 1986–1987, 1998, 2000). She also played Amy on First Love (1954–1955), Amy Tyler on All My Children (1970), and Dr. Julie Franklin on How to Survive a Marriage (1974–1975) . She has performed in many theatrical productions. She appeared on Broadway in The Grey-Eyed People (1952), Tonight in Samarkand (1955), Three Men on a Horse (1969), The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971), and Tribute (1978). Prinz originated the role of M'Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias during its first production Off-Broadway in 1987.
In 1947, at age sixteen, Prinz made her professional acting debut in Dream Girl at the Craigsmoor Summer Theatre.[3] Her father gave her permission to finish high school early.[4] She was cast in a touring production of Joan of Lorraine, co-starring with Diana Barrymore.[4][3] She later joined touring productions of Kiss and Tell, Glad Tidings, and The Second Man.[3] In 1948, she starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina.[5]
She made her Broadway debut as First Girl Scout in the original production of The Grey-Eyed People, opening on December 17, 1952 at the Martin Beck Theatre.[6] Prinz played Amy on the NBC soap opera First Love from 1954 to 1955.[3] She guest starred on The Mickey Rooney Show.[3] She appeared as Pandore in the original Broadway production of Tonight in Samarkand. The play opened at the Morosco Theatre on February 16, 1955.[7]
1956-1968: As the World Turns
She was cast in the contract role of Penny Hughes on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, appearing in the show's first episode on April 2, 1956.[8][9] In the beginning, the show taped a half-hour episode live every day.[10] The character of Penny was paired romantically with Jeff Baker (Mark Rydell). They were daytime's first teen romance, breaking up and reuniting many times. The couple finally married and planned to adopt a child. Their storyline ended when Jeff was killed in a car crash and Penny suffered from amnesia.[11][8]
Prinz as Penny Hughes on As the World Turns, 1958.
Prinz sparred with Irna Phillips, the creator and writer of As the World Turns.[12] She has said that Phillips would become angry when she took roles in theatrical productions. She also didn't want her to smoke or drink, because it was something that Penny wouldn't do. Prinz has said, "I was supposed to be Penny all the time."[10]
After the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, ATWT was preempted by news coverage for four days. When the show began airing again, Prinz asked if she could make a reference to it on the air. She was told not to, but she improvised a line anyway, saying "Grandpa, here we are talking about Tommy, and after all the country's been through for the last four days."[10]
From December 1967 to January 1968, Prinz starred in A Girl Could Get Lucky at The Little Theatre on the Square.[13] The stress of working on ATWT and the conflicts with Irna Phillips caused her to have a nervous breakdown.[12] She sought help from a psychoanalyst and decided to leave the show when her contract ended in 1968. Phillips' last revenge on her was to have the character of Penny steal her brother's child and go to England.[10] The role was briefly recast with actress Phoebe Dorin.[8]
1968-1982: All My Children
From 1968 to 1969, Prinz played Ella in a touring production of The Apple Tree, co-starring with Tom Ewell.[14] She played Audrey Trowbridge in a Broadway revival of Three Men on a Horse. The play opened at the Lyceum Theatre on October 16, 1969.[15] She returned to television, playing Amy Tyler on the ABC soap opera All My Children. She was an original cast member on the show, which premiered in January 1970. The character was a liberal peace activist.[16] Prinz only agreed to play the role for six months, on the condition that the show's creator, Agnes Nixon, have the character protest the Vietnam War and support Martin Luther King Jr.[4]
In September 1983, she starred as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.[27] Throughout her career, Prinz has starred in five productions of The Glass Menagerie, including one in Japan.[3] She returned to As the World Turns for a brief appearance in 1985. She then returned for a longer stint, airing from March 29, 1986 until April 1987.[8]
In the Fall of 1989, she co-starred with Ted Lange in a national tour of Driving Miss Daisy.[31] In April 1990, she played Evelyn in Tales of the Lost Formicans at New York's Apple Corps Theater.[32] Prinz starred in A Perfect Ganesh at Connecticut's TheaterWorks in October and November 1995.[33]
She played Virginia in Three Viewings at TheaterWorks in June 1996.[34] In October 1996, she appeared in Avow at New Jersey's George Street Playhouse.[35] In December 1996 and January 1997, Prinz played Evelyn in On Deaf Ears at the Martin R. Kaufman Theater in New York.[36] She starred as Lola in The Model Apartment at the La Jolla Playhouse in July 1997.[37] In October 1997, she starred as Agnes in A Delicate Balance at Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk, Virginia.[38]
1998-2005: Theater
Prinz starred in Last Lists of My Mad Mother at Connecticut's TheaterWorks in January and February 1998.[39] In June 1998, Prinz co-starred with Jon Farris in Love Letters at TheaterWorks.[40] She played Maria Callas in Master Class at Portland Stage Company in August and September 1998.[41] She returned to As the World Turns for a few episodes in August 1998.[8]
She played Maria Callas in Master Class at Connecticut's TheaterWorks in January 2000 and at Florida's Coconut Grove Playhouse in October 2000.[42][43] Prinz made her film debut in the romantic drama A Wedding for Bella (also titled The Bread, My Sweet), co-starring with Scott Baio.[44] She returned to As the World Turns again on December 26, 2000, making her last appearance before the show's cancellation in 2009.[8]
In September 2001, Prinz co-starred with Mia Dillon in Concertina's Rainbow for Connecticut's Fairfield Theatre Company. Performances began soon after the September 11 attacks.[45][46] From July to August 2002, she co-starred with Laurie Metcalf in Purple Heart for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.[47] Prinz starred in Driving Miss Daisy at the Pittsburgh Public Theater in November 2002.[48] In March 2003, she played the title role in Killing Louise at New York's CAP21 Theatre.[49] In February 2005, she starred as Kimberly Levaco in Kimberly Akimbo at Connecticut's TheaterWorks.[50]
2006-present
From February to April 2006, Prinz starred in Under the Bed for the Caldwell Theatre Company in Florida.[51] In November 2006, she performed in Romania. Kiss Me!, a collection of six short plays from Romania, at New York's 59E59 Theaters.[52] From August to October 2007, she starred in Driving Miss Daisy at TheaterWorks in Connecticut.[53] She starred in Voices of Swords at Off-Broadway's Urban Stages in June 2008.[54]
Prinz was married to actor Michael Thoma from 1951–57. (Thoma died in 1982 at the age of 55.) Her second marriage, to jazz drummer Joseph Patti in 1966, ended only upon his death from natural causes in 2014.[citation needed] A lifelong New Yorker, she is a resident of the Upper West Side.[1]
