Barbara Bryne ( Barbara Isabel Birkinshaw; 1 April 1929 – 2 May 2023) was a British-American actress of film, theatre, and television. On stage she appeared in comedy, dramatic, and musical productions of Broadway.
Early life and education Barbara Bryne was born Barbara Isabel Birkinshaw on 1 April 1929 in London, England.
She studied studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career Bryne moved to Canada in the early 1960s. She was a frequent performer at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Stratford, Ontario) from 1966, and at the Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis, Minnesota) for around 50 years."Christopher Plummer, Barbara Byrne [sic] and more join Guthrie's 50th Anniversary Gala"; accessed 6 August 2014.
Bryne appeared in the original Broadway productions of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George (as George's mother) and Into The Woods (as Jack's mother). She also performed in Sondheim's A Little Night Music in Washington, D.C. She was also a frequent performer at Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater. Among the plays in which she appeared there were Mother Courage, The Glass Menagerie, She Stoops to Conquer, Design for Living, and Pygmalion.
On television, she played "Mrs. Gaffney" on the Tony Randall series, Love, Sidney (1981–1983). In 2011 she appeared as Queen Victoria in H.M.S. Pinafore, which was filmed for PBS in late August 2011. Among the films in which she has appeared are: Romeo & Juliet (1993 TV film), Into the Woods (1991 TV film), Two Evil Eyes (1990; "The Black Cat" segment), Sunday in the Park with George (1986 TV film), Amadeus (1984), The Bostonians (1984), and The School for Scandal (1975 TV film).
Accolades In 1982, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Actress in a Drama for her role as "Kath" in the first American production of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr. Sloane (which starred Maxwell Caulfield in the title role).
Personal life and death Bryne married Dennis Spence in 1953. They remained married for 55 years until his death in 2018. Bryne died on 2 May 2023 in Minneapolis, at the age of 94.
Stage Year Title Role(s) Notes1966Henry VIMargery Jourdan1966Twelfth NightMaria1966King LearGoneril1967Richard IIIDuchess of York1967Locksmith's Wife, Korobkin's Wife1967Ensemble1968TartuffeMme. Pernelle1968Mme. Coquenard, Landlady of the Gilded Lily1968Puck1981CymbelineThe Queen1981Entertaining Mr SloaneKathNomination: Drama Desk Award1984–1985Sunday in the Park with GeorgeBlair Daniels, Old LadyBroadway debut1985Hay FeverClara1986–1989Into the WoodsJack's Mother1989Lady Augusta Bracknell1992Romeo and JulietNurse1993Robin Starveling 1994 Sunday in the Park with George Blair Daniels, Old Lady 10th Anniversary ConcertSunday in the Park with George Broadway Concert", Playbill, retrieved February 20, 20231995Mistress Quickly1997Into the WoodsJack’s Mother10th Anniversary Concert“Into the Woods”2002Madame Armfeldt2002Old Woman2003Three SistersAnfisa2006Mistress Quickly2007Our Leading LadyMaude Bentley2007Jane EyreMrs. Fairfax2009When We Are MarriedMrs. Northrop2010MacbethWeïrd Sister2011H.M.S. PinaforeQueen Victoria2012Hay FeverClara2012EmbersNini
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1963FestivalGladys(segment "I Spy")1967Mister RogersMiss Paulifficate1974The Play's the ThingBetty (episode "Back to Beulah")1975Great PerformancesMrs. Candour (episode "The School for Scandal")1981CBS Children's Mystery TheatreBlanche Guizot (episode "Mystery at Fire Island")1982Best of the WestMiss Hanratty (episode "The Calico Kid Goes to School")1982Maid in AmericaAunt MelissaTV movie1983SvengaliMrs. Burns-RizzoTV movie1982–1983Love, SidneyMrs. Gaffney1984 The Bostonians Mrs. Tarrant 1984 Amadeus Frau Weber 1990 Two Evil Eyes Martha (segment "The Black Cat")1986–1991American PlayhouseJack's Mother / Old Lady / Blair Daniels1993Romeo and JulietNurseTV movie1995–1996The Neverending StoryUrglVoice
References
External links
Barbara Bryne profile, theatredb.com; accessed 6 August 2014.