Stage
Linda Purl was born in Connecticut and raised in Japan, becoming the only foreigner to train at the Toho Geino Academy. At the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, she played the role of Louis in ‘The King and I’ (in Japanese), Bet in ‘Oliver’ and the role of Helen in ‘The Miracle Worker’.
“Getting and Spending”
click to view career photo gallery
She then went to England to study under Marguerite Beale, before returning to the United States to study at the Lee Strasberg Institute, and later with Robert Lewis.
Linda has received six Dramalogue Best Actress Awards and two Dramalogue Awards as Best Producer. She has received two Robby Awards for Best Actress and is a three time nominee of the Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Award for Best Actress. She is the recipient of the Connecticut Critics’ Award for Outstanding Performance in a Play for her work in The Baby Dance.
She is co-founder and served as Founding Executive Director of the Colorado Festival for World Theatre .
Linda’s stage credits include:
Broadway
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”; “Getting and Spending”
Off Broadway
“The Baby Dance” (with Stephanie Zimbalist)
Off-Off-Broadway
“Hallelujah, Hallelujah!”
Regional work
the original production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play “Dinner With Friends”
Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville
“Getting and Spending”
The Globe Theatre
“The Road To Mecca” (with Miss Julie Harris), “The Baby Dance”, “Grease”
Long Wharf
“John Brown’s Body”
Lobero Theatre
With Robert Foxworth in “Nora”
click to view career photo gallery“Nora” (with Michael York), “All the Way Home” (with Miss Kim Hunter), “The Three Penny Opera” (with Betty Buckley), “The Baby Dance” (also at the Pasadena Playhouse),
Williamstown Theatre Festival
“The Real Thing”, “Hedda Gabler”
Mark Taper Forum Rep
“Beyond Therapy”, “Romeo and Juliet”
L.A. Public Theatre
“A Doll’s House”,
Allied International Productions
“The Man Who Could See Through Time”, South Coast Repertory; “The Merchant of Venice”
Sacramento Music Theatre
“On a Clear Day “
San Bernardino Civic Light Opera
“Fallen Angels”, Olney Theatre; “Oliver”, “The King and I”, Toho Imperial Theatre, Tokyo; “Love Letters” with both Stacey Keach and Desi Arnaz, Jr.; “Tusitala” (with Miss Julie Harris)
Berkshire Theatre Festival
“Little Foxes”, “Footfalls”, “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Rubicon Theatre Company
“The Guys”
Berkeley Rep
“Mariana Pineda”
Santa Fe Opera
“Hippolytos” as Phaedra in the inaugural production Getty Classical Theatre.