Sadness

None of that usual spirited and cheerful banter in today´s post... Instead, today I write with a heavy heart.

Cinema and Theater are mourning the death of one of its leading actresses, the incomparable Maureen Stapleton. She was 80 years old.

An Oscar winner (for "Reds" in 1981) and a two-time Tony Award winner, Maureen combined a soft voice and soft face to hide an incredible capacity for the most intense drama and comedy. Her versatility, along with her indisputable talent made her one of my favorite actresses, as I'm sure is the case with movie and theater goers around the world.

Thank you Ms. Stapleton. It has been entirely our pleasure.