Anne Pitoniak Passes Away

Two-time Tony Award-nominee Anne Pitoniak died of cancer last week; it has been reported by the New York Times. Receiving Tony nominations for her roles in 1983’s ‘Night, Mother and the 1994 revival of William Inge’s Picnic, Pitoniak was 85 years old at the time of her death, and she passed on in her Manhattan apartment.

Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, Pitoniak acted in TV and radio commercials before beginning study, in her mid-50s – at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute after which she was soon appearing in plays at the Actors Theater of Louisville. Pitoniak’s career was comparatively short-lived, compared to the wide-eyed ingénues who arrive on the acting scene in their 20s and 30s eager to make a great start. Pitoniak is proof that life experiences add a lot to any skill set, as she walked away with two Tony Awards in a career that spanned several years but began significantly later than a good number of Tony winners.

Survived by two children, one grandson, two sisters and a brother, Pitoniak will be severely missed but will live on in the memories of audiences of the shows whose characters she enlivened. To catch the plays in which Pitoniak acted during her lifetime, make sure you check out Stubhub.com for everything hot on Broadway and beyond.

Posted in General on April 27, 2007

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