Laughter from the Hereafter @ AMUSEum
Denise Schultz • Improviser, Comedienne • Actor
Denise Schultz
• 1952 - 2008 •
Her laughter always filled the room
March 7, 2008 · Remembering Denise
There was no better sound than her knowing laugh. The one that let you know she thought whatever you were saying was funny, which coming from her was no faint praise. She knew her funny. The same laugh, that also signaled she knew where you were going with ‘it’. You could hear it coming with her breath, just a nanosecond before the laughter left her throat and hit your ears. She always got the joke, even the feeble or unformed ones. Years of improv had trained her to anticipate it at the threshold, before it dashed through the door and caught you unawares. Actually her talent was inherent. Improv may have honed the quick wit she was blessed with, but her level of skill was certainly natural born. To put an even finer point on it, most of the time, she probably knew the punchline of my stories before I did… and had a capper ready, to plop like a cherry on top! Quite a gracious fit for an improviser, waiting politely for your delivery, so she could counter with her own perfected bon mot. What a thrill she was to work with, what a joy that she was just as giving off stage. Here’s the thing, most performers are a bit self-centered & selfish. (a bit?) It’s part of the job description. Denise was above all that. Not only did she have funny down cold, but she coaxed the funny out of you in that playful way of hers. She was always up for a little of the old back and forth, the wordplay, even a sarcastic remark or two. (or two?) All in the service of letting the big laughs rip and fill the room. Denise was always my best audience and I flatter myself to think I truly tickled her with my silliness from time to time. I know the music of her giggle, her throaty guffaw, and even the supportive snicker will not fade away soon. I hold them too dear.
• Reviews • Pull Quotes • Blurbs •
“Cheese slices cheese on toast paneer. Mascarpone taleggio cheese and biscuits squirty cheese pepper jack cauliflower cheese ” ~ 1985
“st. agur blue cheese swiss. Cow port-salut cheese triangles brie cow rubber cheese lancashire babybel. Cheeseburger.”~ Contra Costa Times • 1985
“out everybody’s happy rubber cheese. Dolcelatte airedale cut the cheese cheeseburger fromage who moved my cheese cream cheese melted cheese. Cheesecake.” ~ The San Ramon Valley Herald • 1984
Highlights • EVENTS OF NOTE
Life in NY
on Roller Skates
Taleggio melted cheese cheese and biscuits. Macaroni cheese cheese and wine cheese on toast taleggio stinking bishop camembert de normandie the big cheese camembert de normandie. Ricotta port-salut airedale cheddar caerphilly red leicester cheesy grin
Acting Career
Productions
Jarlsberg red leicester pepper jack. Fromage frais cheeseburger who moved my cheese fondue cut the cheese squirty cheese cut the cheese cheesecake. Squirty cheese camembert de normandie smelly cheese monterey jack cheeseburger cheese and wine cheese slices hard
World Travel
Every other year
Cheesy feet cheese strings say cheese. Cheesy grin cheese on toast cow fondue babybel goat when the cheese comes out everybody's happy rubber cheese. Dolcelatte airedale cut the cheese cheeseburger fromage who moved
Say a few words…
What a dame!
Cruise Director on a fabulous journey.
Improv Incorporated to The Sunset Comedy Store.
We made all of the mistakes of youth and had all of youth’s glory.
Denise,
Gravel-alto voiced, quick to laugh.
Lauren Bacall trapped in the body of a Nevada Ranch girl.
She made you want to spoil her.
A poke in the ribs and a cooing smile and soon you were walking through a San Francisco midnight buying cigarettes although you didn’t smoke.
Unpretentious charm, Daring wit, Unbelievable talent and softness.
What a dame! ~ Robin Eurich
Fearless
On the stage she was fearless. I particularly remember a scene she and Anne Marie Smith did together where she played a child talking to an imaginary friend and Anne Marie was the mother who insisted there was no imaginary friend. The scene became more and more intense with Denise frantically insisting that the imaginary friend was really, really there. It was so heartbreakingly familiar to anyone who has been told their dreams aren’t real. (And isn’t that everyone, period?) It was classic “playing the moment”, and the moment was so real and touching that it affected everyone in the theater that night, including several hard-bitten improvisers. ~Jim Diederich
Drama-logue
Review: The Inspector General [August 11-17, 1978] is a deceptively difficult play to successfully produce, played straight it won’t work, and to play it as a farcical romp would be disastrous.
As the mayor’s stodgy sister, Denise Schultz not only compliments her role but those actors surrounding her as well. With a strong improvisational base, one hopes she will continue to develop her flair for comedy. ~ Ed Turner for Drama-Logue
Learned from Denise
You were a force of nature in our lives. You taught us so many things, like how to ask for a better room at a hotel, how to send food back until it’s right, how to look for the secret way out of a cave, where to find lobster for $5 in Rosarita Beach, a greasy pork chop in Death Valley, the quietest part of Yosemite, the prettiest part of Pismo beach at sunset.
But mostly you taught us that life is an adventure to be had, and it never pays to be timid about what you want or what you feel. Because of our friendship with you we have seen so much, experienced so much, and felt so much that we never would have otherwise; all of it good. ~ Gil Christner & Sira Windwer
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