Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 1, 1994                   TAG: 9404010230
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By NICOLE K. PAGE CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

CELEBRATED ACTRESS TAKES STAGE AT RU

However, Grimes, a celebrated Broadway actress, felt she had insufficient time to prepare for the multi-faceted role Hawes offered.

Hawes didn't give up.

Earlier this year, he contacted Grimes regarding the starring role in "Night Must Fall," a psychological thriller written by Emlyn Williams. Grimes accepted the lead role of Mrs. Bramson, a country dowager who is charmed by a disarmingly demented young murderer who secretly carries a woman's head around in a hat box.

With it came the role of working with student actors as the university's guest artist for the spring semester.

The production, starring Grimes and the Radford Theatre Student Company, will be on stage in Porterfield Theatre beginning Monday at 8 p.m.

The Radford University guest artist program was designed to attract well-known professional performers like Grimes to work closely with students, who gain practical advice, dramatic coaching and professional insight.

Grimes says she enjoys participating in the program "because it is a kind of fetching idea to work with college students. I remember when I was one"

Grimes is staying in a small apartment on campus, memorizing lines and coaching other cast members. The rest of the cast members are much younger than Grimes, but that hasn't affected her as much as she anticipated.

"It was a shock to begin with," she explains in the soft, southern drawl of her character, "but I don't think that way anymore at all. They seem quite ageless to me now."

Grimes began acting as a child, staging small plays in her parents' barn loft with the help of friends and neighbors who contributed old clothes and props. Her childhood dream of becoming an actress was realized when Noel Coward discovered her performing in a New York City cabaret.

Coward heard Grimes sing 18 consecutive Cole Porter songs before he offered the singer her first Broadway role in the 1958 production of "Look After Lulu."

There were more roles after that. Grimes' credits include roles in "42nd Street," "California Suite" and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie."

Twice she has won the Tony Award; first as best musical comedy actress for her role in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and later as best dramatic actress in Coward's "Private Lives."

Grimes also won the Theatre World award for her starring role in "Life with Lulu."

Grimes' professional acting career extended to television and film in the '80s. Her television credits include "Mr. North," "The Last Unicorn," "The Young Riders," "The Equalizer," "St. Elsewhere," six appearances on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" and her own comedy series.

This special theater event is sponsored by the Radford University Special Projects Committee.

"Night Must Fall" will run April 4-9 at 8 p.m. in Porterfield Theatre. Tickets are $5 for the general public. Radford University faculty, staff and students are admitted free.