By Janet Dodrill
Tribute to Marjorie “Marji” Dodrill
Marji Dodrill, 1931-2004
Marji Dodrill, A Little Night Music (Mme Armfeldt), (Cain Park Theatre &) St. Louis Repertory, MO/Great Lakes Theatre, Cleveland, OH 1998
Marji Dodrill, Driving Miss Daisy (Miss Daisy), The Fine Arts Association Theater, Willoughby, OH 1993
Marji Dodrill, Follies (Phyllis), (Baldwin Wallace College &) Cain Park Theatre, Cleveland, OH 1988
Marji Dodrill, My Fair Lady (Mrs. Higgins), (Lyric Opera &) Cleveland Opera, Cleveland, OH 1989
Marji Dodrill, Rape of the Belt, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland, OH 1962
Marji Dodrill, News Special Reporter, WEWS Channel 5 TV, Cleveland, OH 1968
Marji Dodrill, Donald Bianchi’s Memorial Service, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland, OH 2003
Marji Dodrill, AFTRA talent guide head shot, Cleveland, OH 2000
Marji Dodrill, Modeling shot, New York, NY, 1950s
Testimonials About Marji Dodrill
My grandma, Marji Dodrill, taught me many important lessons. She taught me how to take pride in my falls, and to recover from them. She started off my career in acting at the Marylin Bianchi Kid’s Playwriting Festival at Dobama Theatre. She also taught me to enjoy life. Not until she died last summer from a reoccurrence of cancer did I realize she was and will be the most important person in my life. – Max Krieger (age 12)
MARJI – If there is any one thing to say about Marji – and there never was just one – it is that she made everyone feel good about themselves. When you talked to her you always knew you had a friend. On stage with her you could feel your own star shine. No play was insignificant, no role too small and a supporting role was often more important to her than any lead. Family and friends came first in her life and a friend could always count on Marji. At age seven she wanted to be an actor. With the Curtain Pullers and Cain Park she practically grew up in theater, but then she moved to New York City to begin her work all over again. “It’s going to be a long hard process,” she wrote home to her childhood friend, “but someday we’ll be great –and you’d better hurry up and get here so you can be great, too.” It is so wonderful to know we have friends like Marji and can all be great together. That’s how Marji made us feel. – Everett Dodrill
…Often after work I’d stop at Nighttown and have a drink with brand-new Cleveland friends – like Marji Dodrill, who worked at Marcus and was vital in helping us do run-throughs of the Cash Explosion show in the office to make sure the game worked. She was one of the best actresses I’ve ever met, and after I settled here three years later I saw her onstage many times in such plays as Driving Miss Daisy, Medea, and The Perfect Ganesh. We remained friends until she eventually lost the toughest and bravest fight I’ve ever seen anyone wage against cancer. She was my personal hero, and I was flattered and moved that her husband, Everett, asked me to be one of speakers at her memorial service. (By the way, the Dodrill house and the Alexander house were used as settings in my future novels. In my first Cleveland book, Pepper Pike, my descriptions of my detective hero’s former home, the one in which his ex-wife still lives, is reminiscent of Marj and Everett’s place in Cleveland Heights….) Source: Les Roberts, Author, We’ll Always Have Cleveland
Career Highlights
MARJI DODRILL
AFTRA, SAG, EQUITY
Height: 5’6” Hair: Blond Weight: 123 Eyes: Green
The Early Years: Cleveland & NYC
Dramatic Training:
Curtain Pullers: Cleveland Playhouse 1943-49
Cain Park Theatre 1943-49
Western Reserve College, Oxford, O. 1949-51
Tamara Daykarhanova, N.Y.C. 1951-52
Dramatic Experience:
Civic Little Theatre, Allentown, Pa. 1960, lead in “Once More With Feeling”
Pennsylvania Playhouse, Bethlehem, Pa. 1960, lead in “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs”
Taught drama to crippled children in summer 1960, camp, Allentown, Pa.
Amateur Comedy Club, N.Y.C. 1951-55
One of top 10 national winners in 1st annual scholarship contest: Photoplay Magazine 1948 (dramatic reading)
Modeling:
Penna. Power and Light Co., Allentown, Pa. 1960 (series of color slides of young housewife and Reddy Kilowatt shown throughout state)
Saks Fifth Ave., N.Y.C. – Stag Shop (fashion) 1950-51
Henri Bendel, N.Y.C. (fashion) 1950-51
Garment Center, N.Y.C. (fashion) 1950-51
Photography – William Benedict, N.Y.C. (fashion & demo)
Radio:
Children’s story-telling – Oxford, Ohio 1949-51
Ohio Story – WTAM 1948-49
Know Your FBI – WGAR 1948
Fairytale Theatre (Ester Mullen) – WGAR 1946-49
Television:
Crime Syndicated – CBS, N.Y.C. (dramatic) 1950-52
Herb Shriner Show – NBC, N.Y.C. 1950-52
Agent – Ben Pratt 1950-52
And the Next 30 Years
Commericals, Industrial Films & Live Shows:
Weekly on-camera T.V. spots for Pick ‘N Pay 4 years
Female voice for Halles T.V. and radio 2 years
Dramatic Teacher – 3 yrs. Cleve. Hts. Bd. of Ed.; Chagrin Theatre
Fashion Coordinator, Bobbie Brooks 3 1/2 yrs.: Fashion Shows, Sales, Conventions, Grooming Clinics, Speeches
Broadcast Coordinator: Marcus Advertising
Hostess on weekly T.V. half hour series “House Hunt”, 1 Yr.
Weekly Cleveland Press radio and T.V. spots
News Reporter for Channel 5, 1 Yr. (anchor John Hambrick)
Weekly TV & Radio Voice for Cleveland Newspaper, 1 Yr.
Modeling Teacher – 1 yr. – Patricia Stevens
TV, Theatre & Movie Reviews
Acting Teacher, Children’s Theatre On The Heights & Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, 3 Yrs.
Acting Teacher – John Carroll University, 1-2 classes
Acting Coach, 5 Yrs.
Kronheims TV Commerical Producer
Radio and TV Spots (Local, regional and national)
Radio:
1st Nat. Bank of Cinci.
Bobbie Brooks
Bootie’s
C.E.I.
Central Cadillac
Central National
Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Dairylea Milk
Dramatic Shows: KYC TV
Drug Fair
East Ohio Gas
Fisher Foods
Fostoria China
General Electric
Giant Tiger
Goodyear
Higbees
Hoover Vacuum
Issue 31 Political Commercial (Arts Tax)
May Co.
National City
Ohio Bell
Ohio Power
Parma Mall
Peninsula Night Club
Pro Toothbrush
Procter & Gamble
Richman Bros.
Sherwin Williams
Sohio
Smuckers
Society National
Spaulding Cleaners, etc.
Spitzer Northfield (Voice)
Star Bronze
Superior Meats
Tub & Sink Jelly
Qua Buick
Westinghouse
White Motor
Women’s Federal
WKYC
Xerox
Slide Films:
Bobbie Brooks
Diamond Crystal
Durkees
Kodak
Memory Lessons
(Industrial) Films:
Carrier Air Conditioning
Dupont
Goodyear
Kirby Vacuum
Additional Slide Narrations, Industrial Films & Live Industrial Shows:
American Greetings
Arkansas Power & Light
Blue Cross of Northeast Ohio
Bullock’s
East Ohio Gas
General Electric
Procter & Gamble
YWCA
Ad Photo:
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Issue 14 Political Commercial (Cleve. Schools)
Issue 31 Political Commercial (Arts Tax)
Ohio Lottery
Richman Bros.
Severance Center
Society for the Blind Annual Fur Sale
Timken Products
Warren-Teed Laboratories (Modane)
White Sewing Machine
Weiss Furs
Industrial Shows:
Bobbie Brooks
East Ohio Gas
Ohio Power
Narrator:
“Arlie The Alligator” Story Book on Tape
Film/TV Features:
Mischief, the mother, 1985
Principal United Artists
Presumed Guilty, the judge (starring Martin Sheen, Brandon Fraser), 1991
Supporting NBC
Wednesday’s Children, the mother
Principal Venture Productions
Unsolved Mysteries, Episode: The Countess, 1991
Principal ABC
Slide Narrations, Industrial Films & Live Industrial Shows:
American Greetings
Arkansas Power & Light
Blue Cross of Northeast Ohio
Bullock’s
East Ohio Gas
General Electric
Kirby Vacuum
Ohio Bell
Ohio Power
Procter & Gamble
YWCA
Special Skills:
TV, Drama & Acting Coach, Character Singing & Dancing, Makeup: Straight & Character, Fashion Coordinator/Stylist, Most Sports, Most Dialects, EAR Prompter
The Domino Heart, Dobama Theatre, Acting Coach, 2003
Stage
Theater:
A Delicate Balance, Claire, Dobama Theatre, 1980
A Kiss for Cinderella, Queen, Cleveland Play House, 1999
A Little Night Music, Mme Armfeldt, Cain Park Theatre 1998
A Little Night Music, Mme Armfeldt, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis/Great Lakes 1998
A Perfect Ganesh, Katharine, Dobama Theatre
A Touch of the Poet, Deborah, Cleveland Play House
Angels in America Part I, Hannah, Dobama Theatre
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (starring Barbara Eden), Doatsey Mae, Kenley Players
Big River, Cain Park, 1997
Company, Joanne, Cain Park Theatre
Cripple of Inishman, Kate, Dobama Theatre
Cyrano de Bergerac, Duena, Great Lakes Theater Fest
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Anita, Cleveland Play House
Driving Miss Daisy, Daisy, Lakeland Community College, 1995
Fallen Angels, Jane, Cleveland Play House
Fantastics, Henry, Cain Park Theatre, 1996
Follies, Phyllis, Cain Park Theatre, 1988
Follies, Phyllis, Baldwin Wallace College
Foxfire, Annie, Porthouse Theatre
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (starring Loni Anderson), Lady Beekman, Kenley Players, 1995
Hay Fever, Myra, Cleveland Play House
Heart’s Desire, Jocko’s Mama, Cleveland Play House
Lady From Maxim’s, Mme Vidauban, Great Lakes Theater Fest
Loot, Nurse Fay, Cleveland Play House
Man and Superman, Mrs. Whitefield, Great Lakes Theater Fest
Medea, Nurse, Lakeland Community College
Much Ado About Nothing, Ursula, Actor’s Theatre Louisville
My Fair Lady, Mrs. Higgins, Cleveland Opera, 1989
My Fair Lady, Mrs. Higgins, Lyric Opera
Rape of the Belt, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland, 1962
Richard III, Elizabeth, Cleveland Play House
Richard III, Duchess of York, Great Lakes Theater Festival
Talkin’ With, Big Eight, Dobama Theatre, 1986
The Best Man (w/ Victor Jory), Alice, Actor’s Theatre Louisville
The Cherry Orchard, Cuyahoga Community College
The Children’s Hour, Martha
The Interview, Bracha, Halle Theatre, JCC, 2002
Three Penny Opera, Betty, Great Lakes Theater Fest
Young Man from Atlanta, Ensemble Theatre
W.I.T., Evelyn, Dobama Theatre
…and many more…
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