Gay City News

September 1-7, 2005

IN THE NOH

Ravishing Revivals

Lilia Skala lives

By DAVID NOH

It’s always nice to see good live theater work given

deserved revivals, and such was the case this week

with two productions.

 

A 1930 photograph of Lilia Skala, who went on to be

one of Austria’s earliest woman architects, an Oscar-

nominated actress, and finally, by choice, an

employee of City Center’s Lost and Found department. 

I caught Libby Skala’s one woman show about her

grandmother, Lilia Skala, “LiLia!” on August 23, in a

very special setting. Skala performed aboard the

Yankee Clipper, the century-old, last remaining

Ellis Island ferryboat, docked at Pier 25 in Hudson

River Park. Formerly named the Machigonne, the

vessel transported thousands of immigrants, served               Libby Skala performed a wonderful encore to

in both World Wars, and proved a wondrous                              her one-woman show about her actress grand-

environment for Lilia Skala’s saga as the first                         mother Lilia Skala on Augsut 23; here, play-

woman architect in Austria-turned-leading stage                     wright and grandmother are seen at a much

actress, who escaped the Nazis and made a new                  earlier date.

life for herself in New York. She had a busy acting

career, which peaked when she was nominated for

a 1963 Oscar for her work as the Mother Superior in

“Lilies of the Field.” This proved a mixed blessing,

however, as she was offered nothing but similar nun

roles after that, which, despite high salaries, she

refused, preferring, instead, to work in the Lost and

Found department of City Center.        

The boat rocked and listed and the cries from the

Park’s nearby “beach” volleyball players could be

heard, but nothing could break the intense

concentration of Skala, who once more wove a

spell with her exquisitely detailed portrait of this

difficult, indomitable, utterly unique spirit.

                                                                                                                       A 1930 photograph of Lilia Skala, who went on

                                                                                                                        to be one of Austria's earliest woman architects,

                                                                                                                        and Oscar-nominated actress, and an

                                                                                                                        employee of City Center's Lost and Found

                                                                                                                        department.

LIBBY

SKALA

Performer Writer