True to the eclectic nature of her creative career, Lorraine continued “on the boards” of live theater even while keeping late nights singing the blues or tapping out the third act of her latest screenplay. After an auspicious beginning as a theater major at the University of Illinois, Lorraine ventured forward under the tutelage of her long-time acting teacher, Robert F. Lyons, finding her Los Angeles stage-legs at the Chamber Theater in Studio City in a series of showcases and short plays. Rock and roll intervened for a good decade or so afterwards, but once marriage and motherhood arrived, bringing with it the desire for less road and more home, she once again embraced her thespian spirit. As a member of the prestigious Alliance Repertory Company of Burbank, California, for much of the 90’s, Lorraine appeared in a number of their shows, most notably The Finish Line, a collage theater piece on the topic of euthanasia. Controversial and irreverent, The Finish Line was comprised of original one-acts written by members of the Alliance Writers Workshop and performed by many of the writers who were also acting members. Lorraine wrote 5 of the pieces, performing in several, as well as wrote and recorded the show’s theme song of the same name (see attached review). Shortly after this debut performance of the Writers Workshop, Lorraine took over as director of the group, overseeing the next series of one-acts, a position she held until her departure to participate in the premiere of her husband’s country musical… Country...the Musical!, an inventive, highly-original piece of environmental theater, was Lorraine’s first foray into the country music genre. Songs and book written by Pete Wilke, directed and choreographed by Kay Cole, it told a heartfelt story of love, loneliness, and the hope found in hangin’ on to your dreams. With 20 original songs, the soundtrack was a significant part of the piece; musical director Phil Swann recorded the tracks on Music Row in Nashville, giving them their appropriate country music imprimatur, and the cast later recorded vocals in Los Angeles…these recordings were later used as the soundtrack for the filmed version of the show, Country Rules (see Film Page). Lorraine appeared as “Loretta Jane” in both the staged and film versions, wearing her rock and roll persona as a displaced, dispirited rock singer who finds herself stranded in Bakersfield, waitressing in a country bar while she waits for inspiration and the love of a good man. A smash success in its run at the famed Crazy Horse Saloon in Orange County, California, the soundtrack album will be available at a future date. Between the staged and filmed versions of Country, Lorraine was cast in Is It Just Me, or Is It Hot In Here?, an original musical presented by Theatre InSite, produced by Matt Goldsby, book & lyrics by Barbara Schill, music by Dave MacKay, and directed by Michael Arabian. Originally cast as an understudy in the first run of the show at a soundstage in the CBS Radford Studios, Lorraine quickly moved into a permanent role as the blues-singing “Katherine,” an embittered entrepreneur who struggles with the idea of growing older while resisting the friendship of the other women at the “seminar,” the theatrical device the show was built around. Another piece of environmental theater, Is It Just Me…was a phenomenal success, running from early ’97 through mid ‘98, going from CBS Radford to the Odyssey Theatre, then extending its run at the Century City Playhouse.