We were fairly new to San Diego when Nick found it necessary to whisper to me DURING a performance of Richard III at Sledgehammer Theatre. ”Do you know who that is?” he asked. Of course I didn’t. I never know who anybody is. “That’s the exploding head from Total Recall,” he said, with perfect reverence. She was playing Queen Margaret.
Priscilla Allen was a fixture on San Diego stages for over forty years. I had the great privilege of working with her on Wedding on the Eiffel Tower for Vantage Theatre and the San Diego Actors Alliance. She was a vibrant, passionate presence on and off the stage, and I feel blessed to have had her touch my life. Here she is with Jim Turner in The Corpulent Gentleman.
Priscilla passed away in her home in La Jolla on Thursday, August 14. Services will be held on Thursday, August 21 from Noon to 2pm at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101-6144. In lieu of flowers, please make donations on Priscilla’s behalf to Project Wildlife or the English Springer Spaniel Rescue Association.
She will be much missed.
Please leave your own Priscilla remembrances in the comments!
I’m so sad to hear she passed. Mark (my husband) worked with her back in the day and of course, I got to through my work with Sledge and just in general, doing the SD Theatre thing. Here’s hoping I can find babysitting so I can attend her memorial.
A wonderful teacher, a wonderful actress, always positive, an asset to the community. We have lost someone important. We will go on as she watches us from above.
A star in her own right, teacher, actress, and Grand Dame of Theatre.
I was lucky enough to know Priscilla Allen. She was a wonderful teacher and a great friend! I learned so much from her! She will be missed greatly! Class of 96 Point Loma High
Mrs. Allen was my best friend’s mom. I spent lots of time at their home from 1978 to 1981. Not only was her house so much fun to go to because I often got to hear her rehearsing musical numbers and such and see lots of pictures of her in different roles, but I learned to love animals by observing how she and her daughters cared for and talked to their pets. I remember that she let us play with all the different costumes she had in the garage too. She was also the only person I ever knew with a purple volkswagen. She was a really unique lady.
You can access some videos of the talented Priscilla Allen.
Scroll down to see all 3 videos.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Warren8888
I had the pleasure of being one of Pricilla’s drama students at Point Loma High School and was a cast member of two of the plays she directed there. Her enthusiasm, humor, and sense of fun was so infectious that I know she passed the theater bug on to those of us who never would have known such joys had we not crossed the threshold of her class room. Thank you Mrs. Allen, your enthusiasm has left a sparkling residue on the hearts and memories of the students you touched.
I knew Mrs. Allen from SCPA.She had such a great, bright personality and spirit.I feel lucky to have had her as my drama teacher, even for only a short time. I would see her in plays around town and always stuck around to say hi afterwards.She always stole the show, and was always so kind to me when she saw me. She was a great lady and a wonderful human being.Her memorial service was beautiful with standing room only, and a standing ovation of course.