1996 – New York, New York
From the age of four, Dorris Carr was reciting on radio and acting, singing and dancing on the Los Angeles stage. Under contract to Universal Studios, she went to school on the lot while making films, but feels her first major role was valedictorian of her high school graduation class. After studying at Stanford University, she returned to Los Angeles and became a pioneer in the new medium of television. She created and co-hosted California’s first live morning show, interviewing celebrities, singing and ad-libbing dozens of commercials for two hours, five days a week. Her midnight show, “Dorris Carr’s Club Four” was NBC’s first version of the Tonight Show. In the early 60s Dorris moved to the east coast and spent the next several years commuting between homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, where she raised her family, enjoyed a social life, worked for her favorite charities and pursued her off-camera interests. Paramount among these were and are, meditation and Siddha Yoga, the spiritual teachings of Baba Muktananda and Swami Chidvalasanda. In 1986 a dear friend, the actor-singer David Kernan, asked Dorris to come to London to co-produce a series of shows at the small, prestigious Donmar Warehouse Theatre. At the end of the season, they had two hits on their hands and moved to bigger west end theatres and settled in for long runs – as did she, forming the company “Showpeople” with Kernan and her daughter Barbara Bonfigli. Together they have presented a wide variety of award-winning productions. Dorris Carr has taken great delight in the creative challenges of live theater and tremendous satisfaction in focusing her talent and energy on the other side of the curtain. She is a long time, active supporter of Northwood’s arts and business partnerships, as well.
