Tripping a boy leads to career for Allens Lane director

Posted 1/24/19

Marilyn Yoblick has appeared in film, TV and on the stage, but because she's an equity member she cannot perform in community theater . That's one of the reasons she's directing this production at …

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Tripping a boy leads to career for Allens Lane director

Posted

Marilyn Yoblick has appeared in film, TV and on the stage, but because she's an equity member she cannot perform in community theater . That's one of the reasons she's directing this production at Allens Lane Theater.

by Rita Charleston

Nick is a young, carefree, single Italian-American guy from New Jersey who spends nearly every Sunday afternoon visiting and dining with both sets of grandparents. One Thursday afternoon he makes an unscheduled visit to announce that his employer will be promoting him and relocating him to Seattle, Washington in a few months. His grandparents are shocked and make it their business to do everything in their power to make Nick stay.

Such is the premise in “Over the River and Through the Woods,” written by Joe DiPietro, directed by Marilyn Yoblick and running at Allens Lane Art Center, 601 West Allens Ln., through Jan. 27. “The writer made the family Italian, but they are all so sweet and warm, they could have been anybody's family,” Yoblick said.

Growing up in Wynnefield, Yoblick's own family had mixed emotions about their daughter running off to become an actress. “I always knew that I wanted to be in show business,” she recalled. “It all started when I was about 12 and in the sixth grade. We were singing a song in a little school play, and I accidentally tripped a boy. Well, the audience started to laugh, and I really liked that feeling. I think I made up my mind to be in show business right there and then.”

Without waiting to graduate, Yoblick left high school and took off for New York at age 17 to seek her fame and fortune. “My parents weren’t too happy about my choices. They were trying their best to raise three kids and advised me to get a job with the city or the state, so I’d never go hungry and would always have a job. But none of that appealed to me. I just wanted to do it my way.”

Unfortunately, her way didn't work out the way she intended. Eventually she returned to Philadelphia, got her GED and, in her 30s, attended Temple University, where she graduated with a degree in film and theater.

Over the years, Yoblick received her equity cards and has appeared in film, TV and on the stage.

Because she’s an equity member, however, she cannot perform in community theater. That's one of the reasons she's directing this current production. “Actually, I love doing it all. By directing you build up lots of friends and meet lots of people. Of course, certain responsibilities go with being a successful director.” For instance, casting the right people for the right parts is an essential part of the job. “One set of grandparents in the show are 88 and 84. The other set are in their 70s. They’re wonderful, and if they weren’t, the whole show would fall apart.”

In fact, she insists, finding the right people for the right parts may be one of the most difficult challenges in casting any play. “And that’s why a friend of mine wants to start a production company called 'Over the Hill' for actors in their later years,” said the 72-year-old Yoblick, who now lives in Conshohocken.

And when she's not involved directly in theater work, Yoblick helps run a video production company called Lafayette Hill Studios. She also does standardized patient work. (A standardized patient is someone who is trained to portray patients in various scenarios for members of the professional health care community.)

“After this show, I’ll be writing proposals for next season, when I hope to be directing again,” Yoblick said. “Of course, should I get a call to be on a professional stage or in a film, I’ll run as fast as I can.”

For ticket information on “Over the River and Through the Woods,” call 215-248-0546.

arts