On Stage

Stage has been the launching pad for Lisa Dalton’s lifelong love of performing arts and continues to be a central part of her artistic journey.

Solo Performances

Lisa’s one-woman show, The Darling—based on Anton Chekhov’s short story—garnered critical acclaim at the New York International Fringe Festival:

“Dalton is an accomplished performer with great physical specificity, making it very clear visually which character she is at any point. When she transitioned from narrator into Kukin, I thought I was watching her melt—her knees seemed to bend further than knees should bend. Dalton is the president of the National Michael Chekhov Association, and her work with his Psychological Gesture is very apparent in her performance.” – NYTheatre.com, Julie Congress

“Chekhov would be proud of this solo production with Dalton’s fine and humane acting. There are splashier, flashier, and more eye-catching shows at the Fringe this year. But The Darling, as Leo Tolstoy once aptly described it, is a ‘pearl.’” – CurtainUp.com

She has also performed her own stunts while acting, showcasing versatility and courage.

Selected Performances

Lisa’s recent stage work includes staged readings of original scripts and a performance as Violet Venable in Suddenly Last Summer at Arts Fort Worth.

As Violet Venable, with Doctor and Niece in a tropical greenhouse scene.

Collaborations & Original Works

  • Originated Bett in Divine Fire on Theatre Row, NY—Ken Ludwig’s first play
  • National tour of Dr. Silkini’s Magic and Great Ghost Show
  • Appeared with Lillias White and Richard Gant in Soledad Tetrad (1979)
  • Co-produced original works with Springboard Productions at Westbeth Theatre Center
  • Originated Roxanne in the Off-Off-Broadway show Peep, later moving to Off-Broadway
  • Three seasons with Dick Richard’s Wonderful World of Burlesque as showgirl, comedienne, and emcee

Teaching & Directing

Lisa’s primary stage focus is directing productions using the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique with actors she trains through the National Michael Chekhov Association. Collaborations to have included:

  • Secret Rose Theatre, NoHo
  • Rudolf Steiner Community Center, Pasadena
  • Arts Fort Worth
  • Artisan Center Theatre

Her training spans:

  • Classical Shakespeare
  • Stanislavski, Grotowski, Polish Mime Theatre, Meyerhold Biomechanics
  • Uta Hagen, Meisner, Commedia, Mime, Mask, Circus Arts
  • The Michael Chekhov Technique

Influences include Richard Schechner, Charles Ludlam, and Bond Street Theatre.

Corporate & Gala Performances

From 1978–1990, Lisa performed extensively for corporate and gala events, including:

  • Studio 54, The Copacabana, The Red Parrot, The Waldorf, The Plaza, World Trade Center
  • Metroplex golf clubs and private clients such as Donald Trump, Mayor Koch, Joan Lunden, Tricia Nixon Cox, Dustin Hoffman

In Los Angeles, Lisa was a member of Theatre 40, appearing in:

  • Much Ado About Nothing
  • British panto Aladdin
  • Staged readings with writers’ groups

She starred and directed Effie’s Burning at Close Up Theatre, acted in Little Miss Fresno at Lionstar, and Room Without Corners at Gardner Stages.

Resources

Download Lisa Dalton Stage Resume
Explore her other work on the On Camera, Acting, and Stunts pages