For 11 seasons, MARION ROSS was head of one of America’s favorite television households.

Now meet the lovable real-life woman behind the “HAPPY DAYS” mom!

THE OLD GLOBE Will Present Legendary Globe Associate Artist
MARION ROSS in an Evening of Storytelling with
Associate Artistic Director ERIC KEEN-LOUIE

On the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage of the Old Globe Theatre

Ms. Ross Will Sign Her New Book,

MY DAYS HAPPY AND OTHERWISE,
on MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.

SAN DIEGO (April 4, 2018)—The Old Globe will present a free, one-night-only event to celebrate the debut of a new book by legendary Globe Associate Artist Marion Ross  titled My Days Happy and Otherwise. This evening of storytelling with Ms. Ross and Associate Artistic Director Eric Keen-Louie will take place on Monday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m., on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage of the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. My Days Happy and Otherwise, by Ms. Ross with David Laurell, and a foreword by Ron Howard,will be available for purchase after the event, and Ms. Ross will be available to sign copies.

Ms. Ross began her extensive career at The Old Globe in the 1940’s when Globe Founding Director Craig Noel cast her in the Shakespeare Festival. She went on to become a Paramount starlet, appearing in nearly every major TV series of the 1950’s and 1960’s, including “Love, American Style,” in which she donned an apron that would cinch her career. Soon after came the fateful phone call from producer Garry Marshall that made her an “overnight” success and changed her life. She became America’s favorite mom, Mrs. Cunningham– affectionately known to millions as Mrs. C–in “Happy Days.”

In this warm and candid memoir, filled with loving recollections from the award-winning “Happy Days” team–from break-out star Henry Winkler to Cunningham “wild child” Erin Moran—Ross shares what it was like to be a starry-eyed young girl with dreams in poor, rural Minnesota, and the resilience, sacrifices, and determination it took to make them come true. She recalls her early years in the business, being in the company of such luminaries as Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Noel Coward, yet always feeling the Hollywood outsider–a painful invisibility that mirrored her own childhood. She reveals the absolute joys of playing a wife and mother on TV, and the struggles of maintaining those roles in real life. But among Ross’s most heart-rending recollections are those of finally finding a soulmate–another secret hope of hers made true well beyond her expectations.

Funny, poignant, and revealing, the book features Garry Marshall’s final illuminating interview, a touching foreword from TV son Ron Howard, and a conversation with her real-life son and daughter. Marion Ross’s story is one of inspiration, persistence, and gratitude. It’s also a glowing tribute to all those who fulfilled her dreams–and in turn, gave us some of the happiest days of our own lives.

RESERVATIONS are recommended to guarantee a seat. This special presentation is free to the public. Reservations can be made by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park, or online at www.theoldglobe.org.

Marion Ross (Author) is a Globe Associate Artist whose first Globe appearance was as Olivia in Twelfth Night under Craig Noel's direction in 1949. She has since been in too many productions to count, including Catsplay with Sada Thompson, Over the River and Through the Woods, A Lovely Light, and most recently, The Last Romance. She presided over the Globe’s Open House for Shakespeare’s 75^th Anniversary as a regal Queen Elizabeth. Ms. Ross made her film debut in 1953’s Forever Fatale, starring Ginger Rogers and William Holden. After working steadily in movies and television, she became famous for playing Mrs. C on the iconic sitcom “Happy Days,” which aired from 1974-84, and for which she received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She has worked on such series as “The Drew Carey Show,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “The Middle.” Born in Minnesota, Ms. Ross has two grown children and lives in California.

Eric Keen-Louie (Associate Artistic Director) Since joining the Globe in October 2011, Eric has worked on over 40 shows, including The Last Match, Allegiance, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Meteor Shower, and Bright Star. He helped launch The Powers New Voices Festival as well as the Globe’s free artistic outreach programs Community Voices and Globe for All. Previously, Eric was Director of Special Projects at The Public Theater, where he helped produce world premieres by such artists as Stephen Sondheim and Suzan-Lori Parks, as well as the Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Hair, the Shakespeare in the Park productions of Twelfth Night (starring Anne Hathaway), The Merchant of Venice (starring Al Pacino), and Paul Simon’s The Capeman in Concert. He received his BA in Dramatic Literature from New York University and graduated with an MFA in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University on a Dean’s fellowship.

LOCATION and PARKING INFORMATION: The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. There are numerous free parking lots available throughout the park. Guests may also be dropped off in front of the Mingei International Museum. There is a 10-minute zone at The Old Globe, used only for daytime deliveries, ticket purchases, and handicapped access dropoff. For directions and up-to-date information, please visit www.theoldglobe.org/plan-your-visit/directions--parking/detailed-directions.

CALENDAR: American Mariachi (3/23–4/29), AXIS: The Wanderers (4/6–5/6), AXIS: Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare! (4/21), A Thousand Splendid Suns (5/12–6/17), AXIS: coLAB Program Showcase (5/12), Native Gardens (5/26–6/24), AXIS: Kids’ Dance Party featuring Dance Evolve (6/12), The Tempest (6/17–7/22), Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax (7/2–8/12), AXIS: Fourth District Senior Center’s Globe Takeover, featuring The Seasoned Line Dancers (7/10),Barefoot in the Park (7/28–8/26), Much Ado About Nothing (8/12–9/16), AXIS: Dance Lessons featuring Elvina Addams (8/21), Heart of Rock and Roll (9/6/18-10/21), AXIS: Mexican Independence Day Celebration featuring Las Colibrí in concert(9/15), 2018 Globe Gala featuring Andra Day (9/22), AXIS: Day of the Dead Celebration (10/28).

PHOTO EDITORS: Digital images of The Old Globe’s productions are available at www.theoldglobe.org/press-room.

The Tony Award-winning Old Globe is one of the country’s leading professional regional theatres and has stood as San Diego’s flagship arts institution for over 80 years. Under the leadership of Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and Managing Director Timothy J. Shields, The Old Globe produces a year-round season of 15 productions of classic, contemporary, and new works on its three Balboa Park stages: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 600-seat Old Globe Theatre and the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, both part of The Old Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, and the 605-seat outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, home of its internationally renowned Shakespeare Festival. More than 250,000 people attend Globe productions annually and participate in the theatre’s artistic and arts engagement programs. Numerous world premieres such as the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Meteor Shower, Bright Star, Allegiance, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,and the annual holiday musical Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! have been developed at The Old Globe and have gone on to enjoy highly successful runs on Broadway and at regional theatres across the country.

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