1975 D’Arcy Webb

D'Arcy, also known in some circles as the Speech Diva, is a sometime singer-actress—not a dilettante, per se, but one who selects her projects carefully. She chooses to pour most of her psychic and physical energy into her gig at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she teaches voice and speech and cabaret performance. By now she has a few years on her, giving her the experience, wisdom and depth to play soigné society dames, deranged housewives and toothless old crones with passion, humanity and panache. She is grateful to her mother for a few good genes that have kept her body supple and resilient, so when a director stages a ten-minute scene in a dog crate the size of a FedEx box, she can fold herself into it quite handily and still speak articulately and with ardor. Cursed with a too-tender heart, she carries a paralyzing aversion to auditioning, but can be coaxed into a bit of song and spoken word with a packet of Hostess Ho-hos or a well-made croissant from the local patissiere down the street. Currently in development, Children and Art is a show of songs and spoken word about families and the forces they play in one’s life. Featuring only herself and her husband, composer and music director Charles Gilbert, the show explores the vicissitudes of making music, art and a family