Madeleine Shaner
With sadness and respect, the LADCC announces the death of longtime circle member Madeleine Shaner.
For decades she reviewed for Park LaBrea News/Beverly Press and for Back Stage. In some of those years she was known as “the broad in the hat,” a floppy-brimmed bit of wardrobe ornamented with a sunflower that became a steady presence in the front rows of Los Angeles’s 99-Seat theaters.
Her writing, knowledgeable of theater, usually included an interesting turn of phrase, much of which was attributable to her British education. In her later years on the circle, Madeleine was elected to emeritus status in recognition of her service to the organization and to the theatrical community. She hosted meetings in her home, where her beloved Samoyed named Pushkin would sit under the dining-room table and silently listen in.
The Circle offers condolences to her husband, John Herman Shaner, and their sons Michael and Daniel.
