Born
in Fort Sam Houston, Texas and an Austin resident until 1955, Saundra moved
to California where she studied theater and oral interpretation under the
distinguished professor James D. Young in the embryonic Theatre Dept. at
California State University, Fullerton where she performed her first acting
role as Amanda in Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”. Audiences
and critics were stunned by the depth of her performance and none more
so than Saundra herself. She had experienced the theatre for the first
time and there was no turning back.
She later taught college acting classes and adapted
and directed world premieres of poet Lynn
Sukenick's "Houdini" and her own "Mirror, Mirror",
an early work that was eventually produced as a popular musical in Los
Angeles. She joined Orange County's South Coast Repertory regional theater
as a member of the acting company and resident director and appeared with
composer Tony Tenille in the SCR production of "Mother Earth” which
set box office records for the fledgling company.
Her first role as Amanda
in 1963 began a lifetime of dedication to the theatre. Directed
by Donald Rickner. Photo by Donald Miller.
The innovative series, funded by a National Endowment for the Arts grant, was controversial in its candid exploration of previously forbidden subjects in children’s theatre, including death, anger and childhood sexuality. But critics, child psychologists, children and their parents quickly embraced the plays and they continued to be performed at SCR and on tour for over two decades.
A popular favorite in the Dramatic
Publishing Company catalog, the plays have been
translated into several languages and continue to be performed throughout
the world by professional and amateur companies alike. It's not unusual
for elementary, high school and college drama instructors to present the
plays again and again, as each new crop of students becomes captivated
by the plays' innovative style and startling message. Dozens of
productions were presented last year in the U. S. and Canada alone.
Saundra’s
training included piano lessons and operatic studies and she later returned
to these interests. She performed on an album of Emily Dickenson lyrics
set to music by composer William Wood. Here is her studio recording of
"The Gun", circa 1976.
In "You Remind Me of a Friend", a stage musical
which she developed, her live performance garnered standing ovations. Here,
"The Real Me", circa 1976, recorded at the Circle Theatre.
The production was a watershed in the exploration
of popular feminist issues. Sylvie Drake, theatre critic of the Los
Angeles Times called it
"...the first piece of its kind to come of age,
to lay the medium on us rather than the message. What message there is
comes out as entertainment. At last."
Review.
Mathews-Deacon also did voice-over work. Here's an hilarious outtake from an instructional series.
Although she was most comfortable on stage and in recording sessions, Saundra didn't hesitate to try new forms. In this odd, experimental film, called Clown White, she demonstrates amazing energy and a whimsical fondness for silent film technique.
An accomplished oral interpreter, her 22-part Earbook series is considered a seminal work by English literature experts and enthusiasts. Her world class readings were recognized by several authors' heirs and agents as exemplifed in this report by Christine Miller, executive producer, who was responsible for the often contentious negotiations for rights to the poems in the series. "We had particular difficulty with the T. S. Eliot estate," she says. "They wrote essentially suggesting that nobody was good enough to record his poems. So I sent them a recording of Saundra's reading of another major poet. They quickly wrote back: "Never mind. We would be very pleased if she would record his work." An anthology of her readings of modern poets, produced for public radio, the series airs in the U. S. and enlivens college literature classes around the world.
Saundra eventually returned to her first loves,
singing and composing, which occupied her professionally until her death
in 1981. You can hear selections from her original songbook here: "Move
Through Time" The complete collection is available on CD.
For more on the collection, history and restoration: "Background"
