Sarah Benoit(I)
- Actress
"Hey kids, let's put on a show!" So said Mickey Rooney in the 1939 film "Babes in Arms". And so said Sarah's father Harrison in 1960 when he began producing and directing five summers of children's theatre in the family garage, featuring Sarah in prominent roles, to the delight of the neighborhood and the greater Lansing area.
Sarah's mother was also a strong creative influence in her early life. The two of them often sang harmony together, and Sarah suspects her mother even crooned to her in the womb. Luella also read her daughter lots of fairy tales. She obviously agreed with Albert Einstein, who said, "If you want your children to be bright, read them Fairy Tales. If you want them to be brilliant, read them even more Fairy Tales." The federal Library Services Act of 1956 brought bookmobiles to many rural communities, helping to further feed Sarah's love of reading and literature.
These early experiences launched her artistic path. She began appearing in a plethora of venues - theatres, clubs, music halls, etc. in various types of groups - octets, quartets, choirs and as a solo performer across the United States and even abroad. Her character roles were as varied as the places she performed. She was the front half of a purple cow, a dancing chicken, a hillbilly, a spinster, a dance hostess, more than one queen and several versions of the ingenue 'girl next door'.
Leaving the Great Lake state and her suburban farming community, Sarah landed in 'the windy city' of Chicago, where she graduated with a BFA from the esteemed former Goodman School of Drama, and she also studied at the Conservatory of Music.
Before long, it was "California, Here I Come", and Sarah migrated to the West coast in the mid-1970s, where she soon began her film and television career . You may be surprised at the many guises you've seen her in, whether dramatic or comedic, while singing, dancing and even swimming her way across your screen.
Among others, these roles featured her swimming the English Channel and dancing down a fire escape in baby doll pajamas. As an old farm wife, she was murdered and had snakes erupting from her chest. She's been a hippie, a senator, a landlady, and several nuns. She's played recurring characters on "Joan of Arcadia", "Station 19", "Fear the Walking Dead" and "The Kids Are Alright".
A former teacher at the Goodman described Sarah's talent as "dangerous". In a branding workshop, her essence was described as "soothing as English tea"; unpredictable as lightning; a force of nature".
Besides performing, Sarah has published articles, stories and poetry - in the e-zine "Broomstix for Kids", the magazine "Good Old Days" and the book "America at the Millennium, The Best Poems and Poets of the 20th Century".
As a member of the Company of Angels, she produced and performed in five plays at their Silver Lake location from 1991 to 1995, collaborating with her artistic partner Edward, who designed all the sets.
Her original play "Loyly" was enthusiastically received at the Actors Group Theatre in North Hollywood in 2009 and at the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura in 2013. In 2014, she performed her solo play "They Who Love An Old House" at the Missing Piece Theatre in Burbank, and she won the 2019 TAG Solo Festival award with her solo piece "Turn Around".
Stay tuned... Her latest work is in a new television series currently under Non-disclosure.
Sarah grounds herself and nourishes her spirit by immersing herself in nature. She participates in indigenous earth-based ceremonies and celebrates the interconnected web of life. She cherishes the life she shares with her now husband Edward and their sweet feline companions - Hazel, Claudia, Destiny and Amigo.
Sarah's mother was also a strong creative influence in her early life. The two of them often sang harmony together, and Sarah suspects her mother even crooned to her in the womb. Luella also read her daughter lots of fairy tales. She obviously agreed with Albert Einstein, who said, "If you want your children to be bright, read them Fairy Tales. If you want them to be brilliant, read them even more Fairy Tales." The federal Library Services Act of 1956 brought bookmobiles to many rural communities, helping to further feed Sarah's love of reading and literature.
These early experiences launched her artistic path. She began appearing in a plethora of venues - theatres, clubs, music halls, etc. in various types of groups - octets, quartets, choirs and as a solo performer across the United States and even abroad. Her character roles were as varied as the places she performed. She was the front half of a purple cow, a dancing chicken, a hillbilly, a spinster, a dance hostess, more than one queen and several versions of the ingenue 'girl next door'.
Leaving the Great Lake state and her suburban farming community, Sarah landed in 'the windy city' of Chicago, where she graduated with a BFA from the esteemed former Goodman School of Drama, and she also studied at the Conservatory of Music.
Before long, it was "California, Here I Come", and Sarah migrated to the West coast in the mid-1970s, where she soon began her film and television career . You may be surprised at the many guises you've seen her in, whether dramatic or comedic, while singing, dancing and even swimming her way across your screen.
Among others, these roles featured her swimming the English Channel and dancing down a fire escape in baby doll pajamas. As an old farm wife, she was murdered and had snakes erupting from her chest. She's been a hippie, a senator, a landlady, and several nuns. She's played recurring characters on "Joan of Arcadia", "Station 19", "Fear the Walking Dead" and "The Kids Are Alright".
A former teacher at the Goodman described Sarah's talent as "dangerous". In a branding workshop, her essence was described as "soothing as English tea"; unpredictable as lightning; a force of nature".
Besides performing, Sarah has published articles, stories and poetry - in the e-zine "Broomstix for Kids", the magazine "Good Old Days" and the book "America at the Millennium, The Best Poems and Poets of the 20th Century".
As a member of the Company of Angels, she produced and performed in five plays at their Silver Lake location from 1991 to 1995, collaborating with her artistic partner Edward, who designed all the sets.
Her original play "Loyly" was enthusiastically received at the Actors Group Theatre in North Hollywood in 2009 and at the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura in 2013. In 2014, she performed her solo play "They Who Love An Old House" at the Missing Piece Theatre in Burbank, and she won the 2019 TAG Solo Festival award with her solo piece "Turn Around".
Stay tuned... Her latest work is in a new television series currently under Non-disclosure.
Sarah grounds herself and nourishes her spirit by immersing herself in nature. She participates in indigenous earth-based ceremonies and celebrates the interconnected web of life. She cherishes the life she shares with her now husband Edward and their sweet feline companions - Hazel, Claudia, Destiny and Amigo.
