Jenny Purple

Brooklyn-Born Jenny Purple has been acting and singing since age four, when she got her first laugh as a puddle appeared at her feet, toward the end of a two-hour play. By age seven she was writing and performing her first play, an original, "unauthorized" sequel to Broadway's "Annie," produced by Mike Nichols. A precocious teenager,Jenny began performing stand-up comedy up and down the EastCoast, using borrowed ID to gain admittance so she could perform. Jenny graduated from New York's New Actors' Workshop after studying with Paul Sills, founder of the Second City improv company in Chicago, along with George Morrison, well-known as Gene Hackman's Drama Coach. She realized her childhood fantasy by spending two years learning from film Director Mike Nichols, who also began his career in sketch-comedy, partnering with Elaine May, now a screenwriter and recent collaborator with Mike on the film "The Bird Cage". Jenny also enjoyed her study with Sitcom veteren Mort Scharfman, double Emmy award-winner for TV's classic sitcom "All in the Family". Jenny pursued all this theater study while simultaneously earning Graduate credits in Writing and Acting through Antioch University. Six days after her Commencement Ceremony, Jenny Purple jumped into her Purple car and drove to L.A., where she finagled her way into writing internships on several TV shows. While working in television, Jenny Purple continued her character study with Gary Austin, founder of LA's Groundlings comedy improv group, Michael Gellman, a Director at Chicago's Second City, as well as joining the Groundling's writing & performing apprenticeship program. Jenny quickly garnered attention, as she meandered through the various Hollywood T.V. Production Studio lots in her Purple car, and in and around the sets of many sitcoms. Steve Harvey greeted her daily, for a time with, "There goes Jenny Purple in her Purple!," commenting on Jenny's ever-changing purple-hued atire. Rob Reiner, speaking at an enviornmental fund raiser, changed the opening of his Keynote address on a whimsey after spotting Jenny, who had volunteered to help out with the event. He began, "First, I'd like to introduce to you none other than... the Girl in the Purple Dress! Jenny's role as Alisha in the low-budget horror"indie" Evil in the Bayou (2003) can be rented now from your local video store, or purchased via Amazon.com. Presently Jenny can be seen performing in various sketch-comedy shows all over Los Angeles, including The L.A Zoo, Joniand Gina's Lesbian Wedding. She also appears at The L.A. Connection, Six, and The Next Stage's Berubians sketch-comedy company. She was also a founding cast member of the Tiny Bandeleros. Jenny recently launched "Sketchy White Men" in which she appeared, produced and co-wrote: her first political-satirical review. Directed by fellow Tiny Bandelero J. Paul Zimmerman, "Sketchy White Men" runs on Saturday nights at 8pm at The Next Stage Theater in Hollywood, through Sept. 6, 2003. Stay tuned for more news of Jenny Purple as she continues to perform her famous characters, old and new, includung Kelli the Geeky School Girl, Mercedes who married a Martian, Gladys the soul-less Soul Train Dancer, Charlette the Starlet and many more!