The Dames
Fan interaction:
Sometimes tender, sometimes not.
About Judith
Stage and film actress Judith O'Dea began her career over four decades ago. Her first role was at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in the Jerome Kern musical Leave It to Jane. "Working at the Pittsburgh Playhouse provided me some the best stage training I've ever received," says Judith.
She also remembers singing with Boston Legal's Rene Auberjenois in the Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms. "We had great fun belting out "I Wish I Were in Love Again" atop a 15-foot ladder."
Other favorite musical roles include Maria in The Sound of Music, Eliza in Lerner and Lowe's My Fair Lady, and Nellie Forbush in Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific.
Since then, Judith has expanded her career nationwide to include a vast number of serious and comedic roles on stage, radio, film, and TV. Her work also includes commercial voice-overs and corporate industrial shows.
But for most film and theatre goers, Judith is best remembered as Barbra in the George A. Romero 1968 horror film classic Night of the Living Dead. This epic film changed her life and definitely remains one of her all-time favorite career highlights.
Judith's latest film appearances are in Jason Paul Collum's psychological thriller November Son and Lonnie Martin's Ningen Manga production of Women's Studies. Both will be released on DVD in the spring and fall of 2009.
When not performing, Judith enjoys a second fulfilling career as President and Founder of O'Dea Communications, a training and consulting firm specializing in the art of helping people organize and deliver powerful persuasive presentations for on-camera, business or informal situations. Her experience in this field spans over 24 years and has proved to be a valued service for such companies as Hughes Aircraft, Raytheon Systems, L-3 Communications, Datex-Ohmeda, DuPont Pharmaceuticals, and DirecTV.
Ms. O'Dea also enjoys screen writing, recumbent biking, and scuba diving. "Without a doubt," she says, "life just gets better and better!"
To view or download Judy's theatrical resume, click here.
About Kyra
Kyra Schon was chosen for the role of Karen Cooper through, as she says, "purely nepotistic impulses." Kyra's father was actor/producer Karl Hardman, who played the infamous Harry Cooper, the "cowardly King of the Cellar." This was Kyra's first brush with the film industry, and what a brush it was! The face of Kyra's undead alter ego has become iconic, and appears on all manner of products related to Night of the Living Dead.
She chose not to pursue an acting career, and instead studied visual art in college. She taught middle school ceramics classes from 1985 to 2010, and now devotes most of her time to designing, sculpting and casting her own pewter jewelry (StoneHouseArts.Etsy.com). Several years ago, Kyra founded SpiffyCards, a line of greeting cards featuring her beloved pooch and muse, Spiffy.
Kyra says she has never felt particularly comfortable in front of a camera. Despite her misgivings, and after a forty-year hiatus from movies, she agreed to a cameo role in G. Joe Shelby's recent film production of The Green Man, due to be released sometime within this millennium.
With regard to her film notoriety, Kyra says, "I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. I am blessed to have had a role in Night of the Living Dead." She maintains contact with other horror fans - friends and strangers alike - through her website, The Ghoul Next Door. A self-proclaimed "horror geek," Kyra enjoys attending horror conventions and meeting like-minded people. Her passions also include her animal companions, her friends, reading, gardening, and her art.