Gwen Shepherd
Encyclopedia
Gwendolyn J. Shepherd is an African American
actress. In the late 1970s and 1980s she performed in a number of musical theatre
productions. From 1989 onwards she had a number of minor parts in prominent television series.
production of Porgy and Bess
in the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. She reprised the role in the 1983 production at the Arie Crown Theater
, Chicago, and in some performances of the revival on Broadway
later in the same year.
She went on to play Evelline in the national touring production of The Wiz
that ran from June 1978 to July 1979. In 1980 she was one of the three female singers in the off-Broadway
production of Blues in the Night
.
In 1984 Shepherd appeared in the Broadway production of the operetta Show Boat
as Queenie. In 1986 she was an understudy in the original touring production of Legends
, performing at least once during the tour, and in 1987 she was understudy as Rose in Stepping Out
.
In 1988 she was "an ample and vocally strong Peaseblossom" in a Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
(running December 7, 1987, to March 27, 1988).
, Knots Landing
, Law & Order
, Married People
, Murder She Wrote, Family Matters, and most notably Seinfeld
.
In the Seinfeld episode "The Stranded
", Shepherd played a cashier
who has an altercation with George Costanza
after allegedly short-changing him for ten dollars.
Her voice appearance was Opal Otter on the Playhouse Disney
series PB&J Otter
.
(1989).
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
actress. In the late 1970s and 1980s she performed in a number of musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
productions. From 1989 onwards she had a number of minor parts in prominent television series.
Theatrical performances
Shepherd was one of the actresses to play Maria in the famous 1977 Houston Grand OperaHouston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit, Edward Bing and Charles Cockrell...
production of Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
in the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. She reprised the role in the 1983 production at the Arie Crown Theater
Arie Crown Theater
The Arie Crown Theater was named after Lithuanian immigrant Arie Crown, who was the father of Henry Crown, the American industrialist and philanthropist. The theater is situated on Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. It opened in 1960, with seating for 5,000 people, one of the largest seating capacities in...
, Chicago, and in some performances of the revival on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
later in the same year.
She went on to play Evelline in the national touring production of The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...
that ran from June 1978 to July 1979. In 1980 she was one of the three female singers in the off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production of Blues in the Night
Blues in the Night (musical)
Blues in the Night is a musical revue conceived by Sheldon Epps. It was produced by Mitchell Maxwell, Alan J. Schuster, Fred H. Krones and M Squared Entertainment, Inc., and Joshua Silver ....
.
In 1984 Shepherd appeared in the Broadway production of the operetta Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
as Queenie. In 1986 she was an understudy in the original touring production of Legends
Legends (play)
Legends is a comedic play written by James Kirkwood, Jr. It toured the United States with Mary Martin and Carol Channing in 1986, but never had a production on Broadway. The play concerns two aging rival film stars...
, performing at least once during the tour, and in 1987 she was understudy as Rose in Stepping Out
Stepping Out (play)
Stepping Out is a play written by Richard Harris in 1984. It was produced in the West End, London, where it received the Evening Standard Comedy of the Year Award, and on Broadway, New York.-Plot:...
.
In 1988 she was "an ample and vocally strong Peaseblossom" in a Broadway production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
(running December 7, 1987, to March 27, 1988).
Television appearances
To television viewers Shepherd is best known for her various guest appearances in major television series over the period 1989-1994, including WebsterWebster (TV series)
Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
, Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, Married People
Married People
Married People is an American television situation comedy that aired on ABC as part of its 1990-91 schedule.-Synopsis:The series follows three couples in different stages of their relationships who lived in the same building in New York City...
, Murder She Wrote, Family Matters, and most notably Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
.
In the Seinfeld episode "The Stranded
The Stranded
"The Stranded" is the twenty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the tenth episode of the show's third season. It first aired on November 27, 1991...
", Shepherd played a cashier
Cashier
Cashier is an occupation focused on the handling of cash money.- Retail :In a shop, a cashier is a person who scans the goods through a machine called a cash register that the consumer wishes to purchase at the retail store. After all of the goods have been scanned, the cashier then collects...
who has an altercation with George Costanza
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
after allegedly short-changing him for ten dollars.
Her voice appearance was Opal Otter on the Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
series PB&J Otter
PB&J Otter
PB&J Otter is an animated children's series which premiered on Playhouse Disney on March 15, 1998. A total of 65 episodes were produced during the course of its three season run, with the "farewell" episode airing on September 24, 2000. The series centered on the Otter family who lived in the rural...
.
Film appearances
Shepherd also had minor roles in the films Easy Money (1983) and Penn & Teller Get KilledPenn & Teller Get Killed
Penn & Teller Get Killed is a 1989 dark comedy film directed by Arthur Penn starring magicians Penn & Teller. The duo play themselves, and the plot involves them in a satirical account of what the audience would perhaps imagine the pair doing in their daily lives...
(1989).