A former fellow Florida State University School of Theatre student
during the mid-1970s, lovely, talented actress Caris Corfman suffered a
tragic and debilitating reversal of fortunes in 1993. Diagnosed with a
brain tumor, four operations to remove the benign mass left her with a
severe and unrepairable disability. She lost the functioning of the
part of her brain that controls short term memory. As a result, she
could no longer memorize new lines. What was most amazing was that she
could still repeat verbatim passages or monologues she had learned
years and years before her operation.
In a bravura turn, Ms. Corfman returned to the stage after over a
decade (Flea Theater in Lower Manhattan, October 2005) in an amazing
and spiritually rewarding one-woman show entitled "Caris' Peace," in
which she talks (via the use of index cards to help keep her focus and
continuity of what she covered earlier) about her life and illness,
before and after. As writer David Carr expressed in an article about
Caris and her showcase, "Her performance is about why she can no longer
perform." A filmed documentary entitled "Caris' Peace" chronicles the
former actress' story and personal battles. It is obvious to me that
this incredibly courageous woman never lost the love and passion she
had for the stage.
The Boston-born actress (born in 1955) arrived at FSU in the mid-1970s,
about the same time I did. For me, her talent was obvious from the very
start. Her showcases while there ranged from a lovely and tender
performance as Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" to a strong role in a
daring feminist production of "The Taming of the Shrew" in which the
actresses took on the male roles and vice versa. Caris played one of
the trans-gendered parts with consummate energy, poise and skill. Also
appearing in that very cast was another of New York's future preeminent
actresses J. Smith-Cameron. One was
instantly struck by Caris' natural and vibrant beauty. Mesmerizing with
a head full of gorgeous blonde ringlets, two prominent cheekbones and a
quick, Cheshire-cat smile, she was one of those people who drew an
audience whenever she entered a room. People simply wanted to know her.
Following FSU, Caris attended the Yale School of Drama. She made her
off-Broadway debut in the critically-acclaimed production of "Wings"
(1978), which was part of Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival.
She also earned outstanding notices for her role as Emma in the Yale
Repertory Theatre's production of "Curse of the Starving Class" in
1980. One of her crowning moments was creating the role of Katherina
Cavalieri, Salieri's music pupil, in the original Broadway production
of "Amadeus" (1980) starring Ian McKellen.
Within a few months, she had succeeded
Jane Seymour in the leading femme
role of Mozart's wife, Constanze Weber. Throughout the 1980s, Caris
continued to demonstrate her versatility in a number of original
contemporary plays such as "Fish Riding Bikes," "The Sleep of Reason,"
"Filthy Rich," "Exact Change," "Fathers and Sons," "The Voysey
Inheritance," "Dream of a Common Language" and "All This and
Moonlight." She also worked with many prominent actors over the years,
including
David Groh and the
ever-so-eccentric Sylvia Miles
in "Tea with Mommy and Jack";
David Strathairn in "The Cezanne
Syndrome"; Robert Lansing,
Barbara Barrie and fellow FSU alumnus
J. Smith-Cameron in "Mi Vida Loca";
Christian Slater in "Dry Land"; and
Samuel L. Jackson and
Jimmy Smits in "Native Speech." Caris was a
guest artist at such prestigious repertory theaters as the Arena Stage,
and displayed a strong handle on the classics over the years in
productions such as O'Neill's "Anna Christie," Shakespeare's "Henry IV
Parts I and I" and Congreve's "The Way of the World."
Although she made less than a handful of films, one need not look
further in scouting out her possible leading lady potential than with
her prime role in the intriguing British period piece
Das wahre Leben der Alice im Wunderland (1985) starring
Ian Holm as Lewis ("Alice in Wonderland")
Carroll and Coral Browne as Alice
Hargreaves, Carroll's inspiration for his "Alice" tales. As for TV, it
was that medium's loss that she was not utilized more often. It didn't
matter for Caris' first love was the theatre.
In 1993, following a role in the movie
Stage Fright - Eine Gurke erobert Hollywood (1993) starring
Danny Aiello, Caris' professional journey
came to an end. From then on her life would be about recovery,
rehabilitation and survival. While she would not be able to remember
someone she had met minutes earlier, she would remember ME from our FSU
days. And I have always remembered her -- her incredible beauty, both
inside and out, her charisma, her amazing talent as a performer and her
obvious love and dedication to her craft. Caris' one-woman show would
become living proof of the extent of that love and dedication, and,
more importantly, her belief that her life was not over but in a major
transition.
On January 13, 2007, Caris' life's journey ended, passing away
peacefully in her sleep of a stroke at age 51. She continues to be
cherished by the family, friends and actors she left behind whose lives
she touched and inspired, and is deeply, deeply missed.
