By Eva Trieger
SOLANA BEACH, California — After reading through the biography of this Jaqueline of All Trades, I asked Rena Strober to label herself. Her CV reads: actress, singer, writer, film and television star, video gamer and voice overs queen, and teacher for the blind. This multifaceted, mega -talented young woman responded, “Hmmmm. Artist sounds unemployed. I’ll have to give that some thought.”
Strober will be appearing in North Coast Rep’s Side by Side by Sondheim which opens July 15 with previews, and will be a summer sensation for this intimate venue. The singer confessed that she was scared to do it because she is such a huge fan of the lyricist/ composer and his works. However, she called herself a perfectionist and decided to face her fears by tackling Sondheim’s cadre of tunes.
Rena is a New Yorker, and identifies strongly with other Jewish thespians from the Big Apple, including Woody Allen and Neil Simon. Her early years were spent in a “loud, Conservative Jewish home, reminiscent of Brighton Beach Memoirs,” said Strober. The budding star of stage and screen attended private Jewish schools until 5th grade.
Strober reported that though no one else in her family is involved in theater; rather, “they all have jobs,” music was a constant part of her youth. Rena’s dad, a kidney doctor, played piano, and Rena would sing along. Her two older brothers were also musically inclined and summers were spent at Stagedoor Manor Camp in upstate New York.
Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, NY, attracted Strober post high school, and she unearthed a talent for recording video games and voice overs. Animation was also a draw, and Rena landed work with Audible books. These pursuits kept Strober an East Coaster until 2005, but a Fiddler on the Roof tour lured her out to Los Angeles. This tour lasted for a year and led to many new venues and vocations, including an entre to Disney and an introduction to the Academy of Music for the Blind.
The Academy of Music for the Blind encourages “brilliant musicians, ages 4-17 years old” to hone their craft. Rena began a mission to raise money for this cause, and was invited to speak to Rabbi David Wolpe’s congregation at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Though unaware that she was living a “defining moment, “ Rena’s impassioned plea resulted in congregants handing her checks for this incredibly worthy cause and fueled her admiration and commitment to this organization. To learn more about this project and a fall fundraiser, check out www.ouramb.org.
But Los Angeles is not the only city where Rena Strober has found acceptance in shuls. Always a singer at Shabbat morning services, the actress visited a Reform synagogue while on tour. Having landed a role in Les Miserables, Strober chuckled to me that she couldn’t believe she was paid to dress in rags. The company was in Atlanta, Georgia and Rena decided to attend Shabbat services before her matinee performance. The combination of Southern hospitality and a warm Jewish community resonated with our girl. Rena told me, “I was admiring the Chagall windows, surrounded by little yentas who wanted to introduce me to their grandsons.” The tour ran for two years, and led Rena to many other Southern synagogues where she continued to marvel at the sense of “being at home” in a synagogue environment.
Rena reported delightful experiences of working with Jason Alexander in Boca Raton in his show, When You’re in Love, The Whole World is Jewish. He had been an idol of hers and she told me that he wrote comedic material that would elicit her funny delivery, which she’d been unaware she possessed. Other icons with whom Rena has worked and continues to share scripts include Shirley Jones, Lee Meriwether and Sally Struthers, as they film a sequel to Waiting in the Wings. To keep track of this continuously employed artist, her website contains all critical info at renastrober.com.
Strober’s arrival at North Coast Rep came on the heels of an audition with David Ellenstein for his Gershwin show. She did not get that part, but Ellenstein, who knows how to spot a good thing, reached out to Rena for Side by Side by Sondheim and asked her to take the role. She glowingly described North Coast Rep’s Artistic Director as “a kind and patient soul.” He reminds her that she is before a live audience and we must “see her emotion in her face, not just hear it in her voice,” as is the case with voice overs.
Side by Side by Sondheim is Strober’s most challenging role to date, but she is elated to have this opportunity. As a youngster, she reported memorizing and being captivated by Bernadette Peters in Into the Woods and has been champing at the bit to do this role. Her co-stars, Randall Dodge, Nick Cooper, and Angelina Reaux “hold each other up and keep a high standard for each other. Working together, we become a family in one day.” In a recent KUSI interview, the performers concurred that the pieces are tricky and require lots of careful rehearsing.
This musical bouquet is a celebration of the multitude of musical works by Sondheim and includes songs from West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Little Night Music and many others that audiences will recognize, but will hopefully leave the singing to the professionals!
Tickets are available at northcoastrep.org or by calling the box office at 858.481.1055.
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Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. You may comment to her at eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com, or post your comment on this website provided that the comment is civil and that you identify yourself by full name and by your city and state of residence.