Best-selling author and noted actress Mara Purl brings the haunting beauty, romance and danger of the sea to The Mezzanine stage on February 26, 27, 28 and March1 in the award-winning play, "Sea Marks". Purl, who played Darla Cook soap Days of our Lives in 1986, co-stars with Christopher Law in this entertaining and compelling two-character theatrical tour-de-force, directed by Colorado Springs’ grande dame of theater Eve Tilley.
This production has a special place in Purl’s heart. Thirty years ago her father, Raymond Purl, a graduate of Yale Drama School and an accomplished thespian, directed her in this play in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Conservatory’s production honors Ray Purl’s one hundredth birthday – a goal he missed by 26 days. Performances are still being held in his honor. And a studio at the Conservatory is being dedicated in his name.
Ray Purl had an accomplished international business career as Co-Director of Nippon Unicar in Tokyo, Japan, and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. His life also included a parallel track on which his passion for theatre ran, ultimately resulting in his directing over 200 plays. Immediately after WWII, and before his return to corporate work, he reconnected with his parental theatre-roots and earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale Drama School. He directed plays for The Connecticut Players, and after moving to Tokyo, joined Tokyo International Players, where he directed scores of productions, co-starred in several, and served as president. Both he and his wife were given lifetime membership at TIP in honor of their many years of service. During the Tokyo years, Raymond also served as a consultant to the National Theatre of Japan. Upon retiring from his business career, he directed at the Diamond Head Theatre in Honolulu. After moving to Colorado Springs, his most notable enterprises included a trail-blazing production of Alan Ayckbourne’s "Intimate Exchanges", which drew the playwright’s praise and an invitation to visit his home in England. As a tribute to their Colorado home, Purl also wrote, directed and co-starred in his own play "General Palmer", performed at the Pikes Peak Center. Local audiences remember his appearances at Library events, portraying both Andrew Carnegie and General Palmer.
