Lucina Paquet Best Actress

Lucina Paquet fell in love with theatre at the age of five in the New Orleans’ Children’s Theatre Guild. She graduated with honors from St. Mary’s Dominican High School; graduated from LSU with a degree in theatre then went on to earn her Masters and Ph.D.

When Lucy retired from teaching at the E. Illinois University, she moved to Chicago. Lucy made her Chicago acting debut in The Government Inspector at the Goodman Theatre followed by appearing a variety of plays in different Chicago theatres: Steel Magnolias at the Apollo, Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy at the Briar Street Theatre, Close of Play at the Famous Door, Harvey at the Raven, Another Part of the Forest at the Immediate Theatre, Center Theatre’s Miss Lulu Bett, and Next Theatre’s Octette Bridge Club. Lucy played Grandma Joad in Steppenwolf’s Grapes of Wrath which took her from Chicago’s Royal George Theatre to the LaJolla Playhouse in California to the London National Theatre, and on to the Cort Theatre on Broadway in 1990 where the play won the Tony Award for best production. Recently she has performed in End Game at the Mercury Theatre and The Gift. Her film credits include Prelude to a Kiss, Groundhog Day, Straight Talk, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. Lucy’s most recent films include Novocaine with Steve Martin and Laura Dern, Children on Their Birthdays, and The Redemption. Her television appearances include The Grapes of Wrath on PBS American Playhouse and various episodes of The Untouchables, Missing Persons, Cupid, Turks and, of course, commercials, commercials commercials.

Lucy is also an accomplished playwright. Her one-act, Interrelations, was chosen to be part of CDW’s New Voices Festival. A Wayward Spirit, has been selected by the Door Theatre for their annual playwriting event, Women at the Door, and was produced by the Mallady Theatre for The Playwright’s Center. The Galatean Players of Concorde, California also produced A Wayward Spirit. Lucy has just completed Just Around the Corner which will be staged next season at Chicago Dramatists Workshop

Lucina Paquet and actor/Prof. husband, Glendon Gabbard celebrated their 60th anniversary this year. They have two sons and four grand-children. Lucy supports her church organization, the Dominican Sisters of Hope, the Red Cross, the March of Dimes, and the Easter Seals.