Dates

• Existence: 1938-07-25 - 2024-06-21

Obituary

Julia Sandra Rand
Date of Death: June 21, 2024

Julia Sandra Rand, a true Renaissance woman, died June 21, 2024 only 2 months short of her 86th birthday, July 25th. She was an actress, director of theatre and opera, playwright, producer, artist’s manager, and former ballet dancer who also taught ballroom and the tango.

Julia was born in Newburgh, New York to Eva and Philip Yanowitz. Her immigrant Romanian grandmother wanted to live by the sea, so the family moved to Bradley Beach, New Jersey. Julia attended Boston University, majoring in theatre and directing before moving to New York City to pursue her dream.

In New York, she worked at many different job-jobs to support her passion, from production manager at a magazine publisher to an accomplished bookkeeper. She studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and at the HB Studio with both Herbert Berghof and with her beloved lodestar, Uta Hagen, performing in many plays directed by Berghof at HB Playwrights Foundation. She was a member of Hagen’s professional class for over ten years.

Julia appeared on TV in All My Children, Law and Order, One Life to live [sic], and in movies directed by Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola. She especially enjoyed being a dancer in The Cotton Club. Off-Broadway, she saved a dolphin in the NYC premiere of Paul Zindel’s Let Me Hear You Whisper, and appeared in Tennessee Williams’ A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot. Julia’s own play, Fleeing From Tigers, was produced Off-off Broadway on Theatre Row. On Broadway, she was a producer of the comedic farce, Grin and Bare It.

Ever working to better herself, Julia earned certifications as a Health/Physical Fitness Instructor from Marymount College and from American College of Sports Medicine. Beginning her own business, Bioethical Fitness, she also devised and presented lectures for ‘The Performer as Athlete’ at the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Julia’s mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Always devoted to her, Julia gave up her business and put her career on hold, moving to Bradley Beach to care for her after her father died. Her mother always wanted Julia to complete her degree in theatre; after her death, Julia applied to Marymount Manhattan College, was awarded 30 hours of life experience credits, and earned the degree Bachelor of Arts in Theatre.

While at Marymount, Julia wrote a play about the journey with her mother and Alzheimer’s, Sunrise, Sunset, or Breakfast with Julia. Performed at Marymount, it was then chosen for two new play festivals, first in Asbury Park, NJ and then in NYC at the Gene Frankel Theatre. She also created a foundation, Arts For Alzheimers with her spouse, soprano Jacklyn Schneider, presenting concerts to raise money for Alzheimers Foundation.

While at Marymount, Julia did Shakespeare studies with Elizabeth Swain and Mark Ringer, as well working with John Basil, founder of the American Globe Theatre, becoming a Shakespeare scholar. The late Julie Schreck, then mayor of Bradley Beach, wanted to bring the arts to the community. Learning that Julia was living in Bradley Beach, she asked her to start an Arts Council. Reluctant at first, Julia said yes if she could produce Shakespeare at the gazebo on the boardwalk in the summer. That was twelve years ago.

Julia led, prodded, begged, coerced, directed, acted in and produced projects to fulfill Mayor Julie’s vision. From playing Prospero in the first presentation of scenes from Shakespeare at the Beach in 2010 to King Lear in 2023, she played Gertrude in Hamlet, Queen Margaret in Richard III, Paulina in Winter’s Tale, the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.

BBAC produced and presented Irish and Italian festivals, art exhibits, photography contests for young people, concerts featuring classical and musical theatre singers. She produced and acted in readings of Trip to Bountiful and Love Letters. Productions followed: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Glass Menagerie, Doubt: a Parable, and Rabbit Hole. BBAC twice presented Peter Boyer’s Ellis Island: the Dream of America. An orchestral piece with actors reciting the words of immigrants from the oral histories at Ellis Island, Julia persuaded the composer to allow BBAC to present it using his original projections and recorded music tracks since she didn’t have a 100 piece orchestra. She created original works: Cats, Cats and More Cats featuring the poems of T. S. Elliot, An Evening of Dorothy Parker, and The Ghost of Ella, based on Eugene O’Neill’s mother. She also returned to academia, this time earning a Masters Degree in English at Monmouth University, writing her thesis on American playwright Wendy Wasserstein.

Diagnosed with and treated for ovarian cancer, Julia was in remission for six and one half years. In November 2023, it returned. The prognosis was 6 months. Always energized by the projects on her desk, she chose to produce Alfred Uhry’s play, Driving Miss Daisy, saying she was finally old enough to play Daisy and felt its message was timely. Her last performance was February 6, 2024. Two projects remain on her desk.

Graveside service for Julia will be Sunday, June 23rd at 10:00 am at Beth Miriam Cemetery, Neptune.

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