Annie Potts: The return of a muse
The Designing Women star acts in the spirit of a Stephens College theater tradition

More than a month after MU’s homecoming celebration, Stephens College is having a homecoming of its own. This time, Columbia is in for a treat of the more sophisticated variety. Stephens alumna Annie Potts has returned to her alma mater to perform in the Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music.

Having Potts on stage at Stephens again is newsworthy for the local thespian community, but having a professional actor grace the stage is not. Starring as Desiree in the musical, Potts is now on the reverse side of a tried and tested theatrical collaboration she experienced as an undergraduate. The Stephens College Playhouse Co. exemplifies the time-honored master-apprentice program, resident actor and teacher Peter Byger says. In the school’s performances, students get to act with and learn from professional actors.

“I welcome my chance to come back,” says Potts, who as a theater student in the early ’70s shared the stage with resident actors and learned from them. “It is my chance to give back.” Although Potts has delivered visiting performances on the Stephens stage before, this time she landed a new role as college professor. She is teaching a master class to theater students. “I feel like a student again,” Potts says. “I am learning, too.”

With a small frame just inches over five feet, Potts has created larger-than-life characters in U.S. pop culture. Potts played the wry Mary Jo Shively on the TV series Designing Women and Janine Melnitz, the secretary with the screaming red nails and unforgettable New York accent in Ghostbusters. Potts boasts a screen longevity most actresses only dream of. She was on television for 20 straight years, from Black Market Baby in 1977 to Defending Our Kids in 2003 — a feat in the ever-evolving world of Tinseltown.

Sharing the stage with an award-nominated actress might seem fairly intimidating, but Hannah Baumhover, a Stephens senior working with Potts on A Little Night Music, says the professional actress did not induce panic attacks among the students. “She is just herself; she is naturally giving,” Baumhover says.

During a rehearsal for A Little Night Music, students paint props, build sets and memorize lines. Potts was not called for rehearsal, so the students take the opportunity to wrap up setting the stage. Byger says no divide really exists between the student actors and the award-winning alumna. “The Playhouse Co. is holistic, very egalitarian,” Byger says. “Everyone is an equal.”

Baumhover had the chance to learn from another famous alumna: Dawn Wells. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, her gingham shirt will. Wells played Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island. Her role in a touring production of The Vagina Monologues brought her to Columbia last year; Stephens students were working on a production of the same play. Like Potts, Wells taught a master class. “When they are working and doing their thing, I think they are the greatest teachers,” Byger says of the visiting pros.

Some might think returning to Columbia after living in Los Angeles wouldn’t be a dream come true, but Potts has fond feelings for the town. “I think it is better than OK,” Potts says. “It is consistently ranked, what, ninth in the nation of best places to live. There’s a lot to be said about that.” Potts, who has been in Columbia since Nov. 9, says her visit is an enjoyable homecoming.

Sarah Berghorn, marketing manager for Stephens, says having alumni come back is an effective learning tool. “From what I can tell, it is really great,” she says. “The students really value their expertise and advice.”

Stephens has had its share of famous theater alumni. Besides Potts and Wells, Jennifer Tilly and George C. Scott, acted at Stephens. Scott was a resident actor at the college after he caught the acting bug and dropped out of MU to be a professional actor. (Brad Pitt was not the first MU student who stormed Hollywood without sticking around the university long enough to get a diploma.) “They succeed because they are given a chance to truly find themselves,” Byger says of the number of successful actors who have spent time at Stephens.

A wall inside the theater showcases photos of past performances, and a close look reveals a young Potts on stage. “Look, there she is, that kid on the wall,” Byger says of Potts. “She’s lovable. She’s Tinkerbell.”