Readers Share Thoughts About Actress Susan Wefel and Hedgerow

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Our previous feature, Opinion: the Art of Kindness, shared the news that long-time Hedgerow Theatre actress Susan Wefel was dismissed from Hedgerow Theatre in May 2024. Although she is still residing at Hedgerow House, 146 W. Rose Valley Road, she has been asked to move out by August 2024.

Readers share their thoughts about Susan Wefel’s dismissal from Hedgerow Theatre along with memories of seeing her perform.

The New York Landmarks Conservancy has an annual fundraising gala where they honor “Living Landmarks.” If Philadelphia had such a thing, Susan Wefel would certainly be high on the list as a “Living Landmark.” She has been the heart and soul of Hedgerow for 40 years and to hurl her to the wolves is outrageous. The theatre community has a long tradition of taking care of its own. The great Edwin Forrest recognized this and left his own home in Philadelphia for just such a purpose so that retired actors might have a safe and comfortable place to be. Hedgerow has a public relations gold mine with Susan (she’s the queen of “outreach” for them) … and a tremendous void without her. They need to rethink their optics.

– David Nelson Wren

Susan Wefel as the title character in "Shirley Valentine" at Hedgerow Theatre. Photo by Rick Prieur

Susan Wefel in the one woman show “Shirley Valentine.” Photo by Rick Prieur

Susan Wefel is amazing! I have lost count of the terrific performances we’ve seen with her as the shining star. When we moved to PA just after 9-11, we soon found our way to Hedgerow. For us, Susan Wefel IS Hedgerow. I can’t imagine a finer teacher, performer, or coach for those interested in trying out new adventures. Susan is a gem of an actress, but infinitely more: the heart and soul of what good community theatre is supposed to be.

-Pam Poe

I am utterly disgusted about what Hedgerow is doing to Susan after she gave her all to this theater for literally decades! It needs to be pointed out that she didn’t decide to leave on her own for other ventures, she is literally being banned from performing there ever again. They took her keys to the theater as another slap in the face. And to top it off she is being evicted from the only home she has known since graduating college! How is this allowed to happen to someone who gave her all and only wanted to do what she loved for the rest of her life at her home – Hedgerow.

– Cory Solar

“I’ve seen Susie countless times on stage in Hedgerow productions, the first time being when she played the title role in their kids’ theatre production of ‘Puss ‘n’ Boots’, in which my wife, Gwen, also appeared. Gwen and I started dating on that same day, so, oddly enough, I’ve known Susie exactly as long as I’ve been in a relationship with Gwen (36 years and counting!). The first time I auditioned at Hedgerow, shortly after that, I read opposite Susie in a scene from Terence Rattigan’s “The Deep Blue Sea”. I could tell right away that she was a great scene partner, but the theater opted to do Rattigan’s “The Winslow Boy” instead, so unfortunately I never got to play opposite her Hester. It wasn’t until years later that I had any appreciable stage time opposite her, when she and I played Cookie and Ernie in ‘Rumors’. She was marvelous in the role, of course, but my strongest memory of her performance—other than her line about cooking for her dogs—is of her delivery of a pretty innocuous line: ‘Okay.’ She managed to draw the word out so that it more closely resembled ‘Ohhhkaaaay.” People in the cast started to imitate her doing the line, and in turn she started to do an imitation of their imitations, and by the end of the run it had turned into something like “Ohhhhhhhhkaaaaaay!!!” That was twenty-five years ago, and I’ve regretted that I haven’t had the opportunity to do a scene with her since then…but hope springs eternal.”

-John Barker

I met Susie when I first became a resident at Hedgerow many years ago. She was (and is) a gifted and versatile actress; going from kid’s theater troll queens to tennis playing ingenues on any given day. I particularly loved watching her in the “Out out Damned Spot” scene of the Scottish play. Aside from being a gifted actress that I learned so much from, she guided so much of resident life, creating the weekly schedule for cleaning, rehearsals and meals, doing the shopping and driving the van that took us on children’s theater tours. She quite literally kept chaos at bay in the house. She was the backbone of the resident company. Susie, Janet Kelsey and Moira Rankin are the only reason Hedgerow survived the fire.

-Gwen Armstrong Barker

An arson fire destroyed the interior of Hedgerow Theatre in 1985. Susan Wefel was one of the company members that helped the theater survive and open its doors again in 1991.

I had the pleasure of seeing Susan Wefel perform in several of the plays I wrote which were performed at Hedgerow Theatre. It was so much fun to see her bring to life many of the characters I wrote: Grandmother /The Lady of Summer in The Snow Queen; aristocrats and common folk in The Scarlet Pimpernel and many characters in Tales From Poe. I was also the stage manager for many shows that she was cast in – she was always a true professional, performing just for the love of it and doing whatever was needed to keep her beloved Hedgerow Theatre afloat.

-Margie Royal

My first memories of Susie were meeting her offstage during AS YOU LIKE IT while I was assistant stage Manager backstage and I remember how welcoming she was, explaining a bit about Hedgerow Theatre. Shortly after Susan appeared in ‘THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL while I was doing wigs for a few of the cast. She was really wonderful. in that and we got to know each other a bit more.

Susan Wefel (front right) in the opening scene of “The Scarlet Pimpernel” at Hedgerow Theatre, 1995.

Next, I was cast in TALES FROM POE. We had some really good laughs during that time while rehearsing. And I will never forget Arasapha Farms Night. A group of us set out on Halloween Weekend to enjoy all the “scares” of the night at the Farm. Next thing I knew I was leading a Conga line at the entrance of the Haunted House with a CERTAIN PARTY wrapped around my neck and holding on for dear life. I kept saying “Susan, I can’t see with your hands in front of my face!” Everyone was laughing and we had a really FUN night.

GOOD MEMORIES and such a MAGICAL time at Hedgerow Theatre – always in my

I always felt that Susie had an easy manner and poise while on stage or making announcements to the audience. (especially when I became “THE VAMPIRESS” on Halloween Weekends each year.

Susie is a NATURAL in Theatre!

– Marilyn Brown

“This was a wonderful story. She seems like an amazing person!” – K.P

“So here I was thirty years old in therapy trying to figure out why I didn’t feel good about anything in my life. I found Hedgerow theater. I was with a friend and asked if he wanted to take classes with me and he didn’t show up – but I did. And then my life began…

Hedgerow was everything to me and one of the main reasons that it worked was Susie. She showed me a lot pretty much everything I know and she was just always there for me just like this wonderful theater that she supported. I spent many a Christmas with her family at the Hedgerow house because that was her home. She didn’t get to go anywhere else for Christmas because she was in “A Christmas Carol”.

She was Shirley Valentine… she was/is the show at Hedgerow… all the time…every time…

I love you Susie and I am so sorry that your legacy is being treated like it meant nothing And shame on you Hedgerow….I don’t know what happened, but you used to be a place of magic and ghosts….and firepits and fresh talent bright eyed coming together…

I hope the big business turn you took is worth it.”

-Jess Bye Stinson

“Whether you have performed alongside her, taken one of her adult classes, or grown up in one of the countless camps and children’s shows she’s been associated with, it is impossible to cross paths with Susan Wefel without leaving the interaction a fuller person than you were before.”

-Robert Gene Pellechio

Want to help Susan?

Ari Baker and Sammy Hurley have started a GoFundMe page for Susan Wefel. It’s available at this link.