Biography of Frannie Sheridan

FRANNIE SHERIDAN

My life’s work has been to turn my story into a one-person show, a novel, and a multi-cast feature film screenplay, and to help others in the writing of their stories.

My parents had narrowly escaped the Nazis during WW2 and wed in Canada, where they lived as Orthodox Jews and my father established his first medical practice. But a brutal beating that he experienced in his office in small town Morse, Saskatchewan in 1951, given by a jealous anti-Semitic doctor and his wife, awakened his post-traumatic stress. The assailants were fined a paltry fifteen dollars, for “assault.” Terrified that another holocaust was imminent, my father forced us to convert to Catholicism, anglicize our family name from Sigal to Sheridan, relocate, and cut off ties with all our relatives. He repeatedly warned us to never, ever, tell anyone the truth of our heritage, for he guaranteed, it would cause us certain harm, if not death.

In 1995, I was entombed in writing and performing Stand-up Comedy. All I cared about was being funny. But an opportunity to write a dramatic play about my life, entirely altered my direction.

When I first wrote my play, ‘The Waltonsteins’, some family members, terrified that I was going to cause them harm, threatened me with legal action. But the power of truth-telling created massive healing. International press from The Jerusalem Report magazine, reunited the relatives who my father had previously cut-off, who had been searching for us for over forty-five years. NPR broadcast an award-winning, international, Radio Documentary based on my work. One of my sisters, married to an anti-Semite, saw my play and since divorced him. The feather in my cap is that my eighty-six year old father, who was living in his native Vienna as a Catholic, sent me a letter, thanking me for giving him the courage to return to his roots. My father, Dr. Bernie Sigal was buried in The Jewish Cemetery in Vienna, as a Jew.

This is just a small snippet of my powerful rich and darkly humorous story.

The success of my work has earned me an American O-1 Specialty Artist visa which allows me to work within my profession here in the states. I am sponsored by The National Center For Jewish Cultural Arts located in Coral Springs, Florida. My play, ‘The Waltonsteins’, was most recently directed by the artistic director of the N.C.J.C.A., well-known local actor/director, Avi Hoffman. A newly revamped version will be performed in Los Angeles late in 2007. It was published in a much earlier version by Blizzard Press, Winnipeg.

In addition to my play, I have had the good fortune to have worked under the tutelage of legendary film director Arthur Hiller (LOVE STORY) for the past ten years, to turn my life story into a multi-cast feature film script, called ‘Never Tell Anyone’, which he had been attached to direct, until his very recent retirement at the age of eighty-five. It has reached polish, and is currently being shopped.

My novel, ‘The Not-Sees…an unauthorized autobiography’, is in development.

I am very grateful that my universal story about the importance of pride-in-identity has resonated with people from so many different cultures, and also served as a focal point in inspiring discussion between disenfranchised communities. The passionate outpouring from people who have been moved, entertained and healed by my story, is the impetus which fuels my passion to continue telling it. Additionally, my success jazzes me to inspire confidence in others to tell their stories, and to assist writers with discovering the jewels in their work.

Available for Private Coaching, Group Workshops, Speaking Engagements and Cookie-Sampling.

Telephone 561.876.4246

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