Doris Buckingham

Doris Buckingham began her stage career by reading lines with her actor husband Bill Buckingham. During one of these sessions, she was overheard by Sidney Risk, a mentor for many young actors and actresses. Apparently he saw something in Doris, and suggested that she pursue an acting career. Encouraged by Bill, she did so, and went on to do many memorable stage performances, becoming a favourite of Vancouver audiences at the original Theatre Under The Stars in roles such as Aunt Eller in ‘Oklahoma!’, Mrs. Mullin in ‘Carousel’, and Mabel in ‘The Pajama Game’ with Robert Goulet.

At the same time, Doris distinguished herself as a fine dramatic actress with the Totem and Avon Theatre Companies, working with imported film stars Edward Arnold, ZaZsu Pitts, Joe E. Brown and Margaret O’Brien.

In the 1950’s, Doris appeared in many early live CBC television broadcasts – sometimes in live commercials. She was terrified of accidentally saying “Nabag Teabobs” in Nabob commercials which, fortunately, never happened.

Many Vancouver theatregoers will remember Doris’ humorous characterizations in early Seymour Street Arts Club Theatre productions such as ‘Barefoot in the Park’, ‘Any Wednesday’, ‘Cactus Flower’, and ‘Light Up The Sky’.

In 1966 Doris appeared in the film ‘That Cold Day in the Park’, and was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from the director, Robert Altman, thanking her for “a moment of reality that was really needed”.

Her last performances were as Aunt Eller in ‘Oklahoma!’ in 1973 and as Mrs. Harcourt in ‘Anything Goes’ in 1974 for Theatre In The Park at Malkin Bowl. She died in 1988 from lung cancer.