Comedienne shares life’s ups and downs

By Shari Goldstein Stern

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, another diet craze. But it’s no fad. It’s just a crazy, award-winning one-woman show called “My Life on a Diet” by Renée Taylor. It’s playing at the Charles W. Eisemann Center from Feb. 14-16. The laugh-out-loud show will sell out, so there’s no time to do a cleanse first. 

In “My Life on a Diet,” EMMY Award-winning writer and actress Taylor takes audiences on a journey through her life, the too-many-to-count diets, and the highs and lows of enthusiasm, optimism and loathing that comes with each. Where’s the chocolate?

The Academy Award nominated actress has been seen on the live stage, film and TV. In this show, Taylor takes a look back on a life full of memorable roles in Hollywood, on TV, in films and on Broadway, and just as many fad diets. 

Taylor is a self-described “diet junkie” who once thought that if she ate like a star, she could look and live like one. She dishes out both juicy anecdotes and savory tips about Hollywood legends’ weight loss tips from such yummy stars as Barbra Streisand, Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe. She also shares hilarious and poignant stories about her life and work partner of 52 years, actor and writer Joseph Bologna, who passed away in 2017.

In telling about her highs and lows, on and off the scale, the diet-impaired funny lady lets you laugh out loud about it along with her. 

 Bologna originally directed the show, which was written by Taylor. The one-woman act made its New York premiere in the summer of 2019 with a critically acclaimed, extended Off-Broadway run at the Theatre at St. Clements. In November, Taylor won the annual United Solo Special Award for “My Life on a Diet” for her significant contributions to solo theatre during the year.

The couple won EMMY Awards in 1973 for writing “Acts of Love and Other Comedies,” and were nominated once again the following year for writing the TV movie “Paradise.” They co-directed, co-wrote, and co-starred in the 1984 HBO movie “Bedrooms,” for which they earned a Writers Guild Award. 

Taylor made her professional stage debut at 15 as Queen Esther in a Purim Pageant at Madison Square Garden and earned her Actors Equity card at age 19 for appearing in “The Rehearsal” at The President Theatre. Her other stage credits include Nora and Delia Ephron’s “Love, Loss and What I Wore;” “Agatha Sue, I Love You;” “Luv” directed by Mike Nichols and many others.

She appeared in Elaine May’s 1964 improvisational revue “The Third Ear” and William Gibson’s “Dinny and the Witches.” Some well-known films in which she has appeared are Jerry Lewis’ “The Errand Boy;” Mel Brooks’ “The Producers;” Elaine May’s “A New Leaf;” Neil Simon’s “Last of the Red Hot Lovers;” Tyler Perry’s “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor;” and many others.

“The Nanny” is among her many notable TV acting credits, along with the groundbreaking HBO sitcom, “Dream On.” She has had recurring roles in “How I Met Your Mother,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Happily Divorced.” 

She can be seen currently on Amazon’s “Gown and Out in Beverly Hills.” In addition to winning the United Solo Special Award for Outstanding solo show, Taylor was recently inducted into the Bronx Jewish Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 for her success of “My Life on a Diet,” and she holds an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University.

“My Life on a Diet” is at the Eisemann Center. 

For tickets, call 972-744-4650. Group discounts are available for 10 or more.