Ada Lynn reigns supreme as the Grande Dame of Dallas theater. Currently appearing at Theater Three as Frieda Tuchman in The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, the meddlesome, farbissina mother from Hell, she has an impeccable sense of timing, and each line she delivers is a zinger that connects solidly. Ada began her acting career at age seven in her native Chicago by winning a talent contest leading to a Hollywood screen test. She appeared in two Shirley Temple movies and was a member of Our Gang. Said Ada: "I was a has-been at nine."
She appeared in vaudeville and toured the night-club circuit. While working in New York in 1950, she auditioned for Charles Meeker, producer of the Starlight Operetta in the band shell at Fair Park. (The following year, it moved indoors to become Dallas Summer Musicals.) She won the role and appeared as a soubrette in The Desert Song. While in Dallas, she attended a party where she met Sidney Lynn, an apparel salesman. Three weeks later he proposed. They have four children and two grandchildren.
As a young girl seeking a suitable stage name, she bisected her given name of Adalyn and added an "ne" "because it looked good." She became Ada Lynne. After her marriage, she dropped the final "e."
Her favorite role in the Metroplex was Yenta in Fiddler on the Roof at Garland Summer Musicals and Casa Manana in Ft. Worth. Ada is also very active in films and commercials and has served on the boards of AFTRA, SAG and AEA for 30 years. She is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency, an association formed when Kim worked at Neiman-Marcus and modeled for Sidney Lynn.
Ada has an artistic flair both on and off-stage, and her elegant co-op reflects this keen aesthetic sense, as she proudly displays her collection of crystal, dolls, and rare furniture. SOf her myriad artistic endeavors Ada said, "All the arts are related, it's mainly a sense of balance and music and composition and showmanship." She has them all -- in spades.
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