Palm Beach Dramaworks Announces Edith Hall Friedheim as New Board Member

Palm Beach Dramaworks will welcome philanthropist and former concert pianist Edith Hall Friedheim to its Board of Directors. Edith is the executive director of the Eric Friedheim Foundation, and a founding member of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute at the University of Florida. Her late husband was considered the dean of the travel industry, and Edith's role in establishing the Institute in his name, as well as her music career, have earned her a spot in the 2021 edition of Who's Who in America.

"We are so pleased to have Edith as the newest member of our board," said PBD Managing Director Sue Ellen Beryl. "Her enthusiasm for Dramaworks is palpable; she will be a wonderful ambassador for the company. Having been a professional musician for much of her life, she also has a unique understanding of what a life in the arts entails. I look forward to working with her."

"I am crazy about Dramaworks," said Friedheim. "This is the only theatre in Florida that I'm involved with. I have so much respect for what they do and how they do it, and I don't just mean Sue Ellen and Bill [Producing Artistic Director William Hayes]. I love what Gary Cadwallader does with education, and what Bruce Linser does with The Dramaworkshop. What really impresses me is how they reach out to every age group, including high school kids. Encouraging young people is so important; it's the most important thing any arts education can do, and Dramaworks does a wonderful job."

Born and raised in Toronto, Friedheim decided at the age of 5 that she would be a concert pianist. She left Canada at 18 to study in the US, and would go on to become an American citizen, earn a master's degree in music performance, and marry and have two daughters. Her varied career included a performance at Carnegie Hall, a term as associate music director of the classical radio station WNYC-FM in New York, and a stint as Isaac Stern's personal assistant. She also served on the board of directors at Westport Country Playhouse, and was the subject of a profile on the radio program Women in the Arts.

Edith stepped away from performing after 50 years when she married Eric Friedheim. "I was burned out from practicing, so I just quit," she said. "It was a wonderful career and I loved it, but then I just didn't want to practice anymore." She went on to have a second career as a writer and editor, including the position of travel editor of Palm Beach Society magazine, and today she judges music competitions.

Friedheim is especially proud of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute. "It's on its way to becoming the largest and most comprehensive source in tourism, travel, and hospitality in the country," she said.

Palm Beach Dramaworks is a non-profit, professional theatre and is a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the South Florida Theatre League, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.