Author Profile:  Judy Wolfman

When Judy Wolfman came into this world, her mother swore she was dancing — her feet and hands flailed in time to music every time the radio played.  Whenever she heard music (and even when she didn't) Judy twisted and turned rhythmically until, at age 4½, she was enrolled in a dancing class.  Judy learned quickly and became frustrated when slower learners held up the class.  Her assistance was not appreciated by the teacher...  and Judy was quickly withdrawn.

Singing and acting soon entered the picture as Judy assumed many roles around the house and later in stage productions at school.  It was while in high school that Judy answered a call for entertainers for the USO.  She was quickly accepted into the troupe and was on her way!  Judy's mother accompanied her to her first camp show, but when the cat calls and wolf whistles began, yanked Judy out and never allowed her to return.

Judy continued to perform in college productions and community theatres where she eventually became a choreographer.  As a classroom teacher, Judy found storytelling to be an excellent tool to teach literature and adapted several folk tales and fairy tales for this purpose.

Judy's adaptation of Red Riding Hood (as told from the wolf's point of view) was so well received she added it to her full-time storytelling repertoire and subsequently scripted it.  Red Vs The Wolf is published by Pioneer Drama Service and has been enjoyed worldwide.  A musical version entitled The Real Story Of Red Riding Hood, co-written with David Reiser, and the enchanted The Golden Goose have established themselves as audience favorites.  Other plays Judy has published are The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs, In the Soup, Fairy Tale Justice, The Christmas That Santa Almost Missed, and Rapunzel.  She also has two young adult books published, Not My Time and The Long Escape!

Judy retired from teaching elementary school in 1992.  She had also taught as a professor at York College, McDaniel College, and Elizabethtown College.  She has since formed a Reader's Theatre Troupe with local actors and actresses that performs at a variety of venues ranging from retirement homes to schools.  Judy also spends her time writing reader’s theatre scripts, plays and magazine articles and has ten books published; nine of the books are part of a non-fiction series about Life on a Farm, and the other book is How and Why Stories for Readers Theatre - 40 pourquois stories based on multicultural folktales and Native American legends that have been scripted for readers theatre and is available from Pioneer Drama Service.  She's still active in community theatre, performs as a storyteller, and presents classes and workshops on storytelling and "getting the creative juices flowing,” and include Writing for Children, Script Writing and Creative Writing.

Three years ago, Judy founded a reader’s theatre troupe for York’s Community theatre.  She now has a troupe of ten professional actors, who perform at a variety of venues in York County, PA.  Scripts from old radio shows, plus many original ones are read with expression, bringing theatre to the audiences.  Besides performing for adults, the troupe acts as a role model for reading with expression for school-age children.  The troupe does not charge for their show, but request a donation for the theatre.