The play's the thing - snapshots - actress Gretchen Corbett founds The Haven Project - disadvantaged children create original plays

On any given night, you can catch Gretchen Corbett in reruns of The Rockford Files, where she co-stars as James Garner's charmingly able attorney/girlfriend Beth Davenport.

But to catch Corbett, 55, live these days, you have to travel to Portland, Oregon, where the slender blonde has cast herself in a decidedly different role as founder and director of The Haven Project, a nonprofit organization that teams disadvantaged children with professional actors to create original plays. Among the professionals lending a hand is Corbett's 23-year-old daughter, Winslow.

homecoming

In 1994, Corbett turned her back on Hollywood to allow Winslow, then 16, the opportunity to experience the place her family had called home for 150 years.

But the move also raised questions for Corbett about her own life--namely, what to do next. "I'm from a family of people who care about their community," Corbett says. This love of her surroundings led Corbett to found The Haven Project in 1995. The program started small--in the back of a local church--but now in its eighth season, the Project annually serves some 700 children who learn to write, direct and perform plays; create stage sets; and collaborate with professional composers.

While Corbett is clearly a woman contributing to her community, she insists it often feels quite the opposite. "The young people we work with teach me, so I don't feel that I'm giving back. I feel like they're giving to me."

favored foods

In the theater business, where the focus is often on appearances, the women say a healthy perspective toward nutrition and exercise is vital. Corbett practices Bikram yoga, trains with weights and, while not a strict vegetarian, can't remember the last time she ate meat. Winslow runs and takes yoga classes. And both women favor organic foods.

"It's never easy," Winslow says. "As an actress, if you're going to go for the romantic young roles, your body has to look a certain way. You're either really overweight and a character actress, or really thin and that's, quote unquote, normal. I try to eat as much good food as possible, lots of fruits and vegetables. It accomplishes two things: I'm putting good nutrition into my body and not putting on a lot of calories."

Eating well and staying in shape also means that when The Haven Project's schedule calls for grueling hours of rehearsals, both women have the energy to go the distance.

Earlier this year, Winslow won raves for her performance in The Haven Project's take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. Yet, she says, her performance isn't really what's important. "I think about the experience of coming out for the curtain call and watching the kids' hearts grow as they get applause--probably for the first time in their lives. I get such joy from being on stage, and I know the joy they're feeling must be similar. That's what makes it all worthwhile."

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