Today in Soap Opera History (July 18)

1986: A gang member terrorized Another World's Victoria.
1986: Guiding Light's Alan revealed himself to be alive.
1986: As the World Turns' Chris Hughes passed away.
1997: Days of our Lives' Kristen brought Roman to Marlena.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1934: Actress Darlene Conley was born. Best known for her many years as Sally Sprectra on The Bold and the Beautiful, she also played evil Rose DeVille on The Young and the Restless in the late '70s (running a prostitution and baby selling business in a story involving Nikki) and again in the mid-'80s (when she stole Nina's baby, revealed years later to be Ronan). Conley also had roles on Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Capitol. She died January 14, 2007.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 18)

1986: A gang member terrorized Another World's Victoria.
1986: Guiding Light's Alan revealed himself to be alive.
1986: As the World Turns' Chris Hughes passed away.
1997: Days of our Lives' Kristen brought Roman to Marlena.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1934: Actress Darlene Conley was born. Best known for her many years as Sally Sprectra on The Bold and the Beautiful, she also played evil Rose DeVille on The Young and the Restless in the late '70s (running a prostitution and baby selling business in a story involving Nikki) and again in the mid-'80s (when she stole Nina's baby, revealed years later to be Ronan). Conley also had roles on Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Capitol. She died January 14, 2007.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 23)

1966: Days of our Lives creator Ted Corday died.
1983: Edge of Night's Raven and Sky were thrown in jail.
1993: Days' Salem mourned Carly, who wasn't actually dead.
2009: Y&R's Victor gave Adam his acceptance.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: Producer and director Ted Corday died at age 58. Corday moved from Broadway to radio dramas to television directing at The Guiding Light and As the World Turns. In 1965 NBC asked Corday to create three new daytime soap operas leading to the premieres of Days of our Lives, Paradise Bay and Morning Star. Days continues to this day while the other two shows were went off the air July 1, 1966, three weeks before Corday's death.

1968: On Another World, as he sat on the porch drinking lemonade with Jim and Mary Matthews, Steve Frame (George Reinholt) remembered how he had run five lemonade stands when he was eight, then said he probably bought the Bay City Bengals football team to compensate for never having had time for games.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 18)

1986: A gang member terrorized Another World's Victoria.
1986: Guiding Light's Alan revealed himself to be alive.
1986: As the World Turns' Chris Hughes passed away.
1997: Days of our Lives' Kristen brought Roman to Marlena.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1934: Actress Darlene Conley was born. Best known for her many years as Sally Sprectra on The Bold and the Beautiful, she also played evil Rose DeVille on The Young and the Restless in the late '70s (running a prostitution and baby selling business in a story involving Nikki) and again in the mid-'80s (when she stole Nina's baby, revealed years later to be Ronan). Conley also had roles on Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Capitol. She died January 14, 2007.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 23)

Ted Corday

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: Producer and director Ted Corday died at age 58. Corday moved from Broadway to radio dramas to television directing at The Guiding Light and As the World Turns. In 1965 NBC asked Corday to create three new daytime soap operas leading to the premieres of Days of our Lives, Paradise Bay and Morning Star. Days continues to this day while the other two shows were went off the air July 1, 1966, three weeks before Corday's death.

1968: On Another World, as he sat on the porch drinking lemonade with Jim and Mary Matthews, Steve Frame (George Reinholt) remembered how he had run five lemonade stands when he was eight, then said he probably bought the Bay City Bengals football team to compensate for never having had time for games.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 18)

1986: A gang member terrorized Another World's Victoria.
1986: Guiding Light's Alan revealed himself to be alive.
1986: As the World Turns' Chris Hughes passed away.
1997: Days of our Lives' Kristen brought Roman to Marlena.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1934: Actress Darlene Conley was born. Best known for her many years as Sally Sprectra on The Bold and the Beautiful, she also played evil Rose DeVille on The Young and the Restless in the late '70s (running a prostitution and baby selling business in a story involving Nikki) and again in the mid-'80s (when she stole Nina's baby, revealed years later to be Ronan). Conley also had roles on Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Capitol. She died January 14, 2007.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 18)

1986: A gang member terrorized Another World's Victoria.
1986: Guiding Light's Alan revealed himself to be alive.
1986: As the World Turns' Chris Hughes passed away.
1997: Days of our Lives' Kristen brought Roman to Marlena.

"History never looks like history when you are living through it."
― John W. Gardner

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1934: Actress Darlene Conley was born. Best known for her many years as Sally Sprectra on The Bold and the Beautiful, she also played evil Rose DeVille on The Young and the Restless in the late '70s (running a prostitution and baby selling business in a story involving Nikki) and again in the mid-'80s (when she stole Nina's baby, revealed years later to be Ronan). Conley also had roles on Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Capitol. She died January 14, 2007.

Deidre Hall To Appear in "Grace Notes" July 5-8; Morgan Fairchild, Wes Ramsey In June

"Grace Notes & Anvils" is a gentle, funny and deeply touching guided-tour of a 'place' most Americans go to, but few feel free to talk about. Based on their book "About Grief: Insights, Setbacks, Grace Notes, Taboos," writers Ron Marasco and Brian Shuff use the intimacy of theater to explore the heartbreak, everyday heroism and surprising hilarity of grief. A new guest artist will perform each week. The show is currently running at The Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles and features a rotating series of guest actors including many soap opera stars.

Daytime legend Deidre Hall (Marlena, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) is the latest celebrity to join the show. Hall will appear July 5-8 with the cast.

Below is a list of upcoming guest performers for "Grace Notes":