| While gracious and giving on stage, Blase accepted no less than the best from her fellow performers, Elborne said. "She really lifted them up by her own performance," she said. Blase, who started her career in New York City and moved to San Antonio in 1959, was honored two years ago along with theater veteran John Igo by the San Antonio Theater Coalition at its Living Legend Tribute Dinner. At the time, playwright Sterling Houston was quoted in the Express-News as saying the two set the "standards for the rest of us for decades." "As for Marianna, we chose her because of her incredible stage presence, consistency in her work and dedication as a performer," Houston said in the October 2000 article. "She stayed here in San Antonio and accepted to work for much less money than she could have made elsewhere." While Blase appeared in television and had feature roles in several movies, including Steven Spielberg's 1974 "Sugarland Express," the bulk of her work was in theater, appearing on most San Antonio stages. The longtime thespian's husband, Bob Blase, recalls that Spielberg told his wife, "If you ever get to California, look me up," after they finished shooting "Sugarland Express," which used San Antonio as one of the location sites. "She had a big scene with Goldie Hawn near the end of the movie," her husband said. The recipient of four Globe Awards in the 1990s — including "Best Actress in a Play" and "Best Actress in a Comedy" — Blase appeared in more than 50 roles, some of them more than once. Perhaps her most memorable role was that of Amanda in the Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie," which she performed several times. But Elborne said she remembers Blase best as Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest." Described as a "huge personality" with a wonderful sense of humor, Blase was known to be a big Spurs fan who taped the games and took her radio to the theater. "She was a fan of life — that's what she was," Elborne said. In addition to her husband, Blase is survived by two daughters and a son. A memorial service, "A Celebration of a Life: Memories of Marianna," will be held on April 7 at 5 p.m. at the San Pedro Playhouse. "All people who want (to) can participate in the service by sharing a memory," Bob Blase said. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that tax-deductible donations be made to the Permanent Maintenance Fund of the San Pedro Playhouse, P.O. Box 12356, San Antonio 78212. sgarza @ express-news.net | 
