A Keith Prentice Tribute

Keith Prentice--actor who never got the attention he deserved.

By BoaMan

Most of you will know Keith Prentice from one of two places. Either “Dark Shadows” in which he appeared as a couple of people, as did the rest of the cast, or as Larry in “The Boys in the Band” movie.

Prentice was born in 1940 in Ohio. He studied in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where he was recognized and given a role in “The Sound of Music.” (I know, can you believe?) This was when Mary Martin was in the cast. He then went on to understudy in Noel Coward’s “Sail Away,” playing opposite Elaine Stritch, another favorite person of the stage who is no longer with us.

Prentice’s other stage credits included: The Kings and I, Paint Your Wagon, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Wish you Were Here, Fiorello, Wildcat, and Irma La Douce. His most memorable role was obviously that of Larry in both the stage and movie version of “The Boys in the Band.” A lot of people might also remember him in the controversial movie “Cruising” which came out in 1980 and caused an uproar for good reasons.

For those “Dark Shadows” nuts, he was in the following episodes:

Episode #1.1245 (1971) TV episode .... Morgan CollinsEpisode #1.1244 (1971) TV episode .... Morgan CollinsEpisode #1.1243 (1971) TV episode .... Morgan CollinsEpisode #1.1242 (1971) TV episode .... Morgan CollinsEpisode #1.1241 (1971) TV episode .... Morgan Collins

Prentice founded the Theatre Under the Stars in his hometown of Kettering, Ohio in 1983 and directed production there for a decade before succumbing to AIDS-related complications in 1992.

I couldn’t find any photos of the guy (man, was he handsome), so if anyone has any or knows where I can get them, let me know.