By KATHARINE RAMSDEN
Born on this day in 1917, Player Betty Comden (born Basya Cohen) was a lyricist, playwright and screenwriter who contributed to numerous Hollywood musicals and Broadway shows of the mid-20th century. Her writing partnership with Adolph Green spanned six decades, the longest running creative partnership in theatre history. The musical-comedy duo of Comden and Green collaborated most notably with the composers Jules Stein and Leonard Bernstein. Her big successes as a screenwriter included the classic “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Auntie Mame.” Comden was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the American Theater Hall of Fame. Both Comden and Green received Kennedy Center Honors in 1991.
Katharine Ramsden is a (semi-retired) former journalist and corporate communications executive. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she is a recently new Player, avid reader and one time a cappella singer.