Unlike Judy Garland in "A Star Is Born," Sally Hale Rice wasn't "born in a trunk in the Princess Theatre in Pocatello, Idaho." She was born in a hospital in Murray, then followed her parents into the theater business.
Rice, who died last Tuesday at age 64 of pancreatic cancer, was probably about 2 years old when her parents, the legendary Nathan and Ruth Hale, left Utah for Southern California, where they founded the Glendale Centre Theatre.
Her most recent stage performance was recording voice-overs for Hale Centre Theatre's production of "The Miracle Worker" — narrative dialogue taken from Helen Keller's biography.
"She was in a lot of pain, but the recording session was done in one take," said Sally Dietlein, who, like Rice, is an executive producer at Hale Centre Theatre.
Recently Rice received a Best of State award for best actress. Dietlein said the family had no clue about who had nominated Rice, but the award was more for her lifetime achievements than any particular role. (Her last time on stage was playing Mrs. Kirby in "You Can't Take It With You" in 2004.)
When "Grandpa and Grandma Hale" moved back to Utah in 1985, after attempting — then giving up on — retirement, Rice and her family came along.
Over the past two decades, as the Hales opened a 220-seat theater in South Salt Lake, then relocated into the current 517-seat venue in West Valley City, Rice was busy both behind the scenes and onstage. She directed some productions and acted in a few, but she was most frequently listed as "property mistress" on the programs.
Rice was incredibly detail-oriented and was adept at scavenging for just the right props. "She would find genuine magazines with just the right dates for 'period' productions," said Dietlein. "Once, we were doing a military show in the old South Salt Lake theater. She did her research and visited Fort Douglas, to make sure the insignias on the uniforms were all just right, but an audience member noticed that one of the military buttons had been sewn on upside-down."
Rice was also known for her pleasant demeanor and constant smile. "You never heard a cross word out of her," said Dietlein.
She was — like her parents — a real trouper.
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com