Diana Van Fossen

Born in Baltimore, MD, USA, Diana was the first of eight children of Penny and Van Schwab. Her paternal grandmother Mary Van Fossen Schwab was a writer and actress, hence the surname, Van Fossen. After graduation from Goucher College, Diana was awarded a two year Watson Fellowship to study theatre and photography independently abroad. She then trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, worked in British Rep and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. She also worked in films. Back in the USA Diana played leading roles in regional theatre and eventually became a theatre director of large cast plays mainly Shakespeare. She was married British director Geoffrey Sherman who was a Producing Artistic Director of The Hudson Guild, Portland Rep, Meadow Brook Theatre, the Boarshead and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He died in 2019. Their daughter, Alice Sherman, is an actress. Diana lives in New York.