Gloria Foster - Early Life

Early Life

Gloria Foster was born on November 15, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. But as a young child she was put into custody of her mother’s grandparents. Gloria Foster never knew who her father was and she moved to Janesville, Wisconsin after her mother was hospitalized for a mental illness. Her grandmother, Eleanor Sudds, and her grandfather, Clyde Sudds, raised Gloria Foster on a farm. As Gloria continued her education she returned to her hometown of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois, where she participated in plays, but did not focus on it. She took many different classes, including forensics, which she enjoyed a lot. Gloria Foster was not sure what occupation to pursue, until her godmother introduced her to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. After she auditioned and was accepted, she knew that this was going to be her passion in life, the theater. She was one of the few African Americans at the Goodman School of Drama, but focused on her study of acting. During her studying at the Goodman School she also, “learned professional acting skills in the Court Theater at the University of Chicago”. One of her most influential instructors was Bella Itkin, who cast Gloria in many classical roles. Her next step in life was to move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway.