Sheila Weber, lecturer in acting for Drama Department, dies at 78

Sheila Weber, who was a lecturer in acting in the Drama Department from 1974 to 1993 and served as a communications consultant to many university departments, died May 21 in San Francisco of lung cancer, following a brief illness. Weber was 78.

Weber was a dynamic and much loved acting teacher who worked long hours after class to coach students for auditions or to be seen professionally, said Patricia Ryan, a senior lecturer in acting. Weber's ability to connect individually with students distinguished her, said Ryan, who worked with Weber for a decade. "She was beautifully refined, with an elegant English personality. She had a way of coaching students that was just exceptional. Her acting classes filled up immediately."

In addition to her drama students, Weber had a great following among Business School students who were seeking to develop presentation and other skills, Ryan said. After Weber left the Drama Department in 1993, she worked as a speech and communications consultant and coach for clients throughout the university, including laboratories, the Computer Science Department and the School of Medicine.

Weber was born Sheila Ruth Tanchan on March 3, 1926, in London, England. In 1939, she moved with her mother to New York City, where she attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and the New School for Social Research. Weber worked in New York as a radio, television and stage actress and as an acting teacher in private studios and at the Barnard-Columbia Theater Department. She also worked as a New York-based editorial and research assistant for the London News Chronicle and London Sunday Express. Weber later received a bachelor's degree from University Without Walls in Berkeley and a master's degree in drama from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt.

In the late 1960s, Weber moved to California with her husband, Dr. William F. Weber, an adjunct clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Behavior. She taught at San Jose State University and at the Tree School in Menlo Park before becoming a lecturer in acting here in 1974.

From 1975 to 1984, the Webers were resident fellows at Otero at Wilbur Hall, where his wife took an active interest in introducing undergraduate students to faculty members involved in feminist studies -- "what was then called the liberation movement," Dr. Weber said. His wife cherished the informal relationships she shared with students and made a vital connection to the student body as a resident fellow, he said. "Every week we would have a group over to the cottage for chocolate cake and to chat together. She loved that."

A private service was held for Weber on June 6. She is survived Dr. Weber and a son, Marc Weber, both of San Francisco; and a sister, Terry Kaplan. Contributions in Weber's honor may be made to the Jewish Community Federation, 121 Steuart St., San Francisco, CA 94105.