Yvonne Suhor, Art’s Sake founder and star of ‘Young Riders’, dies

Yvonne Suhor, who helped train countless local actors at her Art’s Sake Film Acting Studio in Winter Park, died Thursday. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer 10 months ago, said her husband, actor Simon Needham.

Suhor’s passing came as a surprise to many — she had not wanted her illness to be known publicly, wrote her brother, Michael, as he paid tribute to his sister online. Suhor, who worked in television, film and theater, was 56.

“She was a vibrant, spirited soul who fiercely and compassionately guided so many performers to elevate their craft on stage, on screen, and as human beings,” actor Rob Ward wrote on Facebook. “I learned more in one semester as her teacher’s assistant and student than in all my other acting classes combined.”

Suhor was fondly remembered for her starring role for three seasons on ABC’s “The Young Riders” — a 1989-92 Western about the Pony Express. The large ensemble cast included Anthony Zerbe, Stephen Baldwin and Josh Brolin. Suhor’s character, Lou, disguised herself as a man to join the Pony Express riders and later shared a romance with The Kid, played by Ty Miller.

She also recurred on the sitcom “Brooklyn Bridge” and appeared on such popular TV shows as “Murder, She Wrote,” “Star Trek: Voyager” and “Northern Exposure.” She will guest in an upcoming episode of “Lodge 49” on AMC.

“She had a good career but set it aside to teach acting to hundreds of aspiring actors over the years,” her brother wrote. “She had the world before her and chose instead to share what she knew best so that she could improve the skills of others with her guidance.”

Suhor opened Art’s Sake in 1997 and in an interview described it as “a real hotbed of creativity with an amazing vein of love energy.”

Actors at the studio, many in the Play de Luna program for up-and-comers, were regulars at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Suhor herself was often lauded in the productions. In 2002, Sentinel theater critic Elizabeth Maupin praised her as “a gritty, compelling Denise, a brooding, antagonistic woman flying by the seat of her pants.” She also won praise for her 2003 role in the Fringe’s “How to Make Love to An Actor,” in which she starred opposite Needham.

Suhon and Needham had met at the Orlando Fringe.

Born and raised in a large family in New Orleans, Suhor had planned to become a teacher like her father, until a junior-college instructor encouraged her to act, according to her biography. She stuck with acting at Illinois State University, where she graduated with a degree in acting and directing.

She later worked with the wellknown Steppenwolf Theater of Chicago, appearing in productions there such as its award-winning “The Grapes of Wrath.” She also toured Australia with Steppenwolf, in a production of “Lydie Breeze.” Suhon received a master of fine arts degree from the University of California.

In announcing her death, Art’s Sake said she died surrounded by family, friends and her cat, Jazzy. One of her last wishes was to be remembered with a party, the announcement said. Details will come at a later date.

On Facebook, friends paid tribute to her as a teacher and friend.

“She literally altered my life,” wrote actor Ame Livingson. “One of the first and, truly, best teachers of my life. You have marked my heart and opened my eyes. Forever a Goddess of art and love.”

“She taught me a lot, not only about what it means to be an actor, but what it means to be human,” wrote Cole NeSmith, an actor and founder of the Creative City Project’s Immerse arts festival.

In interview with fans of “The Young Riders,” she talked about her likes — crossword puzzles, modern dance, “Will & Grace” — and shared a glimpse of her philosophy of life.

“I’ve learned not to take things so seriously,” she said. “My spiritual views break down to how I deal with relationships: Give to self; share with others. Play a part in humanity. Heal your inner child and help to heal others. You can’t fix anyone, but you can be a role model. All the adversity that one goes through was God’s gift, and there for a reason, so embrace it.”