You only had to watch Thompson, off to the side in a scene from Breathing Corpses, weep silent tears to realize how committed she is to her roles. She had a wider emotional scope in the terrific historic feminist script Elle, which she adapted as well as starred in. As talented a director as she is an actor, she co-created and helmed Madam Mao, which focused on another strong female character, and later directed a light, inventive staging of Peter Pan, set in various breweries around town.
Her stage career began in 1972 as one of the original members of The Acting Company, a professional touring theatre company in the US formed by John Houseman. She appeared in shows like The Cradle Will Rock, The Lower Depths, Love’s Labours Lost and Measure for Measure.
LuPone made her Broadway debut the following year when she took on the role of Irina in the 1973 play The Three Sisters, and two years later she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the musical The Robber Bridegroom.