Actors, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes, stars of the television soap opera “Days of our Lives,” will visit DePauw on Sept. 6-8.
The couple was originally invited back to DePauw for the “Return to DePauw” event which is Sept. 9-11, but decided to arrive early in order to spend time with students. “They expressed interest in interacting with students,” said Professor of Theatre, Susan Anthony, “They were due here for this event on Friday, but they want to come early.”
They scheduled several events at different times and different places to involve as many people as possible. “They’re trying to use this to involve the community and students,” Anthony said.
The Hayes’s will begin with a meet and greet on Sept. 6, at 11:40 a.m. in the Green Center of the Performing Arts, with the location to be determined. Sept. 7, "A Conversation with Bill & Susan Hayes" will be held at 2 p.m. at the Putnam County Public Library, 103 E. Poplar Street. Then Thursday, Sept. 8, the couple will perform “Love Letters” at Music on the Square in downtown Greencastle at 7:30 p.m.
In addition, the pair will visit three classes, one recital, one rehearsal and a screening of the film “Reparation.” The movie was filmed in Putnam County and directed by DePauw alumnus Kyle Ham ‘94, and co-written with theater professor, Steve Timm. In addition, they will attend a student session called "Preparing for an On-Camera Audition."
“I’m hoping that they’ll (students) be impressed that these people want to talk to them,” said Anthony, “And that they are intrigued by the future leaders and artist that are coming out of DePauw.”
Bill Hayes graduated from DePauw in 1947 with a double major in Music and English. He then went on to enlist in the Navy where he served for three years. Hayes worked on several Broadway productions, and then in 1970, he went on to play Doug Williams on “Days of Our Lives.” Bill Hayes was nominated twice for “Best Actor” Daytime Emmy and appeared on “Frasier” and “Matlock” as well.
In 1968, Susan Seaforth Hayes started playing Julie Olsen Williams on “Days of Our Lives.” She is the only actor to appear on the show for the six decades it was on air on NBC. In addition, she appeared on numerous other TV shows such as “The Young and the Restless,” “The Fugitive,” “My Three Sons,” and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
In addition, the couple coauthored two books, “Trumpet: A Novel of the Regency Era” and “Like Sands Through the Hourglass,” which they will be discussing as well as their acting careers.
The pair will offer their insight based on their careers and personal lives during events and visiting classrooms. “If nothing else, you learn about a life doing the kinds of things that a lot of our students want to do,” said Anthony, “And you get to talk to somebody who has not only done it, but been very successful doing it.”
Sophomore, Kylee Rippy plans on attending all the events she can. "I just love soap operas,” Rippy said, “It's like there's a little old lady inside of me all excited.”