琼·凡·阿尔克，Joan Van Ark, just out of high school, was the second youngest student to attend the Yale School of Drama on a scholarship. The youngest was Julie Harris nm0364915. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Years later, they would co-star on the CBS Television series, Knots Landing (1979) tt0078638. Van Ark began her professional career at the Minneapolis Guthrie Theater in Moliere's "The Miser", opposite Hume Cronyn nm0002025 and Zoe Caldwell nm0129807. That was followed by "Death of a Salesman" at the Guthrie with both Cronyn and Jessica Tandy nm0001788. After a season at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Joan was cast in the national touring company of "Barefoot in the Park", directed by Mike Nichols nm0001566. She recreated the role in the critically acclaimed London Company and later on Broadway. She earned a Tony nomination for her performance in "The School for Wives" and she won the Theater World Award for "The Rules of the Game".