CHARLOTTE ADLER, ’47

theatre and music producer founder;
washingtonian of the year, 1987

Charlotte (Cherry) Gordon was headed for the theatre from the start. After leaving Western in 1947 determined to become an actress, she entered Syracuse University and graduated in 1950 with a degree in theater. While in Syracuse, she was a writer and director of children’s programming for the city’s first commercial TV station.

Moving to NYC, she worked in a variety of settings: she was an assistant to Skitch Henderson on his morning radio show; she wrote a weekly program for teenagers and began her own production company – Chero Enterprises – to develop children’s entertainment; and she worked for CBS to produce the first educational children’s show on network TV.

Marriage to Rabbi Leon M. Adler in 1957 brought her back to the DC area, to Montgomery Co. where she became active with the Jewish Community Center writing and directing puppet shows for children. She was a founding trustee of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington and served as Vice-President. Her activism also helped form the Montgomery Co. Arts Council and she also served as Vice-President of the League of Washington Theaters. In 1970 she founded the Library Theatre to bring live musical productions to DC area elementary schools, as well as original programming for WRC-TV.

This record of creative work on behalf of theatre in the Washington area was recognized in 1987 when the Washingtonian Magazine named her “Washingtonian of the Year” and the same year the Governor of Maryland awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award. Cherry also received the Tony Taylor Award given by the Cultural alliance of Greater Washington.

Her marriage to Rabbi Adler ended in divorce. Cherry died on September 14, 1996, of cancer, leaving three children.

Source: Washington Post, September 16, 1996.