▁in ▁modern ▁history , ▁English , ▁and ▁Spanish . ▁She ▁also ▁joined ▁the ▁F resh man ▁Ch orus ▁and ▁Ch oral ▁Club , ▁where ▁she ▁sang ▁with ▁another ▁cho ir ▁member ▁and ▁class mate , ▁Neil ▁Diam ond . ▁Diam ond ▁rec alls , ▁" We ▁were ▁two ▁poor ▁k ids ▁in ▁Brook lyn . ▁We ▁hung ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁Er as mus ▁High ▁and ▁sm oked ▁c igare tt es ." ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁near ▁an ▁art - movie ▁house , ▁and ▁he ▁rec alls ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁always ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁films ▁they ▁were ▁showing . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁she ▁got ▁her ▁first ▁stage ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁walk - on ▁at ▁the ▁Play house ▁in ▁Mal den ▁Bridge , ▁New ▁York . ▁That ▁small ▁part ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁kid ▁sister ▁in ▁Pic nic ▁and ▁one ▁as ▁a ▁v amp ▁in ▁Des k ▁Set . ▁In ▁her ▁second ▁year , ▁she ▁took ▁a ▁night ▁job ▁at ▁the ▁Cher ry ▁Lane ▁Theatre ▁in ▁Green wich ▁Village ▁helping ▁back stage . ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁senior , ▁she ▁re he ars ed ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁part ▁in ▁Dr ift wood , ▁a ▁play ▁st aged ▁in ▁a ▁mid town ▁att ic ▁space . ▁Her ▁co - star ▁in ▁Dr ift wood ▁was ▁Joan ▁R ivers . ▁ ▁She ▁graduated , ▁aged ▁ 1 6 , ▁ ▁from ▁Er as mus ▁Hall ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁and