Shelley with Meredith Baxter Birney and Annette O'Toole
in the play Vanities, 1981
Shelley starred in the Jack Heifner play Vanities in November of 1980 with Meredith Baxter Birney and Annette O'Toole. It was filmed for TV as part of HBO's Standing Room Only series and was aired in 1981. Shelley immediately jumped at the opportunity to play Mary in it after she left Charlie's Angels. She had no stage experience but was ready to take up the challenge. “I don't know how I got the guts to go right into a play immediately after leaving the series,” Shelley said. "I started doing theater for the first time in my life although I'd never been on a stage before." Shelley surprised critics with her wonderful performance and she received received glowing reviews.
a closeup of Shelley from the Vanities pic
