a paparazzi pic of Shelley from the early 1980s
Shelley left Charlie's Angels in 1980 and was determined to make most of the doors opened by her stint on the phenomenal hit TV series. She said, "I didn't want to leave Los Angeles without doing something good."
In 1981, she starred in the Jack Heifner play Vanities which was filmed on stage for HBO's Standing Room Only. "I don't know how I got the guts to go right into a play immediately after leaving the series," Shelley said. But her gamble paid off and she surprised many critics. She received glowing reviews for her performance.
a paparazzi pic of Shelley from the early 1980s
The next year, she starred in Elizabeth Diggs's Close Ties, a Los Angeles Public Theater production (also aired on cable TV in March 6, 1983) which was presented at the Coronet Theatre in LA. "I guess I did get spunky," Shelley said, "I decided I was going to run my own life." She received great reviews as well.
In September of 1982, she starred as Billie Dawn in the Pennsylvania Stage Co.'s production of Born Yesterday. The play ran from September 29 to October 24 of that year and was presented at the J.I. Rodale Theater in Allentown. Regarding Shelley's portrayal of Billie Dawn, Sylvia Lawler (writer for The Morning Call) said, "That she acquitted herself endearingly enough in Born Yesterday came as something of a surprise to a lot of people." She added that Shelley's performance had "a touching and engaging innocence."
Shelley's foray into stage had resulted in critical acclaim.
