Julia A. Payne was born in the 1940s in Santa Monica, California. Her parents had moved to southern California from Columbus, Ohio. After Julia graduated from high school in 1963, the family decided to move to Las Vegas where it was “less hectic.†Her father was one of the first African American athletic trainers for a professional football team. Her mother was swim team captain at Ohio State University and knew Dr. Ralph Bunche. For Julia, adjustment to Las Vegas was difficult. The city was not as diverse as Los Angeles.
The Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada [JRTN] is one of the first professional theaters in the valley. Financed by two committed actresses’ personal investments, Norma Morrow and Charlene Sher, the theatre made great strides in the short amount of time since its 2010 inauguration.