Olympia Dukakis, star of stage and screen who won an Oscar for her performance in Moonstruck, died May 1; she was 89.

While her portrayal as Rose Castorini, mother to Cher's Loretta, in the 1987 romantic comedy brought her some of her most widespread acclaim, Ms. Dukakis began her career in the theatre. She appeared on Broadway and Off-Broadway stages from the '60s through the aughts.

After studying at Boston University, Ms. Dukakis stayed in Massachusetts to work at Williamstown Summer Theatre (now Williamstown Theater Festival), which became a frequent home for the performer. She made her Broadway debut as an understudy in 1962's The Aspern Papers, and the following year, won an Obie for her work in New Repertory Theatre's Off-Broadway production of Brecht's A Man's a Man.

Her additional stage credits included Peer Gynt at the New York Shakespeare Festival (now Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park), Broadway's 1986 comedy Social Security (directed by Mike Nichols), and, more recently, The Singing Forest and The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore Off-Broadway.