At the beginning of his career, he acted and danced on Broadway. He later became a playwright and theatrical agent. While he was at Hamilton College, Bigelow wrote a play that
John C. Wilson optioned for Broadway, and in 1942, he asked Bigelow to come back to Broadway and rewrite it. In 1947 he made an audition at Warner Brothers in Hollywood, but was signed as screenwriter. In 1948, he went to Paris "to get my mind straightened after Hollywood", and took odd jobs in French movies, including acting as well as translating and devising English subtitles. The Tower Ticker column in the Chicago Tribune reported on July 25, 1949, that "Bobbysoxers treeked out to the Chevy Chase summer theater to get Peggy Ann Garner's autograf but stayed to mob Chicago juvenile Otis Bigelow." Back to New York City, he concentrated on writing, but was not able to support himself. Bigelow took ballet lessons and became a dancer in for
The King and I on Broadway for three years; and in 1957 of
Auntie Mame, starring
Connie Bennett (he was the school teacher). In 1957, he played the role of a set designer in the movie
Designing Woman by
Vincente Minnelli with
Gregory Peck and
Lauren Bacall. In the late 1950s, he was resident company lead for the Cherry County Playhouse in Traverse City, Michigan: • In June 1959, he played the lead role in
The Drunkard "one of the most played favorites in the show business history". • In July 1959, he was in the cast of
The Happy Time, starring
Greta Thyssen; a newspaper said: "Kay Coulter and Otis Bigelow were wonderful as the parents." • In July 1959, he was Max Hollyday in the cast of
Dial M for Murder. • In July 1959, he was Wesley Cartwright, lead role in the cast of "Post Road", starring
ZaSu Pitts. Of Bigelow they said "The most was gotten out of a difficult role by Otis Bigelow, a very versatile actor." • In August 1959, he was Newman in the cast of
Yes Man, starring
Jack Barry, a TV personality; about Bigelow, a newspaper said "they can search high and low, on Broadway or down alleys, but they'll never find a man who can do a better job of playing the robot part than Otis Bigelow. Absolutely fascinating." • In August 1959, he was Tom MacKenzie in the cast of
Seven Year Itch, starring
Gene Raymond, popular stage, screen and television actor. • In June 1960, he was in the cast of
The Curious Savage by
John Patrick, starring
ZaSu Pitts. A newspaper said: "As the widow's daughter and sons, Suzanne Kaaren, Otis Bigelow, and Jim MacRoslie create a wonderfully unappetizing trio of characters." • In August 1960, he was Harry King, the father of the lead, in the cast of
Belvedere, starring veteran star of movie and TV
Charlie Ruggles. • In August 1960, he was Morris Dixon in the cast of
Noël Coward's
Present Laughter, starring
Reginald Gardiner, movie and stage star. • In August 1960, he was Orlov in the cast of
Who Was That Lady I Saw You With, starring
Julius LaRosa, again a TV personality. • In August 1960, he was Bradford in the cast of
Ballots Up, starring
Marvin Miller, TV and radio personality. • In August 1960, he was Jackson Eldredge in the cast of
The Golden Fleecing, starring
Eddie Bracken. In 1960, he appeared in the San Juan Drama Festival in Puerto Rico. He was then Hogan in
Under the Yum Yum Tree. Later in the month, he was in the cast of
Make a Million; a newspaper said: "He moves like a dancer with purpose and grace does Otis Bigelow who has leading roles at the Gretna Play." And in July 1961, he was in the cast of
Plain Betsy. In late 1961, he was in the Broadway production
A Cook for Mr. General. In June 1962, he was back with the Gretna Play for
Everybody Loves Opal starring
Kay MacDonald, and the week after, he was in the cast of "Write Me a Murder", starring
Leonard Frey and
Joseph Masiell. In 1965, he was in the cast of
Never Too Late with
Maureen O'Sullivan and
Arthur Godfrey, produced on Broadway and then Palm Beach, Florida. Later in life he moved to stage management for off-Broadway and summer tour productions. He worked for
Mart Crowley's
The Boys in the Band (1968) and for the
Williamstown Theatre Festival and the
Bucks County Playhouse. He was also a professor at Dartmouth College. He retired in 1984. ==Written plays==