rainer dart was born in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, and was an actress as a youth with the curtaineers, an inter-racial theater group at the settlement house, at the pittsburgh playhouse and the white barn theatre. she also went to classes at the pittsburgh playhouse as a child. she graduated from taylor allderdice high school in 1962 and was inducted into their alumni hall of fame in 2009. she is also a graduate of carnegie mellon university with a degree in theater.