Tina Bockrath

“When I heard that Playboy was going to conduct a search for Girls of the Southwest Conference in October 1988, I enrolled in courses at the University of Texas so I'd be eligible,” says a bashful Tina Bockrath. The problem wasn’t that blonde-haired, brown-eyed Tina’s sights were set on Playboy—it was that she was already a full-time student at another school. “I didn't tell anyone about it so I wouldn't be embarrassed if I didn't make it,” admits Tina. Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, the Playboy hopeful moved to Texas with hopes of making it big in show business. Enrolled at St. Edward’s University in Austin, she studied theater and got her first taste of the spotlight. “As a theater major in college, I learned both sides of show business,” says Tina, “including the unglamorous stuff—like building sets and getting paint in my hair.” Despite these difficulties, Miss Bockrath buckled down and studied as much as she could. She wanted to make it big, and there was no stopping her—finally recognized for her talent, she was cast in the school play, an adaptation of William Inge’s Midwestern classic, Bus Stop. “Getting cast as Cherie was the biggest thing for me, but it also caused some problems,” explains Tina. “Here I was, a sophomore, and I beat out the seniors for the big part. A lot of those other girls were pissed!” However, she couldn’t have cared less about what those girls thought. She’d landed a lead role, and it was the same role played by her personal hero in the film adaptation. “Marilyn Monroe was the ultimate with all that glamour, energy, beauty and innocence,” gushes Tina. “That's why my favorite compliment is when people tell me I remind them of her. I would love for little girls to see my pictures and want to grow up to be like me—just like I did with pictures of Marilyn Monroe.” As Playboy’s Miss May 1990, Tina hopes to follow in Miss Monroe’s footsteps—she wants the golden-age sex goddess to make a comeback, and she hopes to lead that movement. “I'd give anything to carry out what Marilyn started doing—to have that image, that vulnerability, that magic that made men fall all over her,” says our Playmate of the Month. We think Tina Bockrath is all that and much, much more.