The Fellows Gazette Volume 57 Published by the College of Fellows of the American Theatre Fall 2011 Two New Fellows! in the Spotlight: Jed Davis
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The Fellows Gazette Volume 57 Published by the College of Fellows of the American Theatre Fall 2011 Two New Fellows! In the Spotlight: Jed Davis From the vantage point of his 90th birthday, Jed Davis maintains there was no time when he was not actively involved in theatre. Although no Beverley Byers-Pevitts Robert Benedetti professional theatre graced his small hometown of The College of Fellows of the American Theatre Stillwater, MN, that didn’t deter Jed. He merely welcomes two new Fellows who will be inducted into rallied his friends, penned a script (which usually the College at our annual meeting in April 2012. bore a close resemblance to some recent movie), built the stage, settings, and audience seating in an Nominated by Fellow Gil Lazier, Dr. Byers-Pevitts adjacent barn, rehearsed and then performed the was the founding president of the Association for show for obliging neighbors. No formal permissions Theatre in Higher Education. Prior to founding were sought; the necessary resources and spaces ATHE, she had been a major force in the American were simply commandeered. The neighborhood Theatre Association. She is an editor and author, a response was encouragingly positive. published and produced playwright, and a distinguished theatre educator. Admittedly, Jed was not the only performer in his family. His brother played the banjo and his father Most recently, she served as President and was both a banjo player and a popular end man in Professor of Theatre at Park University. Previously, locally produced minstrel shows. Jed, a student of she served as Provost and Vice President and tap dancing, once performed a soft shoe routine in a Interim President at Texas Women’s University, minstrel performance flanked by his father and Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University brother playing their banjos. of Northern Iowa, and Chair of Theatre at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Jed stayed notoriously active in theatre in elementary and high school. Upon graduating he Dr. Robert Benedetti has written six widely enrolled at the University of Minnesota and acclaimed textbooks, including his well-known The immediately fell under the active mentorship of Actor at Work, now in its 10th edition. In 2005, the theatre professors Frank Whiting and Ken Graham. Association for Theatre in Higher Education His undergraduate career was interrupted at mid- awarded him Career Achievement Award in point by four years of army service, but he returned Educational Theatre. He has also received Chicago’s to finish his undergraduate and then his master’s Joseph Jefferson Award, the Los Angeles and doctoral degrees. Dramalogue Award for Directing, a Golden Globe award, and three Emmys. Jed has been on the faculties of Macalester College, Michigan State University and the University of His nominator, Fellow Jeffrey Koep, notes that Dr. Kansas. He is a major and forceful shaper of Benedetti, who is currently Professor of Theatre at children’s theatre. His leadership in professional the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the Artistic associations is the stuff legends are made of. The Director of Nevada Conservatory Theatre, has anagram soup he has commanded includes CTC, directed at such prestigious venues as the Tyrone AETA, ATA, and CTFA—among others. He has Guthrie Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. ■ Jed Davis continued on page 2 The Fellows Gazette 1 Jed Davis continued from page 1 IN MEMORIAM contributed as an author, an editor, an advisor, and Edward Hastings a mentor. He has also served as Dean of the College (1931-2011) of Fellows. All who have worked with Jed—colleagues, Fellow Edward Hastings, students, and fellow administrators—admire his 80, died quietly at his caring gentleness in dealing with people, his home in Santa Fe, New resoluteness in accomplishing tasks that need to be Mexico, on 5 May 2011. He done, and his fervent service to both his profession is survived by his lifetime and the many people he so willingly serves. partner of 50 years, Eugene Barcone, his Ronald A. Willis ■ brother George of West Hartford, Connecticut, his Directory Changes / Corrections nieces and nephews and their children. Dan Carter 128 Wellington Dr. Hastings was born in New Haven, Conn., and was a State College graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and also PA 16801 received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Jerry L. Crawford 2263 W. Fair Avenue Hastings served in a tank battalion in the U.S. Army Marquette, MI 49855 during the Korean War. Following his discharge he wrote, “I hit New York in 1955 with my BA in Drama, Ted Herstand an Actors' Equity union card, a little mustering-out 707 Wake Robin Drive pay, and a lot of confidence.” Shelburne He worked in New York City for 10 years as an actor, Vermont 05482 stage manager, and producer, joining forces with Email: theoherstand@hotmail.com such theater greats as David Merrick, Uta Hagen, Bios of the Fellows: and William Ball. A Reminder and Clarification Ball brought Hastings into the American Conservatory Theater as a founding member in Pittsburgh in 1965. Later after ACT was brought to All Fellows who were inducted into the College prior San Francisco, Hastings joined it, and served as its to 2005 need to submit an updated, 100 word Artistic Director from 1986 to 1992. His productions maximum, mini-citation that can be used for our 50th of Charley's Aunt, Our Town, The Time of Your Life, Anniversary publication. The citation should and The Fifth of July are memorable moments in summarize the original entry which appeared in the ACT history. 40th volume plus add later achievements. His skillful but firm leadership helped ACT to survive Please send this new citation via email to Fellow the loss of its theater due to the 1989 earthquake, Robert Schanke, schanker@aol.com. and to resolve a $1.5 million deficit while he spear- headed new projects. Also needed are volunteers to write 100 word citations of deceased Fellows. So far, Fellow Winona He guest directed at many regional theaters that Fletcher has submitted citations for the following included the Guthrie Theatre, Seattle Repertory deceased Fellows: Theater, the Denver Theatre Center, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He also directed plays in Hubert Heffner Moses Gun Australia, Yugoslavia, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sheppard Edmonds Jack Morrison Moscow. Thomas Poag Margaret Lynn Richard Moody Burnett Hobgood He moved to Santa Fe in the early 1990s, and while Esther Jackson Frederick O’Neal living there he directed Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Errol Hill Lloyd Richards and The Italians in Algiers and HMS Pinafore for the Lewin Goff Santa Fe Opera, as well as other performances. The citations you write for deceased Fellows should He was committed to young talent and a champion also be emailed to Robert Schanke. ■ Edward Hastings continued on page 3 The Fellows Gazette 2 Edward Hastings continued from page 2 TOM EVANS: On October 15, The Satchel, a new play by Tom Evans, had a staged reading at the of diversity. He always looked for “a way to make it University of Missouri Theatre work for the actor.” Barcone, his partner, stated, “I Department. It is a dramatization don't think there was anybody who loved the theater of the night that Meriwether as much as Ed. He had a wonderful life. He did what Lewis, of the famous Lewis and he wanted to do.” * Clark Expedition, committed suicide or was murdered at According to Barcone, Hastings asked to be Priscilla Grinder's Inn along the cremated “. and his ashes scattered in the Natchez Trace in west mountains above Santa Fe when the huge aspen Tennessee. The reading was groves turn brilliantly yellow in the fall.” directed by David Crespy, Artistic Director of the Missouri Playwrights Workshop. * Information used from “American Theatre Fellows - Edward Hastings, Invested 1991, citation by James Jewel”; Obituary of Edward Hastings by Robert Nott The Santa Fe New Mexican; FRANKLIN J. HILDY: Frank has been continuing his Obituary of Edward Hastings by the American Conservatory work on theatre-finder.org. In May he visited China Theatre, San Francisco, CA; Obituary of Edward Hastings by where he has started to set up a cooperative Robert Hurwitt, Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle. research program with the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts to bring the historic theatres of Eugene Barcone & Nat Eek ■ China into the theatre-finder project. He is also developing a project with the Central Academy of News of the Fellows Drama to have the 11th edition of the book he has co-authored for many years with the late Oscar G. EDWARD ALBEE: On August 14, The Mac Dowell st Brockett, History of the Theatre, translated into Colony awarded the 51 Edward Mac Dowell Medal Chinese. For the Central Academy he gave a public to Fellow Edward Albee, as an lecture on “Lessons from the Study of Historic artist who has made an Theatres.” In June he convened the International outstanding contribution to his Federation for Theatre Research working group on field. The event was on the Theatre Architecture at the Prague Quadrennial grounds of the Colony and was where he is also setting up a cooperative venture attended by nearly 1,800 guests. with the national Arts and Theatre Institute of the Speeches were given by Albee, Czech Republic to bring the historic theatres of Chairman Michael Chabon, and central Europe into theatre-finder. In August he film and theatre director Mike traveled to Japan to study 16th and 17th century Noh Nichols. stages along with 19th century Kabuki theatres. While there he presented a paper on “Building the MILLY BARRANGER: Milly’s book, A Gambler’s indoor playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe, London” Instinct: The Story of Broadway Producer Cheryl for the International Federation for Theatre Research Crawford, was a finalist for the George Freedley conference in Osaka.