Briefly Noted
Recently honored for “exceptional service” to the Actors’ Equity Association was Willard Swire, the union’s executive consultant. Since 1948, Swire has served Equity in various capacities, including assistant executive secretary and interim executive secretary…John Houseman, of late one of the most oft-honored men in the American theatre, received yet another accolade in April, this time from Philadelphia’s Charlotte Cushman Club. The venerable theatrical organization bestowed its 23rd award of merit on Houseman, an honor which in recent years has gone to Katharine Hepburn and Richard Burton.
Roger L. Stevens, chairman of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center, has received the fourth annual Richard L. Coe Award for coming to the aid of emerging playwrights. The award, which was presented in a ceremony to benefit the New Playwrights Theatre, is named for The Washington Post‘s theatre critic emeritus. Among those offering testimonials were playwright Arthur Kopit and actors Barry Nelson, Elizabeth Ashley, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Rosemary Harris. Previous winners included Coe himself, agent Audrey Wood and New York Shakespeare Festival producer Joseph Papp.
As of July 1, Arthur Bartow succeeds Harry Bagdasian as artistic director of New Playwrights’ Theatre in Washington, D.C. Bartow is a former associate director of Theatre Communications Group…In a restructuring of management personnel, the Pittsburgh Public Theater has appointed William T. Gardner to the newly created position of producing director, succeeding artistic director Larry Arrick and managing director Dennis Babcock. Arrick will remain affiliated with the Public in an advisory capacity and as a guest director, while Babcock has moved on to become general manager at the Guthrie Theater.
Columbia Universitv’s School of Law has established this country’s first program in advocacy to theatre arts, thanks to a donation of more than $1 million from literary agent Morton L. Janklow. The program is to bear Janklow’s name, and an endowed chair called the Janklow Professor for Arts Advocacy will also be established. The school is soliciting further funds to provide ongoing support for the academic program and help fund the law school’s Journal of Art and the Law. Janklow believes that often artists lack the proper professional advice; speaking to The New York Times, he stated, “What’s disgraceful is that more money is made from artists than by artists. One reason is that young artists are so eager to show their talents, they’ll agree to almost any demands, no matter how outrageous.”
The Citadel Theatre in Edmondton, Alberta has been without an artistic director for four years, but now makes up for it by hiring a director and three associates. British director Gordon McDougall will head up the company, with assistance from associate directors Len Cariou, Brian McDonald and Robert Kalfin. All four have worked at the Citadel within the last year, and Kalfin has also recently undertaken the artistic directorship of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
After serving as acting artistic director for a year, Michael G. Regnier was named artistic director of Cleveland’s Fairmount Theatre of the Deaf. He has been an actor with the company since 1979, in addition to serving in a variety of administrative positions…With Robin Phillips‘ resignation as artistic director of the London Ontario Grand Theatre, a search is underway for his replacement. His decision came in the face of crippling financial problems for the company…Jeffrey B. Davis, artistic director of the Round House Theatre in Silver Spring, Md. since its founding in 1978, will be stepping down at the end of the current season. He intends to pursue freelance directing assignments around the country.
John M. McCann is the new general manager of the San Diego Repertory Theatre, an addition intended to give producing director Sam Woodhouse and artistic director Douglas Jacobs more time to be involved in actual production activities. McCann comes to the Rep from the Jenny Wiley Theatre in Prestonburg, Ky., where he was managing director.
