Wilford Leach

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Carson Wilford Leach (born August 26, 1929 in Petersburg , Virginia , † June 16, 1988 in Rocky Point , New York ) was an American theater director , set designer , film director and screenwriter . He has received two Tony Awards for best musical director .

Life

Leach studied at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg , Virginia , where he discovered his love for the theater at the age of 17 after a performance of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion . After graduating in 1953, he studied at the University of Illinois , where he was awarded a master's degree and doctorate. This was followed in 1958 by teaching at Sarah Lawrence College .

One of his first plays In 3 Zones , which was inspired by Bertolt Brecht and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm , was to be performed in 1967 at the Lincoln Center theater, but was removed from the program before it was implemented. This painful experience for Leach led to his rejection of the professional theater business and a focus on his teaching activities.

In 1970 Leach met Ellen Stewart , who brought him to the La MaMa Experimental Theater Club , of which Leach later became artistic director. 1977 hired him Joseph Papp at the Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival , where Leach as Associate Director a production of Henry V followed it. In the years to come, Leach staged several productions of Shakespeare plays on the open-air stage of the Delacorte Theater . In 1978 and 1979 he also taught at the Yale University School of Drama.

He celebrated great success with his productions of The Pirates of Penzance (1980) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985), which he first staged at the Delacorte Theater and later on Broadway . For both pieces he was awarded the Tony Award in the Best Direction of a Musical category.

Leach died in June 1988 of complications from gastric cancer at the age of 59.

theatre

Director

  • 1970: The Only Jealousy of Emer (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, New York City)
  • 1970: Renard (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, New York City)
  • 1974: CORFAX (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, New York City)
  • 1977: The Mandrake (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Susan Stein Shiva Theater, New York City)
  • 1978: All's Well That Ends Well (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1978: The Taming of the Shrew (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1979: Coriolanus (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1979: Othello (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1980: Marie and Bruce (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Newman Theater, New York City)
  • 1980: Mother Courage and Her Children (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Newman Theater, New York City)
  • 1980: The Pirates of Penzance (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1981: The Pirates of Penzance ( Uris Theater , New York City)
  • 1981–1982: The Pirates of Penzance ( Minskoff Theater , New York City)
  • 1983: Non Pasquale (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1983: The Human Comedy (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Anspacher Theater, New York City)
  • 1984: The Human Comedy (Royale Theater, New York City)
  • 1984: Henry V (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1984: La Bohème (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Anspacher Theater, New York City)
  • 1985: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1985–1987: The Mystery of Edwin Drood ( Imperial Theater , New York City)
  • 1986: Twelfth Night or What You Will (Delacorte Theater, New York City)

book

  • 1970: Carmilla (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, New York City)
  • 1970/1972: Gertrude (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, New York City)
  • 1974: CORFAX (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, New York City)

Stage design

  • 1977: The Mandrake (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Susan Stein Shiva Theater, New York City)
  • 1978: All's Well That Ends Well (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1978: The Taming of the Shrew (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1979: Coriolanus (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1979: Othello (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1980: Marie and Bruce (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Newman Theater, New York City)
  • 1980: Mother Courage and Her Children (Joseph Papp Public Theater / Newman Theater, New York City)
  • 1980: The Pirates of Penzance (Delacorte Theater, New York City)
  • 1983: Non Pasquale (Delacorte Theater, New York City)

Filmography (selection)

Director

  • 1969: The Wedding Party (with Brian De Palma and Cynthia Munroe )
  • 1978: All's Well That Ends Well (theater recording)
  • 1979: Coriolanus (theater recording)
  • 1980: The Pirates of Penzance (theater recording)
  • 1983: The Pirates of Penzance

script

  • 1969: The Wedding Party (with Brian De Palma and Cynthia Munroe)
  • 1983: The Pirates of Penzance

Awards (selection)

  • 1981: Tony Award in the Best Direction of a Musical category from The Pirates of Penzance
  • 1981: Obie Award in the Direction category from The Pirates of Penzance
  • 1981: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical by The Pirates of Penzance
  • 1981: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical by The Pirates of Penzance
  • 1986: Tony Award in the Best Direction of a Musical category from The Mystery of Edwin Drood
  • 1986: Drama Desk Award in the Outstanding Director of a Musical category from The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g James Barron: Wilford Leach, Theater Director And Papp Associate, Dies at 59. In: New York Times, June 21, 1988.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Obituaries: Wilford Leach; Prize-Winning Show Director . In: The Los Angeles Times, June 22, 1988.
personal data
SURNAME Leach, Wilford
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Leach, Carson Wilford
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American theater director, set designer, film director, and screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH Petersburg , Virginia , United States
DATE OF DEATH June 16, 1988
Place of death Rocky Point , New York , United States