Elsewhere...: Acclaimed Director Lloyd Richards Dies

Posted by: Staffon 2006/7/2 10:40:00 2523 reads "The theater was something that seemed to satisfy my life need." ~ Lloyd Richards

The Tony Award-Winning director had an exceptional career in the theater. In 1947, Richards moved to New York City as an aspiring actor and worked in the theater and in television, however he is best known for his work as a director. Richards first broadway credit as a director was African American playwright Lorraine Hanseberry's "Raisin in the Sun", which starred acclaimed actors Sydney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands...

Richards and playwright August Wilson developed an artistic partnership and he directed seven of his plays, which were all on Broadway. (Wilson died in October 2005 of liver cancer. He was 60.) His credits extend beyond his exceptional abilities as a director. He also served as a drama instructor at New York University and Hunter College and held the position as President of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Later, he became director of the National Playwrights' Conference at the O'Neill Theater Center as well as dean of the Yale School of Drama and artistic director of the Yale Repertory Theatre.

"Lloyd Richards is irreplaceable," said Amy Sullivan, executive director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. "His like will not come again. The American theater and all those who had the privilege to work with him are the better for it. I am honored to have been part of Dean Richard's last graduating class at Yale and to have worked with him many summers at the O'Neill. I learned about the art of the theater from Lloyd, and, more importantly, the art of being a human being. Lloyd Richards was a gentle, quiet, patient man; with a will of steel. His determination and his artistry took the O'Neill's National Playwrights Conference to national and international acclaim. We are and will be forever in his debt."

Richards passed away on June 29, 2006 from heart failure. He was 87.

For More Information about Lloyd Richard Visit the Links Below:
Richards Achievement

IBDB

History Makers

Houston Theater News and Events brought to you by Houston's Theatreport.