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David Gardner (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Emmett Gardner(4 May 1928 — 8 February 2020) was a Canadian actor from the 1940s to 2000s. Gardner began acting withCBC Radioin the mid-1940s. By the late 1950s, some of his theatrical roles were at theRoyal Alexandra Theatreand theWest end theatre.As an actor, Gardner received aCanadian Film Awardin 1976 and aGemini Awardin 1997.

In the 1960s, Gardner was a theatre director while also working forCBCas a producer. From 1969 to 1971, Gardner was theartistic directorwith theVancouver Playhouse.Throughout the 1970s, he worked as a theatre arts officer with theCanada Councilbefore becoming an academic. Some institutions Gardner worked for includedSeneca CollegeandGeorge Brown College.Gardner received theEarle Grey Awardduring the2008 Gemini Awards.

Early life and education

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Gardner's birth occurred inTorontoon 4 May 1928.[1]While living with a sibling during his childhood, Gardner was interested in theatre and painting.[2]After receiving a scholarship fromVincent Masseyin 1956, he researched theatre the following year while in France.[3][4]From the 1950s to 1980s, Gardner attended theUniversity of Toronto.[5]

Career

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Acting and executive career

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While in high school, Gardner became aCBC Radioactor withOnce Upon a Timeduring the mid-1940s.[6][7]In 1957, Gardner started his acting career withOedipus Rex.By the mid-2000s, he had appeared in over fortytelevision filmsand more than twentyfeature films.[8]Additional films that Gardner starred in during this time period includeWho Has Seen the Wind,Prom NightandDetroit Rock City.[9]As an executive, he was the director for the 1967 television filmThe Paper People.[10]

In 1959, Gardner declined job offers from the National Theatre School of Canada and theManitoba Theatre Centre.[11]That year, Gardner began working with CBC as a producer and continued his position until 1969.[5]In the early 1960s, Gardner was a producer forFirst Person.[12][13]ForFestival,some plays Gardner adapted includeThe Apple CartandUncle Vanya.[14][15]In the late 1960s, he was a producer and director forQuentin Durgens, M.P.[16][17]Between the 1980s to 1990s, some television series that Gardner starred in wereHome Fires,Street LegalandRoboCop.[18]

Theatre

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During the late 1940s, some plays Gardner appeared in atHart House TheatrewereThe SeagullandAll My Sons.[19][20]By the early 1950s, he starred asMark Antony,OthelloandMacbethat Hart House.[21][22]Leading up to the late 1950s, Gardner primarily acted in North American plays while also appearing on European stages. Some of the plays he was in were held at theRoyal Alexandra Theatre,Stratford FestivalandWest End theatre.[6]

During 1960, Gardner helped create theNational Theatre School of Canadaas a member of the Canadian Theatre Centre.[23]As a theatre director, theArcticwas used for his 1961 version ofKing Lear.[24]For his play, non-Indigenous people were cast as theInuitcharacters.[25]Additional plays that Gardner worked on as a director during the 1960s includedThe Lady's Not for BurningandThe Father.[26][27]

In 1969, theVancouver Playhousehired Gardner to become theirartistic director.[28]The following year, he planned to join theCanada Council.[29]During his tenure as artistic director, Gardner and theVancouver Playhouse Theatre Companydisagreed about the cost of a proposed play byGeorge RygatitledCaptives of a Faceless Drummer.[30]Upon joining the Canada Council in 1971, he focused on financial grants as a theatre arts officer.[31]His position was scheduled to end the following year.[32]

For his academic career, Gardner worked forSeneca Collegein theatre during the mid-1970s.[33]In 1979, Gardner went toGeorge Brown Collegeand remained there by the mid-1990s.[18]Additional institutions Gardner worked at were the University of Toronto andYork University.[6]

Awards and honours

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With his role inThe Insurance Man from Ingersoll,Gardner received the Best Supporting Actor award during the1976 Canadian Film Awards.[34]ForTraders,Gardner received the Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role Dramatic Series award at the11th Gemini Awardsin 1997.[35]From the Canadian Theatre Critics Association, Gardner received the Herbert Whittaker/CTCA Award for Distinguished Contribution to Canadian Theatre in 2004.[36]As part of the2008 Gemini Awards,Gardner was given theEarle Grey Award.[37]In 2014, the University of Toronto began the Dr. David E. Gardner Apprentice Director Program for students who studied theatre at Hart House.[38]

Death and personal life

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Gardner died in Toronto on 8 February 2020.[1]He was previously married and had a child before his death fromAlzheimer's disease.[2]

References

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  1. ^abGilbert, Reid (15 July 2009)."David Gardner".The Canadian Encyclopedia.Retrieved22 November2022.
  2. ^abMacKay, Susan Ferrier (1 March 2020)."Theatre figure was devoted to telling Canadian stories".The Globe and Mail.Retrieved22 November2022.
  3. ^"Theatre awards made; filmdom prizes met".The Province.4 August 1956. p. 26.
  4. ^"Toronto Actor Good Part In New London Production".The Owen Sound Sun-Times.Canadian Press. 14 February 1958. p. 2.
  5. ^abToye, William (1989)."Gardner, David".In Bison, Eugene; Conolly, L.W. (eds.).The Oxford Companion to Canadian theatre.Toronto and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 230.ISBN0195406729.RetrievedAugust 20,2023.
  6. ^abc"Gardner, David".Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia.Athabasca University.Retrieved22 November2022.
  7. ^Lucas, Ralph."David Gardner – Biography".Northernstars.Retrieved22 November2022.
  8. ^"David Gardner".Northernstars.Retrieved30 August2022.
  9. ^"David Gardner".British Film Institute.Archived fromthe originalon December 6, 2017.Retrieved11 January2023.
  10. ^Pearce, Pat (14 December 1967). "Paper people cut flimsy figures".The Montreal Star.p. 62.
  11. ^Whittaker, Herbert (8 March 1969). "So, David Gardner takes Greely's advice".The Globe and Mail.p. 25.
  12. ^"Alex McKee stars as Poppa in play".The Ottawa Citizen.10 December 1960. p. sec. The TV Weekly p. 5.
  13. ^Marsters, Jack (6 March 1962). "Dial Turns".The Gazette.Montreal. p. 25.
  14. ^Webster, Andrew (6 March 1962). "Lifeless Drama".The Ottawa Citizen.p. 15.
  15. ^Marsters, Jack (27 February 1964). "Dial Turns".The Gazette.Montreal. p. 6.
  16. ^"TV 'First'".Calgary Herald.9 September 1966. p. 12.
  17. ^Dubé, B Bernard (2 August 1968). "Durgens to be colorful, marketable?".The Gazette.Montreal. p. 11.
  18. ^abAdilman, Sid (12 June 1994). "RoboCop's 'chairman' an actor of the highest degree".Toronto Star(SU2 ed.). p. F1.
  19. ^Wanger, E. G. (29 November 1948). "Chekhov Sea Gull Lacks Brilliance, But Settings Fine".The Globe and Mail.p. 10.
  20. ^Wanger, E. G. (4 November 1949). "Victoria Cast Excellent In All My Sons Play".The Globe and Mail.p. 11.
  21. ^"Stars Alternate In Othello Roles At Hart House".The Globe and Mail.18 February 1950. p. 8.
  22. ^"Macbeth Closes Hart House Season".The Globe and Mail.28 February 1953. p. 12.
  23. ^Walker, Craig (11 October 2012)."National Theatre School of Canada / École nationale de théâtre du Canada".The Canadian Encyclopedia.Historica Canada.Retrieved28 July2023.
  24. ^McKey, James (24 November 1961). "Hutt Dominates King Lear".The Virginia Gazette.Williamsburg, Virginia. p. 14-A.
  25. ^Poll, Melissa (2018).Robert Lepage's Scenographic Dramaturgy: The Aesthetic Signature at Work.Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 127.ISBN9783319733678.Retrieved29 July2023.
  26. ^Ashley, Audrey M. (27 January 1962). "Play Lacks The Fire That Lady's Not For".The Ottawa Citizen.p. 24.
  27. ^Jocelyn, Gordon (11 March 1967). "Plus ça change, or, What Else Is New?".The Gazette.Montreal. p. 34.
  28. ^"Theatre director appointed".Edmonton Journal.Canadian Press. 13 January 1969. p. 23.
  29. ^"Whitehead new Playhouse chief".The Province.16 November 1970. p. 22.
  30. ^Dafoe, Christopher (24 December 1970). "Telegrams fly in play dispute".The Vancouver Sun.p. 27.
  31. ^Ashley, Audrey M. (20 February 1971). "Actor-director takes on new role for Canada Council".The Ottawa Citizen.p. 27.
  32. ^"David Peacock hired by Canada Council".The Montreal Star.2 August 1972. p. H-3.
  33. ^"Gadner, David Emmett".The Blue Book: Leaders of the English-Speaking World 1975.London: St. James Press. p. 538.SBN900997184.Retrieved31 August2023.
  34. ^Wedman, Les (25 October 1976). "Weak writing means no '76 prize".The Vancouver Sun.p. 31.
  35. ^"And the Gemini winners are".Edmonton Journal.The Canadian Press. 2 March 1997. p. C3.
  36. ^"Awards".Canadian Theatre Critics Association.Retrieved30 August2022.
  37. ^Vlessing, Etan (22 October 2006)."'Tudors,' 'Englishman' grab 4 Geminis each ".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved30 August2022.
  38. ^"The Dr. David E. Gardner Apprentice Director Program".Hart House.University of Toronto.Retrieved30 August2022.