Michael Rudman

Michael Rudman (born 14 February 1939)^[1] is an American theatre director.

Early life

In 1960, he graduated from Oberlin College cum laude in Government and in 1964 he received an MA in English Language and Literature at St Edmund Hall, Oxford; while a student there, he was President of the Oxford University Dramatic Society.

Career

His career began at the Nottingham Playhouse in 1964 where he was an Assistant Director and, later, Associate Producer. He went on to become Director of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh from 1970 to 1973, after which he took up the post of Artistic Director at Hampstead Theatre until 1978. While he was at Hampstead, the theatre won the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Achievement.

In 1978, he was invited to join the National Theatre by Sir Peter Hall and was Director of the Lyttelton Theatre from 1979 to 1982. He continued there as an Associate Director until 1988, after which he went to the Chichester Festival Theatre as the Director for the 1990 season. From 1992 to 1994, he was Artistic Director of the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. In America, he has directed three plays on Broadway. His production of Death of a Salesman at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York, won the Tony Award for best revival. He won the Drama Desk Award for The Changing Room at the Morosco Theatre and directed Hamlet in Central Park and at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, New York.

More recently, in London, he has directed Berlin Hannover Express at Hampstead Theatre and Mrs. Warren's Profession at the Comedy Theatre.

Personal life

He was married to Felicity Kendal from 1983 to 1990.^[2]

Notable productions

Director

• 2013 Chin Chin, for Bill Kenwright Productions. Writer François Billetdoux, from a version by Willis Hall. With Simon Callow & Felicity Kendal.
• 2011 The Old Masters, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut. Writer Simon Gray. With Shirley Knight, Brian Murray & Sam Waterston.
• 2010 Mrs. Warren's Profession, Comedy Theatre, London. Writer George Bernard Shaw. With Max Bennett, Lucy Briggs-Owen, Felicity Kendal & David Yelland.
• 2009 Berlin Hanover Express, Hampstead Theatre, London. Writer Ian Kennedy Martin. With Sean Campion, Isla Carter, Owen McDonnell & Peter Moreton.
• 2006 A Man for All Seasons, Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. Writer Robert Bolt. With Clive Carter, Alison Fiske & Martin Shaw.
• 2006 Present Laughter, Theatre Royal, Bath. Writer Noël Coward. With Simon Callow, Tilly Tremayne & Jessica Turner.
• 2000 Fallen Angels, Globe Theatre, London. Writer Noël Coward. With Frances de la Tour & Felicity Kendal.
• 1997 Our Betters, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer W. Somerset Maugham. With Charles Edwards & Kathleen Turner.
• 1997 The Admirable Crichton, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer J. M. Barrie. With Michael Denison, Barbara Jefford & Ian McShane.
• 1997 The Heiress, Gate Theatre, Dublin. Writer Augustus Goetz. With Donna Dent.
• 1996 Mansfield Park, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer Willis Hall (an adaptation of Jane Austenʼs novel). With Tony Britton, Liza Goddard & Lucy Scott.
• 1993 Measure for Measure, New York Shakespeare Festival. Writer William Shakespeare. With Andre Braugher & Kevin Kline.
• 1992 A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sheffield Crucible Theatre. Writer William Shakespeare. With Alex Kingston and Anthony Brown.
• 1992 Making It Better, Criterion Theatre, London. Writer James Saunders. With Jane Asher, David de Keyser, Larry Lamb & Rufus Sewell.
• 1990 Eurydice, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer Jean Anouilh.
• 1990 Merry Wives of Windsor, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer William Shakespeare. With Barbara Ferris, Penelope Keith, Phyllida Law & Bill Maynard.
• 1990 Rumours, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer Neil Simon. With Polly Adams, John Quayle, Alison Fiske, Una Stubbs & Simon Ward.
• 1990 The Wizard of Oz, Chichester Festival Theatre. Writer L. Frank Baum. With Joanna Riding.
• 1987 Father and Sons, National Theatre, London. Writer Brian Friel. With Alec McCowen, Richard Pasco, Barbara Jefford & Robin Bailey.
• 1987 Six Characters in Search of an Author, National Theatre, London. Writer Luigi Pirandello. With Robin Bailey, Ralph Fiennes,Robert Glennister, Barbara Jefford, Richard Pasco, & Alec McCowen.
• 1987 Waiting for Godot, National Theatre, London. Writer Samuel Beckett. With Alec McCowen.
• 1986 Brighton Beach Memoirs, National Theatre, Lyttelton, London. Writer Neil Simon. With Frances de la Tour, Stephen MacIntosh & Harry Towb.
• 1986 The Magistrate, National Theatre, London. Writer Arthur Wing Pinero. With Nigel Hawthorne & Ken Stott.
• 1984 Death of a Salesman, Broadhurst Theatre, New York. Writer Arthur Miller. With Dustin Hoffman & John Malkovich.
• 1981 Measure for Measure, National Theatre, London. Writer William Shakespeare. With Norman Beaton & Peter Straker.
• 1981 The Second Mrs Tanqueray, National Theatre, London. Writer Arthur Wing Pinero. With Harold Innocent & Felicity Kendal.
• 1980 Harlequinade, National Theatre, Lyttelton, London. Writer Terence Rattigan. With Nicky Henson, Geraldine McEwan & Alec McCowen.
• 1980 The Browning Version, National Theatre, Lyttelton, London. Writer Terence Rattigan. With Geraldine McEwan & Alec McCowen.
• 1979 Death of a Salesman, National Theatre, Lyttelton, London. Writer Arthur Miller. With Stephen Greif, Doreen Mantle & Warren Mitchell.
• 1979 Gloo Joo, Criterion Theatre, London. Writer Michael Hastings. With Anthony Brown, Dave Hill & Oscar James.
• 1979 For Services Rendered, National Theatre, London. Writer W. Somerset Maugham. With Robin Bailey, Alison Fiske, Ian Hogg & Peter Jeffrey.
• 1979 Taking Steps, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London. Writer Alan Ayckbourn. With Dinsdale Landen, Michael Maloney & Nicola Pagett.
• 1979 Clouds, The Duke of York Theatre, London. Writer Michael Frayn. With Paul Chapman, Tom Courtenay & Felicity Kendal.
• 1978 Gloo Joo, The Hampstead Theatre, London. Writer Michael Hastings. With Antony Brown, Dave Hill & Oscar James.
• 1977 Clouds, The Hampstead Theatre, London. Writer Michael Frayn. With Nigel Hawthorne & Barbara Ferris.
• 1976 Donkey's Years, Globe Theatre, London. Writer Michael Frayn. With Peter Barkworth, Peter Jeffrey & Penelope Keith.
• 1975 Alphabetical Order, The Hampstead Theatre, London. Writer Michael Frayn. With Dinsdale Landen & Billie Whitelaw.
• 1975 Hamlet, The Vivian Beaumont Theater, The Lincoln Centre, Broadway. Writer William Shakespeare. With Sam Waterston & Maureen Anderman.
• 1973 The Changing Room, Morosco Theatre, New York. Writer David Storey. With Tom Atkins, George Hearn, John Lithgow, Richard D. Masur & John Tillinger.
• 1973 The Ride Across Lake Constance, Hampstead Theatre, London. Writer Peter Handke. With Nigel Hawthorne, Nicky Henson & Alan Howard.
• 1972 Black and White Minstrels, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Writer Cecil P. Taylor. With Tom Conti & Alan Howard.
• 1972 Carravagio, Buddy Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Writer Stanley Eveling. With Ian Holm.
• 1970 Curtains, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Writer Tom Mallin. With Nigel Hawthorne.
• 1969 A Delicate Balance, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow. Writer Edward Albee.
• 1968 Henry IV, Part I, Sheffield Playhouse. Writer William Shakespeare. With David Bradley & Nigel Hawthorne.
• 1966 Long Day's Journey into Night, Nottingham Playhouse. Writer Eugene O'Neill. With Gillian Martell and Robert Ryan.
• 1966 Schweik in the Second World War, Nottingham Playhouse. Writer Bertolt Brecht. With Chris Hancock, Harold Innocent and John Neville.

Playwright

• 1983 Short List, Hampstead Theatre, London. With Bernard Hill & Ian McKellen.
• 1966 Moll Flanders, Nottingham Playhouse.

Autobiography

• 07/08/14 I Joke Too Much, A Director's Tale, published by Capercaillie Books

External links

• Michael Rudman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Michael Rudman at the Internet Movie Database

References

1. "Birthdays", The Guardian, 14 February 2014, p. 41
2. Rhiannon Harries, "Felicity Kendal: 'Barbara follows me around like a good fairy' - Profiles The Independent, 7 March 2010.