Gwen Arner facts for kids

Gwen Arner (born in 1936 or 1937) is an American director and actress. She helped start the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre. There, she directed many plays. She also directed plays at the Mark Taper Forum and in the central United States. Gwen Arner is also known for directing episodes of popular TV shows. These include The Waltons, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and Dynasty.

About Gwen Arner

Gwen Arner was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She grew up there too. When she was a teenager, she became very interested in acting. She decided to study theater at the University of Michigan. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in this field.

After college, Gwen Arner started her acting career. Her first acting job was at the Mark Taper Forum. Later, she helped create the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre (LAAT). This is where she first started directing plays. In 1970, she married Donald Moffat. He was also one of the people who helped start the LAAT. They were married until he passed away in 2018.

Directing Plays

Gwen Arner directed many plays at the LAAT. Some of these plays were The Kitchen and Waiting for Godot. The play Waiting for Godot was even shown on TV in 1977 on a show called Great Performances. A writer named Charles Witbeck said her version of Waiting for Godot was "lively" and "joyful". Another actor from the play, Dana Elcar, said Gwen Arner did a great job directing it.

She also directed two plays at the Mark Taper Forum. These were The Vienna Notes (in 1979) and Passion Play (in 1984). Both of these plays won the Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Direction. This award is given for excellent directing in theater. Passion Play was also nominated for Best Direction at the 1984 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. After Passion Play, she took a break from directing plays in Los Angeles. She wanted to work on television films instead. This allowed her to travel more easily for work.

Directing TV Shows and Movies

In 1974, Gwen Arner directed an episode of The Waltons. After that, she directed episodes for many other TV shows. Some of these include The Bionic Woman, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and Dynasty. She also directed episodes for Law & Order and Beverly Hills, 90210.

Besides TV shows, she directed several films. These include My Champion (1981), Please Don't Hit Me, Mom (1981), and Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain (1982). She also directed Necessary Parties (1988) and Something Borrowed, Something Blue (1997).

Acting Roles

Even though Gwen Arner found directing more exciting, she also acted in some productions. She had acting roles in films like The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1972) and A Question of Love (1978).

Later Career

Gwen Arner continued to direct plays in the central United States. In 1988, she directed a play called The White Plague in Evansville, Indiana. A reviewer said she made the play's words more powerful by having the actors speak naturally. In 1991, she directed a new play called Uncommon Ground. This play was in Evanston, Illinois. Her husband, Donald Moffat, and actress Anna Gunn starred in it.

In 1996, a writer for the Los Angeles Times praised Gwen Arner. The writer said that Gwen Arner had achieved what few women of her time had. She had a very successful career directing both theater and television for over 20 years.

Filmography

As director

As actress

Awards and nominations