Keith Fowler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith Fowler
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Fowler in a solo staged reading of A Christmas Carol at the University of California, Irvine
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| Born | February 23, 1939 |
| Died | December 30, 2023 (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | San Francisco State University Shakespeare Institute Yale School of Drama (DFA) |
| Spouse(s) | Janice Byrd Fowler |
Keith Franklin Fowler (born February 23, 1939 – died December 30, 2023) was an American actor, director, and teacher. He taught drama at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He also led two professional theaters for actors.
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Keith Fowler's Early Life and Career
Keith Fowler was born in San Francisco, California, on February 23, 1939. He went to George Washington High and then San Francisco State University. After living in San Francisco for 21 years, he studied in England at The Shakespeare Institute. He also studied at Yale University's School of Drama.
In the early 1950s, Fowler acted in children's plays in San Francisco. His first professional acting jobs were with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1958 and 1960. In 1960, he received a special grant to study at the Shakespeare Institute in England.
While in England, he directed his first play, Mother Courage. This play was shown in 1961 and was a big success. A local critic praised him for trying a new kind of theater.
Fowler then went to the Yale School of Drama and earned a doctorate degree. He worked as an assistant director at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. There, he directed several plays, including Romeo and Juliet. In 1966, he directed Macbeth for the Festival Theater in El Paso. A critic called his version "exciting" and different from traditional plays.
From 1964 to 1968, he also started teaching drama at Williams College.
Leading the Virginia Museum Theater
In 1969, Keith Fowler became the head of the Theater Arts Division at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. He also became the artistic director of the Virginia Museum Theater (VMT). He wanted VMT to become a professional theater company.
His first play there, Marat/Sade, was important because it was the first time actors of different races performed together on the VMT stage. This caused some discussion in Richmond, but it also made more people come to the theater. The number of audience members more than doubled between 1969 and the late 1970s.
The Famous "Fowler 'Macbeth'"
In 1973, Fowler directed Macbeth again. This time, it was a more realistic version. Clive Barnes from The New York Times called it the "Fowler 'Macbeth'". This helped him gain national attention.
In 1975, he gained international attention. A Soviet official helped show Fowler's English version of Maxim Gorky's Our Father on Moscow Television. Fowler later brought this play to New York City.
In 1977, the museum leaders wanted Fowler to change a play called Childe Byron. Fowler refused to change it and resigned from his job. Many people supported Fowler, saying he "stood up for what he knew was right."
Starting the American Revels Company
After leaving VMT, Fowler returned to Richmond in 1978. He and his associate director, M. Elizabeth Osborn, started a new theater company called the American Revels Company. They leased the Empire Theater, which is now called the November Theater.
Revels aimed to bring together both black and white communities in Richmond through art. This was important because Richmond was still dealing with issues from segregation.
Building a United Audience
The American Revels Company started strong, with many people coming to see plays like A Christmas Carol. However, later plays, like Othello, were about themes that appealed more to the African-American community. Many people in this community could not afford tickets.
To help, Fowler offered free performances to people living nearby. This brought hundreds of African-American theater-goers and helped build a new audience. In 1979, the city council gave the company a grant. A supporter also helped raise money by having entertainer Ray Charles perform for Revels.
The company continued to put on plays that dealt with racial issues, like The Black and White Minstrel Show. This play made fun of the city council, which was divided by race. Even though the company tried to reach everyone, the cost of putting on plays was high. The American Revels Company closed after two seasons in 1980.
Even though it closed, the company made a big impact. Revels put on fourteen plays between 1978 and 1980. They showed plays with black actors and themes, along with classic works. This brought many African-Americans to live theater for the first time. The company also helped bring professional theater back to downtown Richmond. Many people remember Revels as an exciting time for theater.
Teaching and Later Work
After Revels closed, Fowler returned to acting and joined the faculty at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). His Yale classmate, Robert Cohen, was the head of the drama department there.
In 1984, he worked with Jerzy Grotowski on a special project called "Objective Drama." They explored the basic elements of performance.
From 1996 to 2004, Fowler was the first director of ArtsBridge America. This program gave scholarships to university students in arts fields. These students then helped teach art in local schools that had cut their art programs. The program later grew to be nationwide.
Personal Life
Keith Fowler was married to Janice Byrd Fowler. He had two children and a stepchild. He passed away on December 30, 2023, at the age of 84.
