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BILL IRWIN, CLOWN PRINCE
Cast and Commentator Profiles
Barry Edelstein was artistic director of New York's Classic Stage Company from 1998 to 2003. There he produced Bill Irwin in Beckett's "Texts for Nothing." He has directed around the United States, taught at Juilliard and universities around the world, and has written on theater for THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, and other publications.
Brendan Fraser is a versatile actor with a unique talent for seamlessly transitioning from smart independent films to blockbusters. Born in Indianapolis and raised in Europe and Canada, Brendan has been dedicated to honing his craft since an early age, 12, and began attending theater performances when his family lived in London.
James Freydberg was one of the producers of "Fool Moon," which starred Bill Irwin, David Shiner, and The Red Clay Ramblers and won the Tony Award® for Live Theatrical Presentation. He also produced Bill Irwin & Friends in "Largely New York," Mr. Irwin's first Broadway production. It was nominated for five Tony Awards®, including Best Play, Best Actor, and Best Director. Mr. Freydberg's other Broadway productions have received a combined total of 48 Tony Award® nominations.
John Guare was born in New York City in 1938 and educated at Georgetown and Yale universities. He has written numerous critically acclaimed theatrical pieces, including "Six Degrees of Separation" (1990) and the book for the Broadway musical "Sweet Smell of Success" (2002). In 1989, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is a council member of the Dramatist Guild, and in 1993 was elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame. He received the New York State Governor's Arts Award in 1996. The Signature Theater Company in New York City honored Mr. Guare by devoting their 1998-1999 season to his works.
Mel Gussow, a cultural writer for THE NEW YORK TIMES, is the author of the biography EDWARD ALBEE: A SINGULAR JOURNEY. He has also written books about Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, Samuel Beckett, Arthur Miller, and Michael Gambon. He was the coeditor of the Library of America's two-volume edition of the plays of Tennessee Williams and a winner of the Margo Jones Medal and the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism.
James Houghton is the founding artistic director of the Signature Theatre Company, the first not-for-profit theater company in the United States to devote its productions each season to the work of a single, living playwright. Its Playwrights-in-Residence to date are Edward Albee, Lee Blessing, Horton Foote, Maria Irene Fornes, John Guare, Bill Irwin, Adrienne Kennedy, Romulus Linney, Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, and Lanford Wilson. The 2004-2005 Playwright-in-Residence was Paula Vogel, and the company will mark its 15th anniversary in 2006.
Geoff Hoyle was a founding member of the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco, where he first began working with Bill Irwin. He played Zazu in the original Broadway cast of "The Lion King." Based in San Francisco, Geoff is an expert in the "commedia dell'arte."
Steve Martin, no longer the "wild and crazy guy" of comic TV sketches, made his New York stage debut costarring with Bill Irwin in Mike Nichols' 1988 production of "Waiting for Godot."
Michael O'Connor was an original member of Kraken, a theater ensemble directed by Herbert Blau, which is where he first met Bill Irwin and Doug Skinner. O'Connor has appeared in many plays in New York, done numerous voice-overs for television and radio, and has taught at the University of Maryland.
Richard Schickel has been a film critic for more than 30 years, first for LIFE and, since 1972, for TIME. His books include D. W. GRIFFITH AND THE BIRTH OF FILM and COMMON FAME. He also writes, directs, and produces television documentaries.
David Shiner cocreated and costarred in the Tony Award®-winning play "Fool Moon" with Bill Irwin. He has starred on Broadway as the Cat in the Hat in "Seussical" (2000-2001). He is best known for his hilarious feature role in Cirque du Soleil's production "Nouvelle Experience." He has also starred in the German National and Swiss National circuses, and between circus engagements, appeared in the feature films LORENZO'S OIL, SILENT TONGUE, and MAN OF THE HOUSE. Mr. Shiner has made several appearances on THE TONIGHT SHOW and is a guest director at the Wintergarten Varieté theatre in Berlin and the Apollo Theatre in Dusseldorf. Presently, he is creating a new show for Cirque du Soleil and is also working on a musical, "Dirty Clown" (working title), about a clown who wants to play Hamlet.
Doug Skinner wrote the music for several Bill Irwin productions; he's also composed for many other dance and theater groups, including the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company and ODC-San Francisco. His own shows include "Pay Attention" (American Place Theater) and "Eddie Unchained" (New York Theater Workshop). He performs frequently in New York clubs.
Julie Taymor is an acclaimed director of theater, opera, and film. She was the first woman to receive a Tony Award® for Best Director and also won the Tony for Best Costumes for "The Lion King," which has nine productions worldwide. Taymor's 2004 production of "The Magic Flute" is now part of the Metropolitan Opera's repertoire. She directed the films TITUS and FRIDA and will premiere an original opera, "Grendel," at the Los Angeles Opera in May 2006.
Robin Williams first appeared on screen with Bill Irwin in 1980 in the Robert Altman film POPEYE. In 1988 they collaborated again in a celebrated production of "Waiting for Godot" directed by Mike Nichols.
Top banner photos: A close-up of Bill Irwin in white-face; Irwin in "Mr. Fox: A Rumination"; a scene from "Mr. Fox"; Irwin as one of his many personas. |
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Bill Irwin puts his broom to good use in "The Harlequin Studies." |
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In "Mr. Fox: A Rumination," Irwin inhabited the character of a celebrity clown who went insane. |
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This program is not available on VHS or DVD. |
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