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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 11, 2004 Jerry Turner, theater visionary By Chris Honor� Tidings Correspondent Jerry Turner, artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 1971-91, died of heart failure Sept. 2, 2004. He is remembered for his integrity and vision, qualities that shaped and guided OSF for more than two decades. A graduate of the University of Colorado, with a Ph.D. in theater from the University of Illinois. Turner began his career at OSF in 1957 as an actor and then director in 1959. He was concurrently an associate professor of drama and department chairman at Humboldt State College at Arcata, Calif., from 1957 to 1964. He went on to chair the department of drama at the University of California at Riverside from 1964 to 1970, where he was also a professor of drama. In 1970 he was elected the first chair of the faculty of the college of humanities and Jerry Turner transformed the Oregon Shakepeare Festival during his 20-year tenure, adding the Angus Bowmer Theatre and the Black Swan as festival venues. Hank Kranzler | OSF photo received a UC Humanities Institute Fellowship to study theater in Sweden. Learning the language, he discovered Strindberg, saw Ingmar Bergman's stage work at the Malmo Civic Theatre, returning to America with a new vision for theatrical work. Upon his return, in 1971, he took up the position of producing director at OSF as successor to Angus Bowmer. They continued to work together on projects until Bowmer's death in 1979. Turner became artistic director in 1981, retiring in 1991. In a 1987 interview, he said, "Expanding an audience doesn't necessarily mean doing new work. American theater in recent years has tended to turn away from the rich heritage of the past. The danger isn't so much not doing new work as ignoring the old work. Besides, just because a play was written a long time ago doesn't make it old." At the same time he was often quoted as having said "theater is supposed to be disturbing," and though he was a lover of classical texts he was equally dedicated to new work, always finding in any theater piece a way of surprising and stimulating the audience. In 1977, he oversaw the opening of the Black Swan, an intimate black box theatre, designed especially for new and experimental work and offering new opportunities for OSF audiences. During his tenure at OSF, he directed more than 40 productions, including the unforgettable productions of "Macbeth," "The Tempest," "The White Devil," "Major Barbara," "Pericles Prince of Tyre," "Julius Caesar," "Long Day's Journey Into Night," "The Iceman Cometh," "King Lear" and "Mother Courage and her Children." He also directed a number of his own translations of Ibsen's "Rosmersholm," "Peter Gynt," "Ghosts," "An Enemy of the People," and the "Wild Duck." Libby Appel directed his translation of "The Master Builder" in 1992 at San Jose Repertory Theatre, and Bill Rauch directed his translation of "Hedda Gabler" at OSF in 2003. Both directors worked closely with him bringing those productions to the stage. Kit Leary, who has worked as the OSF archivist since 1986, recalls that Turner "was always open to new ideas. He would seek other points of view and tell stories. Actors would hear those stories that he told, and as the rehearsal went on they would understand the meaning of the story. I think it was one of his relatives who introduced him to Shakespeare. Jerry lived in a rural area of Colorado where I don't think Shakespeare was that popular, yet he continued in his interest. He was a very humble man, yet he could command the room. He would walk into a room and you would know he was there, yet he was the salt the earth, a humble person. He didn't have a big ego, was highly respected. He guided OSF and was respected for the tone he set over time." Executive Director Paul Nicholson of OSF said, "For a great many of us, Jerry was a hugely important and influential part of our lives. He shaped the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's artistic philosophy for 20 years following the creation of the Angus Bowmer and Black Swan theaters. His translations of his beloved Ibsen are legendary and his directing was always superb. We are proud that this visionary of the American theater did his extraordinary work here with us. We all mourn his passing and will miss him greatly." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams