Trainer of generations of theater artists at SCF dies at 87
Throughout his lengthy profession as director of the theater program at what’s now State Faculty of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, John James influenced generations of future theater artists who’re utilizing his classes of their work in native productions and across the nation.
James, who died Friday in Bradenton at age 87, was co-founder with Ray LeBlanc of the theater division at what began as Manatee Junior Faculty and later grew to become Manatee Neighborhood Faculty. He served as director of theater and chair of the performing arts program from 1967 till his retirement in 1998. For one more decade, he stayed linked and labored as a visitor director.
“He by no means actually retired,” stated Kenneth Erickson, a former scholar who ultimately succeeded James earlier than retiring himself in 2015. “He was all the time coming in and doing stuff.”
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Erickson described James “as an actual mentor. He was the explanation why I ended up doing what I did.” He earned a level in design on the College of South Florida earlier than returning to SCF as technical director. “The weirdest transition was going from calling him Mr. James to calling him John. There are folks I went to highschool with who might by no means simply name him John.”
James, who was born in Wayne, Michigan, directed about 160 productions at SCF, plus dozens extra at theaters in California, Kansas and Illinois. When he retired in 1998, the faculty renamed the intimate Studio 84 efficiency house because the John W. James Studio Theatre. A decade later, it was rebuilt and expanded and named for the actor David S. Howard, who died in January, and his spouse, Anne.
“It was a extremely proud second for the household and simply neat to know that the faculty acknowledged all that he did,” stated Laura Grizzle, certainly one of his 4 kids. “It was for his dedication over time and the way a lot blood, sweat and tears he put into constructing that theater program.”
Grizzle, who carried out in some exhibits and had her father as a trainer, stated he instilled confidence in his college students.
“I now haven’t any hassle getting up and talking in entrance of individuals. He helped me wish to develop into a trainer,” she stated. “All 4 of us are very profitable. He handed alongside how essential training was. It didn’t matter what you have been doing, however get your self some training and do your finest.”
James Thaggard, who directed or co-directed many exhibits on the faculty over time, stated James launched what grew to become an annual scholar journey to New York Metropolis within the Nineteen Eighties as an act of revolt. “He had held rehearsals over spring break and the administration instructed him he might not do this.” As a substitute, he organized to take college students to see exhibits in New York and meet actors, administrators and alumni to higher study profession alternatives.
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James wasn’t an actor however Thaggard stated “he knew how one can direct actors. He was all the time very ready. And he was simply sensible. There’s the previous line that he had forgotten extra about theater than most of us would ever know. Within the pre-internet days, any article for brand new performs or musicals opening, he had a file for it. He was Wikipedia earlier than it existed.”
Actor Dallas Roberts, who went on to Juilliard and a busy profession in tv and movies, together with roles in “Legislation & Order,” “The Good Spouse,” “Rubicon,” “Massive Sky,” “FBI,” “American Rust” and the present Netflix hit “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller,” stated James “opened my eyes to stuff that I had no concept was even there.”
In an introduction to movie course, Roberts stated James was the primary one that “prompt that there have been methods to take a look at cinema and storytelling that I had by no means comprehended, that movie was not simply one thing that you simply let your eyes glaze over and stroll out of.” He stated James taught him “there are methods to check the craft of performing. There are methods to hone your talents. That began a lifelong journey pretending to be different folks.”
Many different former college students have gone on to theater careers within the space, Peter Ivanov, who was the founding creative director of Theatre Works in Sarasota earlier than changing into a school theater professor; Steven Butler, the newly employed creative director of The Gamers Centre; the late Allan Kollar, who was creative director of Venice Theatre; Sandy Davisson, who’s director of training at Venice Theatre; Candace Artim, a frequent director and actor in neighborhood theater, and Kelly Wynn Woodland, a busy neighborhood theater director.
Woodland, whose personal father labored at SCF, stated she was all the time a voracious reader, however James “received me to studying performs and serious about directing. He let me direct one play once I was a scholar.” She stated she “discovered a variety of methods” by the way in which James labored as a director.
“We didn’t have a directing class per se, however I watched and paid consideration. He was very methodical and really scientific in his method and actually truthful in coping with college students, and I believe the thought of the trainer/director I get from him.”
Survivors embrace his spouse, Joyce, to whom he was married for 67 years, 4 kids – Grizzle, of Boca Raton, and sons Gregory, of Largo, Jeff of Lithia and Christopher, of Palmetto – 14 grandchildren and 11 grandchildren.
Visitation might be at 1 p.m. Feb. 11, adopted by a 2 p.m. funeral service at Palma Sola Presbyterian Church, 6510 Third Ave., West, Bradenton. As a substitute of flowers, the household requested that memorial contributions be made to the SCF theater division by way of scf-foundation.org
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