John Dexter
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John Dexter (August 2, 1925 - March 23, 1990) was an English award-winning theatre, opera, and film director.
Born in Derby, England, Dexter left school at the age of 14 to serve in the British army during World War II. Following the war, he began working as a stage actor before turning to producing and directing shows for repertory companies. In 1957, he joined the Royal Court Theatre in London as an associate director, a position he assumed with the National Theatre six years later, eventually moving up to full director. His production of Othello, starring Sir Laurence Olivier, was filmed and released as a theatrical feature.
Dexter's debut feature film remains his best-known. The Virgin Soldiers (1969) was a satirical comedy about a group of young British soldiers in 1950 Singapore who dream about winning the hand of the daughter of the regiment's sergeant. It starred Lynn Redgrave, Rachel Kempson, and Nigel Davenport. Dexter also helmed the controversial I Want What I Want (1972), a drama exploring a young man's sex-change.
At the Metropolitan Opera, Dexter mounted new productions of Les vêpres siciliennes (with Montserrat Caballé), Aïda (with Leontyne Price), Dialogues des Carmélites, Lulu, Le prophète (with Marilyn Horne), Rigoletto (with Cornell MacNeil and Plácido Domingo), The Bartered Bride (with Teresa Stratas and Jon Vickers), Don Pasquale (with Beverly Sills), Billy Budd (with Sir Peter Pears), Don Carlos (with Renata Scotto), Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, and the triple-bills of "Parade" (Parade/Les mamelles de Tirésias/L'enfant et les sortilèges) and "Stravinsky" (Le sacre du printemps/Le rossignol/Œdipus rex). Rigoletto and a revival of Don Carlos (then with Domingo and Mirella Freni) are available on DVD.
Dexter died in London. His autobiography, The Honourable Beast (ISBN 0-87830-035-X), was published posthumously in 1993.
[edit] Stage productions
- The Threepenny Opera (1989 revival)
- M. Butterfly (1988)
- The Glass Menagerie (1983 revival)
- One Night Stand
- The Misanthrope (1975 revival)
- Equus (1974)
- The Unknown Soldier and His Wife (1967)
- Black Comedy/White Lies (1967)
- The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1965)
- Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965)
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Awards
- 1975: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – Equus
- 1975: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play – Equus
- 1988: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – M. Butterfly
- 1988: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play – M. Butterfly
- Nominations
- 1967: Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play – Black Comedy/White Lies
[edit] External links
- John Dexter at the Internet Broadway Database
- John Dexter at the Internet Movie Database
- YouTube: An excerpt from John Dexter's production of Othello, with Lord Olivier, Dame Maggie Smith and Frank Finlay (1965).
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by none |
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play 1974-1975 for Equus |
Succeeded by Ellis Rabb for The Royal Family |
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