Melvin Bernhardt

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Melvin Bernhardt (February 26, 1931 – September 12, 2015) was an American stage and

stage manager; he made his directorial debut in 1965 with Conerico was Here to Stay at the Cherry Lane Theatre
.

Biography

Melvin Bernhard (he later added the "t" to his surname in tribute to Sarah Bernhardt) was born on February 26, 1931[1] in Buffalo, New York. His parents were Max Bernhard and Kate Benatovich. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University at Buffalo and his Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University.[2][3] Beginning January 8, 1989 Bernhardt was partnered with New York based stage/television actor and audiobook narrator Jeff Woodman. The pair were married on September 10, 2011.

Bernhardt died in Manhattan, New York on September 12, 2015 after a fall at the age of 84.[4]

Career

Melvin Bernhardt began his career as a

staging.[1] He is currently a member of the Honorary Advisory Committee of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.[6]

Broadway

In addition to winning multiple

Cort Theatre, was harshly criticized and closed after just eight performances. Although the individual performances of the actors were well received, the plays themselves were seen as "enigmatic drama", "weak social satire", and "feeble exercises in juvenility".[9]

1 May 1978 marked the debut of the original Broadway production of Da, a comedy by Hugh Leonard which proved to be one of the more successful plays in Bernhardt's career. The play, which ran for nearly 700 performances at the Morosco Theatre,[10] earned Bernhardt the 1978 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play[11] and the 1978 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play.[12] Bernhardt's other major Broadway success was Crimes of the Heart, which opened at the John Golden Theatre on 4 November 1981.[13] The production earned a slew of awards and nominations, including nominations for the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play[14] and the 1982 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.[15]

Television

Although the majority of Bernhardt's directorial work has taken place on the stage, he has also had some experience in

television directing. His work on Another World earned him a nomination for the 1979 and 1980 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team. He earned another nomination for this award in 1985 for his work on One Life to Live.[16]
Other television work includes several episodes of All My Children, and, in 1984, a live production of Mister Roberts for NBC Live Theater.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8108-5747-6
    .
  2. ^
    ISSN 0083-9833
    .
  3. ^ Tallmer, Jerry (22 February 2005). "Scripting Gay Gridiron Fans". The Villager. 74 (41). Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  4. ^ New York Times, Melvin Bernhardt, Tony winning director, dies at 84
  5. ^ a b Melvin Bernhardt at the Internet Broadway Database
  6. ^ "SDC - Board". Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  7. ^ "1970 Award Winners". The Village Voice. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  8. ^ "1977 Award Winners". The Village Voice. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  9. ISBN 0-87413-763-2
    .
  10. ^ ​Da​ at the Internet Broadway Database
  11. ^ "1978 Tony Award Winners". BroadwayWorld.com. 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  12. ^ "1977-1978 24th Drama Desk Awards". Drama Desk. 2010. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  13. ^ ​Crimes of the Heart​ at the Internet Broadway Database
  14. ^ "1980-1981 27th Drama Desk Awards". Drama Desk. 2010. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  15. ^ "1982 Tony Award Winners". BroadwayWorld.com. 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  16. IMDb
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