John Orrell
Encyclopedia
John Orrell was an author, theatre historian, and English professor at the University of Alberta
. The New York Times described him as the “historian whose intellectual detective work laid the groundwork for the 1997 re-creation of Shakespeare’s original Globe Theater.”http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD6133DF93BA1575AC0A9659C8B63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/D/Deaths%20(Obituaries)
. After completing his National Service as a pilot at the NATO base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
, he obtained a degree in English at University College, Oxford
, followed by a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto
. In 1961 he joined the English department at the University of Alberta in Edmonton
, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Orrell wrote and presented documentaries for CBC Television
on a wide range of subjects, from Louis Riel
to avalanche control
to the Renaissance
and Elizabethan culture. His book The Quest for Shakespeare’s Globe, published by Cambridge University Press
in 1983, brought him international recognition, and led to him serving as advisor to the architect for Sam Wanamaker
’s reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe
theatre in Southwark
, London
. He also wrote several other books on theatre history, including Fallen Empires: Lost Theatres of Edmonton 1881-1914 (1981) which was reissued in 2007.
John Orrell died in Edmonton on September 16, 2003 from cancer
. In June 2004 he was posthumously given the Sam Wanamaker Award at the Globe in London. In October 2004, during Edmonton’s centennial celebration, he was named one of the 100 Edmontonians of the century.
http://www.edmonton.ca/OcctopusDocs/Public/Complete/Reports/CC/Elected-1995/2004-11-16/2004%20summary%20report.doc
His son is the mathematician and author David Orrell
.
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
. The New York Times described him as the “historian whose intellectual detective work laid the groundwork for the 1997 re-creation of Shakespeare’s original Globe Theater.”http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD6133DF93BA1575AC0A9659C8B63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/D/Deaths%20(Obituaries)
Life and work
Orrell was born in Kent, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After completing his National Service as a pilot at the NATO base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
, he obtained a degree in English at University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, followed by a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. In 1961 he joined the English department at the University of Alberta in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Orrell wrote and presented documentaries for CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
on a wide range of subjects, from Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
to avalanche control
Avalanche control
Avalanche control or avalanche defense activities reduce the hazard avalanches pose to human life, activity, and property. Avalanche control begins with a risk assessment conducted by surveying for potential avalanche terrain by identifying geographic features such as vegetation patterns,...
to the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and Elizabethan culture. His book The Quest for Shakespeare’s Globe, published by Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
in 1983, brought him international recognition, and led to him serving as advisor to the architect for Sam Wanamaker
Sam Wanamaker
Samuel Wanamaker was an American film director and actor and is credited as the person most responsible for the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London...
’s reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse in the London Borough of Southwark, located on the south bank of the River Thames, but destroyed by fire in 1613, rebuilt 1614 then demolished in 1644. The modern reconstruction is an academic best guess, based...
theatre in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He also wrote several other books on theatre history, including Fallen Empires: Lost Theatres of Edmonton 1881-1914 (1981) which was reissued in 2007.
John Orrell died in Edmonton on September 16, 2003 from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. In June 2004 he was posthumously given the Sam Wanamaker Award at the Globe in London. In October 2004, during Edmonton’s centennial celebration, he was named one of the 100 Edmontonians of the century.
http://www.edmonton.ca/OcctopusDocs/Public/Complete/Reports/CC/Elected-1995/2004-11-16/2004%20summary%20report.doc
His son is the mathematician and author David Orrell
David Orrell
David John Orrell is a Canadian mathematician and author who is living in Oxford, England. He received his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Oxford. His work in the prediction of complex systems such as the weather, genetics and the economy has been featured in New Scientist,...
.
Books by John Orrell
- Fallen Empires: Lost Theatres of Edmonton 1881–1914 (1981)
- The Quest for Shakespeare’s Globe (1983)
- The Theatres of Inigo Jones and John Webb (1985)
- The Human Stage: English Theatre Design 1567–1840 (1988)
- Rebuilding Shakespeare’s Globe (1989), written with Andrew GurrAndrew GurrAndrew John Gurr is a contemporary literary scholar who specializes in William Shakespeare and English Renaissance theatre.-Life and work:...