Jon Jory
Encyclopedia
Jon Jory is a theatrical director instrumental in the development of the Actors Theatre of Louisville
; he is also widely rumored to be the writer behind the pseudonym Jane Martin
.
A child of Hollywood
character actors, his father played Jonas Wilkerson, the scheming overseer in Gone with the Wind
. Jory received his Actor's Equity card as a young child. He was at the forefront of the regional theater movement of the 1960s, which began with the opening of the Guthrie Theater
in 1963, showing that not all theater talent was centralized in New York City and Los Angeles. Jory served as artistic director of the Long Wharf Theatre
from 1965 to 1966; his contract was terminated once the fledgling theater hit rough financial waters. In 1969, he took over the helm of The Actors Theatre of Louisville
, a small regional theater just five years old. Under his leadership, it became one of the top theaters in the country. Jory's major accomplishment was the foundation and cultivation of the annual Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, beginning in 1976. It has since produced a number of outstanding plays including The Gin Game
(1978), Crimes of the Heart
(1981), Cementville
(1991) and Dinner with Friends
(1998), not to mention almost everything Jane Martin
has ever written. Jory retired from the Actors Theatre in 2000. That fall, he joined the faculty at the University of Washington
School of Drama as Professor of Acting and Directing. In 2010 he was made Chairman of the Performing Arts Department at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Utah, the University of Louisville
, and Bellarmine University
.
Asked if Jane Martin's identity will be revealed after her death, Jory has stated with a laugh, "That's a press conference no one will come to. By the time I die, no one will care anyway."
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Actors Theatre of Louisville is a performing arts theater located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1964 by Louisville native Ewel Cornett, local producer Richard Block and actor Ken Jenkins of Scrubs fame, and was designated the "State Theater of Kentucky" in 1974. It is run as a...
; he is also widely rumored to be the writer behind the pseudonym Jane Martin
Jane Martin
Jane Martin is the RUMORED pen-name of a playwright speculated to be retired Actors Theatre of Louisville artistic director Jon Jory. Jon Jory, Martin's spokesperson, denies being Jane Martin but has directed the premieres of Martin's shows....
.
A child of Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
character actors, his father played Jonas Wilkerson, the scheming overseer in Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind
The slaves depicted in Gone with the Wind are primarily loyal house servants, such as Mammy, Pork and Uncle Peter, and these slaves stay on with their masters even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 sets them free...
. Jory received his Actor's Equity card as a young child. He was at the forefront of the regional theater movement of the 1960s, which began with the opening of the Guthrie Theater
Guthrie Theater
The Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in...
in 1963, showing that not all theater talent was centralized in New York City and Los Angeles. Jory served as artistic director of the Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared....
from 1965 to 1966; his contract was terminated once the fledgling theater hit rough financial waters. In 1969, he took over the helm of The Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, a small regional theater just five years old. Under his leadership, it became one of the top theaters in the country. Jory's major accomplishment was the foundation and cultivation of the annual Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, beginning in 1976. It has since produced a number of outstanding plays including The Gin Game
The Gin Game
The Gin Game is a two-person, two-act play by D.L. Coburn that premiered at American Theater Arts in Hollywood in September 1976, directed by Kip Niven. It was Coburn's first play, and the theater's first production.-Plot:...
(1978), Crimes of the Heart
Crimes of the Heart
Crimes of the Heart is a play by Beth Henley.-Synopsis:At the core of the tragic comedy are the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe, and Lenny, who reunite at Old Granddaddy's home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her abusive husband. The trio was raised in a dysfunctional family with a...
(1981), Cementville
Cementville
Cementville is a 1991 dark comedy play written by Jane Martin, a Pulitzer-nominated author and premiered at the 1991 Humana Festival of New American Plays...
(1991) and Dinner with Friends
Dinner with Friends
Dinner with Friends is a 2000 play written by Donald Margulies. It premiered at the 1998 Humana Festival of New American Plays and opened Off-Broadway in New York on November 4, 1999.-Plot summary:...
(1998), not to mention almost everything Jane Martin
Jane Martin
Jane Martin is the RUMORED pen-name of a playwright speculated to be retired Actors Theatre of Louisville artistic director Jon Jory. Jon Jory, Martin's spokesperson, denies being Jane Martin but has directed the premieres of Martin's shows....
has ever written. Jory retired from the Actors Theatre in 2000. That fall, he joined the faculty at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
School of Drama as Professor of Acting and Directing. In 2010 he was made Chairman of the Performing Arts Department at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Utah, the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, and Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
.
Asked if Jane Martin's identity will be revealed after her death, Jory has stated with a laugh, "That's a press conference no one will come to. By the time I die, no one will care anyway."
Publications
- Actor's Choice: Monologues for Men Playscripts, Inc.Playscripts, Inc.Playscripts, Inc. is a New York City-based publisher of new plays and musicals, founded by brothers and playwrights Doug and Jonathan Rand. Included in the exclusive Playscripts catalog are over 1,600 plays and musicals by over 800 authors....
- Actor's Choice: Scenes for Teens Playscripts, Inc.
- Anne of Green Gables Playscripts, Inc.
- Darcy and Elizabeth Playscripts, Inc.
- The Drama School From Hell Playscripts, Inc.
- Emma Playscripts, Inc.
- The Gift of the Magi Playscripts, Inc.
- Pride and Prejudice Playscripts, Inc.
- The Prom Game Playscripts, Inc.
- Salvador Dali at the Beach Playscripts, Inc.
- Sense and Sensibility Playscripts, Inc.
- Sixty Second Singles Playscripts, Inc.
- 20/20 : twenty one-act plays from twenty years of the Humana Festival / edited by Michele Volansky and Michael Bigelow Dixon; foreword by Jon Jory. Smith and Kraus, Lyme, NH ISBN 9781880399989
- Tips. ideas for actors Smith & Kraus Pub Inc, 2000, ISBN 9781575252025
- Tips. ideas for directors Smith & Kraus Pub Inc, 2002, ISBN 9781575252414
- Tips II. more ideas for actors Smith & Kraus Pub Inc, 2004, ISBN 9781575253237
- Pride and Prejudice: A Romantic Comedy Playscripts Inc, 2006
- University: a full evening of theatre in ten parts Dramatic Publishing, 1983
- Love, Death and the Prom Dramatic Publishing, 1991, ISBN 9780871291202