Melvin Bernhardt
Encyclopedia
Melvin Bernhardt is an American stage and television director
. He was born and raised in Buffalo, New York
, and much of his work has been in the New York City area. He is known for his productions of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
, Da
, and Crimes of the Heart
. Bernhardt began his career as a stage manager; he made his directorial debut in 1965 with Conerico was Here to Stay at the Cherry Lane Theatre
.
. His parents were Max Bernhard and Kate Benatovich. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Buffalo and his Master of Fine Arts
degree from Yale University
. Bernhardt is an open homosexual. Since January 8th, 1989 Bernhardt has been partnered with New York based stage/television actor and audiobook narrator Jeff Woodman.
productions of Diary of a Scoundrel and Livin' the Life. Bernhardt directed his first play, Conerico was Here to Stay, at the Cherry Lane Theatre
in Manhattan
in 1965. From there, Bernhardt directed plays throughout the United States, including productions in Hartford and Cincinnati and a national tour of Who's Happy Now? in 1968. He made his London
directing debut in November 1972 at the Hampstead Theatre Club with his production of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
. Bernhardt is known as an "actor's director", as he focuses more on character development than on elaborate staging
. He is currently a member of the Honorary Advisory Committee of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
s for his Off-Broadway
work, Bernhardt has had a successful career as a Broadway theatre director. His first Broadway production came in 1969 when he directed Home Fires and Cop-Out, a pair of one-act plays written by John Guare
. The production, which was staged at the 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".
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
, earned Bernhardt the 1978 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
and the 1978 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play
. Bernhardt's other major Broadway success was Crimes of the Heart
, which opened at the John Golden Theatre
on 4 November 1981. The production earned a slew of awards and nominations, including nominations for the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play and the 1982 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.
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
. Other television work includes several episodes of All My Children, and, in 1984, a live production of Mister Roberts for NBC Live Theater.
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
. He was born and raised in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and much of his work has been in the New York City area. He is known for his productions of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds is a 1964 play written by Paul Zindel, a playwright and science teacher. Zindel received the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for the work. The play's world premiere was staged in 1964 at the Alley Theatre...
, Da
Da (play)
Da is a 1978 comedy play by Irish playwright Hugh Leonard.NOTE: Performed by the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane Australia in 1975....
, and 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...
. Bernhardt began his career as a stage manager; he made his directorial debut in 1965 with Conerico was Here to Stay at the Cherry Lane Theatre
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
.
Biography
Melvin Bernhardt was born on 26 February 1941 in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. His parents were Max Bernhard and Kate Benatovich. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Buffalo and his Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degree from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Bernhardt is an open homosexual. Since January 8th, 1989 Bernhardt has been partnered with New York based stage/television actor and audiobook narrator Jeff Woodman.
Career
Melvin Bernhardt began his career as a stage manager. He served as the stage manager for the original Broadway theatreBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions of Diary of a Scoundrel and Livin' the Life. Bernhardt directed his first play, Conerico was Here to Stay, at the Cherry Lane Theatre
Cherry Lane Theatre
The Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 1965. From there, Bernhardt directed plays throughout the United States, including productions in Hartford and Cincinnati and a national tour of Who's Happy Now? in 1968. He made his 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...
directing debut in November 1972 at the Hampstead Theatre Club with his production of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds is a 1964 play written by Paul Zindel, a playwright and science teacher. Zindel received the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for the work. The play's world premiere was staged in 1964 at the Alley Theatre...
. Bernhardt is known as an "actor's director", as he focuses more on character development than on elaborate staging
Staging (theatre)
Staging is the process of selecting, designing, adapting to, or modifying the performance space for a play or film. This includes the use or absence of stagecraft elements as well as the structure of the stage and its components....
. He is currently a member of the Honorary Advisory Committee of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Broadway
In addition to winning multiple Obie awardObie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
s for his Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
work, Bernhardt has had a successful career as a Broadway theatre director. His first Broadway production came in 1969 when he directed Home Fires and Cop-Out, a pair of one-act plays written by John Guare
John Guare
John Guare is an American playwright. He is best known as the author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body...
. The production, which was staged at the Cort Theatre
Cort Theatre
The Cort Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 138 West 48th Street in the Theatre District of midtown Manhattan in New York City...
, 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".
1 May 1978 marked the debut of the original Broadway production of Da
Da (play)
Da is a 1978 comedy play by Irish playwright Hugh Leonard.NOTE: Performed by the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane Australia in 1975....
, a comedy by Hugh Leonard
Hugh Leonard
Hugh Leonard was an Irish dramatist, television writer and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote more than 18 plays, two volumes of essays and two autobiographies, one novel and numerous screenplays and teleplays, as well as writing a regular newspaper column.-Life and...
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
Morosco Theatre
The Morosco Theatre was a legitimate theatre located at 217 West 45th Street in the heart of the theater district in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States....
, earned Bernhardt the 1978 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play...
and the 1978 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play was first awarded at the 1974–1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...
. Bernhardt's other major Broadway success was 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...
, which opened at the John Golden Theatre
John Golden Theatre
The John Golden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 252 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan. Designed in a Moorish style along with the adjacent Royale Theatre by architect Herbert J. Krapp for Irwin Chanin, it opened as the Theatre Masque on February 24 1927 with the play Puppets of Passion...
on 4 November 1981. The production earned a slew of awards and nominations, including nominations for the 1981 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play and the 1982 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.
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 WorldAnother World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
earned him a nomination for the 1979 and 1980 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team
The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team-1970s:1974* Days of our Lives* The Doctors1975* Another World* Days of our Lives* The Young and the Restless1976* The Doctors...
. He earned another nomination for this award in 1985 for his work on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
. Other television work includes several episodes of All My Children, and, in 1984, a live production of Mister Roberts for NBC Live Theater.