Tony Church

Infobox actor
name = James Anthony Church


imagesize =
caption =
birthname =
birthdate = Birth date|1930|May|11|df=y
birthplace = London
deathdate = Death date and age|2008|03|25|1930|05|11|df=y
deathplace = London
othername =
occupation = Actor
yearsactive = 1953-2007
spouse =

James Anthony Church (Tony Church) (11 May, 1930 — 25 March, 2008) [cite news
last = Moore
first = John
coauthors =
title = Tony Church: Consummate man of theater
work = Denver Post
pages =
language =
publisher =
date =2008-03-25
url = http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8696015
accessdate =2008-03-29 ] was a British Shakespearean actor, who has appeared on stage and screen. In 1989 he became the Dean of the National Theatre Conservatory, which is the teaching arm of the Denver Center Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado.

tage

Church was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, and Clare College, Cambridge. [cite news
last = Coveney
first = Michael
coauthors =
title = Obituary: Tony Church
work = The Guardian
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2008-03-28
url = http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/obituary/0,,2268826,00.html
accessdate =2008-03-29 ] In 1953 fellow Cambridge student Peter Hall directed his first professional production (Pirandello's "Henry IV" at the Arts Theatre, London), Church was a performer. In 1960 Hall set up the new Royal Shakespeare Company and Church joined him as a founder member. He was a regular performer with the company until 1987. In 1988 Church took leading parts in "Cymbeline", "The Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest", once again under the direction of Peter Hall, at London's National Theatre.

He appeared for the last time on the Stratford stage on 31 March 2007, in a special programme marking the closure of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. [cite news
last =Ward
first =David
coauthors =
title =Exeunt all as Stratford's actors prepare to tread new boards
work =Guardian
pages =
language =
publisher =
date =2007-04-02
url =http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/news/story/0,,2048225,00.html
accessdate = 2007-05-08 ]

Notwithstanding Church's stage commitments, he was appointed Director of Drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1982, leaving to take up the post with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in 1989.

Film and Television

He appeared in "Work Is A Four Letter Word" (1967), "Tess" (1979), and "Krull" (1983). In the 1963 BBC production of "As You Like It" he played Duke Frederick. Later he played Frederick's banished brother in the 1978 BBC Television Shakespeare production. He also had small roles as Squire Bancroft in "Lillie" and Samuel Hoare in "Edward & Mrs. Simpson".

References

Other sources

* Trowbridge, Simon: [http://www.stratfordians.org.uk/ Stratfordians: a dictionary of the RSC]
*Who's Who (2007): James Anthony Church

External links

*imdb name|id=0161398|name=Tony Church
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/obituary/0,,2268826,00.html Obituary, "The Guardian", 28 March 2008]
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/outstanding-rsc-actor-tony-church-802752.html Obituary, "The Independent", 31 March 2008]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3661991.ece Obituary, "The Times", 2 April 2008]