Gordon Davidson (May 7, 1933 – October 2, 2016) was an American

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and film director and the founding artistic director of

Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and the ...

in Los Angeles.

Early life

Gordon Davidson was born on May 7, 1933, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

in 1956, studying electrical engineering, and received a master's in theater from Case Western Reserve University in 1957. He described his

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

faith and heritage: “My paternal grandfather, born in a small town near

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

, was Orthodox; my father was

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

; and I’m

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...

.”

Career

Moving to Los Angeles in 1963 to serve as Director of the Theatre Group based at UCLA, Gordon Davidson was selected in 1967 to be Artistic Director of the then new Mark Taper Forum and staged as the inaugural show '' The Devils'' followed by ''In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer''. Davidson directed over 40 plays including ''The Trial of the Catonsville Nine'' and ''Murderous Angels'' in 1971, '' Children of a Lesser God'' in 1982 and '' Stuff Happens'' in 2005. He also directed the film version ''The Trial of the Catonsville Nine'' in 1972 and a TV film called ''The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'' in 1977. According to his Los Angeles Times Obituary, Davidson produced over 300 plays for the Theater Center Group. In 1977, Gordon Davidson earned Best Director Tony Award for his staging on Broadway of The Shadow Box, which he first staged at Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. The Taper won the Tony that year for Outstanding Regional Theater. In 2003, he made a brief cameo appearance as himself, directing a play starring

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

and

Jack McFarland John Philip "Jack" McFarland is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''Will & Grace'', played by Sean Hayes. Character overview Jack is Will Truman's (Eric McCormack) best friend in the American television sitcom Will ...

, in an episode of ''

Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Messi ...

''. Until 2005, he worked as artistic director for the

in Los Angeles. He is fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

Philanthropy

Together with dancer and producer

Felisa Vanoff Phyllis Elizabeth (Felisa) Vanoff (June 11, 1925 – May 29, 2014) was an American dancer, choreographer, producer, and philanthropist. Early life and education Phyllis Elizabeth Caputo was born on June 11, 1925, in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Her fa ...

(1925–2014), he established the ''Salon at the Taper'', an annual charity dinner in honor of a lyricist.Carmel Dagan
Felisa Vanoff, Dancer, Patron of the Arts, Dies at 89
''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', June 10, 2014Felisa Vanoff, Former Dancer and Choreographer, Dies at 89
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'', 6/9/2014 Each year, the event was hosted by

Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for cele ...

and took place in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. The proceeds went to Nick's Tix, a non-profit organization selling low-cost tickets to students, seniors and the disabled for all performances at the Los Angeles Music Center.

Personal life and death

He was married to Judi Davidson. Their son is the director Adam Davidson. He died on October 2, 2016. He is interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, Ca.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Gordon 1933 births 2016 deaths People from Brooklyn Cornell University College of Engineering alumni Case Western Reserve University alumni American theatre directors Drama Desk Award winners Tony Award winners Philanthropists from New York (state) 20th-century American philanthropists