Useful "Made By Two" and Gertrude Stein links
Director Lawrence Kornfeld on text and subtext in staging Stein's works
About
WILLIAM TURNER, composer and director
Robert Turner provided the following biographical sketch of his brother Bill:
William John Gascoyne Turner worked extensively as a composer, director, dramatist, producer and actor. He wrote for nearly 30 productions, including three operas and numerous musicals.
Trained at the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco, Mr. Turner also held a BFA in theatrical direction from Carnegie-Mellon University, taught acting at the University of Delaware, and was artist in residence at Tufts University. His productions of the operas A Lyrical Opera Made By Two and The Unlit Corridor were performed throughout the east, most notably at the Long Wharf Theatre and La Mama E.T.C., both in 1980. He scripted and directed Al Carmine's Camp Meeting at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 1986, and his opera A Bird In The Hand, premiered in New York in 1985. He composed music for a staged reading of John Brown's Body in memory of Allen Fletcher, director of the American Conservatory Theatre, and the direction of Al Carmines' Camp Meeting, a benefit staged to celebrate the fiftieth birthday of the author, a composer, lyricist, playwright, and priest.
 |
As a founding member and artistic director of Theatre Express in Pittsburgh, Mr. Turner wrote, directed, produced or composed music for more than 24 productions from 1976-1980. During the last two years of his life, he found great satisfaction in his work as a literacy volunteer, teaching adults to read and write. He published the works of 14 students in The Writing group: 1986 Yearbook. He edited the collection from his hospital bed. |
These words about Bill Turner were written by his father, Robert K. Turner, Professor Emeritus of English at The University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee:
"As a child, Bill Turner loved books and music, and when still very young he discovered the special power drama generates by being at once intensely real and totally illusory. Just as some boys know from infancy that they will be firemen or doctors or soldiers, Bill knew he wanted to be in the theater, if not as an actor, then as a director; if not that, then as a writer, composer, musician, electrician, seamster -- anything.
He was tall and slender, and despite his efforts to dress disreputably, he usually looked somehow clean cut. Becuase he didn't forget what he read, he know a lot; that and an ability to listen as well made him an agreeable conversationalist. He had a nice, ironic sense of humor and a relish of the ridiculous, especially as it was manifested in his father. He found good in people."
The following reminiscence is by Lory Lazarus, a performer-songwriter-playwright who Bill worked with in high school and college prior to CMU:
"In 1969 Bill wrote the music for my "lyrics" for "The Reunion Of Sam" (two act musical farce). This was "produced" many times as reader's theatre at the Finjan Coffeehouse in Shorewood in 69 and 70. "The Reunion Of Sam" was given a full-out staged production in 1973 at UW - Milwaukee, with a couch having babies, a character losing her head in the garbage disposal, a Greek chorus dressed like a Christmas tree and getting run over by a truck, and a cow, dog and stalk of corn in the audience. Great memories. Bill and I didn't attend opening night though, for we were at my house in Shorewood watching Mary Martin in "Peter Pan."
Bill also wrote incidental music for my two act farce, "The Utopian and the Scab," also done reader's theatre style at the Finjan. And, I wrote a one act play called, "Inanimation," to which Bill wrote music to an opening song.
We attended UW - Milwaukee together briefly, and then I think Bill moved to Utah and did some theater out there. We were in touch thru the years but didn't work together again until 1975 or 1976, when Bill was in Pittsburgh and I stayed with him for a few weeks to have him compose music to my two act musical/drama/farce, "Farnum's Fabulous Freaks." Bill wrote music to two of my lyrics, the opening number and "I'm In Love With Helen the Melon." But we parted ways on the project, because I was searching for more lite-hearted, upbeat and melodic music, but Bill was in his dark period -- everything influenced by Sondheim (which is fine, but it didn't work for "Farnum.")"