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Stephen Moorer

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Stephen Moorer
Stephen Moorer as the title role in Shakespeare's Coriolanus, 1997
Born
Santa Monica, California, United States
AwardsBest Ensemble, Best Musical for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Websitehttp://www.pacrep.org

Stephen Moorer is an American stage actor, director, and producer based on the Central California Coast.[1] He founded the GroveMont Theatre in 1982,[2] renaming the non-profit organization Pacific Repertory Theatre in 1994, when the group acquired the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.[3][4]

Early life and family

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Moorer was born in Santa Monica, California. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to the Monterey Peninsula. His mother, a community theatre actress acted in amateur performances in the San Fernando Valley, and Moorer got an early taste of performing in community theatre. His first principal role was Miles in The Innocents (based on The Turn of the Screw), with The Rafters Theatre Guild. Moorer attended the Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, middle and high schools, becoming involved in the drama program, acting in and producing shows. In his senior year, he played a criminal mastermind in Wait Until Dark. From the age of 11 to 17, Moorer also studied theatre at Carmel's Children's Experimental Theatre.[1]

After graduating from high school in 1979, Moorer appeared in a three-show repertory season at Hartnell Summer Theatre (which was later called the Western Stage). He returned to the Children's Experimental Theatre in 1980 for a paid internship. In 1982, he trained in an intensive 16-week summer season at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.[1]

Actor

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At the Forest Theater, for the Carmel Shake-speare Festival, he played Richmond in Richard III (1993), the title role in Coriolanus (1997), and Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream (2000). In 2002, he returned to PacRep, where he revisited the title role in The Elephant Man (2002, opposite Barbara Babcock). Of this performance, one reviewer wrote, "Moorer reprises his 1988 role ... with skill and dignity. Working with no makeup or prosthesis to simulate Merrick's appearance, Moorer twists his face into a grotesque mask from which a high-pitched, rasping, wheezing voice emerges. From a physical aspect alone, Moorer's performance is skilled and noteworthy. Moorer also delivers a well-executed emotional performance that highlights Merrick's artistic sensitivity and droll sense of humor."[5] He next played Jason in Medea (2003)[6] (directed by Joseph Chaikin).[7] Moorer performed as Ned in Elizabeth Rex and Edward de Vere in The Beard of Avon (2005).[8][9]

In 2012, he appeared as Marc Antony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, in 2014, he portrayed Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar, and in 2017 he played the title role in Cyrano at the Forest Theater.[10]

Director

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Moorer has directed over a hundred productions.[8] Of his Shakespeare "Royal Blood" series, Talkin' Broadway wrote, "Moorer ... has assembled a brilliant cast of actors from both San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles.... Moorer's direction is first class as he makes both productions exciting human dramas."[11] Another critic wrote, "director Stephen Moorer handles the time-shifting sequences with a keen immediacy that's become his trademark".[12][13]

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, San Francisco, directed by Stephen Moorer

In 2003, Moorer produced and directed a production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.[14][15] This production, starring Travis Poelle, opened at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel and moved to San Jose, playing at the San Jose Stage. The production was revived in 2004 at the Post St. Theatre in San Francisco, garnering positive reviews[15] and Bay Area Critics' awards for Best Musical, Best Ensemble, and Best Actor in a Musical (Poelle).[16] Buddy Holly's widow, Maria Elena Holly, attended the show at each location, dancing onstage with the cast at curtain call.[17] The production returned to Carmel for several runs, most recently in 2008.[18]

In 2009, Moorer directed Laughter on the 23rd Floor for Pacific Repertory Theatre. The Monterey County Herald wrote, "Moorer has staged a terrific version of this play with a fun and talented cast".[19]

In 2018 and 2019: Fun Home at the Golden Bough and Beauty and the Beast at the Forest. Following the suspension of live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moorer reopened the Forest Theater in August 2021 by producing and directing a revival of Shrek the Musical.[20]

Producer

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By 2006, he had produced over 350 shows.[8] He founded GroveMont Theatre, now Pacific Repertory Theatre, in 1982, acting as Artistic Director, and based the company in the Monterey Playhouse.[2]

In 1990, Moorer founded the Carmel Shakespeare Festival.[21][22] This annual summer festival uses all three of PacRep's stages, presenting a rotating repertory of Shakespeare, musicals, children's plays and other classic works of English-language drama.[23] Moorer also founded the Monterey Bay TheatreFest[24] In 1993, Moorer spearheaded the campaign to save the Golden Bough Playhouse, and he has since directed its ongoing development and renovation.[25][26]

In 2008, the Board of Directors of Pacific Repertory Theatre named Moorer as executive director.[27] Between September 2021 and September 2022, 14 out of 20 board members of the Pacific Repertory Theatre resigned. Disagreements over construction work to renovate the Golden Bough Playhouse resulted in a board motion to terminate Moorer as executive director of PacRep, but a vote was never taken. After this motion, board members, speaking anonymously, told a reporter they had been threatened with lawsuits and that this had led to the mass resignation; Moorer denied making any threats.[28] In 2024 the Golden Bough reopened; Barbara Rose Shuler, writing in the Monterey Herald commented at the time: "Moorer and his board navigated these rough patches with skill and determination."[29]

Wikipedia editing

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Moorer was the top topic editor advocating the alternative view known as the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship from 2006 to 2009 in the Wikipedia article "Shakespeare authorship question" (SAQ). After an arbitration proceeding initiated by a Stratfordian editor in 2010, Moorer was suspended from editing the SAQ entry and related matters for a year.[30]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Blum, Terry (January 2002). "Spotlight On Carmel Stephen Moorer". Mctaweb.org, reprinted from Back Stage, published by Monterey County Theatre Alliance. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b "A Theater Opens in Carmel", San Jose Mercury News, July 6, 1994, p. 3E
  3. ^ Hurwitt, Robert (2008-02-24). "For Bay Area theater, change at the top". Sfgate.com. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  4. ^ Rubin, Sara. [https://www.montereycountynow.com/people/831/a-twice-burned-carmel-theater-has-a-history-even-more-dramatic-than-a-play-that/article_b7c49a04-03e2-11e9-837d-2fb825c90ce2.html "A twice-burned Carmel theater has a history even more dramatic than a play that seems cursed", Monterey County Now, December 20, 2018
  5. ^ Thurman, Chuck. "The Elephant Man reveals what society struggles to conceal",[permanent dead link‍] Monterey County Weekly, June 13, 2002. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  6. ^ Thurman, Chuck (2003-02-27). "Jeffers' Medea". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  7. ^ McKevitt, Karen. "Joseph Chaikin Directs Medea at Pacific Repertory Theatre", Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Theatre Bay Area, 2003. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c Masters, Ryan. "Community theater is about community, but it still has its stars", Archived 2007-06-28 at archive.today Monterey County Weekly, September 7, 2006, page 3. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  9. ^ Masters, Ryan. "Beard dramatizes dispute over the dramatist’s identity", Archived 2007-06-28 at archive.today Monterey County Weekly, September 22, 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  10. ^ Shuler, Barbara. Monterey Herald, Oct 4, 2017
  11. ^ Connema, Richard. "The Pacific Repertory Theatre Royal Blood Series continues with Henry VI, Part 3 and Richard III, TalkinBroadway.com. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  12. ^ "Showy Henry IV; is Shakespeare in a blender", Monterey County Herald, August 22, 2002, p. GO11, Retrieved July 22, 2009
  13. ^ Thurman, Chuck (2003-08-28). "Pac Rep's Henry VI, parts 1 and 2, has swordplay, adultery, and Joan of Arc – for starts". Monterey County NOW. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  14. ^ "The Bay Area Critics Circle Awards 2004". Theatre Bay Area. Archived from the original on 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  15. ^ a b Richter, Judy. Review of Buddy, Aisle Say San Francisco. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  16. ^ "Information about the Bay Area Critics' awards". Archived from the original on 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  17. ^ Clisby, Heather. "Special Report: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story", Movie Magazine International, June 16, 2004. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  18. ^ 2008 Events Calendar, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
  19. ^ Shuler, Barbara Rose. "Pacific Repertory Theatre stages a terrific version of Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor", Monterey County Herald, June 25, 2009
  20. ^ Shuler, Barbara Rose (22 September 2022). "Pac Rep marks 40th anniversary". Monterey County Herald. Digital First Media.
  21. ^ "Monterey Peninsula Takes a Theatrical Step Forward", San Jose Mercury News, March 7, 1995, p. 1E
  22. ^ "25th Annual Conference to be held in Carmel, California", Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter, January 1, 2001
  23. ^ Clarkson, pp. 28–29.
  24. ^ "Pac Rep's TheaterFest kicks off this weekend", Monterey County Herald, June 26, 2003, p. GO27
  25. ^ Lyons, Jessica. "The Packard Foundation has made a mark on global philanthropy, nowhere more profoundly than in Monterey County", Monterey County Weekly, October 25, 2001. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  26. ^ Thurman, Chuck. "The Pacific Repertory Theatre enters a new era with its star-studded production of The Cherry Orchard",[permanent dead link‍] Monterey County Weekly, July 12, 2001
  27. ^ Hurwitt, Robert. "For Bay Area theater, change at the top", San Francisco Chronicle, February 24, 2008
  28. ^ Popęda, Agata (October 27, 2022). "A rift over management at Carmel theater nonprofit PacRep leads to an exodus of board members". Monterey County Weekly. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024.
  29. ^ Shuler, Barbara Rose. "A comedy to welcome back Golden Bough", Monterey Herald, September 18, 2024, via MSN
  30. ^ Anderson, Margo (July 28, 2011). "Wikipedia's Shakespeare Problem: Wikipedia is a little too sure we know who authored Hamlet". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 2024-11-03.

References

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  • "The Madness of Kings: A Small Company Takes on the Great Theatrical Tale of America's Last Royal Ruler", San Jose Mercury News, July 14, 1995, p. 39E
  • Clarkson, Philip B. "Carmel Shake-speare Festival", Shakespeare Companies and Festivals: An International Guide, pp. 28–31 (Eds. Ron Engle, Felicia Hardison Londré and Daniel J. Watermeier). Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995 ISBN 0-313-27434-7
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