Easton, Richard 1933-

PERSONAL

Full name, John Richard Easton; born March 22, 1933, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; son of Leonard Idell (a civil engineer) and Mary Louise (maiden name, Withington) Easton. Education: Studied for the stage at Children's Theatre, Montreal, 1948-49, with Eleanor Stuart in Montreal and Gwyneta Thurburn in London, and at Central School of Speech and Drama, London. Avocational Interests: Singing German lieder.

Career:

Actor and director. Performed in radio plays in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, c. 1947; appeared with Montreal Repertory Theatre, Montreal, 1949-50, and Canadian Repertory Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1952-53; Association of Producing Artists (acting company), founding member, 1960. University of San Diego, actor and mentor.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association.

Awards, Honors:

Theatre World Award, 1958, for The Country Wife; Antoinette Perry Award, outstanding lead actor in a play, and Drama Desk Award, both 2001, for The Invention of Love; Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, outstanding featured actor in a play, 2006, for Entertaining Mr. Sloane.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Wally, Our Town, Brae Manor Playhouse, Knowlton, Quebec, Canada, 1947.

Hortensio, The Taming of the Shrew, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1950.

Sir Thomas Vaughan, Richard III, Shakespearean Festival Company, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1953.

Edward Kinnerton, Both Ends Meet, Apollo Theatre, London, 1954.

Claudio, Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Palace Theatre, London, 1955.

Edgar, King Lear, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company, Palace Theatre, 1955.

Lord Scoop and Alexander Court, Henry V, Shakespearean Festival Company, 1956, then Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1956.

Slender, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespearean Festival Company, 1956.

Anthony and Cleopatra, Crest Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1956.

An Italian Straw Hat, Crest Theatre, 1956.

The Three Sisters, Crest Theatre, 1956.

Claudio, Measure for Measure, Phoenix Theatre, New York City, 1957.

Claudio, Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1957.

Delio, The Dutchess of Malfi, Phoenix Theatre, 1957.

Mr. Harcourt, The Country Wife, Adelphi Theatre, New York City, 1957, then Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1957-58.

Launcelot Gobbo, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1957.

Luccentio, The Taming of the Shrew, Phoenix Theatre, 1957.

Roderigo, Othello, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1957.

Cain and Strephon, Back to Methuselah, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1958.

Osric and Florizel, The Winter's Tale, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1958.

Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1958.

Timothy, Salad Days, Barbizon Plaza Theatre, New York City, 1958.

The French lord, All's Well that Ends Well, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1959.

Pistol, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1959.

Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1959.

Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1959.

Amiens, As You Like It, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, 1960.

David, Motel, Wilbur Theatre, Boston, MA, 1960.

Edgar, King Lear, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, 1960.

Title role, Hamlet, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, 1960.

Jack, The Importance of Being Earnest, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, 1960.

Oberon, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, 1960.

Orsino, Twelfth Night, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, 1960.

Sir Harry Bumper and Charles Surface, The School for Scandal, Haymarket Theatre Royal, London, 1962.

Charles Surface, The School for Scandal, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1963.

Nick, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Piccadilly Theatre, London, 1964.

Barry, Comfort Me with Apples, Globe Theatre, London, 1965.

Child, Pickwick (musical), Forty-Sixth Street Theatre, New York City, 1965.

Fagin, Oliver! (musical), Opera House, Manchester, England, 1965.

The bishop, The Balcony, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, England, 1967.

Marlow, She Stoops to Conquer, Oxford Playhouse, 1967.

Title role, Richard III, Oxford Playhouse, 1967.

Creep, Pantagleize, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Theatre at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1967-68.

King Berenger, Exit the King, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Theatre at University of Michigan, then Lyceum Theatre, 1967-68.

Alceste, The Misanthrope, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Theatre at University of Michigan, then Lyceum Theatre, 1968.

Trofimov, Petr Sergeyevich, The Cherry Orchard, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Lyceum Theatre, 1968.

Claudius, Hamlet, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Theatre at University of Michigan, then Lyceum Theatre, 1968-69.

Messenger, Cock-A-Doodle Dandy, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Theatre at University of Michigan, 1968-69.

Brutus, Julius Caesar, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1969.

Title role, Macbeth, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, Theatre at University of Michigan, 1969.

James Bonham, Murderous Angels, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1970, then Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1971-72.

Syd Sorokin, The Pajama Game, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, England, 1971.

Walter Franz, The Price, Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead, England, 1972.

Alexander and Friends, Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, England, 1972.

Romans and Lovers, Arnaud Theatre, 1972.

Charles, Blithe Spirit, Haymarket Theatre, Leicester, England, 1975.

Trigorin, The Seagull, Harrogate Theatre, London, 1975.

Title role, Macbeth, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, England, 1977.

Aubrey Tanqueray, The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England, 1978.

Caliban, The Tempest, Edinburgh Festival, 1978.

Dysart, Equus, Thorndike Theatre, 1978.

Theseus and Oberon, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Edinburgh Festival, 1978.

Earnest Melton, Canaries Sometimes Sing, Arnaud Theatre, 1979.

Henry V, Royal Shakespeare Company (Stratford-upon-Avon, England), between 1984 and 1986.

The Merchant of Venice, Royal Shakespeare Company, between 1984 and 1986.

Hamlet, Royal Shakespeare Company, between 1984 and 1986.

Love's Labour's Lost, Royal Shakespeare Company, between 1984 and 1986.

The Winter's Tale, Royal Shakespeare Company, between 1984 and 1986.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Royal Shakespeare Company, between 1984 and 1986.

Richard II, Royal Shakespeare Company, between 1984 and 1986.

Le Beau, As You Like It, Festival Stage, Old Globe Theatre, 1998.

Casanova, Camino Real, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 1999.

Merlyn and Pellinore, Camelot (musical), Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA, 2000.

Hotel Universe, Blue Light Theatre Company, off-Broadway production, 2000.

Waste, American Place Theatre, New York City, 2000.

A. E. Houseman at age seventy-seven, The Invention of Love, Lyceum Theatre, 2001.

Kenneth Pyer in his eighties, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme, Williamstown Theatre Festival, 2001, then Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, 2003.

Selsdon Mowbray, Noises Off, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Alexander, Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA, 2002.

Title role, Henry IV, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York City, 2003-2004.

British father, "The New Word," and clergyman, "The Old Lady Shows Her Medals," Echoes of the War (double-bill), Mint Theatre, New York City, 2004.

Sir Anthony Absolute, The Rivals, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, 2004-2005.

Georg Friedrich Kaufmann, Bach at Leipzig, New York Theatre Workshop, New York City, 2005.

Kemp, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, Roundabout Theatre Company, Laura Pels Theatre, New York City, 2006.

Alexander Bakunin, "Part 1—Voyage," Leonty Ibayev, "Part 2—Shipwreck," and Count Stanislaw Worcell, "Part 3—Salvage," The Coast of Utopia, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, 2007.

Saul Levi Mortera, New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation; Amsterdam, July 27, 1656, Classic Stage Company, East Thirteenth Street Theatre, New York City, 2008.

Appeared as the duke, Measure for Measure, as Antonio, The Merchant of Venice, as Prospero, The Tempest, in title role, Uncle Vanya, and as Estragon, Waiting for Godot, all Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA; appeared as Jacques, As You Like It, as Claudius, Hamlet, and as Leonato, Much Ado about Nothing; appeared in Ancestral Voices, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA; The Death of Bessie Smith and Give Me Your Answer, Do!, off-Broadway productions.

Major Tours:

Edgar, King Lear, European and British cities, 1955.

Much Ado about Nothing, European and British cities, 1955.

Anatol, The Affairs of Anatol, Caribbean and U.S. cities, 1960.

Constantine Trepleff, The Seagull, Caribbean and U.S. cities, 1960.

Octavius Robinson, Man and Superman, Caribbean and U.S. cities, 1960.

Joseph Surface, The School for Scandal, U.S. cities, 1963.

Fagin, Oliver!, British cities, 1965.

The bishop, The Balcony, British cities, 1967.

Marlow, She Stoops to Conquer, British cities, 1967.

Title role, Richard III, British cities, 1967.

Berenger, Exit the King, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, U.S. cities, 1967-69.

Title role, Macbeth, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, U.S. cities, 1967-69.

Police officer, Pantagleize, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, U.S. cities, 1967-69.

Trofimov, The Cherry Orchard, Association of Producing Artists Repertory Company, U.S. cities, 1967-69.

Syd Sorokin, The Pajama Game, British cities, 1971.

Caught on Hop, British cities, 1977.

Aubrey Tanqueray, The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, British cities, 1978.

Earnest Melton, Canaries Sometimes Sing, British cities, 1979.

Stage Director:

The Lady's Not for Burning, 1961.

Julius Caesar, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1969.

Television Appearances; Series:

Brian Hammond, The Brothers, BBC, 1972-76.

Richard Carter, Chintz, Granada, 1981.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Third voice, Late Call, BBC, 1975.

Anthony Eden, Churchill and the Generals, BBC, 1979.

Title role, Benjamin Franklin, PBS, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Roderigo, Othello, CBC, 1953.

"A Month in the Country," Play of the Week, syndicated, 1959.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel," The DuPont Show of the Monty, CBS, 1960.

"Fly by Night," ITV Television Playhouse, ITV, 1961.

Ernest Woolley, "The Admirable Crichton," Hallmark Hall of Fame (also known as Hallmark Television Playhouse), NBC, 1968.

Duke Frederick, "As You Like It," BBC Television Shakespeare (also known as The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare), BBC2, 1978.

Anderson, An Enemy of the People, PBS, 1990.

Himself and Claudius, Discovering Hamlet, PBS, 1990.

Dr. Tambouri, "Passion," Live from Lincoln Center (also known as Great Performances: Live from Lincoln Center), PBS, 2005.

George Washington, "Alexander Hamilton," The American Experience, PBS, 2007.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Coffin Sam (aka Reputation for Murder)," Johnny Ringo, CBS, 1960.

Simon McCowen, "Death of Samantha," No Hiding Place, ITV, 1963.

Chuck Powers, "The Contract," The Saint, ITV, 1965.

Jack Ridley, "Breaking Point," A Family at War, Granada, 1971.

Tim Ross, "Nicola Penn," Hadleigh, YTV, 1971.

Dr. Milner, "Where Did I Leave My Shining Armour?," The Main Chance, YTV, 1972.

Pemberton, "The Foreman's Job at Last," Man at the Top, Thames, 1972.

Dr. Lawrence Savage, "The Numbers Game," The Protectors, ITV, 1972.

Bill Townsend, "The Story of a Panic," Hadleigh, YTV, 1976.

Stapley, "Time Flight: Parts 1-4," Doctor Who, BBC, 1982, later broadcast on PBS.

"Where There's a Will," L.A. Law, NBC, 1993.

Mel White, "Ham Radio," Frasier, NBC, 1997.

Judge, "Crime and Punishment," Encore! Encore!, NBC, 1999.

"The Brothers," After They Were Famous, ITV, 2002.

Judge Travis R. Donnelly, "Wheel of Justice," Ed, NBC, 2002.

Judge Travis R. Donnelly, "Captain Lucidity," Ed, NBC, 2003.

Richard Sutton, "Bound," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU and Special Victims Unit), NBC, 2004.

Robert LeCroix, "Lost & Found," State of Mind, 2007.

"The Brothers," The Cult of … (also known as The Cult of Sunday Night), BBC, 2008.

Film Appearances:

Whose Child Am I? (also known as Feelings), 1974.

Bartender, Young Warriors (also known as The Graduates of Malibu High), 1983.

Constable, Henry V, Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1989.

Father Timothy, Dead Again, Paramount, 1991.

Professor Matthews, Finding Forrester, Columbia, 2000.

Ed, Stealing Martin Lane, G-Machine, 2005.

Mr. Dawson, It's about Time, Shiniscope Pictures, 2005.

Mr. Mitchell, Pizza, IFC Films, 2005.

Mr. Carroll, The Key to Reserva (short film; also known as La clave reserva), JWT, 2007.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Captain Stapley (in archive footage), Jurassic Larks, 2 Entertain, 2007.