Hayes Gordon

Hayes Gordon (25 February 1920 – 19 October 1999) was an American-born actor, theatre entrepreneur, producer and director and acting teacher with a considerable career in Australia.

Hayes Gordon AO OBE
Born	(1920-02-25)25 February 1920 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died	19 October 1999(1999-10-19) (aged 79) Sydney, Australia
Occupations	Theatre actor, producer, and director film actor singer drama teacher
Spouse(s)	Katrina Van Oss (div.) Helen Terry

Early life

Gordon was born on 25 February 1920^[1] in Boston, Massachusetts and studied pharmacy whilst performing variety broadcasts, he had his own weekly TV program, aptly title "Hayes Gordon Presents". ^[2][3]

Early career in the United States

Hayes Gordon was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II, and appeared on Broadway in several musicals, including the original production of Oklahoma! (1943), Show Boat and Brigadoon. He also appeared in America's first television soap opera Fashion Story. He was named in Red Networks, a newsletter which specialised in naming alleged communists and sympathisers. After he refused in 1951 to sign a loyalty oath declaring that he was not a communist, work dried up completely.^[4]

Emigration to Australia and career

Gordon went to Australia in 1952 to star in J. C. Williamson's musical Kiss Me, Kate.^[5][3]

He stayed in the country and established the Ensemble Theatre and the Ensemble Studios Acting School^[1] in North Sydney in 1956 with a group of young students he had previously tutored from the Independent Theatre, he served as its artistic director until 1986. It was a cooperative-style theatre and Australia's first theatre-in-the-round.^{[citation needed][6][1]} when Sandra Bates became director.^[6]

Toward the end of his life, he published Acting and Performing, which outlined his Stanislavsky-influenced acting methods.^[3]

He played Tevye in the original Australian cast of Fiddler on the Roof from 1967 to 1970, and later in a 1985-86 revival for the Australian Opera. He also played 'Daddy' Warbucks in the original Australian cast of Annie which opened in 1978.^[1][3]

Honours

• 1997: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day Honours, "In recognition of service to the arts, particularly the acting profession and the theatre and to the community"^[7]
• 1979: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year's Honours, "In recognition of service to the performing arts".^[8]

Death and legacy

Gordon died on 19 October 1999^[1] in Sydney.^[2]

In 1999 The Glugs named one of their awards the Hayes Gordon Memorial Award for Important Contribution to Theatre.^[9]

Personal life

Gordon married and divorced American music theatre performer Katrina Van Oss in the U.S. In 1972 he married former student Helen Terry, and had one daughter. ^[3]

Gordon was a great friend and mentor to Australian actress Denise Roberts, who taught film and television at the Ensemble Studios for Hayes for over six years. In September 2000, Denise established Screenwise and began teaching the Hayes Gordon philosophy for screen acting.^{[citation needed]}