Wikipedia

Gwen Arner

Gwen Arner (born 1936 or 1937) is an American director and actress. She co-founded the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre and directed stage productions there, as well as at the Mark Taper Forum and in the Midwestern United States. She also directed episodes of The Waltons, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and Dynasty.

Gwen Arner
Born1936 or 1937 (age 87–88)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Michigan
Occupations
  • Television director
  • stage director
  • actress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1970; died 2018)​
Children2

Biography

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Gwen Arner was born in 1936 or 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska, and later raised there.[1] Having become interested in acting during her adolescence, she studied theater at the University of Michigan, gaining her bachelor's and master's degrees in the field.[1]

After abandoning her initial pursuit for a doctoral degree in favor of stage performance work, she made her acting debut at the Mark Taper Forum and later co-founded the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre (LAAT), where she marked her directorial debut.[1] In 1970, she married Donald Moffat, who was one of the LAAT's co-founders; they would remain married until his death on December 20, 2018.[1][2]

Among her LAAT directing credits are productions of The Kitchen and Waiting for Godot, the latter which was shown at Great Performances on PBS in 1977.[1][3] Writing for King Features Syndicate, Charles Witbeck praised her Waiting for Godot production as a "lively, joyful version" of the original, saying that "word reached New York that Los Angeles had a Beckett smasher, the "definitive Godot" in the words of an influential critic."[3] Dana Elcar, who starred in the production, also recalled that Arner had "managed the transition without losing touch".[3] Two of her Mark Taper Forum productions, The Vienna Notes (1979) and Passion Play (1984), won the Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Direction.[4] Passion Play was also nominated for Best Direction at the 1984 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.[5] After Passion Play, she stopped doing stage direction work in Los Angeles for a while, preferring work in television films for residency flexibility reasons.[1]

In 1974, she directed one episode of The Waltons, having received an opportunity to do so "through a connection".[1] She later went on to direct episodes of The Bionic Woman, The Paper Chase, American Playhouse, Dallas, The Colbys, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, Hotel, Alien Nation, The Commish, Law & Order, Beverly Hills, 90210, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Sisters, and Homicide: Life on the Street.[6] She also directed the films My Champion (1981), Please Don't Hit Me, Mom (1981), Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain (1982), My Town (1986), Necessary Parties (1988), Majority Rule (1992), and Something Borrowed, Something Blue (1997).[6]

Although Arner "found directing much more interesting, more stimulating", she also had some acting credits.[1] particularly in The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1972), A Question of Love (1978), Stickin' Together (1978), and Making Love (1982).[6]

Arner continued her stage direction career in the Midwestern United States. In his review of a 1988 production of The White Plague (an adaptation of The White Disease) in Evansville, Indiana (starring Derek Rhys-Evans, John Gegenhuber, and Bruce A. Young), Tom Valeo said that, as director, she "heightens the impact of the words by encouraging the cast to deliver them without affectation or melodrama".[7] In 1991, she directed the world premiere of Jeremy Lawrence's play Uncommon Ground at the Northlight Theatre in Evanston, Illinois, starring his husband Moffat and Anna Gunn.[8]

Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Jan Breslauer wrote in 1996 that Arner "has accomplished what few women in her generation--or any generation, for that matter--have. At 59, she's had a successful directing career in both theater and television for more than 20 years."[1]

Filmography

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As director

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Television
Year Title Notes Ref.
1978 The Bionic Woman 1 episode [9]
1978 The Paper Chase 1 episode [10]
1980 The Waltons 13 episodes [11]
1984 American Playhouse 1 episode [12]
1984 Dallas 5 episodes [13]
1986 The Colbys 2 episodes [14]
1986 Falcon Crest 8 episodes [15]
1987 Dynasty 11 episodes [16]
1988 Hotel 1 episode [17]
1990 Alien Nation 2 episodes [18]
1991 The Commish 1 episode [19]
1991 Law & Order 2 episodes [20]
1993 Beverly Hills, 90210 1 episode [21]
1993 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman 1 episode [22]
1993 Sisters 2 episodes [23]
1996 Homicide: Life on the Street 1 episode [24]
Film
Year Title Ref.
1981 My Champion [25]
1981 Please Don't Hit Me, Mom [26]
1982 Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain [27]
1986 My Town [28]
1988 Necessary Parties [29]
1992 Majority Rule [30]
1997 Something Borrowed, Something Blue [31]

As actress

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Year Title Role Ref.
1972 The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Marjorie Melville [32]
1978 A Question of Love [33]
1978 Stickin' Together Miss Steigler [34]
1982 Making Love Arlene [35]

Awards and nominations

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Year Title Award Result Ref.
1979 The Vienna Notes Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Direction Won [4]
1984 Passion Play Won [4]
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Direction Nominated [5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Breslauer, Jan (November 10, 1996). "THEATER; Bouncing Back to the Boards". Los Angeles Times. p. 43 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (December 20, 2018). "Donald Moffat, 87, a Top Actor Who Thrived in Second Billings, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Witbeck, Charles (June 25, 1977). "Los Angeles actors produce lively and joyful Godot version". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 132 – via NewspaperArchive.
  4. ^ a b c "MARK TAPER FORUM AWARDS" (PDF). Center Theatre Group. 2020. pp. 11–12. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Christon, Lawrence (March 7, 1985). "CRITICS PICK BEST DRAMA CANDIDATES". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 292049722. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Gwen Arner List of Movies and TV Shows". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  7. ^ Valeo, Tom (February 24, 1988). "Wisdom of play isn't lost in the translation". Arlington Heights Daily Herald. p. 13 – via NewspaperArchive.
  8. ^ "'Uncommon Ground' set in restless 1968". Chicago Tribune. January 11, 1991. p. 12. ProQuest 282944915 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ "The Bionic Woman - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  10. ^ "The Paper Chase - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Waltons - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  12. ^ "American Playhouse - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  13. ^ "Dallas - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  14. ^ "The Colbys - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  15. ^ "Falcon Crest - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  16. ^ "Dynasty - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  17. ^ "Hotel - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  18. ^ "Alien Nation - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Commish - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  20. ^ "Law & Order - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  21. ^ "Beverly Hills, 90210 - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  22. ^ "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  23. ^ "Sisters - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  24. ^ "Homicide: Life on the Street - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  25. ^ "My Champion - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  26. ^ "Please Don't Hit Me, Mom - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  27. ^ "Mother's Day on Waltons Mountain - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  28. ^ "My Town - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  29. ^ "Necessary Parties - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "Majority Rule - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  31. ^ "Something Borrowed, Something Blue - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  32. ^ "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  33. ^ "A Question of Love - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  34. ^ "Stickin' Together - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  35. ^ "Making Love - Full Cast & Crew". TVGuide.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
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