Gordon Davidson, American stage and film director, Died at 83

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Gordon Davidson was born on May 7, 1933, and died on October 2, 2016.

He was an American stage and film director.

Gordon Davidson graduated from Cornell University in 1956, studying electrical engineering, and received a master’s in theater from Case Western Reserve University in 1957.

He decide to move to Los Angeles in 1963 to serve as Director of the Theatre Group based at UCLA, Gordon Davidson was selected in 1967 to be Artistic Director of the then new Mark Taper Forum and staged as the inaugural show The Devils followed by In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

He directed several plays including The Trial of the Catonsville Nine and Murderous Angels in 1971, Children of a Lesser God in 1982 and Stuff Happens in 2005.

Gordon also directed the film version the The Trial of the Catonsville Nine in 1972 and a TV film called The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald in 1977.

During 1977, Gordon Davidson earned Best Director Tony Award for his staging on Broadway of The Shadow Box, which he first staged at Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

Then the Taper won the Tony that year for Outstanding Regional Theater.

During 2003, he made a brief cameo appearance as himself, directing a play starring James Earl Jones and Jack McFarland, in an episode of Will & Grace.

Up until 2005, he worked as artistic director for the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.

Gordon Davidson was fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Davidson was married to Judi Davidson. Their son is the director Adam Davidson.

Gordon Davidson passed away at 83 years old.