James B. McKenzie
| James B. McKenzie | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 1, 1926 Appleton, WI |
| Died | Feb 20, 2002 - 75 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Producer |
| Known for |
Westport Country Playhouse American Conservatory Theater Peninsula Players |
James B. McKenzie (born May 1, 1926, Appleton, WI, died Feb 20, 2002) was an award-winning American theater producer best known for helming the Westport Country Playhouse, the American Conservatory Theater, and the Peninsula Players.
A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, McKenzie worked all over the United States as a stage manager, press agent, actor, stagehand, producer and general manager. In the professional theatre, his career spanned more than half a century working on over 2,000 productions. He was the producer or general manager of numerous regional theatres, including the famed Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT, Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, CA, the Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek, WI, Mineola (Long Island) Playhouse and the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach, FL. McKenzie produced over 60 national and international tours including tours of Russia, Japan, and South America. In the early 1950s he helped create over 100 original live television shows for NBC, and later produced seven television plays for PBS.
He also co-owned the Merrill-McKenzie advertising agency.
He received his BA from the University of Iowa and his MA from Columbia University. He served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II.
For Broadway, McKenzie co-produced three original plays including And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little starring Julie Harris and Estelle Parsons which opened on Feb 25, 1971. The Girl in the Freudian Slip, Written by William F. Brown and directed by Marc Daniels and starring Susan Brown, Bruce Hyde, and Marjorie Lord, opened May 18, 1967. In Nov 14, 1972 he co-produced The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild starring Maureen Stapleton and Florence Stanley.
Written by Paul Zindel and directed by Melvin Bernhardt And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little received two Tony Award® nominations. Tony Award® Best Actress in a Play nomination went to Estelle Parsons for her portrayal of Catherine Reardon, and the 1971 Tony Award® Best Featured Actress in a Play was won by Rae Allen for her performance of Fleur Stein.
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