Kenneth Tynan theatre critic until mid-1963 when he joined the National Theatre. In 1963, Laurence Olivier became the British National Theatre Company's first artistic director. Tynan had been highly dismissive of Olivier's achievements as artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre, which had opened in 1962, but he recommended himself for the role of literary manager. Olivier was initially outraged by Tynan's presumption but Olivier's wife, Joan Plowright, convinced him that Tynan would be an asset at the National Theatre Company, then based at the Old Vic theatre. When he became the National Theatre's literary manager, Tynan ceased to be the theatre
John Rea (artistic director) taught music and drama in the Philadelphia School District and the Delaware County School District. John Rea (artistic director) John Rea (born 1967) is an American playwright/lyricist/composer and Artistic Director of MacGuffin Theatre & Film Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA since 1998. Rea earned a BA in music from Temple University and a MA in theater from Villanova University. He was the director of Discovery Division for youth at the Walnut Street Theatre from 1995-99. He was the Literary Manager/Dramaturg for Philadelphia Theatre Company from 1997-99. He has directed or produced all MacGuffin productions and teaches a variety of classes