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
Artistic director in Canada and the United States as regional theatres), the artistic director may be appointed by the board of directors. The artistic director of a performing arts company is similar to the musical director of an orchestra, the primary person responsible for planning a company's season. The artistic director's responsibilities can include (but are not limited to) choosing the material staged in a season, the hiring of creative/production personnel (such as directors), and other theatre management tasks. He or she may also direct productions for the company. Artistic directors work closely with the general manager of the theatre, and contribute