John Burrell (theatre director) John Burrell (theatre director) John Percy Burrell (6 May 1910–28 September 1972) was an English theatre director. John Burrell was educated at Shrewsbury School in Shropshire, England and he led a successful theatre career afterwards. He was appointed as a co-director of the Old Vic Theatre in London, England, with Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson in 1948. He later moved to the USA and worked on Broadway, New York. "He was a founder of the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre and Academy at Stratford, Connecticut, where he also taught acting, and which opened its first season in July 1955. He was
Theatre at the Center educational and accessible to the entire community. Theatre at the Center’s main stage season offers five productions annually. Many of Theatre at the Center’s productions have been recommended by the Jeff Awards, celebrating excellence in Chicago theatre. Theatre at the Center additionally offers Theatre for Young Audiences programming, presenting four productions annually. William Pullinsi was the founder and artistic director of Candlelight Playhouse, America’s first dinner theater which opened in Washington, D.C. in 1959 and Summit, Illinois in 1961. He is widely credited with introducing theater to hundreds of thousands of patrons who might not have otherwise attended live theatrical