Jack Sydow

John David Sydow, 88 LOS ANGELES - Jack Sydow, 88, director, actor, playwright and university professor, died May 28, 2010, in Los Angeles. Born John David Sydow on Oct. 7, 1921, in Rockford, Ill., he began his career directing and acting in local community theater. In 1943, while serving in the military, he collaborated with other servicemen to create "Hump Happy," a satirical musical review that featured him as one of three cross-dressing Andrews sisters. The show was well-received and went on to tour military bases in India and the Middle East during World War II. After receiving a master's degree from Yale School of Drama, Jack directed many productions for the Town Hall Theater in Sturbridge, Mass. His first directorial productions in New York City were for the Little Orchestra Society at Hunter College in 1952. In 1958, he received an Obie award for his theatrical adaptation, along with Boris Tumarin, of "The Brothers Karamazov." In the same year, he began work on the pre-Broadway production of "Once Upon a Mattress," at Tamiment, Penn., where Jack also commissioned new work from a young Woody Allen. In 1959, Jack was assistant director to George Abbott, whose Broadway production of "Once Upon a Mattress" starred Carol Burnett. In August 1960 after the closing of the Broadway run, Jack went on to direct the national tour, which featured, among others, Buster Keaton and wife, Eleanor. In 1966, Jack directed the revival of the musical "Annie Get Your Gun" on Broadway, starring Ethel Merman and featuring new music by Irving Berlin. As a result, Jack was nominated for a Tony award for best director in a field that included Gower Champion, Mike Nichols and Harold Prince. He directed for the American & National Repertory Theatres produced by Frances Ann Hersey/Dougherty and many major tours from 1961 through 1968. His productions included "Mary Stuart," "Elizabeth the Queen," "Ring Round the Moon" and "The Crucible" with casts including Tallulah Bankhead, Eva Le Gallienne, Pat Carroll, Farley Granger and Denholm Elliott. Jack's production of "John Brown's Body," for the National Repertory Theatre, reopened Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., in 1968. In 1970, Jack arrived in Seattle to head the directing program at the University of Washington. During this period, he directed and taught many who went on to distinguished film and television careers as actors and directors, including Jean Smart, Harry Groener, Pamela Reed, Richard Carne, Daryl Anderson, Richard E.T. White and Linda Hartzell. After retiring from the University of Washington as professor emeritus and relocating to Los Angeles in 1986, he returned to acting, delighting television audiences with guest-starring roles in such shows as "Frasier" and "Touched by an Angel." He also appeared regularly at the South Coast Repertory Theater in their productions of "Shadowlands" and "The Importance of Being Earnest." His commercial work as a model and actor included national spots for Toyota and Staples. Jack is survived by his nephew, London-based theatrical producer Karl Sydow and his family; as well as several other nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews in California, Florida and Illinois. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Monday, June 28, in Scandinavian Cemetery, Rockford, Ill. Donations may be made in his name to the Actor's Fund of America.