Fredrick H. Thury
Encyclopedia
Fredrick H. Thury began teaching at York University
in 1970, where he set up and ran Vanier College Productions and the Vanier College Studtio Theatre (now renamed The Fred Thury Studio Theatre) as artistic director
. The VCP company has been officially associated with Vanier College
since 1972, and was under Thury's direction for the rest of his life. Executive Producer and close friend Nancy Accinelli, who helped him run the theatre for many years, has kept the company going.
Thury also established and directed the Vanier Improv Company (aka "The New VIC") where he taught and influenced a large number of Toronto's best comedian
s and sketch comedy
troupes. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
, The Doo-Wops, 2ToGo!
, Nugmutter, Dead Kid Did It, The Gazebo Pals and Performance Anxiety are among many other troupes that have roots in Thury's company. The VIC's individual members have also had much success.
Thury was also a gifted author
and playwright
, penning many of the plays he produced and directed himself (including "Nose to Nose", "One Potatoe, Two" and "Festival!" which was produced at the college every two years). He also wrote the children's book The Last Straw.
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in 1970, where he set up and ran Vanier College Productions and the Vanier College Studtio Theatre (now renamed The Fred Thury Studio Theatre) as artistic director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
. The VCP company has been officially associated with Vanier College
Vanier College
Vanier College is an English-language public college located in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1970 as the second English-language public college of Quebec's public college system...
since 1972, and was under Thury's direction for the rest of his life. Executive Producer and close friend Nancy Accinelli, who helped him run the theatre for many years, has kept the company going.
Thury also established and directed the Vanier Improv Company (aka "The New VIC") where he taught and influenced a large number of Toronto's best comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s and sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
troupes. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe, featuring members John Catucci, Josh Glover, Mike 'Nug' Nahrgang and Ron Sparks. They all met as members of The Vanier Improv Company...
, The Doo-Wops, 2ToGo!
2ToGo!
2ToGo! are a Canadian comedy duo formed in Toronto, Ontario Canada. The members of the duo are Darryl D. Bautista and Laura Earl Middleton. Their debut performance occurred on March 16, 1999 at Tims Sims Playhouse at the Second City in Toronto...
, Nugmutter, Dead Kid Did It, The Gazebo Pals and Performance Anxiety are among many other troupes that have roots in Thury's company. The VIC's individual members have also had much success.
Thury was also a gifted author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, penning many of the plays he produced and directed himself (including "Nose to Nose", "One Potatoe, Two" and "Festival!" which was produced at the college every two years). He also wrote the children's book The Last Straw.