Henry I. Schvey | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Academic |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | University of Wisconsin Indiana University |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Washington University in St. Louis Leiden University |
Website | https://pad.wustl.edu/people/henry-i-schvey |
Henry I. Schvey is an American academic with expertise in modern American drama,theatre,literature and the arts,and expressionism. Schvey is professor of drama and comparative literature and affiliate faculty in the American cultural studies program at Washington University in St. Louis.
Schvey was chair of the performing arts department at Washington University from 1987 to 2007 and the Director of the American Literature Program at Leiden University in the Netherlands from 1984 to 1987. He has authored books,essays,and review articles on topics related to American drama and literature,including works of playwrights like William Shakespeare,Tennessee Williams,Arthur Miller,and David Mamet. In addition to his academic work,Schvey has directed numerous theatrical productions and has been involved in various cultural and academic initiatives.
Schvey was born in New York City. [1] He attended Hunter College Elementary School and the Horace Mann School for Boys. [2] [3]
Schvey majored in comparative literature at University of Wisconsin–Madison where he graduated,with honors,in 1969. He graduated with an MA in West European Studies from Indiana University in 1971.
Schvey completed a Ph.D. in comparative literature at Indiana University Bloomington in 1977.[ citation needed ]
Schvey began his academic career at Leiden University in 1974 as an assistant professor in the English department. He was promoted to the position of associate professor in 1980. [1] During the years 1980–1981 and 1983,he secured a fellowship at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study. Schvey continued his affiliation with Leiden University until 1987,during which time he also undertook visiting appointments at other institutions.
Between 1983 and 1984,Schvey was visiting associate professor of English and director of theatre at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He served as a consultant for the Nobel Committee of the Swedish Academy and held a position on the Board of Governors for the Fulbright Commission from 1985 to 1987. [4] In 1986,Schvey was visiting professor of English and drama at Webster University.
Between 1987 and 2007,Schvey served as the chair of the performing arts department at Washington University. Between 1988 and 1989,Schvey served on the editorial board for American Drama. In 2001 and 2002,he was a Fellow in the Inaugural Playwriting Initiative at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In 2007,Washington University celebrated the achievements of Henry Schvey,who served as the chair of the Washington University Performing Arts Department for 19 years before stepping down from the position. [5] Schvey has given lectures and produced a substantial body of work in the fields of contemporary European,British,and American theater. [5] During the gathering,attended by students,faculty,family,and friends,it was announced that Schvey would be taking a one-year sabbatical before returning to the university as a professor. Rob Henke would succeed him as the new chair. [5] Schvey,known for his popularity among students and his prolific writing in the fields of drama and literature,expressed his gratitude for the experience and hoped for continuity in his absence. [5] The event featured tributes from those who had been touched by Schvey's influence,including British actress Jane Lapotaire,and highlighted his directing accomplishments,playwriting,and contributions to the arts. [5]
Over the course of more than 40 years,Schvey has directed a total of 49 plays,among them,"Angels in America,Part I:Millennium Approaches" by Tony Kushner,"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare,and Machinal by Sophie Treadwill . [6] [5] He has also world premieres,including Richard Selzer's "The Black Swan" and Jim Leonard Jr.'s "Gray's Anatomy." [5]
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