Joan H. Quarm

Last updated

Joan H. Quarm (February 24, 1920 - December 28, 2010) was an American educator, theater director, and actor. She was a major figure in El Paso theater productions from the late 1950s until the 2000s. She was responsible for creating two theater companies in El Paso, including the first bilingual theater company in the city. Quarm also worked as a professor at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and as a theater critic.

Biography

Quarm was born in Bristol in 1920 and later moved to Glasgow when she was still a child. [1] She began to become interested in the theater at age 4. [1] Quarm attended Reading University and Cambridge University. [2] [3] During World War II, she left England and "began a globetrotting career which eventually brought her to El Paso" in the mid 1950s. [2] [4] She taught school in Suffolk and then moved to Portugal to teach at St. Julian's School. [5] During this time, she was married to G. Harvey Summ, and became a United States citizen, moving to Washington, D.C. [5] She moved to Peru after that, taught at American Council where she met her second husband, Thomas A. A. Quarm. [5] They moved to live in Kitwe and then moved to El Paso, Texas. [5] Her husband was involved as a research metallurgist at Asarco. [6] Quarm and her husband had five children together. [7]

Quarm taught English at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) between 1957 and 1985. [1] During her time as a professor, she took students on tours of Europe for which they also received college credit. [8] Quarm also worked as the drama critic for the El Paso Herald-Post where she wrote for around 20 years. [5] [9] She also hosted an arts show on public radio, KTEP-FM. [5]

Quarm's first acting experience in El Paso was working on a staging of Ladies in Retirement in 1956. [1] [10] She was praised by the El Paso Times for her performance in that play. [10] She co-directed Blithe Spirit with Jim French on Biggs Air Force Base in 1957. [11] In 1958, she was cast as Mme. Alvarez in Gigi , in the College Play Festival at UTEP. [12] In 1959, she directed Remains To Be Seen for the Ft. Bliss Theatre Group. [13] She was cast to play the mother in Five Finger Exercise at the El Paso Playhouse in 1961. [14] She directed and played in The Square Root of Wonderful at The Theatre in 1964. [15] In 1965, she staged a performance of the opera La Vida Breve at UTEP. [16]

In 1966, Quarm began the first bilingual theater company in El Paso, Los Pobres Theater. [17] This group went on to inspire the historical El Paso drama, Viva! El Paso . [5] In late 1969, she created the Gilbert and Sullivan Company of El Paso (G&S El Paso), which is still active as of 2018. [18] [19] Quarm would return from abroad to come back to El Paso to direct shows with the company. [20]

Quarm was named a Centennial Leader in 1993. [21] She was awarded a Conquistador Award in 1999 by the El Paso City Council for her work in the arts. [17] She was inducted into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame in 2003. [22] Around the late 2000s, she developed congestive heart failure. [5] She died of natural causes on December 28, 2010. [5] Her remains were cremated and buried next to her sister, Cecilia, in Portugal. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVIA-TV</span> ABC/CW affiliate in El Paso, Texas

KVIA-TV is a television station in El Paso, Texas, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW. Owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company, the station maintains studios on Rio Bravo Street in northwest El Paso and a transmitter atop the Franklin Mountains within the El Paso city limits.

Lois Kibbee was an American actress.

María Guillermina (Guille) Valdes Villalva was a Chicana scholar and activist born in El Paso, Texas. She was considered an "authority" and "pioneer" on researching United States-Mexico border issues and had a "lifelong commitment to social justice."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Paso Women's Hall of Fame</span>

The El Paso Women's Hall of Fame honors and recognizes the accomplishments of El Paso women. It is sponsored by the El Paso Commission for Women and was established in 1985. The first inductees were honored in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosa Ramirez Guerrero</span> Mexican-American educator and artist

Rosa Ramirez Guerrero is a Mexican American educator, artist and historian from El Paso, Texas. She was the founder of the International Folklorico Dance Group. Guerrero has also been active with work in the Catholic Church, and has been called the "Dancing Missionary" in religious circles. She is also known for her multicultural dance programs which have been performed around the country and featured in a film called Tapestry. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame and has an El Paso school named after her.

Josefina Villamil Tinajero is a Mexican-American educator and author. Her work and writing are focused on bilingual literacy, and improving student outcomes in higher education. Tinajero has served as president of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) and has worked as a professor of bilingual education at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Tinajero later became the dean of the College of Education at UTEP. According to El Diario de El Paso, she is an expert in bilingual education. She is also a member of the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame.

Ingeborg Heuser was a German dancer, choreographer and teacher who worked primarily in the Southwest United States. She is credited with popularizing and promoting ballet in El Paso, Texas.

Ruth Ellen Kern was an American lawyer, community leader and feminist. Kern was an early pioneer in law for women in El Paso, Texas. She was also outspoken against myths regarding violence against women, sharing her own experiences with rape with the public. Kern was an active member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and a law suit she filed for an inmate led to El Paso County to construct a new jail with better conditions for inmates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Museum of Art</span> Art museum in Texas, United States

The International Museum of Art is a museum in El Paso, Texas housed in a historic residence designed by Henry C. Trost. The home was the W.W. Turney residence built for state legislator, lawyer, and rancher William Ward Turney in 1908. The International Museum of Art shares history with the El Paso Museum of Art, which occupied the Turney building until 1998. After it moved into its new building, the International Museum of Art reopened in 1999.

The 1935 Sun Bowl was the inaugural edition of the Sun Bowl, an American football postseason bowl game. Played on New Year's Day of 1935, the game featured high school teams and was sponsored by the El Paso Kiwanis club. The following year's game, the 1936 edition, was the first Sun Bowl matchup between college football teams. The game has been held annually in El Paso, Texas, from 1935 to the present.

Jan Herring was an American artist. Herring was based in Clint, Texas and showed her work around the United States. Herring began showing her work in 1950 and worked as an instructor at the El Paso Museum of Art. She was inducted into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame in 1990.

Gloria Osuna Perez was a Chicana artist. She had a pottery line, but is best known for her paintings. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the El Paso Museum of Art.

Cynthia Weber Farah Haines is an American photographer and writer. She is best known for her work on documenting Southwest writers and art and life in El Paso, Texas. Farah has also taught at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) where she was involved with the university's first film studies program.

Becky Duval Reese is an American curator and art museum director. She is best known for her work as the director of the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) and oversaw the museum's move in 1998. She was inducted into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.

Sandra Rushing is an American women's college basketball coach. She has served as head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Delta State University, and the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). When she left UTEP, she had the best record for women's basketball in the school's history. Rushing was inducted into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame in 1999.

Myra Carroll Winkler was an American educator and was the first woman to hold elected office in El Paso County.

Catherine "Kitty" Burnett Kistenmacher was an American artists from El Paso, Texas in the late 20th century and the early 21st century. Kistenmacher was involved in the creation of the International Museum of Art. She is a 2007 inductee into the El Paso Women's Hall of Fame.

Lucy Scarbrough was an American pianist, conductor and educator. She taught at El Paso Community College (EPCC), and founded the El Paso Chopin Piano Festival in El Paso, Texas.

Willarda V. Edwards is an American physician and lecturer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Matt (19 July 2002). "El Paso Woman Has a Long History of Acting, Directing". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-07-14– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Richeson, Jr., Ed (25 July 1970). "Director of 'Dangerous Corner' Is Versatile, Talented Teacher-Writer". El Paso Herald-Post. Retrieved 2018-07-14– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "TWC Woman Sets Readings From Poetess". El Paso Times. 11 October 1959. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "English Women Taking Leads in 'Pygmalion'". El Paso Times. 17 January 1960. Retrieved 2018-07-14– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Valdez, Diana Washington (3 January 2011). "El Paso Arts and Culture Icon Joan Quarm Dies at 90". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "G&S". El Paso Times. 11 July 2004. p. 5F. Retrieved 2018-07-14– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Mother-Teacher-Actress Stars in Theatre's Play". El Paso Herald-Post. 2 April 1966. Retrieved 2018-07-14– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Causey, Barbara (17 January 1961). "Tour of European Culture Sites Planned by Texas Western College". El Paso Herald-Post. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Joan Quarm Tells About Las Cruces Filmed Movie". El Paso Herald-Post. 1 July 1967. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 Abram, Lynwood (10 March 1956). "Playhouse Production Exciting". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "'Blithe Spirit' Set for Two Performances". El Paso Times. 4 August 1957. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "'Gigi' Will Open College Play Festival This Week". El Paso Times. 15 June 1958. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Bliss Theater Group Slates Open Readings". El Paso Times. 13 September 1959. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "'Five Finger Exercise' Cast at Playhouse". El Paso Times. 31 December 1961. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Play Set for Friday Opening". El Paso Times. 3 September 1964. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Joint Performance of Opera, Ballet Opens Thursday". El Paso Times. 21 March 1965. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 Villalva, Maribel (31 October 1999). "Council Honors Arts Supporter". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "About". Gilbert and Sullivan Company of El Paso. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  19. ↑ Braden, Jim (23 July 2004). "'Pinafore' Sets Sail at Chamizal". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Havel, O'Dette (16 September 1988). "Shoestring Budget Can't Keep Group Down". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Leadership Winners Honored". El Paso Times. 4 May 1993. Retrieved 2018-07-15– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Villalva, Maribel (5 March 2003). "Commission for Women to Spotlight 7 Inductees". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2018-07-14– via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.