Robert Pastene (January 29, 1918 â€" October 15, 1991) was an American
actor who appeared films, television and on stage. He acted in a
variety of television dramas during what is known as the Golden Age of
Television throughout the 1950s and 60s. On Broadway he performed in
plays by Shakespeare, Strindberg, Brecht, Aeschylus, Shaw and Lillian
Hellman. In the 1960s and 70s he had a significant career at the
Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, which began in 1963 with the
theater’s inaugural season.In 1963, Pastene appeared as Polonius in
Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Guthrie Theater. It was the first
production at the new theater, it was directed by Tyrone Guthrie, and
it featured George Grizzard in the title role, and Jessica Tandy as
Gertrude. He then went on to play many roles at the Guthrie, in dramas
and comedies, modern and classic. He played Henry in Pirandello’s
play Enrico IV, a production that also featured Michael Moriarty and
Gale Sondergaard.The actress, Zoe Caldwell, acted with Pastene at the
Guthrie Theater several times, including productions of Chekov’s
Three Sisters and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. She describes him in her
memoir, I Will Be Cleopatra; An Actress’s Journey:He first appeared
on Broadway in 1945, in a production of the comedy The First Crocus;
the cast also included Jocelyn Brando. In his second appearance on
Broadway, in 1947, was in a production of Hamlet, which starred
Maurice Evans in the title role. He performed in the 1952 Broadway
production of Lillian Hellman’s play The Children’s Hour as Dr.
Joseph Cardin. Hellman also directed the play. Cast member, Patricia
Neal, said the author could be quite a brutal director, and that
Pastene bore the brunt of Hellman’s lashing out, which, as related
by Neal and Christopher Plummer, supposedly gave Pastene a permanent
crick in his neck.
actor who appeared films, television and on stage. He acted in a
variety of television dramas during what is known as the Golden Age of
Television throughout the 1950s and 60s. On Broadway he performed in
plays by Shakespeare, Strindberg, Brecht, Aeschylus, Shaw and Lillian
Hellman. In the 1960s and 70s he had a significant career at the
Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, which began in 1963 with the
theater’s inaugural season.In 1963, Pastene appeared as Polonius in
Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Guthrie Theater. It was the first
production at the new theater, it was directed by Tyrone Guthrie, and
it featured George Grizzard in the title role, and Jessica Tandy as
Gertrude. He then went on to play many roles at the Guthrie, in dramas
and comedies, modern and classic. He played Henry in Pirandello’s
play Enrico IV, a production that also featured Michael Moriarty and
Gale Sondergaard.The actress, Zoe Caldwell, acted with Pastene at the
Guthrie Theater several times, including productions of Chekov’s
Three Sisters and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. She describes him in her
memoir, I Will Be Cleopatra; An Actress’s Journey:He first appeared
on Broadway in 1945, in a production of the comedy The First Crocus;
the cast also included Jocelyn Brando. In his second appearance on
Broadway, in 1947, was in a production of Hamlet, which starred
Maurice Evans in the title role. He performed in the 1952 Broadway
production of Lillian Hellman’s play The Children’s Hour as Dr.
Joseph Cardin. Hellman also directed the play. Cast member, Patricia
Neal, said the author could be quite a brutal director, and that
Pastene bore the brunt of Hellman’s lashing out, which, as related
by Neal and Christopher Plummer, supposedly gave Pastene a permanent
crick in his neck.
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