The late Frederic Wood, a driving force of theatre development at UBC and in
the province, was inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame Society
Oct. 13.
Wood, a former UBC professor of English, came to UBC when it opened its doors
in 1915 and founded the UBC Players Club, the longest continuing dramatic society
in Canada.
From the 1920s through the 1940s — a time when quality live theatre in B.C.
was rare –Wood took the Players Club spring production on the road to appreciative
audiences in B.C.’s interior.
The 400-seat Frederic Wood Theatre, which opened on campus in 1963, is named
for him. Wood died in 1976 at the age of 89.
“Freddy was a very ascetic, intelligent, stern man — a perfectionist,” says
Norman Young, Hall of Fame Society vice-president and a professor emeritus of
Theatre. “He demanded that everything put on the stage be perfect, from props
to people.”
Wood also mentored many UBC students who became stage and screen performers
and writers. The list includes playwright and host of CBC Radio’s Ideas program
Lister Sinclair, actor Arthur Hill, Theatre Under the Stars leader Bill Buckingham
and Dorothy Somerset, the first head of the UBC Theatre Dept.
A round, black granite plaque with gold lettering inscribed `Frederic Wood,
Theatre,’ joins others that are part of the Starwalk in the sidewalk outside
the Orpheum Theatre on Granville St.
Musical performers Charlene Brandolini and Gillian Campbell, trumpet player
Bob Reid, radio personality Vic Waters and dance legend Anna Wyman were inducted
with Wood.
There are now 100 plaques honouring B.C. people who have made outstanding
contributions to entertainment since the inauguration of the Starwalk in 1994.
“UBC is a hotbed of talent,” says Young. “Including Wood, UBC graduates account
for 19 members in Starwalk.”
Among them are actors Robert Clothier, Ruth Nicol, Brent Carver and Nicola
Cavendish, director Daryl Duke and singer Ann Mortifee.
