In 1948 Connor became a member of the resident theatre company at the Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado. This was “an association with the theatre that was to last for the rest of his life.” The following year Connor returned to the theatre as the leading man in the summer stock cast and would continue in that role through 1953. He would later return for select productions.[Borrillo]
In 1960 Connor appeared on Broadway playing the father of Jane Fonda‘s character in There Was a Little Girl. He stepped into the play almost at the last minute when Louis Jean Heydt collapsed and died in the wings during the Boston run. The next morning he was asked to take over the role and he studied the part on the plane from New York to Boston. [Borrillo]
Connor met actress/producer Haila Stoddard in 1953 when he was again the leading man for the summer season and Stoddard was hired to be the leading lady. They married in New York City on January 26, 1956, and they remained together until his death in 1988.
In 1964 he became the general manager of the Theatre under producer Helen Bonfils. Together, they switched the theatre from a summer stock format where the cast was selected for the entire summer and would perform multiple plays, to a Star Package System where they would bring in touring shows, usually lead by a well-known star. Following Bonfils death, Connor took over as Producer with his wife, Haila Stoddard. Connor, Stoddard, and Stoddard’s son, Christopher Kirkland, continued with the theatre until it closed in 1987. [Borrillo]
Connor died on July 16, 1988, at age 71, in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Seasons at the Theatre
- 1948
- 1949
- 1950
- 1952
- 1953
- 1960
- 1963
Elitch Theatre Productions/Roles:
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
Elitch Theatre Connections:
Wikipedia Link:
