Hughes, Richard J., 1924-1996

Richard John Hughes, Jr. (1924-1996) was a stage manager, director, set designer, and actor in regional theatre, touring companies, and off-Broadway productions. He was born in Dallas, Texas to Agatha and Richard J. Hughes, Sr. and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1941. Hughes attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1941 to 1943, where he participated in regular productions of the Curtain Club, a campus theatrical group, and studied theatre under Margo Jones, a pioneer of the regional theatre movement. Jones was also a professional associate of Tennessee Williams, and some of Hughes's earliest theatrical work at the university was on the first stagings of Williams's one-act plays. Hughes left Texas for Los Angeles, California in the mid-1940s, continuing his training at the University of Southern California and the Pasadena Playhouse. He began his career at Twentieth Century Fox Films as an assistant in the art department.

Hughes followed Jones's path into regional theatre, joining the Red Barn Theatre of Westboro, Massachusetts in 1947 as a stage manager. Between 1947 and 1967, Hughes was employed by more than ten regional and summer stock theatres in the United States, primarily along the Eastern seaboard, including the Mountain Playhouse in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania (1950-1952); Rye Music Theatre in Rye, New York (1958); Colonie Musical Theatre in Latham, New York (1959); and Atlanta Municipal Theatre's Theatre Under the Stars (1962-1964, 1966-1967). As a stage manager and production stage manager, director, set designer, technical director, production director, and occasionally, actor, Hughes participated in the staging of popular mid-century comedies, dramas, and musicals such as Born Yesterday, My Fair Lady, A Streetcar Named Desire, Kiss Me, Kate, and The King and I. In off seasons, Hughes lived in New York City, working at R.H. Macy's and FAO Schwarz as a sales clerk and buyer. He was also appointed assistant director of the Hudson-Champlain 350th celebration commission, coordinating the visit of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands to the Hudson Valley of New York in 1959.

Throughout his tenure in regional theatre, Hughes also worked off-Broadway: as technical director at the Theatre de Lys during the 1953 season; as stage manager for the Equity Library Theatre's 1956 production of Man of Destiny; and as production stage manager for the 1960 production of Oh, Kay! at the East 74th Street Theatre. In 1964, Hughes was hired as the production stage manager for the national tour of Little Me, starring Sid Caesar. Little Me proved to be a catalyst in Hughes's career, and after the 1967 season at Theatre Under the Stars, he left summer stock theatres for national touring companies. From 1968 to 1971, Hughes was the production stage manager for Man of La Mancha during its first national tour, starring José Ferrer. He subsequently worked as production stage manager for touring companies of Lovely Ladies-Kind Gentlemen (1970-1971), Irene (1974-1975), Pippin (1979), and returned to Man of La Mancha from 1976 to 1977 as director.

In 1965, Hughes met longtime partner Walt Witcover, who later founded Masterworks Laboratory Theatre in New York City. Hughes served as a Coordinator for Masterworks from the early 1970s to the early 1990s, during which time he fundraised, promoted, and produced shows for the company, in addition to managing Masterworks Laboratory Theatre's Loft Studios. Hughes also directed productions for Masterworks, notably the play Boubouroche starring Jerry Stiller.

Richard Hughes died in 1996 in Franklin Square, New York.