C. K. Alexander
Encyclopedia
C. K. Alexander was an Egyptian actor
, director, composer, and playwright. He was born as Charles Khalil Saad in Cairo
, Egypt
, on May 4, 1923. Saad attended Cairo University
from 1938 to 1939 and the American University in Cairo
from 1940 to 1941. He changed his name to Charles Khalil Alexander after moving to the United States in 1942.
at the Cairo Royal Opera House
in 1942. While in Egypt, he was a member of the New Vic Players and of the Cairo Dramatic and Musical Society. Alexander went on to make his Broadway
debut in 1946 at the Plymouth Theatre in the role of Steward in Hidden Horizon, a production that would close after just twelve performances. After Hidden Horizon, Alexander directed a season of summer stock theatre
in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He did not return to Broadway until 1950 when he appeared in the role of Uncle Louis in The Happy Time
, again at the Plymouth Theatre.
He has appeared on television in The Defenders, The Adams Chronicles
, and The Scarlet Letter
. Alexander founded two non-profit Off Broadway groups: the Company of Twelve and Theater Explorations Inc. Alexander died in New York City
on September 2, 1980.
, The Campbells of Boston, As Happy As Kings, Harlequinades for the Mourners, and The Justice Box. He also wrote the entire score for The Applegates, a play he would appear in at The Public Theater in 1978.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director, composer, and playwright. He was born as Charles Khalil Saad in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, on May 4, 1923. Saad attended Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
from 1938 to 1939 and the American University in Cairo
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
from 1940 to 1941. He changed his name to Charles Khalil Alexander after moving to the United States in 1942.
Acting career
Alexander made his professional acting debut in the role of Khadja in a production of The Merry WidowThe Merry Widow
The Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
at the Cairo Royal Opera House
Khedivial Opera House
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
in 1942. While in Egypt, he was a member of the New Vic Players and of the Cairo Dramatic and Musical Society. Alexander went on to make his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in 1946 at the Plymouth Theatre in the role of Steward in Hidden Horizon, a production that would close after just twelve performances. After Hidden Horizon, Alexander directed a season of summer stock theatre
Summer stock theatre
Summer stock theatre is any theatre that presents stage productions only in the summer within the United States. The name combines both the seasonal time of year with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes...
in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He did not return to Broadway until 1950 when he appeared in the role of Uncle Louis in The Happy Time
The Happy Time
The Happy Time is a 1952 movie directed by the award-winning director Richard Fleischer, based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Robert Fontaine, which Samuel A. Taylor turned it into a hit play. A boy, played by Bobby Driscoll, comes of age in a close-knit French-Canadian family. The film...
, again at the Plymouth Theatre.
He has appeared on television in The Defenders, The Adams Chronicles
The Adams Chronicles
The Adams Chronicles is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial.-Synopsis:The series chronicles the story of the Adams political family over a 150-year span, including John Adams , his wife Abigail Adams, his son John Quincy Adams The Adams...
, and The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an...
. Alexander founded two non-profit Off Broadway groups: the Company of Twelve and Theater Explorations Inc. Alexander died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on September 2, 1980.
Composing career
Alexander composed under his own name and under the pseudonyms Mario Quimber and Basheer Qadar. He composed music for Francesca da RiminiFrancesca da Rimini
Francesca da Rimini or Francesca da Polenta was the daughter of Guido da Polenta, lord of Ravenna. She was a historical contemporary of Dante Alighieri, who portrayed her as a character in the Divine Comedy.-Arranged marriage:...
, The Campbells of Boston, As Happy As Kings, Harlequinades for the Mourners, and The Justice Box. He also wrote the entire score for The Applegates, a play he would appear in at The Public Theater in 1978.