WAYNE LOUI
A permanent fixture in the drama and music departments
of St. Ambrose Academy in Davenport, Iowa, it is no
wonder Wayne Loui directed his first play at age 15.
Finding his destiny at an early age, Wayne finished
St. Ambrose University in 1952 with a degree in Speech
and Drama and later an MA degree in Theatre Arts from
the University of Iowa. He received an additional MA
degree in English from Saint Louis University.
Following his undergraduate studies, Wayne took a position
on the TV floor crew at WOC-TV, Davenport, emerging
a year later as a full-fledged Director. Recognizing
a natural talent in the new world of television, Mr.
Loui was immediately snatched by a CBS affiliate, WMT-TV,
Cedar Rapids, to start up the new station. WMT-TV took
off, and Wayne with it! In 1956 the station won a Peabody
Award for a series he directed called "Secret of Flight".
The business of television, however, was becoming more
a "business" than a creative enterprise. In 1957 Wayne
left the tinsel life in Cedar Rapids with his wife,
Shirley (also known as Tuck), for the world of academia.
Returning to his alma mater, Wayne took a position
(at a much reduced salary) as Assistant Professor of
Speech and Drama. He taught full time and produced stunning
productions of everything from Twelve Angry Men
and The Lady's Not For Burning in a small lecture
hall to Carousel and Kismet in a large
auditorium.
After five years he was courted by the Drama Department
at Webster College to be the first director of Theatre
Impact, the forerunner of the St. Louis Repertory Company.
Five was Wayne's lucky number. He directed all five
plays for Theatre Impact the summer of 1963 in five
weeks at a time when he and Tuck already had five children
and were awaiting the 6th. During his tenure at Webster,
Wayne together with Marita Michenfelder, served as design
consultants for the new enterprise, the Loretto Hilton
theater building. Christened by Conrad Hilton, Wayne
performed and directed in the new facility, taught full-time
and directed during the summer seasons for Theatre Impact.
The last of the five-year series brought Wayne to St.
Louis University in 1967 were he taught for 30 years
before retiring in 1997. He continued as a Master Teacher
for Webster Conservatory's junior year Acting Studio,
a program he helped establish. Because of the success
of the Loretto Hilton theater facility, he was sought
out as a design consultant on other theater buildings
in Illinois and Ohio.
In addition to chairing the Fine and Performing Arts
Department at SLU, Wayne was instrumental in establishing
the Dinner Theatre Productions in Busch Student Center,
the LaClede Storefront Theatre, and the short-lived
but vital SLU Mime Company. He was choreographer for
the Music division's Madrigal performances as well as
fight choreographer for productions ranging from the
Repertory Theatre to his grandsons 6th grade productions
of Shakespeare!
Wayne Loui's acting and directing energies were always
extended to the communities in which he lived and worked.
While in St. Louis, Wayne directed productions at Florissant
Valley Community College, UMSL, and The New Theatre.
He acted in productions for Theatre Project Company,
the Barn Theatre, the Plantation, and Historyonics,
as well as occasionally turning up in television work.
It is probably fair to say that Wayne has trained an
impressive share of the fine local performers of stage,
screen, television, and radio that we enjoy in St. Louis
today. His retirement has not yet been a farewell to
all things theatrical. He has an occasional gig as AD
with Riverstone Productions, a new Events Production
Co. And for the past 25 years, he has been a guest director
for the Acadia Repertory Theatre on Mt. Desert Island
in Maine. This highly successful summer-stock theatre
beckons Wayne tomorrow where he begins rehearsals on
Woman In Black followed by See How They Run.
During the past 56 years, Wayne Loui has worked in
radio, television, and live theatre; has performed as
actor, singer, and mime (many still remember his depiction
of Littlechap in the Webster production of Stop The
World, I Want To Get Off); has directed for professional,
academic and community theatre; and, has taught at undergraduate,
graduate and professional institutions. If that were
not enough, he and his wife (a Ph.D. from Washington
University and professor of American Studies at SLU,
department chair for 4 years) leave a legacy to the
Arts with their children: Anne-tenured professor at
UCI, movement specialist, director, choreographer; Jen-free-lance
actress, production specialist, teacher; Mike-Washington
University scene shop foreman, MFA in scenic design
from Yale; Amy-actress and co-founder of Riverstone
Productions; Suzanne-Ph.D. in American Studies, professor
at SLU and WU, full-time mom; Kip-singer, song-writer,
band leader, and talent broker for Funnybone USA. A
lifetime of achievement in the Arts that has and will
touch other lifetimes, ARTS FOR LIFE is proud to recognize
Wayne Loui with this honor.
Biography-June 9, 2002.
