Del Hughes (September 4, 1909 – May 18, 1985) was an American

stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...

and director working primarily on Broadway and in television. Hughes stage managed nearly thirty Broadway productions, some of which he also starred in himself. The Stage Managers' Association has named an award after Del Hughes' legacy on Broadway: "The Del Hughes Award for the Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management".

Early life

Hughes was born Delbert Charles Hughes to Albert J. Hughes and Lena J. Meilstrup in Detroit, Michigan on September 4, 1909. His father worked as a shipping clerk. He married Julia Johnston on September 3, 1937. They remained married until her death in 1979. Del Hughes never remarried.

Career

Hughes made his Broadway performance debut in 1933 as Captain Tim in ''Tobacco Road''. He made his stage management debut as a replacement in 1941 for the same play. He would continue stage managing after ''Tobacco Road'' closed, sporadically performing alongside stage management duties. Stage management and directing would become his primary occupation after ''Tobacco Road.'' Hughes went on to stage manage the original productions of renowned works including Arthur Miller's '' Death of a Salesman,'' and '' The Crucible''. In addition to his stage management duties for ''The Crucible'', Hughes starred as

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in the original Broadway production. Other notable Broadway productions stage managed by Hughes include '' The Children's Hour'', ''

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'', '' The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'', and ''

The Complaisant Lover ''The Complaisant Lover'' is a 1959 comedy play by Graham Greene. Consisting of two acts, each of two scenes, the play revolves around an affair between Mary Rhodes and Clive Root, the book seller friend of her husband, Victor. The play takes pla ...

.''

Death and legacy

Hughes died on May 18, 1985, at the age of 75. His daughter Julie Hughes, a casting agent, helped establish an award in his name in conjunction with the

Stage Managers' Association The Stage Managers' Association, or SMA, is a professional association for stage managers in the United States. It was founded in 1982 in New York City, with four major regional centers in the East, West, Central and New York metropolitan area ...

. The award, The Del Hughes Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management, commemorates stage managers who have made a significant artistic impact to the theatrical community through their work in stage management. Hughes' personal production files and promptbooks are stored at the

Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with sh ...

Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and are accessible to the public.

References

{{authority control 1909 births 1985 deaths Stage managers