Deceased Name: W. A. KEYS DIES OF CANCER LOCAL THEATER ACTOR, DIRECTOR
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - August 27, 1996
Author/Byline: John Lyle ; Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Edition: City Section: Area/State Page: B-3
Wilbert Allen Keys , an actor and director in Richmond theater for more than 30 years, died Sunday in a local hospital from complications of lung cancer. He lived in Richmond.
Mr. Keys acted in and directed hundreds of shows during his career. He was an original cast member of "The Common Glory," the long-running outdoor drama at Colonial Williamsburg.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Keys was the director of the award-winning, 30-lesson "Americans from Africa," the first televised series on African-American history. It featured Dr. Edgar A. Toppin, a nationally recognized expert on black history and a professor at Virginia State University, as series creator and host, said Bob Jones of Richmond, a longtime friend of Mr. Keys .
In 1972, Mr. Keys was both the stage director and actor-singer in Dogwood Dell's version of Donizetti's "An Elixir of Love."
Two years later, he played the part of the maniacal Mr. Manningham in the Barn Dinner Theater's production of Patrick Hamilton's thriller, "Angel Street."
Mr. Keys acted at Swift Creek Mill in the "The Odd Couple" and "Life With Father" and at Barksdale in "The Absence of a Cello."
He was in "The Miracle Worker" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" at Wedgewood Theater and in "Guys and Dolls" at the Renaissance Theater.
Mr. Keys was in the Virginia Museum Theater's production of "The Cherry Orchard" and in the Richmond Shakespeare Players production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The native of Petersburg was an opera lover and wanted Richmond to develop a civic opera company.
"Richmond has quite a few good singers. I wish more of them would make themselves available," he said in a 1974 interview.
Mr. Keys retired from the theater in 1995 for health reasons, Jones said.
He was a former English and drama teacher with Bedford County Public Schools.
Later, Mr. Keys was program director for radio station WFMV-FM, a former commercial classical station in Richmond, Jones said.
Mr. Keys was a staff announcer for radio station WRVC-FM in Norfolk.
He was a former program director for the Hopewell recreation department and superintendent of recreation for South Norfolk.
In 1967, he was named manager of evening community programming for the Central Virginia Educational Television Corp.
Mr. Keys received his bachelor of fine arts degree in the early 1960s from Richmond Professional Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University.
There were no immediate survivors.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church, 842 W. Washington St. in Petersburg.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Wilbert A. Keys Memorial Fund, c/o St. John's Episcopal Church, Petersburg, Va. 23803.
Parents names and links provided by Amanda Bishop Burns, Member # 46939879.
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - August 27, 1996
Author/Byline: John Lyle ; Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Edition: City Section: Area/State Page: B-3
Wilbert Allen Keys , an actor and director in Richmond theater for more than 30 years, died Sunday in a local hospital from complications of lung cancer. He lived in Richmond.
Mr. Keys acted in and directed hundreds of shows during his career. He was an original cast member of "The Common Glory," the long-running outdoor drama at Colonial Williamsburg.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Keys was the director of the award-winning, 30-lesson "Americans from Africa," the first televised series on African-American history. It featured Dr. Edgar A. Toppin, a nationally recognized expert on black history and a professor at Virginia State University, as series creator and host, said Bob Jones of Richmond, a longtime friend of Mr. Keys .
In 1972, Mr. Keys was both the stage director and actor-singer in Dogwood Dell's version of Donizetti's "An Elixir of Love."
Two years later, he played the part of the maniacal Mr. Manningham in the Barn Dinner Theater's production of Patrick Hamilton's thriller, "Angel Street."
Mr. Keys acted at Swift Creek Mill in the "The Odd Couple" and "Life With Father" and at Barksdale in "The Absence of a Cello."
He was in "The Miracle Worker" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" at Wedgewood Theater and in "Guys and Dolls" at the Renaissance Theater.
Mr. Keys was in the Virginia Museum Theater's production of "The Cherry Orchard" and in the Richmond Shakespeare Players production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The native of Petersburg was an opera lover and wanted Richmond to develop a civic opera company.
"Richmond has quite a few good singers. I wish more of them would make themselves available," he said in a 1974 interview.
Mr. Keys retired from the theater in 1995 for health reasons, Jones said.
He was a former English and drama teacher with Bedford County Public Schools.
Later, Mr. Keys was program director for radio station WFMV-FM, a former commercial classical station in Richmond, Jones said.
Mr. Keys was a staff announcer for radio station WRVC-FM in Norfolk.
He was a former program director for the Hopewell recreation department and superintendent of recreation for South Norfolk.
In 1967, he was named manager of evening community programming for the Central Virginia Educational Television Corp.
Mr. Keys received his bachelor of fine arts degree in the early 1960s from Richmond Professional Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University.
There were no immediate survivors.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church, 842 W. Washington St. in Petersburg.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Wilbert A. Keys Memorial Fund, c/o St. John's Episcopal Church, Petersburg, Va. 23803.
Parents names and links provided by Amanda Bishop Burns, Member # 46939879.
Deceased Name: W. A. KEYS DIES OF CANCER LOCAL THEATER ACTOR, DIRECTOR
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - August 27, 1996
Author/Byline: John Lyle ; Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Edition: City Section: Area/State Page: B-3
Wilbert Allen Keys , an actor and director in Richmond theater for more than 30 years, died Sunday in a local hospital from complications of lung cancer. He lived in Richmond.
Mr. Keys acted in and directed hundreds of shows during his career. He was an original cast member of "The Common Glory," the long-running outdoor drama at Colonial Williamsburg.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Keys was the director of the award-winning, 30-lesson "Americans from Africa," the first televised series on African-American history. It featured Dr. Edgar A. Toppin, a nationally recognized expert on black history and a professor at Virginia State University, as series creator and host, said Bob Jones of Richmond, a longtime friend of Mr. Keys .
In 1972, Mr. Keys was both the stage director and actor-singer in Dogwood Dell's version of Donizetti's "An Elixir of Love."
Two years later, he played the part of the maniacal Mr. Manningham in the Barn Dinner Theater's production of Patrick Hamilton's thriller, "Angel Street."
Mr. Keys acted at Swift Creek Mill in the "The Odd Couple" and "Life With Father" and at Barksdale in "The Absence of a Cello."
He was in "The Miracle Worker" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" at Wedgewood Theater and in "Guys and Dolls" at the Renaissance Theater.
Mr. Keys was in the Virginia Museum Theater's production of "The Cherry Orchard" and in the Richmond Shakespeare Players production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The native of Petersburg was an opera lover and wanted Richmond to develop a civic opera company.
"Richmond has quite a few good singers. I wish more of them would make themselves available," he said in a 1974 interview.
Mr. Keys retired from the theater in 1995 for health reasons, Jones said.
He was a former English and drama teacher with Bedford County Public Schools.
Later, Mr. Keys was program director for radio station WFMV-FM, a former commercial classical station in Richmond, Jones said.
Mr. Keys was a staff announcer for radio station WRVC-FM in Norfolk.
He was a former program director for the Hopewell recreation department and superintendent of recreation for South Norfolk.
In 1967, he was named manager of evening community programming for the Central Virginia Educational Television Corp.
Mr. Keys received his bachelor of fine arts degree in the early 1960s from Richmond Professional Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University.
There were no immediate survivors.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church, 842 W. Washington St. in Petersburg.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Wilbert A. Keys Memorial Fund, c/o St. John's Episcopal Church, Petersburg, Va. 23803.
Parents names and links provided by Amanda Bishop Burns, Member # 46939879.
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) - August 27, 1996
Author/Byline: John Lyle ; Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Edition: City Section: Area/State Page: B-3
Wilbert Allen Keys , an actor and director in Richmond theater for more than 30 years, died Sunday in a local hospital from complications of lung cancer. He lived in Richmond.
Mr. Keys acted in and directed hundreds of shows during his career. He was an original cast member of "The Common Glory," the long-running outdoor drama at Colonial Williamsburg.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Keys was the director of the award-winning, 30-lesson "Americans from Africa," the first televised series on African-American history. It featured Dr. Edgar A. Toppin, a nationally recognized expert on black history and a professor at Virginia State University, as series creator and host, said Bob Jones of Richmond, a longtime friend of Mr. Keys .
In 1972, Mr. Keys was both the stage director and actor-singer in Dogwood Dell's version of Donizetti's "An Elixir of Love."
Two years later, he played the part of the maniacal Mr. Manningham in the Barn Dinner Theater's production of Patrick Hamilton's thriller, "Angel Street."
Mr. Keys acted at Swift Creek Mill in the "The Odd Couple" and "Life With Father" and at Barksdale in "The Absence of a Cello."
He was in "The Miracle Worker" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" at Wedgewood Theater and in "Guys and Dolls" at the Renaissance Theater.
Mr. Keys was in the Virginia Museum Theater's production of "The Cherry Orchard" and in the Richmond Shakespeare Players production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The native of Petersburg was an opera lover and wanted Richmond to develop a civic opera company.
"Richmond has quite a few good singers. I wish more of them would make themselves available," he said in a 1974 interview.
Mr. Keys retired from the theater in 1995 for health reasons, Jones said.
He was a former English and drama teacher with Bedford County Public Schools.
Later, Mr. Keys was program director for radio station WFMV-FM, a former commercial classical station in Richmond, Jones said.
Mr. Keys was a staff announcer for radio station WRVC-FM in Norfolk.
He was a former program director for the Hopewell recreation department and superintendent of recreation for South Norfolk.
In 1967, he was named manager of evening community programming for the Central Virginia Educational Television Corp.
Mr. Keys received his bachelor of fine arts degree in the early 1960s from Richmond Professional Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University.
There were no immediate survivors.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church, 842 W. Washington St. in Petersburg.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Wilbert A. Keys Memorial Fund, c/o St. John's Episcopal Church, Petersburg, Va. 23803.
Parents names and links provided by Amanda Bishop Burns, Member # 46939879.
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