Nafe Katter
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(BA, MA, PhD)
Nafe Katter | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 25, 1927 |
| Died | August 20, 2014 (aged 86) |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan (BA, MA, PhD) |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, actor, director |
| Employer | University of Connecticut |
Nafe Edmund Katter (October 25, 1927 – August 20, 2014)[1] was a stage actor and director who taught theatre at the University of Connecticut from 1957 to 1997. In 2000, Katter donated $1 million to build the 241-seat Nafe Katter Theatre,[2] which opened in 2004 on UConn's campus in Storrs.[3][4][5][6]
Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Katter was the son of a Lebanese baker, Nafe W. Katter, and Meta Blohm Katter.[7] Katter planned to become a lawyer but discovered his true calling when he took a theatre class. He went on to earn his BA, MA, and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan.[8] After a stint as an actor in New York City, Katter joined the University of Connecticut's faculty in 1957. He oversaw the university's acting program and directed one hundred productions, including Shakespearean plays and musicals. Katter retired in 1997 as professor emeritus of theater.[3]
Katter acted for decades at the Hartford Stage, TheaterWorks, and other venues nationwide and continued acting after retirement. He was known for supporting roles in Shakespeare revivals and for regular performances as the Solicitor in the Hartford Stage's annual adaptation of A Christmas Carol. He co-founded a Shakespeare festival in Stratford, Connecticut, and spent ten years directing and acting in the Connecticut Repertory Theatre's Nutmeg Summer Series. He often collaborated with directors Michael Wilson and Mark Lamos.[3][8][9]