The world of theater can be full of drama, suspense, and even laughter. Those who know how to create wonderful works of theatre are in high demand, with people all around the world clamoring to hear what is coming out next. Finding a rising star in all of this can take some time, but one of the stars that is well-known for his work in the theater and performing arts is Jean-Claude van Itallie.
Jean-Claude van Itallie was born on May 25, 1936 in Brussels, Belgium, but by the time he was four years old, his family had moved to America to escape the Nazi’s during that time. He attended some of the best schools in the area at the time and eventually become known as a performer and a playwrite on his own.
Van Itallie has written a number of different works throughout the years, but the one that he is best known for is America Hurrah, which was his anti-Vietnam War play that touched the hearts of many during the time. Throughout the years, he has worked on a number of other works and even provides lessons to others who want to do the same.
His Early Life
The early life of van Itallie was full of drama and suspense. He was born at the beginnings of World War II, in 1936, and was of Jewish descent. This meant that he and his family had to leave Brussels early on in order to flee the Nazi persecution at that time. They made the first journey to France, where they were able to obtain visas over to Portugal. By September 1940, they were on a ship headed to New York City and arrived in October of the same year.
After such a turbulent start to his life, van Itallie found that life calmed down for him a little bit. He grew up in New York and was able to study at Great Neck High School before heading on to Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Then in 1958, van Itallie graduated from Harvard and went on from there to pursue his career. Within three years of graduating from Harvard, van Itallie was able to knock on Broadway’s door and share his love of acting and playwriting with others.
His Family
Jean-Claude van Itallie was born to Huge Ferdinand van Itallie and Marthe Mathildea Caroline Levy van Itallie. His father was an investment banker who was able to gain passage over to American during the second World War and escape some of the astrocities that were going on at the time in Europe. It is believed that he has a younger brother Michael as well. The family is of Jewish descent and settled in New York after they were able to flee Belgium and find a new home.
Van Itallie has given a lot of praise to his background and his time growing up for helping him come up with some of the stories that he likes to share in his plays. In one interview, he stated that having a background in more than one language helped him to see the world through different eyes and that no single language has a full handle on the truth at any given time.
