Old Apsleyans |
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Chris Vine
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Chris was one of those very bright pupils. He was in the ‘A’ stream and so was accelerated through school taking his ‘O Levels’ in the fourth year instead of the fifth. He made Prefect and was eventually promoted to Head Boy. As such he occupied a special prefect’s common room in the sixth form block. (Yeah.. it still rankles – can you tell? They had their own kettle and radio and armchairs.) Chris still maintains this was all a complicated plot to make him tow the line - after numerous compulsory visits to an ed. psyc. had failed to calm him down. Anyway, he admits it worked - or maybe his libido just began directing his energies elsewhere? Apart from his academic prowess Chris was also one of  those
who excelled at most sports and other activities as well including
theatre. He was in a number of school plays and a local youth
theatre. On leaving AGS Chris went to Cambridge (one of the few
from our school) where he pursued his love of acting whilst also
discovering politics, protest and how to live beyond his means.
After graduating with a degree in English literature he worked as
an actor, touring the length and breadth of Britain for the
proverbial peanuts. Eventually he encountered the newly emerging
field of Theatre in Education (TIE) and worked in this and the
related fields of youth theatre and adult community theatre for
many years. In the early 70s he was a founding member of the
Perspectives Theatre Company (still going strong as New
Perspectives) and later moved from acting to directing, becoming
the Artistic Director of the Greenwich Young Peoples Theatre in
sowf-east Lundun. Now to all you philistines out there this
Greenwich mob deserve respect. The famous Gary Oldman, movie star
and celebrity that even philistines must have heard of, proudly
declares his time spent at Greenwich YPT.  Chris then spent time teaching and directing in many countries around the world, eventually moving to New York in 1993. He is currently the Artistic and Education Director of the Creative Arts Team (CAT) at New York University. CAT employs over 50 professional actors to take performances and interactive workshops into New York City schools, prisons, workplaces and community venues. In addition to his directorial role, Chris teaches at NYU and runs many courses nationally and internationally. Last year he was in Japan and next year expects his work will take him to Korea.
and if you are ever in New York Chris invites you to call
him up. He's |
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Chris Vine visits
for Christmas 2002 Chris's mum still lives in Abbots Langley and Chris is spending a three  week
holiday here in the UK with her. Chris flew in
from NY, hired a car and met up on Monday 16th
December with a hastily arranged mini-toad team for a
few beers and some reminiscences. Chris and
Colin Hales were "up at Cambridge" together.
Chris was at Trinity and Colin was at Kings.
From their comments it does not appear that a lot of
serious studying took place. They both recall a
party at Averil Parkinson's flat but could not be
persuaded to 'ditch the dirt'. "Old Apsleyans"
won't kiss and tell! Chris told us that he lives
in Manhattan in the Greenwich area in one of
those famous old Brown Stone houses. He has a view
over lower Manhattan and recalls vividly the events of
September 11th. He saw it all from his apartment
window and took several photographs as it happened.
Chris also told us a sad story of a school in Queens
where no less than eighty pupils at the one school
lost a close family member on 9 11.We all met in The Metropolitan Bar, a Weatherheads, in Marylebone Road and then wandered to a nearby Curry House for some good old English food. Here are some other photos.
[22-12-2002] |
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Chris
gets quoted a lot in student’s essays and papers but can't seem to
persuade them to pay for the privilege! One of Chris's
specialities is Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, an
interactive form of political theatre first developed by the
aforesaid Mr Boal in Brazil during the 70s. Believe it or not, but
according to Chris it is a lot of fun!!
