Photo: Jack Owen
During a 42-year career, Michael has worked successfully in nearly every activity associated with the production of theatre, television and motion pictures. He began his theatre life at the age of 16 as a front of house attendant with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. A year later he transferred to the stage lighting department where he worked until leaving the RSC to pursue a career as an actor. His first job was as an acting/asm, using the professional name Christopher Lindop (a name still used from time-to-time for professional reasons), in a production of "A Christmas Carol" at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon. This was followed by more stage management and acting at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln.
After a period of "rest" (the stage euphemism for unemployed), Michael was offered a position in the wardrobe at the RSC "to give you something to do until another acting job comes along." He stayed for two years. During the second stint at Stratford, he was loaned out to the BBC during the winter season where he worked on a series titled "Owen MD." This eventually led to more work at the BBC on productions of "The Brothers," "Looking For Clancy," "Ring 'O Ring 'O Roses," and a Dorothy L. Sayers mystery, "Lord Peter Wimsey: The Nine Tailors."
With acting work in short supply Michael was offered and accepted a chance to rejoin the RSC's stage lighting department where he remained until moving to the U.S.A. in 1981. During this period at Stratford he also worked on the television production of "Comedy of Errors" and by the time he moved to the U.S. had worked on at least one production of every Shakespeare play except "Timon of Athens."
Upon arriving in the U.S., Michael was soon involved in local theatre, designing lighting for various productions, first at Workshop Theatre and later at Town Theatre, where he also served as a member of the Board of Directors.
Michael's other interests include writing; he has written three novels, “The Minister’s Daughter,” “The Smuggler’s Glass,” and “The Newbold Legacy,” twice being a winner in National Novel Writing Month, and Vintage Motocross, where, after a thirty-four year “retirement,” he recently returned to the track riding a 1972 250cc AJS. He is a member of the American Motorcyclist Association, the American Historical Racing Motorcycle Association, and Florida Vintage Motocross.
Michael joined the Koger Center staff at 13:00 hours on January 13, 1989, the day before it opened. Yes, it was a Friday!
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This link last modified August 8, 2000
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