Henry Tarvainen (1944/45 – February 3, 2021) was a Canadian actor and theatre director from Toronto, Ontario,Urjo Kareda, "St. Lawrence Centre: 2 brash young men shaking up the scene". Toronto Star, October 23, 1971. most noted as a Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee for Best Direction in a Play at the 1982 Dora Mavor Moore Awards for his production of Charles Tidler's Straight Ahead and Blind Dancers."Dora Mavor Moore awards Tamara paces the nominees". The Globe and Mail, October 1, 1982.
Early career An alumnus of University College at the University of Toronto, where he was a member of student peace and civil rights activist groups,Jack Kapica, "Henry Tarvainen: The ex-golden boy who hopes to drum up some good drama". Montreal Gazette, February 10, 1973. he had an early acting role in the film Winter Kept Us Warm,Ralph Hicklin, "Friendship and $750 main ingredients of campus film". The Globe and Mail, November 21, 1964. and subsequently had stage roles and appeared in episodes of Wojeck and Festival."Reddick: The church, youth and how the two aren't exactly communicating; that's Festival's Wednesday drama". Toronto Star, December 7, 1968. The Festival episode "Reddick" was rebroadcast in the United Kingdom as an episode of Play for Today, and in the United States as an episode of NET Playhouse,"Friday's best". Chicago Tribune, March 28, 1971. and had a 1970 sequel which was broadcast as a standalone television film due to the cancellation of Festival."CBC Drama Has Sequel". Calgary Herald, January 2, 1970.
Directing career He became the first resident director at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in the early 1970s, with his early works for the company including productions of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, What the Butler Saw and John Palmer's Memories of My Brother. Beginning in 1973 he spent some time in Montreal, directing a production of George Ryga's Captives of the Faceless Drummer for the Saidye Bronfman Centre and Ronald Garrett's Autumn at Altenburg and Niccolò Machiavelli's The Mandrake for Centaur Theatre.
His other directorial credits included productions of Bajazet,Ray Conlogue, "Tarragon's Bajazet breathtakingly putrid". The Globe and Mail, April 20, 1979. The Riddle of the World,Marianne Ackerman, "Sober script spoils Riddle". The Globe and Mail, June 2, 1982. Woyzeck,Herbert Whittaker, "'A quest for truth in the theatre'". The Globe and Mail, March 30, 1983. Twelfth Night,Ray Conlogue, "Shakespeare's verbal humor lost in open air Twelfth Night loses bearings outdoors". The Globe and Mail, July 13, 1984. Stoops,Pat Donnelly, "'Stoops' conquers city stage". Montreal Gazette, February 15, 1985. Phèdre,Pat Donnelly, "Acting skills are Achilles' heel of Dawson production of Phaedra". Montreal Gazette, April 30, 1993. The Marriage of FigaroPat Donnelly, "Updated Figaro is well-performed but too long". Montreal Gazette, March 31, 1989. and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are DeadGreg Burliuk, "Stoppard play a great challege for most". Kingston Whig-Standard, August 5, 1994.
He also taught drama at the National Theatre School of Canada and the Juilliard School.
Death He died on February 3, 2021, of COVID-19, aged 76."Henry TARVAINEN Obituary". The Globe and Mail, February 6, 2021.
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