Stewart's Thanks To Inspirational Teacher

15 May 2006

Picture: Patrick Stewart 'Vernon God Little' - gala performance at The Young Vic London, England - 10.05.07

Stewart's Thanks To Inspirational Teacher

Patrick Stewart will show off his talents to the man who launched his acting career this summer (06) when he performs Shakespeare for his English teacher. The 64-year-old Star Trek actor credits CECIL DORMAND with igniting his passion for theatre and Shakespeare in particular. He has already handed Dormand an honorary degree and is now planning a special performance for the 88-year-old. He says, "When I was 12 years old he dished out copies of The Merchant of Venice and said, 'Stewart you're Shylock. Read.' I started reading to myself and he said, 'No this is a play not a poem read out loud.' It just took off from there. He put this script in my hand and I didn't understand the words but I was just in tune with it from the very beginning. I happened to have this inspirational and visionary teacher. "This English teacher will later this summer come to the Royal Shakespeare Company and see me playing Marc Antony. There's no better pleasure in life than to be able to show somebody who put a certain amount of trust in you that it had an impact (on you) and it can be repaid. "I gave him an honorary degree because I'm Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield and the Chancellor gets to pick one person for an honorary degree and it was my 88-year-old English teacher."

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