William J. G. Turner

William John Gascoyne ("Bill") Turner (October 20, 1952 – June 26, 1987) worked extensively as a composer, director, dramatist, producer and actor.

Trained at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, Mr. Turner also held a BFA in theatrical direction from Carnegie Mellon University.

(book and lyrics by John Mangano, music by Charles Gilbert) for Scotch 'n' Soda, the student theater group at Carnegie Mellon.

As a founding member and artistic director of Theatre Express in Pittsburgh, Mr. Turner wrote, directed, produced or composed music for more than 24 productions from 1976 to 1980.

In addition to the premiere of his own works, he directed productions of Eugène Ionesco's Killing Game, Sam Shepard's Angel City, Richard Foreman and Stanley Silverman's Hotel for Criminals, Leon Katz's Son of Arlecchino, and William Bolcom and Arnold Weinstein's Dynamite Tonight.

He directed Al Carmines' Camp Meeting at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 1986, and his opera A Bird In The Hand, premiered in New York in 1985.