Draft:Inez Quitzow

Quitzow in 1954.

Inez Arisa Quitzow (died 21 December 1974) was a Singapore stage actress and producer active from the late 1940s to the early 1970s who was best known for her work with the Stage Club, though she occasionally performed with other local theatre groups such as the Singapore Arts Theatre and the Rowcroft Theatre Club. In 1957, A.J.C. Pelham-Groom of The Singapore Free Press wrote that it would be "impossible to give sufficient credit" to Quitzow and fellow actress and producer Maureen Clarke for Singapore's "[strength] in amateur talent" and for the "high standard of Stage Club productions."

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/search?q=quitzow&df=1953-06-01&dt=1953-08-31&sort=Relevance&size=20

Early life

Quitzow had begun studying at a training college by 1927. She was living in Penang by 1941. By August 1946, she had come to Singapore.

Career

In 1946, Quitzow performed as the piano accompaniment to baritone Denis Kampton at the Depart of Broadcasting's Orchestra's Music for Everybody concert, held at the Victoria Hall on 27 October. She and Julia Bradbury were elected joint secretaries of the Stage Club under Vernon Margrave as chairman in February 1947. In March, she served as the piano accompaniment to prominent vocalist John Phillips at a Radio Malaya Orchestra concert. She had been hired by Radio Malaya as a music assistant. Quitzow acted as Mrs. Jarvis, the Communist charwoman, in the club's presentation of the Reginald Beckwith comedy A Soldier for Christmas, which was staged at the Victoria Theatre in August. "J.S." of The Straits Times opined that Quitzow's "character study" was "suberb." Conversely, "T.C." of The Malaya Tribune wrote that Quitzow acted "with such lack of conviction that you may seriously think of changing your political beliefs, after seeing her performance." By September, she had begun hosting the Radio Malaya weekly musical prorgamme Nights at the Opera. She then appeared as Mrs. Dorgan in the club's staging of Vera Caspary's Laura, staged in October. Quitzow produced the Stage Club's presentation of Ivor Novello's We Proudly Present, which was stage at the Victoria Theatre from 18 to 22 November. "Vera Ardmore" of The Morning Tribune then reported that the work she had done with Radio Malaya and her musical hall skit had "given her a well deserved following in the last couple of months." The following year, she had a principal role in the club's production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, staged at the Victoria Theatre in May. This was her second major role in a Stage Club production, after A Soldier for Christmas. "D." of The Straits Times opined that Quitzow was "at last, well cast." She then produced the Stage Club's presentation of And Then There Were None, which opened at the Victoria Thetrea on 8 July. The Straits Times then reported that Quitzow was the club's only female producer.

The Stage Club was shut down in 1949, after which its members joined the Singapore Repertory Company. However, after the latter organisation shut down in 1951, the Stage Club was re-established and Quitzow was elected its technical director in May. She had a supporting part in the club's production of the W. Somerset Maugham farce Home and Beauty, which was billed as the club's fifth anniversary production and staged at the Victoria Theatre in December. The following year, she appeared in the Little Theatre Club's production of The Chiltern Hundreds, staged at the club's premises on Armenian Street in March. She then produced the Y.W. Players' presentation of the Charlotte Hastings thriller Bonaventure, staged on 2 and 3 May at the Victoria Theatre. According to The Straits Times, the production was an "unmitigated success". Quitzow appeared as the landlady in the Stage Club's production of Goodness, How Sad, staged at the Victoria Theatre in July. "J.W." of The Straits Times highlighted her performance, opining that she "gives her part just the right amount of character." She then produced the Stage Club's presentation of the Edward Percy Smith thriller play The Shop at Sly Corner, which was staged at the Victoria Theatre on 25, 27 and 29 November alongside the club's production of Terence Rattigan's comedy play Love In Idleness, which was staged on 24, 26 and 28 November. The Straits Times reported then that the two productions together were "one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted in the Singapore theatre world." Quitzow produced the Singapore Arts Theatre's presentation of George Bernard Shaw's Village Wooing, which was staged ait the Victoria Theatre from 12 to 14 February 1953 as the second item on a double bill, with the first being a production of Jean Anouilh's Antigone. She then produced the Stage Club's presentation of the Ronald Jeans comedy Young Wives' Tale, staged at the Victoria Theatre in May. "B.O." of The Singapore Standard wrote that she "produced the play, with deft touches and a comfortable air of assurance." However, "R.W.B." of The Straits Times was more critical, opining that Quitzow's production "tended to be too leisurely". She then played Fabia in the Singapore Arts Theatre's production of Robert E. Sherwood's historical satire The Road to Rome.

In April 1959, Pelham-Groom credited Quitzow and Maureen Clarke for Singapore's "very strong" amateur "talent" and the "high standard" of the Stage Club, writing that the two had "worked like trojans for the Stage Club" and were "always ready to give the benefit of their wide experience to other clubs."

Personal life and death

Quitzow appeared in the First District Court on 9 June 1948 on three charges of cheating. She was accused of stealing from Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes stores on three separate occasions by pretending to be a colonel's assistant. She reappeared in court on 8 July for trial. Quitzow was then scheduled to appear in court on 29 July for further hearing. However, she did not show up for the hearing, claiming that she was "too ill" to attend. She was found guilty on all three charges in August. She was imprisoned for six weeks and fined $600.

Quitzow died on 21 December 1974. After the funeral, she was cremated at the Mount Vernon Columbarium Complex.