The Claire Trevor School of the Arts, which hosts the annual New Swan Shakespeare Festival, is UC Irvine’s creative laboratory. And the school’s actors and actresses performing onstage are part of a legacy that dates back to the school’s namesake, Oscar and Emmy award-winning actress Claire Trevor.
Ms. Trevor appeared in more than 60 films throughout her career and won an Academy Award for her role in the 1948 film “Key Largo,” starring Humphrey Bogart. She received nominations for her roles in the 1937 film “Dead End,” also with Humphrey Bogart, and the 1954 film “The High and the Mighty,” with John Wayne.
After retiring from professional acting in 1987, she became involved with the School of the Arts and its students, sitting in on rehearsals, attending their performances and offering wisdom and professional advice. She was thrilled to be able to help the school’s students achieve their goals and assist them in some small way, according to her friends.
Alumni of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts have gone on to perform on Broadway, in motion pictures, on television and on stages around the world.
