Dene Denny (February 11, 1885 – September 24, 1959)[2] was an American musical theater producer who, along with co-founder Hazel Watrous, established the Denny-Watrous Management. They played pivotal roles in the founding of the Carmel Music Society, the Carmel Bach Festival, and Monterey's First Theater. Their residence, the Denny-Watrous Studio (Harmony House), served as a hub for hosting musical concerts and lectures.[3][4][5][6]
Dene Denny | |
|---|---|
 Denny at University of California Berkeley (1907) | |
| Born | Ethel Adele Denny February 11, 1885 |
| Died | September 24, 1959 (aged 74) |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, teacher |
| Notable work | Denny-Watrous Studio (Harmony House) Ann Nash-Dorthy Bassett House (1921)[1] |
| Partner | Hazel Watrous |
Early life and education
editEthel Adele Denny was born in 1885,[7] in Callahan, California. Her parents were Albert H. Denny and Gertrude Cadwell.[3]
Denny attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a BA and MA degree. She went to New York to take formal piano studies. Denny then established a music studio in San Francisco, where she taught piano.[3][8]
Career
editIn 1922, Denny and Watrous met in San Francisco and quickly became a couple.[9]
In 1928, the couple secured a lease for the Theatre of the Golden Bough from Edward Kuster, and in 1937 leased California's First Theater in Monterey.[10][9]
Death
editDenny died at her home in Carmel, California on September 24, 1959.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Carmel Historic Survey Volume Blocks a69". Costal Commission. 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Denny, Dene (February 11, 1885). "California U.S. Death Index 1940-1997" (Database). Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
- ^ a b c d "Miss Dene Denny Dies At Home in Carmel". The Californian. Salinas, California. September 24, 1959. p. 2. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- ^ Gilliam, Harold; Gilliam, Ann (1992). Creating Carmel: the enduring vision. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith Books. pp. 67, 152, 160–166. ISBN 978-0-87905-397-0. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Gordon, David J. (2014). Carmel Impresarios A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous. Lucky Valley Press. ISBN 978-0-9856655-4-8. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 109, 123. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Paul Fried (October 21, 2001). "Since launching in 1935, the Carmel Bach Festival has been in constant evolution -- and also holds true to its origins". Monterey County Weekly. Monterey County, California. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "Dene Denny Dies". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea. September 24, 1959. pp. 1, 17. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Alinder, Mary Street (2014). Group F.64. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 34–35. ISBN 9781620405550.
- ^ "California's First Theater" (PDF). Monterey History. Monterey, California. May 31, 1961. Retrieved July 18, 2023.