{{Short description|Norwegian actor, stage producer and theatre director}} {{Use dmy dates |date=November 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Gerhard Knoop | birth_name = Gerhard Herman Knoop | birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|11|03|df=yes}} | birth_place = Kristiania, Norway | death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|10|25|1920|11|03|df=yes}} | death_place = Oslo, Norway | occupation = Actor, stage producer, theatre director }}
'''Gerhard Herman Knoop''' (3 November 1920 – 25 October 2009) was a Norwegian actor, stage producer, theatre director and film director. He is mostly known for directing the movies Minne om to mandager (1964), Dei rid mot havet (1960) and Avskjedsgaven (1961).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gerhard Knoop {{!}} Director |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461328/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Early and personal life== Knoop was born in Kristiania (present-day Oslo), the son of Herman Waldemar Knoop (1887–1961) and Ellen Caroline Sontum (1897–1962). He made his stage debut in a school revue while studying at the gymnasium. He took his examen artium (university entrance exam) in 1939. During World War II he was involved in resistance work, and had to flee to Sweden in 1942, where he joined the police troops. After the war, he studied at the University of Oslo and at the University of Denver. He married Eva Cecilie Julsrud in September 1948 in Denver.<ref name=nbl>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Gerhard H Knoop |encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Merete |last=Skavlan |authorlink=Merete Skavlan |editor=Helle, Knut |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Gerhard_H_Knoop/utdypning |language=Norwegian|accessdate=30 October 2009}}</ref>
==Theatre career== Knoop was employed at Rogaland Teater from 1949, first as actor and later as stage producer. Among his productions were adaptions of Arnold and Bach's farce ''Die spanische Fliege'', and of Ibsen's play ''A Doll's House'',<ref name=nbl/> and of Willner and Reichert's operetta ''Das Dreimäderlhaus''.<ref name=snl/> He worked as a free-lance producer from 1952, for Riksteatret, the National Theatre, Det Norske Teatret, Det Nye Teater, Fjernsynsteatret and Radioteatret.<ref name=nbl/> Among his productions were adaptions of Beckett's play ''Waiting for Godot'', Chekhov's comedy ''Uncle Vanya'' and Ibsen's play ''Rosmersholm''.<ref name=nbl/> He produced Ibsen's play ''Hedda Gabler'' for the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland in 1963.<ref name=nbl/> He has also produced Ibsen's plays ''Ghosts'' and ''The Wild Duck'', Strindberg's ''Easter'' and ''Miss Julie'', and Ionesco's ''The Chairs''.<ref name=snl/>
He headed the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre from 1964 to 1970.<ref name=snl/> From 1973 to 1984 he was employed at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation as head of Radioteatret.<ref name=snl>{{cite encyclopedia |year=2007 |title=Gerhard Knoop |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location=Oslo |url=http://www.snl.no/Gerhard_Knoop |editor=Henriksen, Petter|language=Norwegian | accessdate=7 May 2009 }}</ref> He started the independent theatre group Intimteatret in 1991, together with Merete Skavlan. He died in Oslo on 25 October 2009.<ref name=nbl/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-culture}} {{succession box |before=Hans Heiberg |title=Director of Radioteatret |years=1973–1984 |after=Merete Skavlan}} {{end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knoop, Gerhard}} Category:1920 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Male actors from Oslo Category:University of Oslo alumni Category:University of Denver alumni Category:Norwegian resistance members Category:Norwegian expatriates in Sweden Category:Norwegian expatriates in the United States Category:Norwegian male stage actors Category:Academic staff of the Oslo National Academy of the Arts Category:Rectors of universities and colleges in Norway Category:Norwegian theatre directors Category:NRK people Category:Norwegian theatre managers and producers