John Braden(1931-2020)

John Bracchitta, Junior's, given surname, was born at his parents' apartment in Sleepy Hollow, New York, on April 30, 1931. His father, John Bracchita, Senior, a Sicilian immigrant, was a Gardner/Landscaper by trade; his New York-born mother, the former Antoinette DeRiso, was a home-maker. John Sr. wanted his only son to take over the family landscape business; but his son's High School English teacher, who was also the drama advisor at Washington Irving High School, cast young John Jr. in the title role of "Charley's Aunt." John Jr. fell in love with the stage right then and there! Avoiding an agricultural school his father had enrolled him, following his High School graduation, John Jr., instead, enrolled at Carnegie Technical, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. During the summer after his High School graduation, eighteen year old John Jr. was an apprentice actor at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut. While enrolled at Carnegie Institute of Technology, John Braachetta Jr. earned a Fulbright Scholarship to England's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he was cast in the first staged presentation of "Under Milk Wood" featuring Peter O'Toole. Afterwards, he continued study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Following his post-graduate work abroad, after returning to New York City, he was immediately drafted into the peacetime U.S.Army's ranks, (between the Korean War and the Viet Nam War); after basic training, he was relocated, stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a Private First Class. His Army Company Superior Officer, a Major, evaluating his educational qualifications, recommended Bracchitta Junior pursue Officer Training, for a third year program-extension. Instead, while functioning in his daily military duties as a Private 1st Class, John pursued off-hours/off-base civilian theater work with the Honolulu Community Theater, (now, Diamond Head Theatre), where he was cast as "Stanley" in "A Streetcar Named Desire." During this two year drafted military occupational obligation, John Junior met this civilian (a Honolulu-theater-volunteer), who became his British-born wife, Maureen Scott, married in 1958. Upon discharge from the Honolulu Military base, the couple returned to New York City in late 1959, for John to pursue a professional acting career; his wife Maureen Scott made a career as a talent and casting agent in theater, film, television, and, in the advertising industry. During the Spring of 1960, John Jr. accepted an educational actor apprentice program, for young theater professional's, in the1960 Westport Country Playhouse's summer-season. After the Westport Country Playhouse summer season ended, returning to New York City, he acknowledged his agent's advise, to change his last name, something people could more easily pronounce - "Bracchitta" wouldn't do - a shorter and simpler name. He decided to keep his "B" - choosing the name of the Westport Country Playhouse' s production designer, "John Braden." Upon learning that the actor was using his legal name, the set designer called the actor's union; he was informed that as a union actor, legally, a theatrical actor's moniker name change is allowed. An actor changing his theatrical stage "performance" name-credit, prevented another actor from using an identical name; this rule did not apply to other theatrical personalities in other categories.