Robert Brustein Raised the Bar for Us All
The founder of Yale Rep and ART had intellect, idealism, and indignation to spare, and he put it all in service of the theatre he wanted to see in the world.
Support American Theatre! A just and thriving theatre ecology begins with information for all. Make a fully tax-deductible donation today! Join TCG to ensure you get AT's return to print in your mailbox.
The founder of Yale Rep and ART had intellect, idealism, and indignation to spare, and he put it all in service of the theatre he wanted to see in the world.
A bard of Kansas City, Kans., he was a warm, mischievous truth teller whose plays reflected his life yet somehow showed us ourselves as well.
A director and friend recalls the fabulousness of the playwright’s sensibility, which naturally found expression in her characters.
A remembrance by his frequent collaborator and longtime friend.
He was a lyricist’s lyricist, sure, but his words spoke to everyone, and his life was as full of joy and surprise as his songs.
In her life and her work producing theatre and dance in Los Angeles, she never gave less than her all, and we are all the richer for it.
Yes, he saved a near-bankrupt nonprofit and turned it into a Broadway juggernaut, but all with the aim of supporting artists and serving audiences.
This lifelong fixture of Off-Off-Broadway was singing songs and telling stories right up to the end.
The creator of impro, a hugely influential approach to improvisational theatremaking, Keith Johnstone is still guiding students, even after his death.
The designer’s friend, colleague, and mentee recalls him as a tirelessly busy, no-fuss genius who cherished real materials and was always ready with a brilliant drawing or model.