Brian Murray, a Force and a Treasure
He was a master stage craftsman in both classics and new work, and a gracious collaborator to boot.
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He was a master stage craftsman in both classics and new work, and a gracious collaborator to boot.
He didn’t set out to write shows any more than I did, but when the music and the theatre called, we followed.
This private, devout, and thoughtful man shared so much of himself onstage because that’s where he had the most to give to others.
He was an outsized figure as zany, mercurial, tender, and tragic as the characters he put onstage.
To a large extent, we work in the theatre he made: modern, classic, vigorous, rigorous, company-based.
An exposed nerve, a calming presence, an irresistible catalyst, a wide-ranging empath—the composer/lyricist contained multitudes.
It started with acting exercises. Then in one night my life changed.
My Steppenwolf colleague was effervescent, fearless, alluring, and irreplaceable.
Like the man himself, his plays ran on conversation and character more than conflict.
An uncompromising artist and an exacting mentor, the poet/playwright gave back to generations of writers.