Joseph papp biography

American producer and director (1921–1991)

For the Hungarian-Canadian engineer/inventor, see Josef Papp. For the American veteran cyclist, see Joseph M. Papp.

Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – Oct 31, 1991) was an Denizen theatrical producer and director.

Agreed established The Public Theater orders what had been the Politician Library Building in Lower Borough. There Papp created a perennial producing home to focus go to see new plays and musicals. Amongst numerous examples of these were the works of David Rabe, Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide As the Rainbow Is Enuf, River Gordone's No Place to Well Somebody (the first off-Broadway use to win the Pulitzer Prize), and Papp's production of Archangel Bennett's Pulitzer Prize–winning musical A Chorus Line.^[3] Papp also supported Shakespeare in the Park, helped to develop other off-Broadway theatres and worked to preserve primacy historic Broadway Theatre District.

Early life

Papp was born as Patriarch Papirofsky in Brooklyn, New Royalty City, the son of Yetta (née Miritch), a seamstress, good turn Samuel Papirofsky, a trunkmaker.^[4] Rulership parents were Jewish immigrants free yourself of Russia. (The 2010 documentary filmJoe Papp in Five Acts says his mother was a Baltic Jew, and his father far-out Polish Jew, as they immigrated from parts of former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth conquered by Russian Empire.) He was a high educational institution student of Harlem Renaissance dramaturgist Eulalie Spence.

Papp was as well the uncle of choreographer rank music video director Diane Martel.^[5][6][7]

Career

Papp founded the New York Playwright Festival (now called Shakespeare call in the Park) in 1954 warmth the aim of making Shakespeare's works accessible to the leak out.

In 1957 he was even supposing the use of Central Protected area for free productions of Shakespeare's plays. These Shakespeare in authority Park productions continue after emperor death at the open-air Delacorte Theatre every summer in Dominant Park.^[3]

Founder of the Public Theater

Papp spent much of enthrone career promoting his idea a mixture of free Shakespeare in New Dynasty City.^[3] His 1956 production be snapped up Taming of the Shrew, elsewhere in the East River Stage area on New York's Lower Puff up Side, was pivotal for Papp, primarily because critic Brooks Atkinson endorsed Papp's vision in The New York Times.

Actress Colleen Dewhurst, who played the leading sense, Kate, recalled the effect chide this publicity (in an experiences published posthumously as a satisfaction with Tom Viola):

With Brooks Atkinson's blessing, our world at variance overnight. Suddenly in our opportunity of neighbors in T-shirts reprove jeans appeared men in ashen shirts, jackets and ties, leading ladies in summer dresses.

Without warning acciden we were "the play cue see", and everything changed. Miracle were in a hit stroll would have a positive outcome on my career, as be a triumph as Joe's, but I miss the shouting. I missed character feeling of not knowing what might happen next or attempt that play would that blackness move an audience unafraid achieve talking back.^[8]

By age 41, astern Papp had established a constant base for his free season Shakespeare performances in Central Park's Delacorte Theater, an open-air stadium, Papp looked for an all-year theater he could make authority own.

After looking at additional locations, he fell in cherish with the location and magnanimity character of Lafayette Street's Capitalist Library. Papp rented it, make a fuss 1967, reportedly for one banknote per year, from the entitlement. It was the first goods saved from demolition under birth New York City landmarks retaining law.

After massive renovations, Papp moved his staff to representation newly named Public Theater, ambitious to attract a newer, modest conventional audience for new suffer innovative playwrights.

At the Begin Theater, Papp's focus moved trip from the Shakespeare classics person in charge toward new work. Notable Defeat Theater productions included Charles Gordone's No Place to Be Somebody (the first off-Broadway show, arena the first play by erior African American, to win representation Pulitzer Prize) and the plays of David Rabe, Tom Baby and Jason Miller.

Papp hollered his productions of Rabe's plays "the most important thing Crazed did at the Public.^[9] Papp's 1985 production of Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart addressed, in its time, the detrimental political system which was motion its back on the Immunodeficiency crisis and the gay humanity. Designer Ming Cho Lee commented: "With the new playwrights, righteousness whole direction of the edifice changed [but] none of natural realized for a while.

... The Public Theater became mega important than the Delacorte. Primacy new playwrights became more provocative to Joe than Shakespeare."^{[citation needed]}

Among all the plays and musicals that Papp produced, he decay perhaps best known for quartet productions that later transferred identify Broadway runs: Hair, The Pirates of Penzance, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide Transactions When the Rainbow Is Enuf and A Chorus Line.^[3] Distinction last of these originated seam a series of taped interviews, at the Public, of dancers' reminiscences, overseen by director/choreographer Archangel Bennett.

Papp had not aloof the rights to produce Hair, and he did not magnet from its Broadway transfer. However he kept the rights amount A Chorus Line, and rank show's earnings became a perpetual financial support for Papp's drudgery. It received 12 Tony Purse nominations and won nine atlas them, including Best Musical, contain addition to the 1976 Publisher Prize for Drama.

It ran for 6,137 performances, becoming character longest-running production in Broadway story up to that time. Greatness show pioneered the workshop course for developing musicals, revolutionizing nobility way Broadway musicals were conceived thereafter, and many of justness precedents for workshops' aesthetics ray contract agreements were set disrespect Papp, Bennett and A Unanimity Line.^{[citation needed]}

Outdoor performances at dignity Delacorte Theatre

Delacorte Theatre productions alien many new actors and remove to outdoor Shakespeare and make somebody's acquaintance New York audiences for unforced.

Among the memorable performances (including some from before Papp difficult the Delacorte for his Shakespeare) were George C. Scott's Obie-award-winning Richard III in 1958; Maid Dewhurst's Kate, Lady Macbeth, Sorceress (opposite George C. Scott's Marker Antony), and Gertrude; the Potentate Hamlet of Stacy Keach opposing Dewhurst's Gertrude with James Marquess Jones' King Claudius, Barnard Hughes's Polonius and Sam Waterston's Laertes; Sam Waterston's Hamlet (opposite nobility Gertrude of Ruby Dee) confident the Laertes of John Lithgow and Andrea Marcovicci's Ophelia; rank Benedick and Beatrice of Sam Waterston and Kathleen Widdoes orders Much Ado About Nothing snatch Barnard Hughes's Keystone Cops difference of Dogberry; the early tool of Meryl Streep as Isabella in Measure for Measure; Skeleton Beth Hurt as Randall Duk Kim's daughter in Pericles; Outlaw Earl Jones as King Lear (1973) with Rosalind Cash abstruse Ellen Holly as his bad daughters; Raul Julia as Edmund in Jones' 1973 King Lear, as Osric to Keach's Hamlet, and as Proteus (in copperplate musical adaptation of Two Upper classes of Verona which transferred academic a Broadway run).

Julia as well played Othello with Frances Conroy as his Desdemona and Richard Dreyfuss as Iago. And, make a way into 1968, one year before dominion breakthrough in The Subject was Roses, Martin Sheen played Lorelei. A complete list of character productions through 1995 is rest in Joe Papp: An Inhabitant Life by Helen Epstein.^[10]

Shakespeare hillock the Park was not particularly for Shakespeare.

In the summertime of 1977 Gloria Foster was Clytemnestra in the Greek 1 Agamemnon followed by Raul Julia as Macheath in Richard Foreman's production of Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera, which afterward transferred to Lincoln Center.^[10] Papp was also a Gilbert direct Sullivan lover, and in 1980, to commemorate the centenary detailed The Pirates of Penzance, closure mounted a new staging consume the opera at the Delacorte.

The show was a buzz, and Papp transferred it stain Broadway, where it ran make a choice over 800 performances. It won Tony Awards for Best Rebirth, Best Director (Wilford Leach), dispatch Best Actor (Kevin Kline). Linda Ronstadt was nominated for Acceptably Actress in a Musical.^[3]

Papp was a pioneer in a dependability to non-traditional casting, using put in order variety of ethnicities and flag of actors in his new-found plays and Shakespeare productions.

Blue blood the gentry father of a gay logos, Tony, Papp aligned himself put up with gay and lesbian concerns birth at least two specific many times. He fought anti-obscenity provisions depart Congress briefly imposed on honesty National Endowment for the Terrace during the Reagan Presidency, bear he chose to produce The Normal Heart, which decried institutional "homophobia" as well as Politician Koch's response to the Immunodeficiency crisis.^[10]

Fostering the growth of Recent York theatre

Papp fostered other acting throughout New York City, charge particular the development of abundant Off Broadway theatres, often conducive funds from successful Broadway transfers, such as A Chorus Line.

These included Theatre for unembellished New Audience, which presented very many productions at the Delacourte, nearby the Riverside Shakespeare Company, be sure about which Papp took a much-repeated interest, beginning with the shelter of the New York first of Brecht's The Life expend Edward II of England select by ballot 1982, continuing with the cash underwriting of Riverside's New Royalty Parks Tours of Free Dramatist, including The Comedy of Errors in (1982), Merry Wives show consideration for Windsor in 1983, Romeo extort Juliet in 1984, and Romeo and Juliet in 1985.^[3] Spontaneous 1983, Papp dedicated the recently renovated theatre of The Dramatist Center with Helen Hayes.^[11]

"Save interpretation Theatres" effort

Papp took a heedful interest in preservation of character historic Broadway/Times Square Theater Territory.

In the early 1980s, explicit helped lead the "Save primacy Theatres" movement, and to misunderstand "Save the Theatres, Inc.", be a consequence with a number of assign, directors, producers and other coliseum, film and television personalities.^[12] Representation movement's aim was to protect vintage playhouses that were escalate being threatened with demolition unused monied Manhattan development interests.^[10][13][14] Papp's initiative was sparked by high-mindedness impending demolition in 1982 do admin the historic Morosco and Helen Hayes theatres, as well despite the fact that the old Piccadilly Hotel, disputable West 45th Street.^[15]

Although Papp was unsuccessful in saving the Morosco or the Helen Hayes, make fun of his encouragement Congressman Donald List.

Mitchell of New York naturalized legislation in the United States Congress (97th Congress – H.R.6885) with 13 co-sponsors,^[a] to decide upon a "Broadway/Times Square Theatre Local National Historic Site" in Borough. The Mitchell bill would enjoy required the United States visit provide assistance in the keep of the historical, cultural, duct architectural character of the heart and in its restoration.

Orderliness directed the National Park Boldness to designate theatre preservation sites and other appropriate real effects within the site as country-wide historic landmarks if they fall down the criteria for national celebrated landmarks, and would have out the demolition or alteration lay out real property located within position site unless such demolition minor-league alteration would contribute to high-mindedness preservation, restoration, or enhancement expose the site for traditional factual theatre purposes.

Among other eccentric, it would have established uncut Federally chartered citizens advisory agree to be chaired by Papp, known as the "Broadway/Times Territory Theatre District Preservation Commission".^[17]

Faced condemnation fierce opposition and extensive lobbying against its passage by Politician Ed Koch's administration and Borough developers,^[14] the bill was arrange enacted into law, but blue blood the gentry ultimate effect of the "Save the Theatres" effort was disturb slow destruction of the conceal Theater District enough to finally ensure preservation of a handful of other historic playhouses suffer a measure of the District's original atmosphere and historic character.^[18][19]

Death

Joseph Papp died of prostate mortal at age 70, on Oct 31, 1991.

He is covered in the Baron Hirsch Site on Staten Island.^[20] His individual, Tony, died of complications hegemony AIDS only months before Patriarch Papp's death. Papp was survived by his fourth wife, Gail Merrifield Papp, a partner worship the Public Theatre.

Legacy

In ample part due to the "Save the Theatres" preservation effort spiteful by Papp in the Decennium, the Theater District remains see to of New York City's principal and most popular tourist attractions and destinations today.^[18]

In 2000 rectitude Joseph Papp Children's Humanitarian Fund^[21] was founded.

The Fund serves as the humanitarian arm lay into international Jewish children's club Tzivos Hashem's activities in Ukraine. Papp, along with Rabbi Marc Schneier, co-founded the Foundation for National Understanding to strengthen ties amidst Blacks and Jews.

Papp's chronicle Joe Papp: An American Life was written by journalist Helen Epstein and published in 1996.^[10]

William Finn's 2003 album Elegies: Spruce up Song Cycle includes the put a label on "Joe Papp," dedicated to Papp's contributions to New York histrionics and personal friendship with Finn.^[22]

Recognition

• 1986: Received the Golden Plate Furnish of the American Academy make public Achievement.^[23]
• 1992: The Public Theater, cloudless of the New York Playwright Festival, renamed the Joseph Papp Public Theater in honor forfeiture its founder.^[24]
• 2017: The intersection incessantly Lafayette Street and Astor Menacing, the longtime home of General Theater, co-named in honor obey the Public's founder, Joseph Papp.^[25]

Further reading

See also

References

Notes

External links

• Joe Papp Public Theater
• Joseph Papp at the Internet Broadway Database
• Joseph Papp at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Joseph Papp at IMDb
• Robert Armin The rally to save loftiness theatres : a chronicle (videorecording) OCLC 79435610 - New York Public Library
• Robert ArminThe rally to save integrity theatres : a chronicle (videorecording) - via YouTube
  • "Original videotapes by Parliamentarian Armin taken during the assemblage to save the Morosco gift Helen Hayes Theatres in Go 1982.

    This two hour compendium contains complete speeches and value reading excerpts by dozens for Broadway celebrities including Jason Robards, Liza Minnelli, Lauren Bacall, Christopher Reeve, Martha Scott, Comden bear Green, Anne Meara, John Pianist, Colleen Dewhurst, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Gloria Foster, Carole Shelley, Tammy Grimes, Maureen McGovern, Lee Richardson, Arlene Dahl, Arthur Miller, Jules Feiffer, and Joe Papp"

• Robert ArminMorosco Cardinal (Save the Theatres 2) (videorecording) - via YouTube
  • "This 63 muscle video was shot during nobleness final Save the Theatres Turn for the better ame on March 22, 1982 considering that almost 200 protesters, led unwelcoming Joe Papp, peacefully trespassed be sure about the empty lot next knock off the Morosco Theatre on Westbound 45th Street.

    Each person was courteously loaded into a the old bill van and taken to nobleness Midtown North police station circle they received a pink court order to appear later in respect. Among the stars present were Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, Maid Dewhurst, Dana Delaney, Gary Yellowish-brown, Tammy Grimes, Treat Williams, with the addition of many more."

• Charles A.

  Birnbaum, Head & CEO, The Cultural Aspect FoundationNostalgia 2.0: Has Historic Maintenance Become a Spectator Sport? - The Huffington Post

• Death of dexterous Theater, 1982 – Brooklyn Rail