Joseph Papp

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Joseph Papp , also Joe Papp , originally Yosi Papirofsky (born June 22, 1921 in New York , † October 31, 1991 ibid) was an American theater producer , theater director and theater director .

Life

Papp was the son of poor immigrants, initially a casual worker and a marine during World War II. From 1946 to 1948 he trained in acting and directing at the Actors' Laboratory Theater. He then worked as a stage manager at various theaters and for two years as a production manager at the radio company CBS .

In 1954 he founded the Shakespeare Workshop in New York, which first appeared in church rooms. In 1956 there were the first free Shakespeare performances in the East River Amphitheater, with which the New York Shakespeare Festival was born, in which not only classical but also current pieces were presented. In 1957, Papp created his first mobile theater, which brought Shakespeare's works to the suburbs for free. After disputes with the city administration, he pushed through the construction of an amphitheater in Central Park. The Delacorte Theater opened in 1962 under Papp's direction with The Merchant of Venice . In 1966 he took over the former Astor Place Library, which was threatened with demolition, and after a renovation made it the home of the Public Theater that emerged from the Shakespeare Workshop. In 1973 he produced Der Kirschgarten with black actors and thus promoted a cast that no longer paid attention to skin color. From 1973 to 1978 he produced new plays at the Vivian Beaumont Theater as part of the Shakespeare Festival .

Papp mainly staged the plays by William Shakespeare , so in 1959 Antonius and Cleopatra with George C. Scott and in 1964, 1967 and 1979 Hamlet each with Al Pacino and in 1982 with Diane Venora in the title role. Mike Nichols , Richard Foreman and Liviu Ciulei have directed his productions . He promoted young actors and authors such as David Mamet , Tony Kushner , David Rabe , Ntozake Shange and Wallace Shawn , supported independent theater groups and various cultural and interdisciplinary activities.

Last but not least, Papp is of great importance as a successful producer of musicals , such as the world premiere of Hair in 1967 , the world premiere of Two Gentlemen of Verona in 1971 , the world premiere of A Chorus Line in 1975 and the world premiere of Runaways in 1978 . Many of his often award-winning productions were taken to Broadway , giving him the financial leeway for his main concern of making classical pieces available to everyone free of charge. For this reason, he also rejected subsidies if they were associated with influence or censorship.

In 1987, Papp was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . The Public Theater he founded was renamed after him in 1992.

literature

  • Wolfgang Beck: Papp, Joseph . In: Manfred Brauneck, Wolfgang Beck (ed.): Theater Lexikon 2. Actors and directors, stage managers, dramaturges and stage designers . Rowohlt's encyclopedia published by Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag. Reinbek near Hamburg, August 2007, ISBN 978 3 499 55650 0 , p. 545 f.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ James Earl Jones Plans Debut As Director of 'Cherry Orchard' , The New York Times, Nov. 14, 1972, p. 53. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  2. ↑ Book of Members 1780 – present, Chapter P. (PDF; 649 kB) In: American Academy of Arts and Sciences (amacad.org). Retrieved June 28, 2020 (English).
personal data
SURNAME Pop, Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Papa, Joe; Papirofsky, Yosi (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American theater director, theater director, and theater producer
DATE OF BIRTH June 22, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH October 31, 1991
Place of death new York