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30-504: In 2002 Robert Woodruff replaced founder Robert Brustein as the A.R.T.'s artistic director. After Woodruff's departure in 2007, Associate Artistic Director Gideon Lester filled the position for the 2008/2009 season, and, in May 2008, Diane Paulus was named the new artistic director. Paulus, a Harvard alum, is widely known as a director of theater and opera. Her work includes The Donkey Show , which ran off-Broadway for six years; productions at

60-442: A Tony Award . In a 1991 published edition of the musical, Gelbart wrote "it remains for me the best piece of work I've been lucky enough to see my name on." A film version starring Zero Mostel and directed by Richard Lester , was released in 1966. Gelbart was critical of the movie, as most of his and Shevelove's libretto was largely rewritten. Gelbart's other Broadway credits include the musical City of Angels , which won him

90-760: A Musical for its productions of Pippin (2013) and Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012), Best Musical for Once (2012), and Best Play All The Way (2014). The A.R.T. also received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the Pulitzer Prize, and multiple Elliot Norton and IRNE awards. Its premiere production of Death and the Powers: The Robots' Opera was a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist. Source: Source: Source: Source: Source: Source: Source: Source: Source: The A.R.T.'s 30th season, its first under Artistic Director Diane Paulus , eschewed

120-673: A caper film starring Burt Reynolds , Lesley-Anne Down and David Niven , was credited under the pseudonym Francis Burns. Gelbart-scripted films for television included Barbarians at the Gate (1993), a true story about the battle for control of the RJR Nabisco corporation starring James Garner that was based on the best-selling book of that name ; the original comedy Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997) starring Ben Kingsley and Gabriel Byrne as rival media moguls; and And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (2003) starring Antonio Banderas as

150-654: A certificate of completion from Harvard. Beginning with the graduating class of 2017, students have been granted a master of liberal arts degree through the Harvard Extension School . In July 2017, the U.S. Department of Education voiced concern over the worrisomely high debt-load of students completing the program. In response, the A.R.T. Institute announced a three-year pause in admissions, while it sought to improve student financial aid. It continues to negotiate with Harvard University about establishing an M.F.A. degree. OBERON , sometimes referred to as Club Oberon,

180-729: A creator and producer of the television series M*A*S*H , and as co-writer of the Broadway musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and City of Angels . Gelbart was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish immigrants Harry Gelbart, "a barber since his half of a childhood in Latvia ," and Frieda Sturner, from what is now Dąbrowa Górnicza (Poland), who migrated to the United States. Larry Gelbart had

210-539: A master's degree in theater arts from San Francisco State University . He co-founded San Francisco's Eureka Theatre Company in 1972. In 1976 Woodruff established the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, a summer forum for the development of new plays that is still flourishing. It was here that Woodruff first worked with the writer Sam Shepard , on a libretto that Shepard had developed for the national bicentennial celebrations, The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill on

240-543: A sister, Marcia Gelbart Walkenstein. His family later moved to Los Angeles and he attended Fairfax High School . Drafted into the U.S. Army near the end of World War II , Gelbart worked for the Armed Forces Radio Service in Los Angeles. Attaining the rank of sergeant, Gelbart was honorably discharged after serving 1 year and 11 days. Those last 11 days prevented Gelbart from being drafted for service during

270-502: Is perhaps the screenplay for 1982's Tootsie , which he co-wrote with Murray Schisgal . He was nominated for an Academy Award for that script, and also was Oscar-nominated for his adapted screenplay for 1977's Oh, God! starring John Denver and George Burns . On his relationship with actor Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie , Gelbart is reported to have said, "Never work with an Oscar-winner who

300-494: Is shorter than the statue". He later retracted this statement, saying it was just a joke. He collaborated with Burt Shevelove on the screenplay for the 1966 British film The Wrong Box . Gelbart also co-wrote the golden-era film spoof Movie Movie (1978) starring George C. Scott in dual roles, the racy comedy Blame It on Rio (1984) starring Michael Caine and the 2000 remake of Bedazzled with Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser . His script for Rough Cut (1980),

330-576: The Chicago Opera Theatre ; and the Public Theater 's 2008 production of Hair , which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. American Repertory Theater was established at Harvard in 1979 as a permanent professional arts organization on campus that offered undergraduate courses in acting, directing, and dramaturgy , taught by professional members of the company with teaching experience. Robert Brustein served as artistic director of

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360-807: The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical , the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical , and an Edgar Award and an off-Broadway musical, In The Beginning , a satirical take on the Bible, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston . He also wrote the Iran-Contra satire Mastergate , as well as Sly Fox and a musical adaptation of the Preston Sturges movie Hail the Conquering Hero , whose grueling development inspired Gelbart to utter what evolved into

390-909: The Habima Theatre in Israel and Toneelgroep Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His work has been seen at the Sydney Festival , The Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival ( 1984 Summer Olympics ), The Edinburgh International Festival, The Hong Kong Festival of the Arts, The Jerusalem Festival and the Spoleto Festival USA . Opera premieres include The Sound of a Voice ( American Repertory Theatre ) and APPOMATTOX (San Francisco Opera) both by Philip Glass and Madame White Snake (Opera Boston, Beijing Music Festival) by Zhou Long (Pulitzer Prize Music 2010). He has taught at

420-718: The Korean War . Gelbart began as a writer at the age of sixteen for Danny Thomas 's radio show after his father, who was Thomas's barber , showed Thomas some jokes Gelbart had written. During the 1940s Gelbart also wrote for Jack Paar and Bob Hope . In the 1950s, his most important work in television involved writing for Red Buttons , Sid Caesar on Caesar's Hour , and in Celeste Holm 's Honestly, Celeste! , as well as with writers Mel Tolkin , Michael Stewart , Selma Diamond , Neil Simon , Mel Brooks , Carl Reiner and Woody Allen on two Caesar specials. In 1972, Gelbart

450-828: The Magic Theatre in San Francisco and then in New York, and the touring productions of Tongues and Savage/Love , which Shepard co-authored with the performer Joseph Chaikin . Woodruff has directed plays performed at Lincoln Center Theater , the New York Shakespeare Festival , the Brooklyn Academy of Music , the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Internationally he has created productions at

480-770: The Moscow Art Theatre School . The current artistic director, Diane Paulus, has focused on expanding the boundaries of traditional theater by transforming the ways in which work is developed, programmed, produced, and contextualized in order to allow the audience to participate, thereby making the experience more interactive. Productions such as Sleep No More , The Donkey Show , Gatz , The Blue Flower , Prometheus Bound , Gershwin's Porgy and Bess , Wild Swans , and Pippin have engaged audiences in unique theatrical experiences through physical interaction and unconventional staging. The theater's productions have garnered eighteen Tony Awards, including Best Revival of

510-585: The University of California campuses at San Diego and Santa Barbara , New York University 's Tisch School of the Arts and Columbia University . In 2002, Woodruff succeeded Robert Brustein as the artistic director of the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Woordruff left in 2007 when his contract was not renewed because of concerns that Woodruff's artistic approach would affect

540-584: The A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training , a five-semester professional training program which includes a three-month period working and training at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia . The program provides training for graduate-level actors, dramaturgs , and voice students. From 1999 until 2016, this joint program conferred an M.F.A. from the Moscow Art Theatre School, along with

570-723: The Eve of Killing His Wife . The thirty-three-year-old playwright was still better known in London than the States, and his collaborations with Woodruff marked a turning point in both men's careers. For the next five years Woodruff was virtually the sole director of Shepard's work, staging the American premiere of Curse of the Starving Class at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1978, the world premieres of Buried Child (1978) and True West (1980) at

600-597: The First Parish in Cambridge at Zero Church Street, as a flexible venue. In May, 2015 the A.R.T. staged an opera premiere at the Schubert Theater in Boston, their first use of that venue. Robert Woodruff (director) Robert Woodruff (born 1947) is an American theater director . Woodruff graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from the University at Buffalo with a B.A. in political science . He has

630-508: The Mexican revolutionary leader. Gelbart co-wrote the long-running Broadway musical farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Burt Shevelove and Stephen Sondheim in 1962. After the show received poor reviews and box-office returns during its previews in Washington, D.C., rewrites and restaging helped; it was a smash Broadway hit and ran for 964 performances. Its book won

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660-429: The U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on four continents. It continues to be a training ground for young artists, with the artistic staff teaching undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, voice, and design. In 1987, the A.R.T. founded the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard, which offers a five-semester M.F.A. graduate program that operates in conjunction with

690-496: The classic quip, "If Hitler is alive, I hope he's out of town with a musical." In 1997, Gelbart published his memoir, Laughing Matters: On Writing M*A*S*H, Tootsie, Oh, God! and a Few Other Funny Things . Gelbart was a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post , and also was a regular participant on the alt.tv.mash Usenet newsgroup as "Elsig". In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California , Walk of Stars

720-473: The theater into a fully functioning club theater venue, fitting the philosophy developed by The Donkey Show 's creator Randy Weiner . In 2021, The A.R.T. decided not to renew its lease and Oberon was closed. Before OBERON, A.R.T. used the old Hasty Pudding theater as a second space in addition to the Loeb Mainstage. A.R.T.'s Institute for Advanced Theater Training formerly used the sub-basement of

750-536: The theater until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff, founder of the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. In 2008, Diane Paulus became the artistic director. During its 44-year history, it has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes premieres of American plays and musical productions. In the over 250 productions American Repertory Theater has staged, over half were premieres of new plays, translations, and adaptations. The A.R.T. has performed throughout

780-509: The theater's profitability. Robert Woodruff was named a 2007 USA Biller Fellow by United States Artists , an arts advocacy foundation dedicated to the support and promotion of America's top living artists. He is now on the faculty of the Yale School of Drama . Larry Gelbart Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as

810-1993: The traditional model and instead offered a series of "festivals" which encouraged audiences to experience productions as parts of larger cultural events. The American Repertory Theater has presented both American and World premiere productions. Over the years, these have included works by Robert Auletta, Robert Brustein , Anton Chekhov , Don DeLillo , Keith Dewhurst , Christopher Durang , Elizabeth Egloff, Peter Feibleman , Jules Feiffer , Dario Fo , Carlos Fuentes , Larry Gelbart , Leslie Glass , Philip Glass , Stuart Greenman, William Hauptman , Allan Havis , Milan Kundera , Mark Leib, Gideon Lester , David Lodge , Carol K. Mack , David Mamet , Charles L. Mee , Roger Miller , Dave Malloy , John Moran , Robert Moran , Heiner Müller , Marsha Norman , Han Ong , Amanda Palmer , David Rabe , Franca Rame , Adam Rapp , Keith Reddin , Ronald Ribman , Paula Vogel , Derek Walcott , Naomi Wallace , and Robert Wilson . Reputable stage directors who have collaborated with A.R.T. include: JoAnne Akalaitis , Andrei Belgrader, Anne Bogart , Steven Bogart, Lee Breuer , Robert Brustein , Liviu Ciulei , Ron Daniels, Liz Diamond, Joe Dowling , Michael Engler , Alvin Epstein , Dario Fo , Richard Foreman , David Gordon , Adrian Hall , Richard Jones , Michael Kahn , Jerome Kilty , Krystian Lupa , John Madden , David Mamet , Des McAnuff , Jonathan Miller , Tom Moore , David Rabe , François Rochaix, Robert Scanlan, János Szász , Peter Sellars , Andrei Şerban , Sxip Shirey , Susan Sontag , Marcus Stern , Slobodan Unkovski, Les Waters , David Wheeler , Frederick Wiseman , Robert Wilson , Robert Woodruff , Steven Mitchell Wright, Yuri Yeremin, Francesca Zambello , and Scott Zigler. Notable producers include: Henry Louis Gates Jr. , Tom McGrath , Lawrence E. Golub , David Goel , Gerald Jordan , Andrew Ory, Bethany M. Allen, and Sharlyn Heslam. In 1987,

840-578: Was a club theater venue that was built by the Carr Foundation in 2004 and opened in August 2009 as A.R.T.'s second venue. The A.R.T. opened the space in 2006 as the Zero Arrow Street Theater. The Onion Cellar was staged there Dec 2006-Jan 2007. A.R.T. originally used OBERON for the open ended residency of their production of The Donkey Show ; however, American Repertory soon decided to convert

870-751: Was dedicated to him. He won a Tony Award for the book of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1974 for M*A*S*H . In 2002, Gelbart was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame . In 2008, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame . Gelbart was diagnosed with cancer in June and died at his Beverly Hills home on September 11, 2009, aged 81. His wife of 53 years, Pat Gelbart , said that after being married for so long, "we finished each other's sentences." She declined to specify

900-470: Was one of the main forces behind the creation of the television series M*A*S*H , writing the pilot (for which he received a "Developed for Television by __" credit); then producing, often writing and occasionally directing the series for its first four seasons, from 1972 to 1976. M*A*S*H earned Gelbart a Peabody Award and an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and went on to considerable commercial and critical success. Gelbart's best known screen work

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