Joe Papp

by Helen Epstein

Joe Papp was an American cultural icon - the son of Jewish immigrants, he became a self-made impresario, an ardent advocate for human rights and a controversial innovator who was one of the most influential figures in American theater. Known for his accomplishments as the founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival, Papp brought free Shakespeare in the Park to New York City, created the nation's most important showcase for new playwrights at the Public Theater and launched such Broadway hits as A Chorus Line and Hair. A defender of the First Amendment and champion of multiculturalism long before the word was coined, Papp combined creative genius with grassroots political activism and left the American cultural landscape changed forever. In 1954, Papp started producing Shakespeare in a church basement in Manhattan and created not only the first free Shakespeare festival in the world, but the most prolific and successful not-for-profit theater in America. In addition to presenting most