Bertolt Brecht was a German playwright, director, and poet who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century theatre. Born on February 10, 1898, in Augsburg, Germany, Brecht was the son of a Catholic father and a Protestant mother. He studied medicine at the University of Munich but soon turned his attention to writing and theatre.
Brecht's first major success as a playwright came with his play "Drums in the Night," which premiered in 1922. The play was a critical and commercial success and established Brecht as a major figure in German theatre. He went on to ... read more
Joseph Papp was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created a year-round producing home to focus on new plays and musicals. ... read more
THE PUBLIC is theater of, by, and for all people. Artist-driven, radically inclusive, and fundamentally democratic, The Public continues the work of its visionary founder Joe Papp as a civic institution engaging, both on-stage and off, with some of the most important ideas and social issues of today. Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation's first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public's wide ... read more
