Full Description
Born Yosel Papirovski in Brooklyn to immigrant parents in the 1930s, Joe Papp grew to become not only the creator of an entirely new nonprofit American theater, but also the most powerful producer on Broadway. From 1954 until his death in 1991, Joe Papp brought more theater to more people than any other producer in history. In this moving in-depth portrait, Papp launches the Public Theater with a passion to present Shakespeare for free to the people of New York City and goes on to redefine a specifically American theater of the 20th century. He introduced interracial casting, nurtured countercultural plays such as Hair and transformed commercial theater with the Broadway smash hit A Chorus Line. A proud member of the Communist Party, vigorous defender of the underdog and civic activist, Papp was an advocate for culture that was meaningful and enriched peoples lives. A complicated and at times isolated man, Papp was a father figure to a generation of theater artists whom he nurtured and who speak here eloquently in interviews including James Earl Jones, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Martin Sheen, Dave Rabe, Ntozake Shange, David Hare and many others. This film is a must see for anyone who loves the theater.
