American playwright, Robert Patrick has been reported dead. According to his friend and longtime associate, Jason Jenn, he died in his sleep in his Los Angeles home at the age of 85, on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
Advertisement
Born on September 27, 1937, Patrick first penned a literary piece, a poem whiles he was in the Air Force – he wrote it to a fellow serviceman.
Jenn shared that they were both on a trip to New York City in 1961 when Patrick followed a very attractive young man to a theatre now known as Caffee Cino Theatre, and chanced upon a middle of a play rehearsal.
“He immediately found his ‘family of friends’ and chose to remain there as an ardent devotee of that first Off Off Broadway venue, taking on odd jobs to support himself and becoming involved in all aspects of theatrical productions,” Jenn shared.
Advertisement
In 1964, Patrick wrote one of the earliest modern gay (at that time) plays of the early Off Broadway era dubbed The Haunted Host, heavily inspired by his roommate, Lanford Wilson.
He became one of the most talented and prolific playwrights in the 1960s with over 300 productions of his plays.
Patrick also played a pivotal role in several productions at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club. He produced another show on PBS in 1969 titled Camera Obscura which starred Marge Champion.
He was named “New York’s Most-Produced Playwright” in 1972 by publishing company, Samuel French.
Patrick went on produce one of his most popular plays Kennedy’s Children in 1975. The play starred Tony Award winner, Shirley Knight.
It was focused on “a group of former 1960s activists reuniting and reminiscing in a Lower East side bar.” It adapted into film by Patrick in 1982.
He retired in the ‘90s but kept on write stage plays for several theaters. He also performed a solo show in 2013 and later created a website with loads of photographs from numerous productions in New York and across the world.
Leave a Reply