The Golden Age of Theater Criticism TOPIC: Part Two Harold Clurman & Walter Kerr GUESTS: Patrick Kelly & Jerome Weeks

 Walter Kerr born July 8 ,1913 was a highly influential American theater critic for the New York Herald Tribune and The New York Times  for over 30 years, winning the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Known for his insightful, often witty reviews and academic background, he championed artistic excellence in theatre. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals as well as the author of several books. The Walter Kerr Theatre was renamed in his honor in 1990. Kerr died from congestive heart failure on October 9, 1996. Harold Clurman born September 18, 1901 was recognized as a pre-eminent theater critic and a visionary director. He viewed theater not just as entertainment, but as a "serious business" and the "food of the soul" that must remain relevant to society. Clurman shaped American theater through his insightful writing, serving as the drama critic for The New Republic from 1948 to 1952 and The Nation from 1953 until 1980. Clurman was a co-founder of the legendary Group Theater(1931–1941). He advocated for an ensemble approach to acting aiming to create theater that was socially relevant and emotionally realistic. He directed the original productions of Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing! and Golden Boy, as well asArthur Miller's Incident at Vichy. Clurman died on September 9, 1980 in New York City of cancer. Patrick Kelly is Professor of Drama Emeritus at the University of Dallas where, with Judy Kelly his wife, they taught for forty-two years. Besides scores of campus productions he has directed plays at professional theaters around the country. He has also taught in such graduate theater programs as University of Washington, Denver’s National Theater Conservatory, University of Colorado at Boulder and Southern Methodist University. Jerome Weeks for 15 years was the producer-reporter for the NPR-PBS station KERA. A professional critic for more than three decades, he was the The Dallas Morning News theater critic for ten years and  the book columnist for ten years after that. His writing has appeared in the San FranciscoChronicle, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, andAmerican Theatre  magazine.