Paul Libin, a major figure in the American theater for nearly seven decades whose leadership positions at Circle in the Square Theatre and Jujamcyn Theaters contributed some of Broadway‘s most exciting and acclaimed stage productions, died June 27 in New York City after a brief illness. He was 94.
During the span of his career in theater Libin produced more than 250 Broadway, Off Broadway and touring productions. He lead Circle in the Square Theatre for 62 years until his death, serving as Executive Vice President and Producing Director of Jujamcyn Theaters for 28 years until 2017, and was President of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for 24 years until 2018.
Just a small sampling of the productions staged under Libin’s watch: Death of a Salesman starring George C. Scott in 1975; St. Joan with Lynn Redgrave in 1977; Tina Howe’s Coastal Disturbances starring Timothy Daly and Annette Bening in 1987; and, just in the last few seasons, Slave Play, Funny Girl, Romeo + Juliet and, currently at Circle in the Square, Just In Time starring Jonathan Groff.
Born in Chicago in 1930, Libin served two years in the army and went on to graduate from Columbia University on the GI Bill. He launched his theatrical career by assisting scenic designer Jo Mielziner. In his early New York years, he worked as an actor, stage manager, general manager, and in 1958 he began his producing career with a revival of The Crucible at the Martinique Theatre.
In 1963 Libin partnered with Circle in the Square Theatre founder Theodore Mann, a handshake deal that lasted 49 years. Under their stewardship, the company mounted landmark productions including The Iceman Cometh, Uncle Vanya, Death of a Salesman, and True West, among other classic revivals, contemporary plays, and musicals.
After Mann’s death in 2012, Libin continued on as President of Circle in the Square Theatre.
In 1990, Libin also joined Jujamcyn Theaters as Executive Vice President and Producing Director, a position he held until his retirement from that role in 2017. During his tenure, he played a key role in shepherding groundbreaking works to Broadway such as Angels in America, The Producers, Fela! and Love! Valour! Compassion!.
Simultaneously, Libin served as President of Circle in the Square Theatre School, chaired The Broadway League from 2009 to 2011, and sat on numerous Tony Award committees, and other Broadway League governance and negotiating committees, as well as acting as trustee for several multi-employer pension funds for theatrical employees.
Among his most profound legacies was his work as President of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, where he oversaw remarkable growth in the organization’s philanthropic reach. At the time of his retirement in 2018, he was named the group’s first President Emeritus and honored with The Paul Libin Center at The Actors Fund. Discussing the formation of BC/EFA in reaction to the early days of the AIDS crisis, Libin famously remarked, “We couldn’t not do something.”
Throughout his prolific career, Libin was the recipient of the Eugene O’Neill Medallion, the Eugene O’Neill Foundation Tao House Award, and the Lucile Lortel Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award. He received 12 Tony Awards, including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre in 2013, and in 2016 was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.
In recent years, Libin remained actively engaged with the Broadway theater community, continuing his work with Circle in the Square Theatre School and presenting new hit productions at Circle in the Square Theatre, including An Enemy of the People, Romeo + Juliet, and currently, the critically acclaimed and audience favorite Just in Time.
Within the theater world, Libin was a beloved and admired raconteur, a kind of living encyclopedia of show biz lore. Paul Libin’s devotion to both the artistry and the humanity of the theater made an indelible mark on Broadway and stages beyond.
Susan Frankel, who worked with Libin for more than 40 years, will continue Circle’s tradition of innovative productions of revivals and new works, serving as Theater Operator and Chief Executive Officer of Circle in the Square Theatre, working with Managing Director Cheryl Dennis.
Libin is survived by his wife of 70 years, Florence Rowe Libin, his three children, Charles Libin and his wife Mindy Goldstein, Claire Libin, and Andrea Libin and her husband John High, and his grandchildren Travis Libin, Milah Libin, and Sasha High.
A celebration of his life will be announced at a later time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS or the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund).
