Joe Papp

Joe created the Public Theatre & Shakespeare in the Park, which provided a suburb boy like me with great free big-city entertainment – he also gave great parties on opening nights downtown on Lafayette Street.

While working as a freelance script reader, I went to one of these parties (perhaps A Chorus Line?) after a motorcycle accident, which left my suit torn at the knees, & my right hand pretty torn up, so I put my cutlery in my jacket pocket as I was serving myself at the buffet. With a twinkle in his eye, & a glance at my pants, Joe quipped that though we were welcome to eat all we wanted (which came in handy on freelance pay), the knives, forks, & plates were rented, so he’d appreciate my leaving them for the caterers: A Chorus Line went on to receive very good reviews from the early edition of the New York Times.

John Wander, April, 2019