Bernard Gersten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernard Gersten
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Bernard Gersten at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, circa 1967
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| Born | January 30, 1923 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Died | April 27, 2020 (aged 97) New York, New York, U.S.
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| Occupation | Producer |
| Partner(s) | Cora Cahan |
Bernard Gersten (born January 30, 1923 – died April 27, 2020) was an American theatrical producer. He helped shape American plays and musicals from the 1960s to the early 2000s.
From 1960 to 1978, Gersten worked with Joseph Papp. He was an associate producer at the New York Shakespeare Festival. After that, he became the executive producer of Lincoln Center Theater. He worked there from 1985 until he retired in 2013. During his time, he helped create over 150 theater shows.
Bernard Gersten won many awards for his work. He received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2013. He also won fifteen other Tony Awards for the shows he produced.
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Who Was Bernard Gersten?
Bernard Gersten was a very important person in American theater. He helped bring many famous plays and musicals to life. He worked behind the scenes as a producer. This means he helped organize everything needed for a show. He made sure the plays were ready for audiences to enjoy.
Early Life and Family
Bernard Gersten grew up in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were Henrietta and Jacob Gersten. His father worked in clothes making and as a driver. Bernard grew up in a busy home with many relatives. His family was Jewish and very traditional.
Bernard became interested in theater when he was a teenager. He went to West Side High School. This is where his love for acting and plays began.
Serving in World War II
Bernard Gersten was attending Rutgers University when World War II started. He joined the military and was sent to Hawaii. While there, he saw a play called Macbeth. Famous actors like Maurice Evans and Dame Judith Anderson were in it.
This experience changed his path in the military. He started working on theater productions for the soldiers. This helped him learn important skills. He became good at managing stages and producing shows.
Starting a Career in Theater
After World War II, Bernard Gersten began his professional theater career. Maurice Evans, the actor from Macbeth, hired him. Bernard became the Assistant Stage Manager for a play called "GI Hamlet." This play toured across the U.S.
Later, Gersten joined the Actor's Lab in Los Angeles. There, he met Joseph Papp, who would become a key partner. In the late 1950s, he worked as a stage manager. This was at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. His last job as a stage manager was for the first shows of Funny Girl. This famous musical starred Barbra Streisand.
Standing Up for His Beliefs
In the 1940s and 1950s, Bernard Gersten was active in politics. He supported workers' unions. He also worked for Vice President Henry A. Wallace when he ran for president in 1948. Gersten also supported Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
Because of his political activities, he was investigated. He had to appear before a committee in 1958. Gersten chose not to answer their questions. This is called "pledging the 5th." Even though he was threatened, he did not lose his job. Important theater figures like John Houseman and Katharine Hepburn spoke up for him.
The New York Shakespeare Festival
In 1960, Joseph Papp asked Bernard Gersten to join him. They worked together at the New York Shakespeare Festival (NYSF). By 1964, it became a full-time job for Gersten. This started a long and successful partnership.
Papp and Gersten made the NYSF a leading non-profit theater. They put on many important shows. These included free plays by William Shakespeare in Central Park. They also produced shows at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont and Mitzi E. Newhouse theaters.
A New Era for Theater
The time Papp and Gersten worked together brought new life to playwriting and musical theater. Many famous writers and actors got their start at NYSF. These included writers like David Rabe and John Guare. Famous actors like James Earl Jones, Meryl Streep, and Al Pacino also performed there.
In 1968, Gersten married Cora Cahan. She was a dancer at the time. Cora Cahan later helped create The Joyce Theater. She also became president of The New 42nd Street. Bernard and Cora had two children, Jenny and Jilian.
Changing How Theater Works
One of Gersten's biggest ideas changed American theater. He realized that non-profit theaters could also make money. He found a way for NYSF to produce shows on Broadway. This meant they didn't have to rely on commercial producers.
This idea started when Two Gentlemen of Verona moved to Broadway in 1971. It became very successful with A Chorus Line. This new way of funding shows helped NYSF grow a lot. It also changed how other non-profit theaters worked across the country.
In 1978, Gersten and Papp decided to go their separate ways. Gersten wanted NYSF to produce a show called Ballroom. Papp disagreed and fired him. Gersten then produced Ballroom and Bosoms and Neglect on Broadway by himself.
Working in Film and Music Hall
In 1979, Francis Ford Coppola invited Gersten to work for his new company, Zoetrope Studios. Gersten became an Executive Vice President. He helped produce films like One From the Heart. He also helped with live orchestra shows of the film Napoléon.
After Zoetrope, Gersten worked for Radio City Music Hall. He was a Vice President there. He helped create live shows. One big show he produced was Porgy and Bess, which had a cast of 90 people.
Leading the Lincoln Center Theater
In 1985, the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center had been closed for four years. A group of leaders, including former New York Mayor John V. Lindsay, wanted to reopen it. They asked Bernard Gersten for advice.
Gersten suggested a plan to organize the theater. He was then hired as Executive Producer. Gregory Mosher joined as Artistic Director. Together, they led the new "Lincoln Center Theater". Under their leadership, the Vivian Beaumont and Mitzi E. Newhouse theaters became very successful. They produced more than twenty shows in five years.
A Strong Partnership
In 1991, Gregory Mosher left LCT. Gersten then invited Andre Bishop to become the new Artistic Director. Their partnership lasted for almost twenty years. Gersten and Bishop produced many award-winning shows. They focused on creating powerful and visually stunning theater. Many of their plays moved to Broadway or were produced directly for Broadway.
Bernard Gersten produced over 150 shows at LCT. These included famous plays like House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and A Delicate Balance. He also produced musicals like Sarafina and South Pacific. He supported many playwrights and directors.
Before he retired, Gersten helped build the new Claire Tow Theater. It was built on top of the Vivian Beaumont theater. He also helped create a special license plate for New York State. It says 'State of the Arts.' The money from these license plates helps support the arts in New York.
Awards and Recognition
Bernard Gersten received many awards for his amazing work in theater.
American Theater Hall of Fame
- Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame, 2003
Drama Desk Awards
- Drama Desk Special Award for Revitalizing the Lincoln Center Theater, 2012
Tony Awards
- Antoinette Perry Award (Tony) for Lifetime Achievement, 2013
- Sticks and Bones Associate Producer, Best Play, 1971
- Two Gentlemen of Verona Associate Producer, Best Musical, 1971
- That Championship Season Associate Producer, Best Play 1973
- A Chorus Line Associate Producer, Best Musical, 1976
- Anything Goes Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Musical, 1989
- Our Town Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Play, 1989
- Carousel Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Musical, 1994
- The Heiress Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Play, 1995
- A Delicate Balance Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Play, 1996
- Contact Executive Producer, Best Musical, 2000
- Awake and Sing Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Play, 2006
- The Coast of Utopia Executive Producer, Best Play, 2007
- South Pacific Executive Producer, Best Revival of a Musical, 2008
- War Horse Executive Producer, Best Play, 2011
- Clybourne Park Executive Producer, Best Play, 2012
- Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Executive Producer, Best Play, 2013
