Jules Irving (né Julius Israel; April 13, 1925 â€" July 28, 1979) was
an American actor, director, educator, and producer, who in the 1950s
co-founded the San Francisco Actor's Workshop. When the Actor's
Workshop closed in 1966, Irving moved to New York City and became the
first Producing Director of the Repertory Company of the Vivian
Beaumont Theater of Lincoln Center.In 1955, the Actor's Workshop was
the first West Coast theater to sign an Equity "Off-Broadway"
contract. Irving had started the Workshop with fellow New Yorker
Herbert Blau, whom he knew from undergraduate days at New York
University and then during graduate study at Stanford University. Both
men were both professors at San Francisco State, Irving, in the Drama
department and Blau in English.Irving was from childhood deeply
involved in theater, supported in this by his family along with his
older brother Richard, despite a degree of religious reservation
inculcated by bizarre bearded Russian/Yiddish-speaking rabbinical
teachers that dis-inspired what Irving called a "lost generation" of
the children of Jewish immigrants.He was active in school shows and
made his Broadway debut at the age of thirteen in George S. Kaufman's
The American Way. He joined the army in 1943, serving in the infantry
during the Battle of the Bulge and as a Russian translator when his
unit met Soviet forces. After V-E Day, he transferred to Special
Services and had the opportunity to hone his theater managerial skills
as he organized camp shows under Joshua Logan.
an American actor, director, educator, and producer, who in the 1950s
co-founded the San Francisco Actor's Workshop. When the Actor's
Workshop closed in 1966, Irving moved to New York City and became the
first Producing Director of the Repertory Company of the Vivian
Beaumont Theater of Lincoln Center.In 1955, the Actor's Workshop was
the first West Coast theater to sign an Equity "Off-Broadway"
contract. Irving had started the Workshop with fellow New Yorker
Herbert Blau, whom he knew from undergraduate days at New York
University and then during graduate study at Stanford University. Both
men were both professors at San Francisco State, Irving, in the Drama
department and Blau in English.Irving was from childhood deeply
involved in theater, supported in this by his family along with his
older brother Richard, despite a degree of religious reservation
inculcated by bizarre bearded Russian/Yiddish-speaking rabbinical
teachers that dis-inspired what Irving called a "lost generation" of
the children of Jewish immigrants.He was active in school shows and
made his Broadway debut at the age of thirteen in George S. Kaufman's
The American Way. He joined the army in 1943, serving in the infantry
during the Battle of the Bulge and as a Russian translator when his
unit met Soviet forces. After V-E Day, he transferred to Special
Services and had the opportunity to hone his theater managerial skills
as he organized camp shows under Joshua Logan.
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