In this podcast series I’ll be one on one with designers, playwrights, directors and actors
and we’ll be discussing the lives and careers of legendary theater luminaries and how their work developed.
The Golden Age of Theater Criticism: TOPIC: Brooks Atkinson GUESTS: Pat Kelly & Jerome Weeks
Brooks Atkinson was born on November 28, 1894 in Melrose,Massachusetts. Mr. Atkinson was appointed chief drama critic for the NY Times in 1925 a post he held until 1960 when he began writing a broader column for the Times titled “Critic at Large’ which focused on nature, environment, and personal essays. During WW2 he spent two years reporting from China and in 1945 he wrote a series of articles from Moscow for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. In 1956 he was awarded a Tony Award for distinguished contributions to the theater and in 1960 the Mansfiled Theater was re named the Brooks Atkinson Theater. Arthur Miller said: “ There cannot have been another theater critic as trusted as Brooks Atkinson was by so large a proportion of the theater going public. He is the only critic who can be said to have presided over Broadway. He was theConscience of the Theater." Brooks Atkinson died on January 14, 1984 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Patrick Kelly is Professor of Drama Emeritus at the University of Dallas where, with Judy Kelly his wife, they taught forforty-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 morethan 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, and American Theatre magazine.
2 May 2026
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.
2 May 2026
The Golden Age of Theater Criticism: TOPIC: Part One 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 as Arthur 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.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
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3.7 / 5
3 ratings
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