The Rep plans memorial to honor late artistic director Steven Woolf

The+Rep+plans+memorial+to+honor+late+artistic+director+Steven+Woolf

Sarah Brandt

Eric Berger, Associate Editor

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis will honor its longtime artistic director Steven Woolf in a public memorial at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Loretto-Hilton Center in Webster Groves.

Woolf, who was Jewish, died July 12 at age 75 from advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (Read the Light’s story about Woolf’s life here.)

Woolf served as artistic director of the Rep from 1986 until his retirement in 2019.

“Remembering Steven – Celebrating A Life in the Theatre,” will also be live streamed for those unable to attend in person. Details on the live stream will be posted on The Rep’s website before the event.

Seating is limited. The Rep requests that attendees RSVP in advance. Those interested in attending should RSVP here. The Rep will observe its COVID safety guidelines.

Attendees must bring a photo ID and proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test.

During his long career at the Rep, Woolf’s resume of plays created by Jewish artists or documenting the Jewish experience included “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Death of a Salesman,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and “Oslo.”

In 2011, Woolf also directed a New Jewish Theatre production of “Awake and Sing!” about a Jewish family struggling with poverty in 1930s New York.

“He hit every nail on the head beautifully, and it was just a well-constructed play, and he did a great production of it,” said Edward Coffield, artistic director of the New Jewish Theatre and a former production manager at the Rep, who worked with Woolf for almost three decades. “He took the same care of that production as he did for the 300-something productions I saw him produce at the Rep.”