Lawrence Langner

Lawrence Langner

Lawrence Langner (May 30, 1890 – 1962) was a playwright, author, and producer who also pursued a career as a patent attorney.

Life

The board of directors of the Theatre Guild (from left): Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Theresa Helburn, Maurice Wertheim, Helen Westley, Lee Simonson (1923)

Born near Swansea, South Wales and working most of his life in the United States, he started his theatrical career as one of the founders of the Washington Square Players troupe in 1914. He was also involved in patent law and founded the National Inventors Council.

In 1919 he founded the Theatre Guild, where he supervised over 200 productions. He was also founder and Chairman of the American Shakespeare Festival, and with his wife, Armina Marshall, he created and operated the Westport Country Playhouse.

Besides theatre, Lawrence Langner wrote several books, including an autobiography, titled Magic Curtain. He was awarded the 1958 Tony Award for best play production (together with his wife and partners, Theresa Helburn and Dore Schary) for Sunrise at Campobello.

Best known works

  • The Pursuit of Happiness
  • Sunrise at Campobello
  • Magic Curtain (autobiography)
  • The Importance of Wearing Clothes

References

  • Ladas & Parry (Intellectual Property Firm) - A Brief History
  • Langner, Lawrence (1961). The Magic Curtain: The Story of a Life in Two Fields, Theatre and Invention (1st ed.). New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, Inc.
  • Scott Langston, "Exodus in Early Twentieth Century America: Charles Reynolds Brown and Lawrence Langner," in Michael Lieb, Emma Mason and Jonathan Roberts (eds), The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible (Oxford, OUP, 2011), 433–446.
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