born Oct. 15, 1924, Panama City, Pan.
died Feb. 26, 1999, New York, N.Y., U.S.
Panamanian-born U.S. theatrical director.
After studying theatre at theUniversity of Southern California, he directed his first play in 1949. He was a founder of the Off-Broadway theatre Circle in the Square, where he directed regularly from 1950, establishing the house as a major centre for serious theatre. His direction of Tennessee Williams 's Summer and Smoke (1952) confirmed his reputation and made a star of Geraldine Page . He was best known for his productions of 20th-century plays, especially those of Williams and Eugene O'Neill , including The Iceman Cometh (1956), Long Day's Journey into Night (1956), and A Moon for the Misbegotten (1973, Tony Award).