Robert Lewis (director)

Robert Lewis
Born	(1909-03-16)March 16, 1909 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died	November 23, 1997(1997-11-23) (aged 88) Manhattan, New York, United States
Cause of death	Heart failure
Occupations	actor director author drama/acting teacher studio co-founder
Years active	1931–1997

Robert Lewis (March 16, 1909 – November 23, 1997) was an American actor, director, teacher and author. He was the founder of the influential Actors Studio in New York in 1947.

Directed plays

• My Hearts in the Highlands (1939) by William Saroyan;
• Brigadoon (1947) by Alan Jay Lerner;
• Regina (1949);
• The Happy Time (1950);
• An Enemy of the People (1950);
• The Grass Harp (1952);
• The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953), winner of the Tony Award for Best Play and New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Director;
• Witness for the Prosecution (1954) from Agatha Christie;
• Mister Johnson (1956);
• Jamaica (1957);
• The Hidden River (1957);
• Handful of Fire (1958);
• Chéri (1959);
• Kwamina (1961);
• Foxy (1964);
• Traveller Without Luggage (1964);
• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965); and
• Harold and Maude (1980).

Written works

• Method — Or Madness?, 1958, Samuel French ISBN 0-573-69033-2
• Advice To The Players, 1980, Stein and Day ISBN 1-55936-003-8
• Slings And Arrows: Theater In My Life, 1984, Harper & Row ISBN 1-55783-244-7

Other websites

• Robert Lewis on IMDb
• Actors Studio history
• Extensive Robert Lewis Special Collections Archive at Kent State University