Joe Papp in Five Acts

Enter the world of #JoePapp, founder of @PublicTheaterNY and Free Shakespeare in the Park, who believed great art is for everyone. #JoePappFilm #AmericanMastersPBS #PBSForTheArts

In 1854, John Jacob Astor bequeathed $400k to establish a public library in NYC. Demand was so great that a 2nd + then 3rd were added. In 1895, the collection moved uptown to what would become the celebrated main branch of @nypl, while the DT bldg would become @PublicTheaterNY.

During WWII, #JoePapp put on vaudeville sketches for fellow sailors. Also on his ship was a young sailor, #BobFosse, who Papp took under his wing. Fosse's time in the Navy opened the door to a lifelong career in theater (including ALL THAT JAZZ). The same was true for Papp.

#Hair, now considered a classic, was not universally loved when it first opened in 1967. Responses to a @PublicTheaterNY such as the following weren't uncommon: "Two thousand years of dramatic literature and you chose this one! It's not art! It's not even entertaining."

.@StanleyKubrick cast George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove after seeing him as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 1962, the very 1st production of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Kubrick also cast James Earl Jones who played the Prince of Morocco in the same production.

“He didn’t level the playing field. He destroyed it.” - Martin Sheen via @NYDailyNews #JoePappFilm nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-josep…

[3/3] "The most important thing to me is how much this represents what he believed in — which is that art can be transformative, it can be a bridge, and he made it one...” Filmmaker @KThorsenFilm introducing #JoePappFilm at last night’s screening.

[2/3] “I hope you’ll leave here tonight with Joe Papp’s feisty, fighting spirit — he never gave up. And I charge everyone here tonight…we have a fight ahead of us. We all need to stand up and not back out of the fight.” Filmmaker @tresgrey introducing #JoePappFilm.

[1/3] What a beautiful evening in the park! Thank you to everyone who came out to “Movies Under the ✨” at @bushwickinlet and watched #JoePappFilm with us.

🗓 Save the date: @museumbroadway, NYC’s newest museum, opens in the heart of Times Square on November 15, 2022! forbes.com/sites/irenelev…

🎥 Under the ✨🌙✨ Join us TONIGHT for a screening event of #JoePappFilm @bushwickinlet to celebrate the birthday of #JoePapp. Details: bit.ly/3mW1KLu

Have you ever had dreams of starring in a #Broadway show and singing your heart out to hundreds of people in a packed NYC theater? @mariescrisis wsls.com/features/2022/…

🎥 Under the ✨🌙✨ has been rescheduled (due to weather) for June 30th! Join us for a screening event of #JoePappFilm @bushwickinlet to celebrate the birthday of #JoePapp. Details: bit.ly/3mW1KLu

Christopher Walken as Iago and Raul Julia as Othello in a scene from the New York Shakespeare Central Park production of #Othello. #JoePappFilm

According to Martin Sheen, the credit — or, as he jokes, blame — for his longevity in the business can be traced back to #JoePapp. Read more via @YahooEnt: yahoo.com/entertainment/…

NEW DATE 🎥 Under the ✨🌙✨ Join us for a screening event of #JoePappFilm @bushwickinlet to celebrate the birthday of #JoePapp. Details: bit.ly/3mW1KLu

This summer @PublicTheaterNY is celebrating 60 years — and more than 150 productions — of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater. cbsnews.com/newyork/news/s…

🎥 Under the ✨🌙✨ has been rescheduled! Join us for a screening event of #JoePappFilm @bushwickinlet to celebrate the birthday of #JoePapp. Details: bit.ly/3mW1KLu

"He conceived of theater as a public utility, like tap water, city parks, or the library." #JoePappFilm is now streaming on PBS. pbs.org/wnet/americanm…

"In a bold new production, the director @robertwicke finds resonances in #Shakespeare’s canonical play which make it feel made for this moment." - @Rebeccamead_NYC newyorker.com/magazine/2022/…