Prior to the 60th Anniversary season of the Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park, American Masters spotlights the Public's late founder, Joseph Papp.
American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts, which chronicles the producer of groundbreaking productions like Hair, A Chorus Line, and for colored girls…, debuts June 3 at 9 PM ET on PBS stations around the country (check local listings) as well as at PBS.org and on the PBS Video app.
Featuring footage from the '50s to Papp’s death in 1991, Joe Papp in Five Acts tells Papp's story without narration. His accomplishments and often tumultuous personal history are told by the artists he worked with, including James Earl Jones, Kevin Kline, Larry Kramer, Mandy Patinkin, Martin Sheen, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, and George C. Wolfe. The film originally premiered in 2012 at Tribeca Film Festival.
American Masters: Joe Papp in Five Acts, directed and produced by Tracie Holder and Karen Thorson, is a production of The Papp Project, LLC in association with American Masters Pictures. Susan Lacy and Michael Kantor are executive producers for American Masters.
Now in its 36th season on PBS, American Masters illuminates the lives and creative journeys of our nation’s most enduring artistic giants through compelling, unvarnished stories.
