- Richard L. Coe
Richard Livingston Coe (1914-1995) was a longtime theatre critic for
The Washington Post . Coe was renowned for the astute advice he gave to many pre-Broadway try-out companies. His adroit and knowledgeable commentary is credited with persuading producers to make changes vital to the ultimate success of "Hello, Dolly!", "West Side Story ", "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum " and many other shows. Coe's enormous love of the theatre made him fierce when he thought thatactor s, directors or producers had not lived up to their best potential, but more often it made him sensitive to the nuances of good work, supportive of the best endeavors, and wise in educating audiences and encouraging their support of the live theatre.One of the more notable contributions to Washington theatre by Coe, among others, are Coe's early efforts, and editorial participation to establish a theatre worthy of the nation's capital. That theatre, after many years of indecisiveness, is known today as The
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts inWashington, D.C. . He is also credited for being a major voice in the effort to end racial discrimination of African Americans attending TheNational Theatre (Washington, D.C.) , prior to thecivil rights movement in the United States.Coe was a close friend of Washington and actress,
Helen Hayes , "First Lady of the American Theatre", and was contacted by a group of individuals seeking to secure her participation in establishing [http://www.helenhayes.org/sub/more.cfm?id=history The Helen Hayes Awards] , also inWashington, D.C. Coe received the Critic of the Year award by the [http://www.dga.org/index2.php3 Directors Guild of America] in 1963, and is an inductee in [http://www.thecollegeoffellows.org/html/members.html The College of Fellows of the American Theatre] . He became Theatre Critic
Emeritus ofThe Washington Post in 1979.He was preceded in death by his wife, journalist
Christine Sadler , formerWashington Post staff writer and Washington editor ofMcCall's Magazine .External links
* [http://www.stevemoore.addr.com/hayescoe.gifPhoto of Richard Coe and Helen Hayes ("Steve Moore")]
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