American Place Theatre Co-Founder Wynn Handman, a Revered Acting Teacher, Dies at 97

Wynn Handman, co-founder of the The American Place Theatre, died at the age of 97 on April 11 at his home in Manhattan. According to Deadline, the esteemed acting teacher died of complications due to coronavirus.

Founded in 1963 by Handman, Sidney Lanier and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church on 46th Street, The American Place Theatre paved the way for playwright Sam Shepard as well as actors like Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, John Leguizamo, Robert de Niro, Morgan Freeman, Richard Gere, Joel Grey, Michael Douglas, Olympia Dukakis and more in the early days of their careers. In 1964, the theater company staged its first full production of Robert Lowell's Obie-winning The Old Glory, directed by Jonathan Miller and starring Lester Rawlins, Roscoe Lee Browne and now four-time Tony winner Frank Langella.

In 1971, APT moved to a new location on 46th Street, which is now the Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre, going on to launch the American Humorists' Series in 1974 and The Women's Project in 1978. Founded by Julia Miles, the latter would become the WP Theater, an off-Broadway champion for female playwrights and directors.

In the 1990s, APT shifted its efforts to educational programming. The Literature to Life program, which featured Handman's acting students presenting professionally staged adaptations of literary works like The Secret Life of Bee's, Glass Castle and many more, launched in 1994. The organization would continue to exist as an educational institution even after its final production. Handman continued to run the theater, teach and direct a number of productions.

As an esteemed teacher of the craft of acting, Handman's roster of students included household names like Alec Baldwin, Mia Farrow, Allison Janney, Christopher Walken, Denzel Washington and more.Handman had continued teaching select classes as recently as March 9 before the coronavirus epidemic forced the suspension of group gatherings. His former student, Billy Lyons, will reportedly continue working with students. Lyons' documentary about Handman, It Takes A Lunatic, is available on Netflix. Handman's career is also documented in Jeremy Gerard's book Wynn Place Show: A Biased History of the Rollicking Life and Extreme Times of Wynn Handman and The American Place Theatre.

Handman is survived by his daughters, Laura and Liza, and their families.