Joan Cullman | |
---|---|
Born | Joan Paley 1932
Far Rockaway,
Queens, New York, US |
Died | March 18, 2004 (aged 72) Tryall,
Jamaica |
Education | B.A. Brooklyn College |
Occupation | Philanthropist |
Known for | Broadway producer |
Spouse(s) | Barnard Sachs Straus (divorced) Joseph F. Cullman III |
Children | 2 |
Family | Nathan Straus Jr. (father-in-law) |
Joan Paley Straus Cullman (1932–2004) was an American philanthropist and Tony award Broadway producer.
Born Joan Paley to a Jewish family in 1932 in Far Rockaway, Queens, she is a graduate of Brooklyn College. [1] [2] [3] She has one brother, Leon Paley. [1] After school, she worked for Stan Lee of comic book fame. [1] [2] She went on to produce nine Broadway shows including Yasmina Reza's Art, (1998) which won the Tony and New York Drama Critics Circle awards for best play; David Hare's Tony-nominated Skylight (1996); Tony-nominated Sweet Smell of Success (2002); Tony-nominated The Play What I Wrote (2004); The Rink, a musical written by Terrence McNally with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb; David Hare's The Judas Kiss; Carmelina; [1] Amy's View; Oh, Brother!; Mademoiselle Colombe; and Caroline, or Change. [2]
Since 1985, Cullman served on the board of the Lincoln Center Theater and most recently as vice chairman; she founded the Joan Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity, which has been presented to the likes of Tom Stoppard, Stockard Channing, Julie Taymor, and Spalding Gray. [1] [2]
Paley was married twice. Her first marriage to Barnard Sachs Straus (son of Nathan Straus Jr. and grandson of Bernard Sachs) ended in divorce; they had two children, Tracy Straus Postel and Barnard S. Straus Jr. [4] [5] Her second marriage was to Joseph F. Cullman III. [4] [6] They divorced soon after marrying but moved back in together after several years and remarried in 1988. [7] On March 18, 2004, she died of a heart attack at her vacation home in Tryall, Jamaica. [1]