Arthur Kopit, the avant-garde playwright who thrust Off Broadway into a new era with the absurdist satirical farce “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad” and earned Tony Award nominations for two wildly different plays, “Indians” and “Wings,” and the musical “Nine,” died on Friday at his home in Manhattan. His death was announced by a spokesman, Rick Miramontez, who did not specify the cause. In 1962, when “Oh Dad, Poor Dad” opened at the 300-seat Phoenix Theater on East 74th Street, American popular culture was shifting. There was often vehement disagreement about Mr. Kopit’s work. The script included the rape of one Native American and the casual murder (for sport) of another.

Source: New York Times April 03, 2021 14:26 UTC