Marilyn Strauss
Founder
Marilyn Strauss was a former Broadway producer who co-produced five plays, earning a Tony award for the Irish drama Da, an Off-Broadway award (Obie) for Getting Out, and a Tony nomination for the musical Pump Boys and Dinettes.
While residing in NYC for ten years, she traveled through Europe and Asia, lecturing on American plays and theater producing. Ms. Strauss returned to Kansas City at the urging of a fellow producer, the legendary Joseph Papp, founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival. He gave her the mission to have her home town join the ranks of the 120 cities with Shakespeare festivals in North America. Ms. Strauss first started a support club, and refusing recompense, worked full time to create the only Shakespeare Festival in a three state area. Ms. Strauss passed away September 15, 2018. We will miss her light, but we will continue to build upon her vision and her dream.
