Foster, Paul, 1931-....

Playwright; graduated from Rutgers University in 1954 and subsequently attended New York University Law School and St. John's University Law School; worked in legal department of Combustion Engineering, 1956-1960; met Ellen Stewart in 1962 and helped her to found Cafe La Mama (later La Mama E.T.C.) the same year; wrote "Hurrah for the Bridge" (produced first in 1964 at Caffe Cino and Cafe La Mama) and other one act plays: "The Recluse" (1964), "Balls" (1964) and "The Hessian Corporal" (1966), as well as The Madonna in the Orchard (first produced 1965 at La Mama), Tom Paine (1967), !Heimskringla! (1969), Satyricon (1972), Elizabeth 1 (1972), Silver Queen Saloon (1973), Marcus Brutus (1975), A Kiss is Just a Kiss (1983) and The Dark and Mr. Stone (1985-1986); received Rockefeller Foundation, New York Council on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts grants to support his playwriting; also wrote several screenplays on commission and collaborated on translations from German of plays by Helmut Peschina and Odon von Horvath; traveled extensively outside the United States, including European tours with the La Mama Touring Company in the late 1960s and lecture tours sponsored by the U.S. State Department (in conjunction with European performances of his plays) during the 1970s; served on the board and as president of La Mama E.T.C. Full name: Paul Stephen Foster.