Long time secretary for the drama department of the New York Times, Clara Rotter, (1910-1992), was an influential fixture within the New York theatrical community for many years.
Rotter started working for the newspaper in 1945. She developed a close professional relationship with Brooks Atkinson, who was the chief drama critic of the Times throughout much of her own career. Among her many duties was the compilation of an annual list of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater productions, which was published under her byline for nine years. Atkinson, who died in 1984, bequeathed $2,500 to Miss Rotter, who donated the money to a fund to help emerging playwrights, which had been named in the critic's honor. In addition to her relationship with Atkinson, Rotter's position enabled her to develop friendships with many other notable figures, including the playwright Sean O'Casey, with whom she maintained a lengthy correspondence. She lived in Woodside, Queens, and retired from the Times in 1980, when she was 70. An interview with Rotter is included in The Line King (1997), a documentary about the theater caricaturist, Al Hirshfeld.
From the description of Clara Rotter papers, 1961-1984. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 123906708
