Lynn Michaels, 83, a.d. of Open Space Theater
A longtime leader of the Off Off Broadway scene, Michaels began working in legit in the late 1940s as a producer, helmer and actress. In 1956 she produced Brecht's "The Private Lives of the Master Race," which won an Obie award.
She and her husband, the late designer and painter Harry Baum, founded and owned the St. Marks Playhouse, which hosted shows including Jean Genet's "The Blacks: A Clown Show" and LeRoi Jones' "The Slave/The Toilet."
In the 1970s, Michaels began the non-profit company Open Space Theater Experiment, which not only produced at St. Mark's Playhouse but also was responsible for creating the SoHo theater space that is now the Ohio Theater.
Alums of Michaels' theater include James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson and Dustin Hoffman. In 1987, Open Space produced a well-received production of Ionesco's "Bald Soprano" that starred John Turturro and was directed by Joseph Chaikin.
More recently, Michaels lectured on the history of Off Off Broadway at NYU. She is survived by a brother, a niece and a nephew.
