Brooks McNamara

Brooks McNamara (1937–2009) was a notable theater historian, professor, and editor of The Drama Review.

McNamara earned his PhD in theater arts at Tulane University, where he became an academic colleague of Richard Schechner and an active contributor to the Tulane Drama Review (TDR). McNamara served as an Associate Editor of TDR while he taught theater history in the Drama Department at the University of Delaware, 1966-1968. At Tulane, Schechner had crystallized a set of principles to describe environmental theater. McNamara illustrated many of them in his set design for Delaware academic colleague, William Bruehl's production of Faustus.

Meanwhile, Schechner and Tulane Drama Review's editorial offices moved to NYU, where TDR was renamed The Drama Review. On relocation to NYU, Schechner played a leading role in forming The Performance Group, which, in the Fall of 1968, began presenting "Dionysus in '69," a contemporary revisitation of Euripides' The Bacchae as Environmental Theater. For "Dionysus in '69," McNamara had designed a revolutionary set, which transformed the audience into citizens of the Greek city of Thebes and flowed the play's action over, through, and among them. In September, 1968, just before the play opened, McNamara joined Schechner in teaching at NYU's Graduate Drama Department.

McNamara was instrumental in the transformation of that NYU Department into the Performance Studies Department, which was officially launched in 1980. He founded the Shubert Archives in 1976 and served as Director for 20 years. McNamara's research, writing, and curatorial pursuits resulted in numerous publications, exhibitions, productions, and archival collections. His life work spans the areas of theatre history, popular entertainments, public celebrations, and New York performance history. After retiring in 1996, McNamara remained Professor Emeritus of Performance Studies and Director Emeritus of the Shubert Archive.

McNamara died in May 2009.

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