author
Edward Goodman
1888–1962
A lively figure in early 20th-century American theater, this writer-director helped shape New York’s experimental stage scene and later worked in film as well. His career moved easily between criticism, production, and playwriting.
1 Audiobook
Washington Square Plays
by Lewis Beach, Alice Gerstenberg, Edward Goodman, Philip Moeller
About the author
Born in New York City in 1888, Edward Goodman built a varied career as a writer, director, producer, and critic. Reliable archival and library sources describe him as an important part of New York theater life, especially in the early decades of the 20th century.
He was associated with the Washington Square Players during World War I and is credited with helping found The Stagers in the 1920s, an acting company that supported new talent. Records from the New York Public Library and library reference pages also note that his papers preserve letters, writings, photographs, and scrapbooks documenting his theatrical work.
Goodman later worked in film as well as theater, and he remained a recognizable behind-the-scenes presence in American performing arts until his death in New York City in 1962.