- Born
- Died
- Birth nameIrwin Leo Handman
- Handman studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City. Later he was the Artistic Director of The American Place Theatre, which he co-founded with Sidney Lanier and Michael Tolan in 1963. As a director, he was instrumental in bringing to the stage the early work of many of America's finest playwrights, including Sam Shepard.
He was also a noted teacher for over 50 years who trained many outstanding actors including: Alec Baldwin, James Caan, Chris Cooper, Michael Douglas, Mia Farrow, Richard Gere, Joel Grey, Allison Janney, Raul Julia, Frank Langella, Susan Lucci, Donna Mills, Burt Reynolds, Tony Roberts, Anna Deavere Smith, Mira Sorvino, Christopher Walken, and Denzel Washington.
- IMDb mini biography by: anonymous
- SpouseBarbara Ann "Bobbie" Schlein(1950 - November 14, 2013) (her death, 2 children)
- ChildrenLaura Rose HandmanLiza Eleanor Handman
- Was honored in 2013, at age 91, by many of the film stars whose acting careers he helped launch or nurture, including Dustin Hoffman, Frank Langella, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Matthew Modine, Chris Cooper and John Leguizamo.
- New York drama coach.
- At 91, was still conducting acting classes some 16 hours a week.
- Helped found the American Place Theater in New York City.
- His daughter Laura is married to prominent political consultant and former Clinton presidential aide Harold Ickes.
- I was drawn to [staging] challenging plays, plays that would not succeed commercially and therefore need a home. It was never in my mind to do a play that would become a hit. But that's what most New York theaters are all about today [2013].
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