- Russ Tutterow
Sad news from Chicago Dramatists: its longtime artistic director Russ Tutterow died today, after a battle with cancer. A beloved director and stalwart of the Chicago theater scene, Tutterow was a widely recognized nurturer of playwrights and champion of new work.
Tutterow served as Artistic Director at Chicago Dramatists for 30 years, establishing it as an acclaimed hub for the development and production of new work. He worked with hundreds of playwrights, including Rebecca Gilman, Tina Fey, Sarah Ruhl, Keith Huff, Lydia R. Diamond, Tanya Saracho, Brett Neveu, Rick Cleveland, David Barr and Roger Rueff among others. His directing credits include Chicago Dramatists’ world premiere productions of:
· Voyeurs de Venus by Lydia R. Diamond (Jeff Award for New Work)
“Chicago Dramatists is Russ’s legacy and we will honor his memory in the years to come,” said Neill Shanahan, President of the Board for Chicago Dramatists. “We will continue Russ’s lifelong work in developing new playwrights and plays, and make sure that this organization that meant so much to him continues to thrive. We will miss our friend.”
