John Henry Lahr (born July 12, 1941) is an American theater critic and writer. From 1992 to 2013, he was a staff writer and the senior drama critic at ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''. He has written more than twenty books related to theater. Lahr has been called "one of the greatest biographers writing today".

Early life

Lahr was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to a Jewish family. He is the son of Mildred "Millie" Schroeder, a

Ziegfeld girl Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. Descripti ...

, and

Bert Lahr Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the MGM adaptation of ...

, an actor and comedian most famous for portraying the

Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...

in '' The Wizard of Oz''. When his father left movies for the stage, the family moved from their home in

Coldwater Canyon Coldwater Canyon is a canyon running perpendicular to and over the central Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A section of the canyon south of Mulholland Drive is also a neighborhood in the Beverly Crest Neig ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Until his father was on the cover of ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine when Lahr was in grade school, he did not know what his father did for a living. Lahr wrote:

On stage, Dad was sensational; in private he was sensationally taciturn: a brooding absent presence, to be encountered mostly in his bedroom chair at his desk, turned away from us, with his blue Sulka bathrobe knotted under his pot belly. The Bert Lahr my sister and I call "Dad" is the ravishing performer, not the indifferent parent. We loved him; we just couldn't reach him. The public got his best self—inspired, full of prowess—the family got the rest. At home, Dad was depressed, bewildered, hidden; in front of the paying customers, however, he was buoyant and truthful—a bellowing, cavorting genius who could reduce audiences to a level of glee so intense that from the wings I once saw a man stuff a handkerchief in his mouth to stop laughing.

However, Lahr did spend a lot of time with his father at theaters playing with props and costumes."Bright lights; John Lahr on the theatre". ''The Economist'', vol. 416, no. 8955, September 12, 2015, p. 80. ''Gale General OneFile'', Accessed May 18, 2022. His childhood was also filled with access to Hollywood and Vaudeville celebrities who were his father's friends, such as

Eddie Foy Jr. Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. (February 4, 1905 – July 15, 1983), known professionally as Eddie Foy Jr., was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. was born on February 4, 1905, in New Rochelle, New York, the ...

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

, and

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary ''Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

. Lahr received a B.A. from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. While there, he was a member of the literary fraternity of

St. Anthony Hall St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on , the Calendar of saints, feast day of Anthony the Great, Saint Anthony the Great. The frater ...

and was an editor of the ''

Yale Daily News The ''Yale Daily News'' is an independent student newspaper published by Yale University students in New Haven, Connecticut since January 28, 1878. It is the oldest college daily newspaper in the United States. The ''Yale Daily News'' has consis ...

''. He also has a master's degree from

Worcester College, Oxford University Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

Career

Theater

Lahr started his career managing theaters. In 1968, he was a literary adviser to the

Guthrie Theatre The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gut ...

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He was an advisor to the

Vivian Beaumont Theatre The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont is the only Broad ...

Manhattan, New York Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

from 1969 to 1971. He also was a literary consultant for the Lincoln Center's Repertory Theater in the 1970s. He has adapted several books for the stage; these plays were performed at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, the

Mark Taper Forum The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighboring ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, the Royal Exchange in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, and in the West End of London. In 2002, he co-wrote

Elaine Stritch Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...

's one-woman show ''

Elaine Stritch at Liberty ''Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' is an autobiographical one-woman show written by Elaine Stritch and John Lahr, and produced by George C. Wolf, which is composed of anecdotes from Stritch's life, as well as showtunes and Broadway standards that mirr ...

''. He and Stritch won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

and the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for Outstanding Book of a Musical for the show. However, Lahr sued Strich, claiming she "cheated him of profits" from the play.

Critic and writer

Lahr became a contributing editor to '' Evergreen Review'' in 1967. At the same time, he was a freelance theater critic for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' and as a general theater editor for Grove Press. He has also written for ''

British Vogue British ''Vogue'' is a British fashion magazine published based in London since autumn 1916. It is the British edition of the American magazine ''Vogue'' and is owned and distributed by Condé Montrose Nast. British ''Vogue'' editor in 2012 c ...

'', ''

BroadwayWorld BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City covering Broadway, Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres ...

'', the ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...

'', ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

'', ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...

'', ''

The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naid ...

'', ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip ...

'', ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...

'', and ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

''. In 1992, when he was fifty years old, Lahr became a staff writer and a senior drama critic at ''

'' magazine. He wrote profiles, reviews, and behind-the-scenes portraits. He also began reviewing regional and international theater, expanding the magazine's coverage beyond Broadway for the first time. His profiles are biographies consisting of 8,000 to 10,000 words. Each article takes him three to four months to write and research. Throughout his time at ''

'', Lahr profiled more than forty actors, including

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

Roseanne Barr Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and former presidential candidate. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom '' Roseanne'' (1988– ...

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known ...

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

Eddie Izzard Edward John Izzard (; born 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime. Izzard's stand- ...

Tony Kushner Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spher ...

Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...

, and Al Pachino. On unique aspect of a profile by him is that "Lahr typically receives more access to his subjects than they've ever allowed before. Just as he wants to write about them, they want to be written about in his magazine." For example,

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...

gave his mother's telephone number to Lahr. In 2000, his compilation book, ''Show and Tell: New Yorker Profiles'', included a profile of his mother who was a

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...

girl. Lahr's most recent book, ''Joy Ride: Show People and Their Shows'' in the US (2015), is a collection of his ''New Yorker'' profiles on playwrights and directors, as well as some of his reviews of their work. He retired from ''The New Yorker'' in 2013. His 21-year stint is the longest in the magazine's history. He is currently a chief theater critic emeritus of ''The New Yorker'' and writes two profiles a year.

Film

In 1987, Lahr co-produced ''

Prick Up Your Ears ''Prick Up Your Ears'' is a 1987 British film, directed by Stephen Frears, about the playwright Joe Orton and his lover Kenneth Halliwell. The screenplay was written by Alan Bennett, based on the 1978 biography by John Lahr. The film stars Gar ...

'', a film version of his 1978 book about a British playwright, ''Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton''. Lahr was portrayed in the film by

Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...

. Lahr has also written movie scripts, including the short film '' Sticky My Fingers...Fleet My Feet'' which was nominated for a 1971 Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Live Action Subjects.

Author

When Lahr was 21 years old, he decided to connect to his father by writing a biography. Eight years later, he finished the biography called ''Notes on a Cowardly Lion'', the week before his father died. Since then, he has written many other books, including the novels ''and''

biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

of theatrical figures. His biographies include the Australian comedian

Barry Humphries John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film prod ...

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...

, and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

. In 1994, Lahr published an expose in ''The New Yorker'' detailing the behavior of Lady Maria St. Just, the literary executor of playwright

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

's estate. Lahr's profile helped Lyle Leverich publish ''Tom: The Unknown Tennessee Williams'' after "a five-year legal stranglehold" by St. Just. In 2000, Leverich died while working on a planned second volume about Williams, and named Lahr as his successor in this project; Lahr agreed to complete book, covering Williams from 1945 to his death in 1983. Lahr's stand-alone biography, '' Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh'', was published in 2014. In the United States, the biography won the

National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

Vursell Award, and the

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted i ...

for the best gay biography. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, it won the 2015

Sheridan Morley Prize Sheridan may refer to: People Surname *Sheridan (surname) *Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named *Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician ...

for Theatre Biography.

Awards

Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headq ...

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

(2015) *

for Theatre Biography – '' Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh'' (2015) *

for Gay Memoir/Biography – '' Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh'' (2014) *

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

Finalist,

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...

– '' Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh'' (2014) *

for Special Theatrical Event – ''

'' (2002) *

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. For two years, in addition to the award f ...

– ''Elaine Stritch at Liberty'' (2002) *

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

Deems Taylor Award Joseph Deems Taylor (December 22, 1885 – July 3, 1966) was an American music critic, composer, and promoter of classical music. Nat Benchley, co-editor of ''The Lost Algonquin Roundtable'', referred to him as "the dean of American music." Ear ...

for Writers, Editors, Publishers — for his work for ''The New Yorker'' (1998) * ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for Writers, Editors, Publishers — for ''Sinatra's Song'' (1997) *

George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism The George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism is administered by the Cornell University Department of English and presented "to the American who has written the best piece of drama criticism during the theatrical year (July 1 to June 30), ...

– for reviews in ''

'' (1993–1994) * Roger Machell Prize for the best book on the performing arts – ''Dame Edna Everage and the Rise of Western Civilization'' (1992) * ASCAP

for Writers, Editors, Publishers — for his work with ''The New Republic'' (1982) *

– for "In Search of a New Mythology", '' Evergreen Review'', January 1969 and reviews in ''

'' (1968–1968) * The National Arts Club Medal of Honor for Achievement in Theatre * Yale writing prize * American Film Institute Award * ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' Fellowship

Personal life

In July 1965, Lahr became engaged to Anthea Mander of

Wightwick Manor The legacy of a family's passion for Victorian art and design, Wightwick Manor (pronounced "Wittick") is a Victorian manor house located on Wightwick Bank, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. Owned by the National Trust since 1937, the Manor ...

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

who he met while they both were attending Oxford University. She was the daughter of the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician, art patron and industrialist Sir

Geoffrey Mander Sir Geoffrey Le Mesurier Mander (6 March 1882 – 9 September 1962) was a Midland industrialist and chairman of Mander Brothers Ltd., paint and varnish manufacturers in Wolverhampton, England, an art collector and Liberal parliamentarian. Ea ...

. They married on August 12, 1965, at St. Peter's Church in

Eaton Square Eaton Square is a rectangular, residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is the largest square in London. It is one of the three squares built by the landowning Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia ...

. They also had a second wedding in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

for Lahr's parents who were unable to travel to England. After their marriage, they lived in New York City. They had a son named Christopher. Lahr moved to London in 1973. While he was still working for ''The New Yorker'', he divided his time between the two cities, spending two weeks in

a month, returning home to London for the rest of the month. Rather than maintaining a residence in New York, he rented the maid's room of producer

Margo Lion Margo Allison Lion (October 13, 1944 – January 24, 2020) was a producer for plays and musicals both on Broadway and off-Broadway, known for her role in producing the stage and screen hit '' Hairspray''. Combined, the works Lion produced won 20 ...

's apartment. In 1988, Lahr began a relationship with New York-born ex-pat actress

Connie Booth Connie Booth (born 2 December 1940) is an American-born actress and writer. She has appeared in several British television programmes and films, including her role as Polly Sherman on BBC Two's ''Fawlty Towers'', which she co-wrote with her t ...

, co-writer and a cast member of ''

Fawlty Towers ''Fawlty Towers'' is a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. Two series of six episodes each were made. The show was ranked first on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television ...

'' and ex-wife of

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...

. Lahr and Booth lived together for fifteen years before marrying 2000. They live in Highgate in north London. Lahr contributed to

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

's presidential campaign and Democratic organizations. His sister is the editor and writer

Jane Lahr Jane Lahr (born 1943) is an American author, editor, and literary agent, the daughter of actor Bert Lahr, and sister of ''The New Yorker'' drama critic John Lahr. After studying art at The Slade School of Fine Art at University College Londo ...

Publications

Books

Biographies and profiles

* ''Notes on the Cowardly Lion'' (Knopf, 1970) * ''The Business of Rainbows: The Life and Lyrics of E.Y. Harburg'' (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1978) * ''Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton'' (Lane, 1978) * ''Coward the Playwright'' (University of California Press, 1983) * ''Dame Edna Everage and the Rise of Western Civilization: Backstage with Barry Humphries'' (Bloomsbury, 1991) * ''Sinatra: The Artist and the Man'' (Random House, 1997) * ''Show and Tell: New Yorker Profiles'' (Overlook Press, 2000) * ''Honky Tonk Parade: New Yorker Profiles of Show People'' (Overlook Press, 2005) * '' Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 2014) * ''Joy Ride: Show People and Their Shows'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015) * ''Arthur Miller: American Witness'' (Yale University Press, 2022)

Collected criticism

* ''Up Against the Fourth Wall'' (Grove Press, 1970) * ''A Casebook on Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming"'' (Grove Press, 1971) * ''Acting Out America: Essays on Modern Theater'' (Penguin, 1972) * ''Astonish Me: Adventures in Contemporary Theater'' (Viking 1973) * ''Life Show: How to See Theater in Life and Life in Theater'' (Viking, 1973, with Jonathan Price * ''Automatic Vaudeville: Essays on Star Turns'' (Knopf, 1984) * ''Light Fantastic: Adventures in Theatre'' (Bloomsbury, 1997)

Fiction

* ''The Autograph Hound'' (Knopf, 1972) * ''Hot to Trot'' (Knopf, 1974)

As editor

* Plays from the Eugene O'Neill Foundation (Grove Press, 1970) * ''The Orton Diaries'' (HarperCollins, 1986) * ''The Diaries of Kenneth Tynan'' (Bloomsbury, 2002) * Gem of the Ocean ( Theatre Communications Group, 2003)

Plays and film adaptations

* ''Sticky My Fingers...Fleet My Feet'' (1969) * ''Diary of a Somebody'' (Limelight Editions, 1989) * ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (Dramatist Play Service, 1993) * ''Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' * ''The Bluebird of Unhappiness: A Woody Allen Revue'' * ''Keys to the Kingdom'' (2019) * ''Elaine Strich at Liberty'' (2002)

Essays and reporting

* Lahr, John. (January 1969) "In Search of a New Mythology", ''Evergreen Review'', No. 62. * — (Summer 1969) "Jules Feiffer: Interviewed by John Lahr.: ''The Transatlantic Review'', ''32:'' 38–47. * — (November 24, 2008). "Land of Lost Souls". The Critics. Life and Letters. ''The New Yorker''. 84 (38): 114–120. * * — (November 15, 2010). "Angels on the Verge". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 86 (36). Retrieved April 30, 2012. * — (March 14, 2011). "Losers Take All". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 87 (4): 62–64. * — (April 4, 2011). "God Squad". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 87 (7): 76–77. Retrieved October 7, 2014. * — (November 7, 2011). "The Natural". Backstage Chronicles. ''The New Yorker''. 87 (35): 31–37. Retrieved March 28, 2014. * — (January 30, 2012). "Boldfaced Bard". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 87 (46): 68–70. * — (February 13–20, 2012). "A Talent to Abuse". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 88 (1): 118–119. * — (November 19, 2012). "Supersize". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 88 (36): 94–95. Retrieved 2014-11-04. * — (November 26, 2012). "Unhappy Families". The Critics. The Theatre. ''The New Yorker''. 88 (37): 84–85. * — (February 25, 2013).
Songs of Angry Men
. The Talk of the Town. Credit Due Dept. ''The New Yorker''. 89 (2): 26–27. * — (March 31, 2014). "Joy ride: Susan Stroman puts 'Bullets over Broadway' on Broadway". Profiles. ''The New Yorker''. 90 (6): 50–59. * — (July 21, 2014)
A Last Lunch with Mike Nichols
. Culture Desk. ''The New Yorker''. * — (September 15, 2014)
Caught in the Act: What Drives Al Pacino
Profiles. ''The New Yorker''. 90 (27): 58 * — (November 24, 2014)
Poster Boy
The Boards. ''The New Yorker''. * — (September 21, 2015) "Julianne Moore, Beauty and the Beast". ''The New Yorker'' * — (October 24, 2016)
The Dynamism of Janet McTeer.
''The New Yorker''. * — (December 19–26, 2016).
Act of Grace : Viola Davis Aims to Alter How African-Americans Are Seen
. Profiles. ''The New Yorker''. 92 (42): 52–64. * — (July 31, 2017)
Postscript: Sam Shepard Who Brought Rage and Rebellion Onstage
. ''The New Yorker''. * — (July 19, 2018) "Squealing to Survive", ''

London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published twice monthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of ...

'', 40 (14): 33–35. * — (September 8, 2014) "When He Acted it was Like Jazz". ''Daily Telegraph'' (London).John Lahr. When he acted it was like jazz. ''Daily Telegraph'' (London). September 2014:8,9. Accessed May 22, 2022. via EBSCO, accessed May 21, 2022. * — (September 24, 2018)
Sam Mendes's Directional Discoveries
. Profiles. ''The New Yorker''. * — (November 19, 2019)
Todd Haynes Rewrites the Hollywood Playbook
. Profiles. ''The New Yorker''. * — (September 20, 2020).
The Many Faces of Ethan Hawke
. Profiles. ''The New Yorker''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lahr, John 1941 births Living people Lahr family People from Los Angeles Yale University alumni St. Anthony Hall American biographers American people of German-Jewish descent Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford American expatriates in the United Kingdom The New Yorker critics American theater critics Drama Desk Award winners Lambda Literary Award winners The New Yorker people Tony Award winners Writers from Los Angeles