Author and Master Translator Eric Bentley Has Passed
Author, master translator, and longtime friend of Broadway Play Publishing, Eric Bentley has passed away at the age of 103. Eric remained exceptionally sharp, spirited, and congenial to the end, frequently firing off emails to us from the iPad he learned to use to check on this or that production of an original play or translation or to convey that a producer had expressed interest in one of his titles, and we should follow up! In 2017, as we worked closely with him to republish his definitive English translation of Eduardo De Filippo’s classic Italian romantic comedy FILUMENA MARTURANO, sometimes he had to remind us that he was 100 years old, which he had a funny way of doing with just a hint of pride, a dollop of amusement, and some genuine astonishment. His was a storied career in the theater, and the New York Times obituary below does a fine summary of it. Visit Eric’s author page for a list of his works that we’ve published, and if you express any interest in producing any of his titles — Eric, don’t worry, we’ll follow up! … And we’ll miss you.
—Michael Q Fellmeth & Christopher W D Gould
Eric Bentley, Critic Who Preferred Brecht to Broadway, Dies at 103 — The New York Times