It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Gold Member Press Agent, Susan L. Schulman, who passed away on October 19th, 2022, after a short illness. Susan came into membership in January 1974.
Susan L. Schulman* was a theatrical press agent for more than 30 years, specializing in live entertainment including Broadway, Off-Broadway, dance, film, special events, TV, books, and personalities. She handled such noteworthy projects as Lauren Bacall in Applause, Jim Dale in Scapino, George C. Scott in Death of a Salesman and Sly Fox, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, City of Angels, Glenn Close, Richard Dreyfus and Gene Hackman in Death and the Maiden, Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin in A Streetcar Named Desire, the ‘new’ Rodgers & Hammerstein musical State Fair and the Johnny Mercer musical Dream. She handled the publicity for national tours of State Fair, Porgy & Bess and Man of La Mancha as well as a cross-country publicity tour with Susan Hampshire for “The Forsyte Saga.” She also represented not-for-profit arts institutions including Repertorio Espanol, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Feld Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Circle in the Square, and Manhattan Theatre Club, among others.
Susan represented many extraordinary talents including Tonyâ winners Karen Ziemba, Carlin Glynn, Brian Stokes Mitchell; Tonyâ nominees Carol Lawrence, Harry Groener, Kathleen Chalfant; soap opera stars Ron Raines and Scott Holmes; cabaret artists Karen Mason, Karen Akers; and Emmy Award-winner Susan Hampshire, among others.
Susan was born and raised in New York City attending Hunter College Elementary School, Hunter High School, NYU, and holds a Master's Degree in Theatre Arts from Columbia University.
Upon graduation from college, she landed several low-paying but interesting jobs including Assistant to the Press Director at Lincoln Center which utilized her writing skills and life-time interest in the theatre. After a year and a half there, she worked for many of Broadway’s top theatrical press agents, learning her craft and honing her skills with the legendary Bill Doll, Mary Bryant, Arthur Cantor, Frank Goodman and Merle Debuskey. In 1978 Susan opened her own press office where her early clients included Karen Akers, Carlin Glynn & Peter Masterson, Jack Gilford, Feld Ballet, Manhattan Theatre Club, Phoenix Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Cleveland Play House, and Garrison Keillor & “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Susan served as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of the Arts, creating and teaching a course in Theatrical Publicity and Audience Development, and frequently lectured about the theatre and entertainment public relations and marketing.
In 2013 her memoir Backstage Pass to Broadway was published and became one of Amazon’s 100 best-selling books on theatre. She was also featured in two recent theatre books: It Happened on Broadway by Myrna & Harvey Frommer, and The Birth of Shylock and the Death of Zero Mostel by Arnold Wesker.
May Susan's memory be a blessing.
* Note: Press Agent Susan L. Schulman always used her middle initial L so as not to be confused with Susan H. Schulman, the Tony-nominated director, or Susan F. Schulman, the literary agent.
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