The Dramatist

Joe Stein sent me a copy of the January, 2006 issue of The Dramatist: The Journal of The Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. The issue's cover articles "Dialogue or Duet?: Composers & Librettists," features under "Writers & Their Work," Joseph Stein, an interview by Gregory Bossler. The six page article covers Stein's path to Broadway from social worker to radio skit writer, to Sid Ceaser's "Your Show of Shows," to "Plain and Fancy," his first Broadway musical, followed nine years later by "Fiddler on the Roof."

In the interview Stein said, "Several years ago, I found out that Plain and Fancy is having a unique life. It has been playing continually at the Round Barn Theatre in Nappanee, Indiana, for 20 years. It seems there's a large Amish community there and it's become a tourist center. Buses come everyday. (I wish!) In the morning, they go to the rug weaver or the blacksmith or whoever else is working there, and at night, they see Plain and Fancy."

Our stage was named for and dedicated to to Joseph Stein in 1997 and he remains our inspiration and guiding light in every production we mount.