Sad News: Arthur Holmberg
Dear Brandeis Community,I write to share the sad news that Arthur Holmberg, the Blanche, Barbara and Irving Laurie Professor of Theater Arts, passed away at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 14, 2025 at the age of 80.
A native Midwesterner, Arthur’s early years were split between Chicago and a farm in rural Illinois. After graduating from Northwestern University, he earned his PhD in Comparative Literature from Harvard University. He joined the faculty of Brandeis in the Theater Arts Department in 1994. Over the course of his six-decade career in academia and professional theater, he taught a wide range of courses in English, French, Spanish, comparative literature, film, dramatic literature, theater history, dramaturgy, critical writing, and men’s studies. His classes were known for his captivating lectures and discussions, which interwove theory and practice, and drew from his expansive knowledge of dramatic literature, performance and theater history.
An extraordinary writer, Arthur was the author of the books The Theatre of Robert Wilson, David Mamet and American Macho, and David Mamet and Male Friendship. He was the US editor of The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, and the editor of The Lively ART: Reflections on Twenty Years of the American Repertory Theatre. He also wrote countless essays, articles and program notes about playwrights, plays, operas and live performances in this country and abroad for publications, including the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times, the Sunday New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Performing Arts Journal, Stagebill, and Opera News. Arthur was a recipient of numerous honors, including the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship.
Arthur served for many years as the Literary Director and Dramaturg at the American Repertory Theater (ART). As a professional dramaturg, he worked closely with some of the world’s most innovative directors, playwrights, and composers, including Robert Wilson, David Mamet, Philip Glass, and Anne Bogart. His lifelong work as a dramaturg and his passion for theater, opera and performance writ large always informed and enlivened his teaching and scholarship.
Having taught generations of undergraduate and graduate students, Arthur had a profound respect for his students’ creativity, insights, and work in the theater. His lectures were distinguished by erudition, wit and a hands-on experience with the theatrical process. Arthur’s dedication to the life of the mind, and his belief in the importance of the arts, inspired his students, colleagues, and friends. He will be deeply missed by the Brandeis community.
I am grateful to Cameron Anderson and Dmitry Troyanovsky of the Department of Theater Arts for their contributions to this memoriam.
Sincerely,
Carol A. Fierke
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs