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Julian Beck

American theatrical manager

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Julian Beck was an American theatrical manager and director, co-founder of The Living Theatre in 1947 with Judith Malina. This experimental drama company was known for its innovative, radical themes and its challenges to tradition and authority. The Living Theatre gained significant recognition in 1959 with its production of Jack Gelber's The Connection. The company's political views, including nonviolent protest and anarchism, became prominent in their work, leading to confrontations with authorities, including a brief jail sentence for Beck and Malina over tax law violations. In 1964, the company went into "voluntary exile" in Europe, further developing its confrontational and audience-engaging style in works like Paradise Now. Beck died in 1985, and the company continued its innovative theatrical endeavors.1

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