Ira Eaker (c. 1921 – June 26, 2002) was an American publisher, who was the co-founder of ''

Backstage Backstage most commonly refers to backstage (theatre), also in motion picture and television production. Backstage may also refer to: Film and television * ''Back Stage'' (1969 film), a silent film starring Oliver Hardy * ''Back Stage'' (1942 fil ...

'', with

Allen Zwerdling Allen Zwerdling (October 12, 1922 – January 12, 2009) was an American journalist who was co-founder of '' Backstage'', the "casting bible" for theater performers. Biography Zwerdling was born on October 12, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York, an ...

a weekly trade newspaper that was aimed at the theater, television and movie industries that is considered a "must-read" for actors and other professionals looking for jobs and industry information.

Biography

Eaker grew up in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and attended public school before serving in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After completing his military service, Eaker attended the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...

, where he was awarded a degree in business.McKinley, Jesse
"Ira Eaker, 80, Co-Founder of Back Stage, the Actors' Bible"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', July 13, 2002. Accessed January 27, 2009. He had worked at a number of different publications while he was attending college and was hired 1948 as the advertising manager of ''

Show Business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produc ...

'', a trade paper for the theatrical industry. After a dozen years at ''Show Business'', he left the paper together with co-worker

to establish ''Back Stage''. The publication was established in 1960 in a small office on West 46th Street in Manhattan, producing a print run of 10,000 copies. From its inception, ''Back Stage'' focused on a combination of details about theatrical and movie productions that would be hiring actors and ancillary workers, articles aimed at the aspiring actor, and reviews of new performances for the general public. With the growth of the television industry in New York City during the 1960s, the publication's circulation grew, reaching 32,000 by the time of Eaker's death. Eaker opened a Los Angeles office in 1975 and expanded coverage for ''Back Stage'' to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. ''Back Stage'' was sold in 1986 to

Billboard Publications ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

, with Eaker staying on as an adviser until his retirement in 1989.

Death

Eaker died at age 80 on June 26, 2002, at a hospital in

Tamarac, Florida Tamarac is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 71,897. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people in 2015. History In the early 1960s ...

. He was survived by his wife, a son and daughter, sister and two grandchildren. His daughter Sherry Eaker was editor-in-chief of ''Back Stage'' at the time of his death, and was an editor at large as of 2009.McElroy, Steven
"Allen Zwerdling, Theater Journalist, Dies at 86 "
''

'', January 26, 2009. Accessed January 27, 2009.

References

External resources

NY Theatre Wire Obit for Back Stage Co-Founder Ira Eaker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eaker, Ira United States Army personnel of World War II American publishers (people) City College of New York alumni Businesspeople from New York City United States Army soldiers 1920s births 2002 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople