Warren Caro (24 February 1907 − 1 January 1995) was an American theatre executive and lawyer. He was the executive director of the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of th ...

from 1946 through 1967, and director of theater operations and projects development director for

The Shubert Organization The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of theatres based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by the three Shubert brothers in the late 19th century. They steadily expanded, owning many theaters ...

from 1967 through 1980. He was at one time the chairman of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and served on the advisory committee for the establishment of the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

Life and career

Born in Brooklyn, Caro was educated at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

; earning both a bachelor's degree and a law degree from that institution. He worked for ten years as a lawyer in New York City before becoming a theater executive. Caro was the executive director of the

from 1946 through 1967. That organization was awarded two

Special Tony Award The Special Tony Award category includes the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and the Special Tony Award. These are non-competitive honorary awards, and the titles have changed over the years. The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre ...

s (both of which were presented to Caro); largely resulting from Caro's work creating the American Theatre Society National Subscription Program (ATSNSP), the American Theatre Guild Repertory Company, and establishing a Theatre Guild anthology play series for television, ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S ...

''. The ATSNSP toured Broadway productions to 21 cities throughout North America with a subscription base. It was the first program to use a subscription series for touring Broadway productions on national tour; a model that has sense been widely replicated. He was a top executive with

from 1967 through 1980; serving as director of theater operations and projects development director. Caro was one of the American delegates and charter signers for the establishment of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

International Theatre Institute The International Theatre Institute ITI is the world’s largest performing arts organisation, founded in 1948 by theatre and dance experts and UNESCO. It has hosted various events through its history, including the Theatre of Nations, an intern ...

in 1948. He was a member of the advisory committee for the establishment of the

. In collaboration with John Shubert and Broadway producer Richard Aldrich, he played an instrumental leadership role in designing and establishing the

American National Theater and Academy The American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) is a non-profit theatre producer and training organization that was established in 1935 to be the official United States national theatre that would be an alternative to the for-profit Broadway houses ...

's e "Forty Theatre Circuit Plan" in 1955; a plan designed to bring high quality American plays with critically established performers to regional theaters throughout the United States. He also served a tenure as chairman of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Married three times, Caro's second marriage was to actress

Nancy Kelly Nancy Kelly (March 25, 1921 – January 2, 1995) was an American actress in film, theater and television. A child actress and model, she was a repertory cast member of CBS Radio's ''The March of Time'' and appeared in several films in the late 1 ...

in 1955. They had one daughter, Kelly Caro-Rosenberg, and divorced in 1968.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caro, Warren 1907 births 1995 deaths American theatre managers and producers Cornell University alumni