Arthur Storch
American actor (1925–2013)
title: "Arthur Storch" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1925-births", "2013-deaths", "american-male-film-actors", "american-theatre-directors", "the-new-school-alumni", "actors-studio-alumni", "united-states-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "syracuse-university-faculty", "male-actors-from-brooklyn"] description: "American actor (1925–2013)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Storch" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American actor (1925–2013) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Arthur Storch |
| image | Cropped_Photo_of_Arthur_Storch.jpg |
| caption | Arthur Storch in the 1970s |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| occupation | |
| years_active | 1950–2013 |
| children | Max, Alexander, Bess |
| known_for | Founding Syracuse Stage |
| Broadway directing | |
| Film roles including The Exorcist | |
| :: |
| name = Arthur Storch | image = Cropped_Photo_of_Arthur_Storch.jpg | caption = Arthur Storch in the 1970s | birth_date = | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | occupation = | years_active = 1950–2013 | children = Max, Alexander, Bess | known_for = Founding Syracuse Stage Broadway directing Film roles including The Exorcist
Arthur Storch (June 29, 1925 – March 5, 2013) was an American actor, theatre director, and educator. A life member of The Actors Studio, he founded Syracuse Stage in 1974 and served as its artistic director for 18 years, establishing it as a major regional theater. Storch directed over 50 productions there while simultaneously serving as Chair of the Syracuse University Drama Department and teaching where he developed the influential "Syracuse Model" of actor training. His Broadway career spanned four decades as both an actor (A Hatful of Rain, The Night of the Iguana) and director (Tribute, Norman, Is That You?). He also appeared in films including The Exorcist (1973) and mentored actors like Frank Langella.
Early life
Arthur Storch was born on June 29, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He enlisted in the United States Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served in World War II. He was involved in the Invasion of Normandy and advanced deep into Germany by the war's end.
After his service, he studied drama at The New School under Erwin Piscator in the 1940s. In 1952, Storch joined The Actors Studio, where he trained alongside Marlon Brando and Julie Harris in method acting.
Career
Early acting career
After studying at The Actors Studio, Storch began his career as an actor in the 1950s. He appeared in several Broadway productions including Michael V. Gazzo's A Hatful of Rain (1955) and the original production of Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana (1961).
His Broadway acting credits also included The Egghead (1957) and The Disenchanted (1958), establishing him as a character actor in dramatic roles.
Directing and Syracuse Stage
Storch founded Syracuse Stage in 1974 as a professional theater integrated with Syracuse University's drama program - an innovative model later adopted by Yale and Juilliard. As artistic director until 1992, he:
- Directed 50+ productions including the world premiere of Tribute (1978), which transferred to Broadway
- Developed new works like Frank Langella's Cyrano (1986)
- Taught acting using his signature text-analysis approach
Under his leadership, Syracuse Stage became a regional powerhouse, premiering works as Patrick Meyer's, K2 (1984), and Frank Langella's Cyrano (1986).
Film and later work
Storch appeared as the psychiatrist in William Friedkin's horror classic The Exorcist (1973). He continued acting sporadically in film and television through the 2000s, while also teaching at The New School in New York.
Teaching
Storch served as a professor at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts from 1974 to 1992, where he developed his signature approach combining Stanislavskian principles with rigorous text analysis. He pioneered the "Syracuse Model," integrating professional regional theatre (through Syracuse Stage) with academic training - an approach later emulated by programs like Yale and Juilliard.
His notable contemporary Frank Langella and student Taye Diggs frequently cited his transformative mentorship: ::quote[attribution="Frank Langella"] "Arthur demanded we mine the text for clues—every punctuation mark mattered. He'd say, 'If you're pretending, the audience will know.'" ::
Storch's pedagogical approach directly influenced his professional work. His 1978 production of Tribute, developed through Syracuse Stage's academic-theatre pipeline, transferred to Broadway with its "razor-sharp comic timing" intact. This synergy between classroom and stage became a hallmark of his tenure.
Personal life
Storch was married five times; Brook Hanna, Vergel Cook (actor), Virginia Kiser (actor), Cynthia Martin, & Peggy McEvoy and had three children, Max, Alexander & Bess. His son Max followed him into theatre as a production manager.
Death and legacy
Storch died from natural causes on March 5, 2013, in Manhattan. In 2014, Syracuse Stage:
- Established the Arthur Storch Award for Outstanding New Play
- Named its mainstage in his honor
- Premiered a WCNY-TV documentary about his career
Tributes
Following his death, Frank Langella recalled Storch as "a fierce advocate for actors and new plays," while Syracuse Stage artistic director Robert Hupp stated, "Arthur built this theater with sheer will and artistic integrity." The Drama League honored him posthumously for his contributions to regional theatre.
Filmography
Film
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Strange One | Cadet Simmons | Film debut; controversial military academy drama |
| 1958 | The Mugger | Jack "Skippy" Randolph | Film noir starring Kent Smith |
| 1960 | Girl of the Night | Jason Franklin Jr. | Groundbreaking drama about prostitution rehabilitation |
| 1963 | Lonnie | Dr. Rosen | Psychological short film |
| 1973 | The Exorcist | Psychiatrist | Uncredited role in hospital scene |
| 2002 | Bridget | Hawk | Final film role; independent drama |
| :: |
Television
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Naked City | Dr. Feld | Episode: "The Bumper" (Season 1) |
| 1961 | The Defenders | Dr. Lewin | Episode: "The Prowler" |
| 1963 | East Side/West Side | Harold Weiss | Episode: "No Hiding Place" |
| 1964 | The Doctors and the Nurses | Dr. Kaplan | Episode: "The Prisoner" |
| 1964 | The Nurses | Dr. Belman | Episode: "The Gift" |
| 1975 | Great Performances | Director | Staged The Comedy of Errors adaptation |
| :: |
Stage
As actor
- A Hatful of Rain (1955) - Broadway (Replacement)
- The Egghead (1957) - Broadway (Howard Wagner)
- The Disenchanted (1958) - Broadway (Understudy)
- The Night of the Iguana (1961) - Broadway (Original cast)
As director
::data[format=table]
| Year | Production | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Typist and the Tiger | Off- Broadway | |
| 1965 | The Impossible Years | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | Broadway debut as director |
| 1966 | The Office | Cherry Lane Theatre | Off-Broadway debut |
| 1970 | Norman, Is That You? | Lyceum Theatre | Longest-running Broadway show (774 performances) |
| 1972 | The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild | Eugene O'Neill Theatre | Starring Maureen Stapleton |
| 1964 | The Owl and the Pussycat | Anta Theatre | |
| 1976 | The Comedy of Errors | Syracuse Stage | Musical adaptation |
| 1978 | Tribute | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | Transferred from Syracuse Stage |
| 1986 | Cyrano | Syracuse Stage | World premiere with Frank Langella |
| :: |
References
References
- "New York, New York City Births, 1846–1909".
- Hirsch, Foster. (1984). "A Method to Their Madness: The History of the Actors Studio". W.W. Norton & Co..
- (1954-05-18). "Studio Actors Give Plays". The New York Times.
- Garfield, David. (1980). "A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio". Macmillan.
- (1955-11-10). "Theatre: 'A Hatful of Rain'". The New York Times.
- (1961-12-29). "Theatre: 'The Night of the Iguana'". The New York Times.
- "Arthur Storch".
- "Arthur Storch".
- "History of Drama at Syracuse".
- (Spring 2015). "The Storch Method". Syracuse University Magazine.
- "50 Years of Syracuse Stage".
- Kramer, Peter D.. (2014-09-18). "Acting Legend Arthur Storch's Legacy Lives On". The Journal News.
- "History of Drama at Syracuse".
- (Spring 2015). "The Storch Method". Syracuse University Magazine.
- (1978-06-02). "'Tribute' Moves to Broadway". The New York Times.
- "Arthur Storch Profile".
- (2013-03-07). "Arthur Storch, Syracuse Stage Founder, Dies at 87". Playbill.
- (2014-11-10). "Documentaries on Frank Langella, Arthur Storch Air on WCNY".
- (2013-03-07). "Syracuse Stage Founder Arthur Storch Dies at 87". The Post-Standard.
- "Drama League Awards Archive".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::