![Gerald Freedman former artistic director of Great Lakes Theater has passed away at 92. [Great Lakes Theater]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ca3c301/2147483647/strip/true/crop/947x1184+0+0/resize/840x1050!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F3%2F17%2FGerald%20Freedman.jpg)
Gerald Freedman, artistic director for Great Lakes Theater from 1985 to 1997, has died at the age of 92.
When the Lorain native returned to Northeast Ohio in the mid-80s he brought with him a resume full of New York City experience. He was directoral assistant to Jerome Robbins on the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" and directed the original off-Broadway production of the musical "Hair" in 1967 at New York's Public Theater. Also, Freedman served as artistic director for the New York Shakespeare Festival from 1967 to 1971.
Gerald Freedman returns to visit the Hanna Theater in 2013 [Great Lakes Theater]
During his 12 seasons with Great Lakes Theater, Freedman worked with such actors as Estelle Parsons, Lynn Redgrave and Ruby Dee. One of his longtime partnerships was with actor Hal Holbrook, who starred in Freedman-directed productions of "King Lear," "Uncle Vanya" and "Death of a Salesman."
Gerald Freedman attends "A Christmas Carol" in 2013 [Great Lakes Theater]
In 1988, Great Lakes Theater acquired the local rights to Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol," which became Freedman's lasting legacy for the company as it continues to stage his production today.
