In Memoriam: Paul Libin

It is with great sadness that we remember longtime ATPAM member Paul Libin who passed away on June 27, 2025 at the age of 94.   Paul came into membership in 1965 and was inducted into ATPAM’s Diamond Club in 2015.

Paul has been described as an icon, a visionary, a leader, a philanthropist, and a friend.  He was a mentor to many of our members during a career that spanned almost 70 years.  He was a stage manager, general manager, theater manager, and, in 1958, began his producing career with a revival of THE CRUCIBLE at the Martinique Theater.

His friend and colleague, former ATPAM Board member Susan Elrod, remembers Paul this way: “I met Paul 50 years ago when I started working at Circle in the Square. Little did this somewhat naive starry-eyed southern girl know that I was meeting my lifetime Broadway guide and champion. In a sense, Paul was the personification of theatre. He was passionate, bombastic and joyful. He had a true flair for the dramatic. And just when you didn’t expect it, an enormous depth of love and kindness. The stories I could tell of our moments together! But suffice it to say, he was one of the greatest influences of my life. He was exasperating and endearing. A true showman. An unforgettable force of nature. I’m sure the lights of Broadway dimmed just a bit when Paul left us. And I’m sure, once he notices, he will insist they be brought back to full capacity! I’ll miss him for the rest of my life.”

In his years as Vice-President and Producing Director of the Jujamcyn Theaters (1990 – 2017) he helped guide not only our own members but countless theater professionals around the country who owe Paul a great debt of gratitude.  The works he produced are too many to name, his work so prolific.

In 1963, Paul partnered with Circle in the Square founder Theodore Mann, a partnership that lasted 49 years. After Mann’s death in 1992, Paul continued on as President of Circle in the Square and was part of that theatrical family until his passing.

A lasting legacy of Paul’s extraordinary life will be his work as President of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. At the time of his retirement in 2018, he was named the first President Emeritus and was honored with the Paul Libin Center at The Actors Fund (now the Entertainment Community Fund).  Joe Benincasa, President and CEO of the Fund said, “The Entertainment Community Fund has lost a champion. A legendary producer with an enormous heart, Paul Libin was dedicated to the well-being of people in theater. His leadership as a Trustee of the Fund dramatically improved the lives of everyone on stage and behind the scenes. We aspire to live like Paul. His legacy is a blessing.”

Paul Libin is survived by his wife of 70 years, Florence Rowe Libin; his three children, Charles Libin and his wife Mindy Goldstein, Claire Libin, and Andrea Libin and her husband John High; and his grandchildren Travis Libin, Milah Libin, and Sasha High.

May Paul’s memory be a blessing.