Honoring Seth Gelblum

In Loving Tribute

The entire New Dramatists family is heartbroken by the passing of Seth Gelblum on August 8, 2016.

Seth has been New Dramatists’ loyal partner and advocate since 1989 when he attended his first board meeting. It is not an exaggeration to say that nearly three decades of playwrights (and others into the future) have New Dramatists as a resource thanks to Seth’s boundless heart and limitless dedication to the work of generative artists.

Seth has been both a driving force in our work and a constant reminder that our job is simple: ask playwrights what they need and do our best to provide it…then ask again, to make sure we got it right.

Apparently, when Seth got the call notifying him that he was receiving a 2016 special Tony honor, he paused and then said, "You do know I'm a lawyer, right?" The humor and humility -- characteristic Seth.

There has been an outpouring of love from our Board and playwrights, and we send this dedicated love to Orren, Madeleine, Aidan and the rest of Seth's family. In the words of Matthew Freeman, current resident playwright, "[Seth] left a legacy of good works and adoration. We should all hope for that kind of life."

Seth was truly one of a kind and will be missed beyond measure. We feel fortunate that he let us into his life and that he gave so much of it to this beloved organization.