Gorelik, Mordecai, 1899-1990

Gorelik was a research professor in theater at Southern Illinois University from 1960 to 1972. A 1920 graduate of the Pratt Institute, Gorelik was primarily a scene designer, but during his six-decade career he also designed costumes, directed lighting and taught theater. Gorelik was born August 25, 1899, in Shchedrin, Minsk, Russia (now U.S.S.R). In 1972 he married Loraine Kabler in 1972 and had two children, one son and one daughter. He was a noted critic and scholar of the theater. Gorelik published essays in newspapers and notable journals, wrote a book and production reviews, and articles on theater appearing in both the "Encyclopedia Britannica" and the "Encyclopedia Americana," He died of cancer, March 7, 1990, in Sarasota, FL.

From the description of Mordecai Gorelik papers, 1900-1975. (Southern Illinois University). WorldCat record id: 276937572

Mordecai (Max) Gorelik was an influential scene designer and theorist, known for his work on more than fifty professional Broadway productions including Processional (1925), Men in White (1933), Golden Boy (1937), All My Sons (1947), and A Hatful of Rain (1957). Gorelik's published works include a book of plays, Toward a Larger Theatre: 7 Plays (1988) and a seminal text in the history of theater, New Theatres for Old (1940), which reflects his interest in Bertolt Brecht. Born in Russia in 1899, he immigrated to New York with his parents as a child and later attended the Pratt Institute, graduating in 1920. Gorelik was professor of theater at Southern Illinois University (1960 - 1972), and he also taught at a number of other colleges and universities including several in California. He died in Sarasota, Florida, in 1990.

From the description of Mordecai Gorelik play scripts, 1957 - 1989. (University of California, Irvine). WorldCat record id: 632391056

Historical Background

Mordecai (Max) Gorelik was an influential scene designer and theorist, known for his work on more than fifty professional Broadway productions including Processional (1925), Men in White (1933), Golden Boy (1937), All My Sons (1947), and A Hatful of Rain (1957). Gorelik's published works include a book of plays, Toward a Larger Theatre: 7 Plays (1988) and a seminal text in the history of theater, New Theatres for Old (1940), which reflects his interest in Bertolt Brecht. Born in Russia in 1899, he immigrated to New York with his parents as a child and later attended the Pratt Institute, graduating in 1920. Gorelik was professor of theater at Southern Illinois University (1960 - 1972), and he also taught at a number of other colleges and universities including several in California. He died in Sarasota, Florida, in 1990.

From the guide to the Mordecai Gorelik play scripts, 1957-1989, (University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.)