The Broadway community mourns the loss of Romulus Linney, prolific playwright and father of actress Laura Linney, who died over the weekend at age 80. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in his memory on Wednesday, January 19th, at exactly 8:00pm for one minute.

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, commented, “Our thoughts go out to Laura Linney and her family for their loss. Romulus Linney's words will continue to inspire audiences each time one of his 30 plays are performed on stage. His Broadway credit, The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks, ran on Broadway in 1972. Mercedes McCambridge was nominated for 1972 Tony Award® for Best Featured Actress in a Play. He is considered by many to be a great teacher of theatre."

Linney was a playwright who refashioned classical works for modern times and adapted contemporary novels for the stage. A prolific playwright, his work ranged from stories set in Appalachia where he grew up to historical settings such as the Nuremberg trials and the Vietnam War. He also drew inspiration from the lives of public figures including the poet Lord Byron and Frederick II, a King of Prussia.

He was the author of over 30 plays that have been produced in the United States and Europe, mostly Off Broadway and regional theater. The Signature Theater Company in New York, which devotes full seasons to presenting the work of a single playwright, chose Mr. Linney to be the first writer it would spotlight. Linney spent many years teaching writing at numerous schools, including Columbia and Princeton Universities.