Herman Shumlin


Herman Shumlin was a prolific Broadway theatrical director and theatrical producer beginning in 1927 with the play Celebrity and continuing through 1974 with a short run of As You Like It, notably with an all-male cast. He was also the director of two movies, including Watch on the Rhine, which he first directed and produced on Broadway in 1941.
During a Broadway career lasting 47 years, he was the director, producer or both of 45 productions, including three separate productions of The Corn Is Green. Other productions include The Little Foxes, Watch on the Rhine, and Inherit the Wind. Inherit the Wind ran for 806 performances, and was made into a movie in 1960 starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly, and has been remade three times since, in 1965, 1988, and 1999. Mr. Shumlin taught directing in the Theater Department of The City College of New York in the 1960s.

Theatre credits

DateTitleVenueNotes
December 26, 1927 – January 1928CelebrityLyceum Theatre, New York CityProducer
October 3 – October 1928'Klaw Theatre, New York CityProducer
November 13, 1928 – January 1929To-Night at 12Hudson Theatre, New York CityProducer
October 23, 1929 – October 1929Button, ButtonBijou Theatre, New York CityProducer
February 13 – October 1930'Sam H. Harris Theatre, New York CityProducer
November 13, 1930 – December 1931Grand HotelNational Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
September 14 – December 3, 1932Clear All WiresTimes Square Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
October 17, 1933 – January 1934Ten Minute AlibiEthel Barrymore Theatre, New York CityDirector
September 13 – September 1934'Henry Miller's Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
November 20, 1934 – July 1936'Maxine Elliott Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
October 11 – October 1935Sweet Mystery of LifeShubert Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
December 15 – December 1936Days to ComeVanderbilt Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
February 21 – March 1938Wine of ChoiceGuild Theatre, New York CityDirector
December 28, 1938 – January 1939'Guild Theatre, New York CityProducer
February 15, 1939 – February 1940'National Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
January 9 – August 3, 1940'Cort Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
November 26, 1940 – January 17, 1942'National Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
April 1, 1941 – February 21, 1942Watch on the RhineMartin Beck Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
November 26 – December 19, 1942'Morosco Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
May 3 – June 19, 1943'Martin Beck Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
April 12, 1944 – January 20, 1945'Fulton Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
October 17 – November 4, 1944'Henry Miller's Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
March 20 – June 23, 1945Kiss Them for MeBelasco Theatre and Fulton Theatre, New York CityDirector
February 21–28, 1946JebMartin Beck Theatre, New York CityProducer, director, production supervisor
March 30 – April 9, 1949'Mansfield Theatre, New York CityDirector
January 11–22, 1950'New York City Center, New York CityVolunteer consultant
September 18 – November 4, 1950Daphne LaureolaMusic Box Theatre, New York CityProducer
February 20 – March 10, 1951'48th Street Theatre, New York CityDirector
September 4 – November 10, 1951Lace on Her PetticoatBooth Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
November 19–24, 1951To Dorothy, A SonJohn Golden Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
January 30 – February 2, 1952GertiePlymouth Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
April 22 – May 17, 1952CandidaNational Theatre, New York CityDirector
October 13 – November 1, 1952'Lyceum Theatre, New York CityDirector
November 20, 1954 – February 26, 1955Wedding Breakfast48th Street Theatre, New York CityDirector
April 21, 1955 – June 22, 1957Inherit the WindNational Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
January 29 – May 2, 1959Tall StoryBelasco Theatre, New York CityDirector
November 19 – December 12, 1959Only in AmericaCort Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
December 1–17, 1960Little Moon of AlbanLongacre Theatre, New York CityDirector
March 2 – July 10, 1963Dear Me, The Sky is FallingMusic Box Theatre, New York CityDirector
September 24, 1963Bicycle Ride to NevadaCort Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
February 26 – November 28, 1964Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York CityProducer, director
December 14, 1967 – June 8, 1968SpoffordANTA Playhouse, New York CityPlaywright, director
May 1–18, 1968SoldiersBilly Rose Theatre, New York CityProducer
October 7–26, 1974FlowersBiltmore Theatre, New York CityProducer
December 3–8, 1974As You Like ItMark Hellinger Theatre, New York CityProducer