Joseph Papp 1921-91, American director and producer; b. Brooklyn, N.Y., as Yosl Papirofsky. A theatrical innovator, he made fine plays available to large and varied audiences through his New York Shakespeare Festival and the Public Theater (since 1992, Joseph Papp Public Theater) in New York City, using income from commercial successes, such as A Chorus Line (1975; Tony Award), to support the ...