Shirley Rich Krohn

Grande Dame Of New York Casting

Shirley Rich Krohn, 87, of Rye, N.Y., for many years a resident of Lake Road in Newtown, died in Greenwich Hospital, December 28, surrounded by her family. She was born in Chicago, December 10, 1922, to immigrant parents from Eastern Europe, Hattie and Meyer Rich.

A New York casting director for more than 50 years in theater, film, and television, Ms Krohn was known by many as “the actor’s casting director.” She helped launch the careers of many young actors, including Rod Steiger, Sada Thompson, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, James Spader, and Edward Norton.

She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1944 from what was then the State University of Iowa. This was followed by a two-year fellowship and an MA in theater at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. She began her casting career in New York City with the American National Theater and Academy, having received a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship.

From 1948 to 1951 she worked with Rodgers and Hammerstein as assistant casting director and performed public relations and press work for the Ballet Theater during its State Department European tour in 1950. Her Broadway plays during this three year period included South Pacific, The King and I, The Happy Time, The Heart of the Matter, and Burning Bright.

Rod Steiger presented her with the Hoyt Bowers Award in 1990 by the Casting Society of America for Outstanding Contributions to the Casting Profession. She was the first casting director to be honored by the New York Association of Talent Representatives for contributions to the entertainment industry. Ms Krohn was also among the first casting directors to be elected both to membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and as a voting member for the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards for theatrical achievement. She was a Tony member from 1990 to 1998 and on the nominating committee for the following seven years.

In 1952 Ms Rich married Lewis M. Krohn. During her 58 year marriage, she raised two children, Lisa and Steven. From 1951 to 1954 she worked as a Eastern talent scout for Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures; 1963 marked the next chapter in her professional life, when she began six years as the casting director for Hal Prince. During this period she worked on Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Zorba, Baker Street, Flora the Red Menace, and Superman.

In 1969 she began Shirley Rich Casting, an independent company that she continued for more than 30 years. During these three decades she branched out into television and film.

After retiring, she maintained an active interest in the theater and in her alma maters. She was a member of the University of Iowa Alumni Association and the UI Foundation’s President Club.

The lasting impact that she had on so many individuals is clear from the correspondence that the family has received since her passing. The following comments reflect this: “She treated every actor as her personal guest...She made a process that could be humiliating professional”; “She was one classy lady...she always treated me with the greatest respect and often helped me in my career with advice…all of NY theater is missing her”; “She was one of the kindest, most honest casting directors I ever had the good fortune to meet”; “She was better at her work than anyone else I have ever met...she always stood firm for what she believed”; “She provided me with my first big break...by believing in me when I was pretty much a nobody”; and “She was every agent’s friend: she always had time for them…It doesn’t happen with today’s casting directors. Her great legacy is gone.”

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children and daughter-in-law, Debra Krohn.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Osborne in Rye, January 10, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The family requests that anyone wishing to speak at that time contact her son, Steven Krohn, at 401-225-0540. A public service is being planned in a New York City theater within the next several months.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the following organizations: Broadway Cares, Housing Works, Actor’s Equity, Lighthouse for the Blind, Jewish Braille Institute, American Jewish Committee, Public Television, and Hadassah.

The Newtown Bee     January 8, 2010