{"value"=>"<p>Miss Lortel's Off-Broadway career began when she co-produced the American premiere of Christopher Fry's <span class=\"title\">A Sleep of Prisoners</span>, on October 16, 1951, at the St. James' Episcopal Church in New York City. Her involvement in the theater continued in earnest when her husband purchased the Theatre de Lys for her as an anniversary present in 1955. Situated in the heart of Greenwich Village, the Theatre de Lys became a magnet for theater lovers, actors, writers and and a showcase for works that had never been seen before. Miss Lortel appointed Carmen Capalbo and Stanley Chase (the original producers of Marc Blitzstein's <span class=\"title\">The Threepenny Opera</span>) as managers, and maintained a policy of booking both her own and independent productions, while personally approving the latter. For her first production at her new theater, Miss Lortel chose to revive <span class=\"title\">The Threepenny Opera</span>, which had played at the theater for a short time prior to her ownership. Opening on September 20, 1955, the show ran for more than 2000 performances until it finally closed on December 17, 1961. On one of her regular trips to Europe, Miss Lortel met Jean Genet and in 1960 she co-produced <span class=\"title\">The Balcony</span> at the Circle in the Square. In 1964 she brought Athol Fugard's <span class=\"title\">The Blood Knot</span> to the Cricket Theatre in New York City, introducing Fugard and his work to American audiences. Miss Lortel co-produced the world premiere, on June 15, 1983, of Samuel Beckett's trilogy of one-act plays: <span class=\"title\">Ohio Impromptu</span>, <span class=\"title\">Catastrophe</span>, and <span class=\"title\">What Where</span>. The following year she again co-produced another Beckett trio: <span class=\"title\">Enough</span>, <span class=\"title\">Footfalls</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Rockaby</span>. Other notable productions in which she was involved include: Tom Cole's <span class=\"title\">Medal of Honor Rag</span>, Win Wells' <span class=\"title\">Gertrude Stein and a Companion</span> (which was later televised with the same cast and received an Emmy Award in 1987), Jane Anderson's <span class=\"title\">The Baby Dance</span> and Larry Kramer's <span class=\"title\">The Destiny of Me</span> (a letter from Larry Kramer to Miss Lortel can be found in this production file), Liliane Montevecchi's one-woman show <span class=\"title\">Back on the Boulevard</span>, and Nicholas Wright's <span class=\"title\">Mrs. Klein</span>. At a benefit on November 16, 1982 for the Actors' Fund, Miss Lortel officially changed the name of her Theatre de Lys to the Lucille Lortel Theatre.</p>"}