Born in Brooklyn and educated in New York, Margaret Croyden (1922-2015) was a renowned drama critic and author of 20th century avant-garde theatre. She initially intended to become an actress, but gained interest in journalism and education while entertaining troops in Europe at the end of World War II – an experience she wrote about in her memoir, The Years in Between: A Reporter’s Journey World War II-The Cold War. During the 1970s and 1980s Croyden contributed regularly to The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Village Voice, American Theatre, The Nation, and Theater Week. She published a long-running column called “Croyden’s Corner” about theatre, music and opera in New York Theatre Wire for more than 15 years.
Croyden was best known for her writings about Grotowski and Peter Brook, whom she wrote about in Conversations with Peter Brook: 1970-2000. Her other books include Lunatics, Lovers, and Poets: The Contemporary Experimental Theater and In the Shadow of the Flame: Three Journeys. She co-founded the League of Professional Theater Women, from which she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
