Art D’Lugoff, Village Gate Owner and Off-Broadway Producer, Dies at 85

D’Lugoff was founder and owner of the Village Gate which opened in 1958 and where he presented performers such as Duke Ellington, Allen Ginsberg, and John Belushi. In addition to presenting music and comedy, D’Lugoff presented theater at the venue, which was home to shows such as MacBird!, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Let My People Come and One Mo’ Time.

In addition to the notables who appeared on its stages, future celebrities worked at the Village Gate as waiters and busboys, including Sam Shepard and Dustin Hoffman.