John Glines, Tony-Winning Producer of Torch Song Trilogy, Dies at 84

John Glines, the Tony-winning producer of Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy, has died at the age of 84. His husband, Chaowarat Chiewvej, first reported the news on Facebook.

Glines graduated from Yale in 1955 with a BA in drama. He spent many years working in children's television, working for seven years on Captain Kangaroo and four years on Sesame Street.

In 1976, Glines cofounded the Glines, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and presenting gay art, alongside Barry Laine and Jerry Tobin. His own plays, written and produced by the group, include On Tina Tuna Walk, On Her Own Words, and Key West, among others. His other works include The Desert of My Soul and the musical Gulp!, written with Stephen Greco and Robin Jones.

As a producer, Glines won Tony and Drama Desk Awards in 1983 as producer of Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy and became the first person in history to acknowledge his same-sex partner and lover in his acceptance speech. The Glines and Circle Repertory Company coproduction of William Hoffman's As Is received the 1985 Drama Desk Award for Best Play, and received a Tony nomination. The Glines and PSX production of Howard Crabtree's Whoop-Dee-Doo received a 1994 Drama Desk Award for Best Musical Revue.

Glines was a founding trustee of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, an organization that grew out of his non-profit Stamp Out AIDS.

Watch Glines's historic Tony Awards acceptance speech below.