Susan L. Schulman, Veteran Broadway Publicist, Has Died

Veteran theatrical publicist Susan L. Schulman died Wednesday, October 18, from complications related to Legionnaires' disease.

Born and raised in New York City, Schulman was a graduate of New York University and Columbia. She began her career in an assistant position at Lincoln Center, before beginning a career working with theatrical publicists Bill Doll, Mary Bryant, Arthur Cantor, Frank Goodman, and Merle Debuskey. Among the shows she worked on in the 1970s were the original productions of Applause, Company, Follies, Sly Fox, and Dancin', among many others.

In 1978, Schulman opened her own theatrical press office in Times Square, with early clients including Karen Akers, Jack Gilford, Carlin Glynn and Peter Masterson, Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion, Manhattan Theatre Club, and others. She also handled the Broadway productions of Crazy For You and State Fair, as well as various national tours.

Other jobs over the course of her career included working at WNET/Channel 13, handling publicity for the Forsyte Saga and An American Family, and United Artists, handling publicity for films including Last Tango in Paris. She worked for CBS-TV, USA Network, and A&E, as well.

In 2013, Schulman a memoir titled Backstage Pass to Broadway, which recounted her run-ins with artists like Lauren Bacall, Zero Mostel, and many others. She had been a member of the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers since 1973 and had subsequently helped to train a generation of young publicists.