Mitch Douglas will be greatly missed

Mitch Douglas passed away from metastatic brain cancer, on November 5th, at age 78. He was a friend to the Festival from the very beginning.

Mitch Douglas, the shy son of a poor Kentucky coal miner, never dreamed he’d be rubbing elbows with Hollywood celebrities or that he would be representing Tennessee Williams, as well as Arthur Miller, or that he’d work with the musical theater’s Kander and Ebb and with Shelley Winters on her life story through the powerhouse agency of ICM for over 20 years.

David Kaplan first interviewed Mitch Douglas in 2006 as preparation for the book “Tennessee Williams in Provincetown.” “We met, at Mitch’s suggestion, at a show biz watering hole. His stories about Williams were so good, and funny -- and outrageous -- that people from other tables were openly eavesdropping and trying not to laugh. Mitch had true insight into Williams’ later writing. He’d been there as the plays were being drafted, rewritten, and reshaped (sometimes for the better, sometimes not) in rehearsals and performances.”

It was Douglas’ disarming charm that compelled others to recognize his talents and open doors for him. His dedication and very hard work led him to his many accomplishments.

Throughout his career, Douglas has represented new and veteran writing talent in the fields of books and plays. Besides Playwright Tennessee Williams, his clients included novelist and playwright Henry Denker, Graham Greene, Arthur Miller, musical theatre’s Kander and Ebb, historian/novelist James Alexander Thom, and the Nunsense musicals creator, Dan Goggin. He also handled Eartha Kitt’s memoirs as well as Shelley Winters’ life story. After 30 years with ICM — he began in the agency mailroom — he owned and operated the Mitch Douglas Literary Agency in New York until his death.

Mitch Douglas was an inspiration to us and will continue to live on as such. He will be greatly missed.

Mitch Douglas (right) during Coffee With Mitch Douglas, his interview with Festival literary manager Thomas Keith, during a 2012 Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival event.