Former Chicago Dramatists artistic director dies

Longtime Chicago Dramatists artistic director Russ Tutterow, who shepherded to the stage Arlington Heights writer Keith Huff's "A Steady Rain" among many other new works, lost his battle with cancer Monday.

Before stepping down earlier this year, Tutterow served as Chicago Dramatists artistic director for 30 years. In that capacity, he nurtured countless playwrights including Huff, Rebecca Gilman, Lydia R. Diamond, Tanya Saracho, Brett Neveu, Rick Cleveland, David Barr and Roger Rueff.

Meghan Beals, who took over the reins from Tutterow in February, described him in a prepared statement as "a visionary, a tireless advocate for new voices and a generous mentor who touched the lives of so many playwrights and audiences."

"Without Russ, some of the most celebrated and impactful works we know today may never have found a stage," managing director Cindy Jo Savitski-Lantz said in a prepared statement, calling Tutterow a dear friend and a creative force locally and nationally.

His directing credits included Chicago Dramatists' world premiere productions of the Jeff Award-winning "A Steady Rain," which had an extended run here in 2007-2008 before it went to Broadway; Diamond's Jeff-winning "Voyeurs de Venus;" "Blizzard '67" by Jon Steinhagen; "Hickorydickory" by Marisa Wegrzyn; the Jeff-nominated "Water" by Alice Austen and Neveu's "Drawing War."

For his commitment to nontraditional casting and diversity, Tutterow received the 2010 Actors' Equity Spirit Award. He received the 2005 League of Chicago Theatres Artistic Leadership Award for his contribution to local theater and his development of new plays and he received the Achievement in Theatre Award from the Illinois Theatre Association in 2007.

Memorial services are pending.