A Tribute to Harold Eisenstein

Over 300 Attend Memorial Service
Honoring Harold Eisenstein

More than 300 people attended a memorial service for Harold Eisenstein, director emeritus of Gallery Players, on Aug. 20 at the JCC of Greater Columbus. Eisenstein, 90, passed away early Friday, Aug. 15, after a brief illness.

Fittingly, the memorial service was SRO (standing room only) for those who loved and worked with Harold throughout the years. Harold's wife, Anita, and son, David, were among those who spoke and remembered Harold with amusing anecdotes about his "baby" - Gallery Players.

One guest who could not be present, sent a special note instead:

"It's hard to believe that Harold is no longer a physical part of our lives. His was a life lived and shared so richly and fully that the effects of his loss will continue to reverberate through our souls for a long time. He gave so much to so many and never lost his passion and desire to put something good and beautiful in a troubled world. His artistic vision was uncompromising, even when he had to work with limitations that would have discouraged a less determined soul.

"Personally, Harold was always kind and encouraging to me from the first moment I became involved with Gallery Players to the last time I saw him only a few months ago. He was someone I always looked up to because of his immense talent that stretched in so many directions. I adored him and loved to listen to him talk because he always surprised me with his insightful view of the life.

"He galvanized a community and made us all much richer by taking us on a journey of artistic expression that made us grasp the greater potential of life. He was an important part of my journey, and there is no doubt that I would not be where I am now if he hadn't appeared to share his wisdom, his attitudes, his kvetching, his ironic humor, his charity, his re-staging a scene several times till it was just right, his vague replies when he was thinking about forty things at once, his begging for a little more money to help sustain the budget, his yelling when an actor lost an important moment, his charming diplomacy that made that actor feel better a moment later; but most of all, his humanity.

"He believed in the ability of the human spirit to accomplish great things and never stopped expressing that ideal in his life and work. How many people leave a legacy like that?

-- With love, Michael Feinstein"

"Harold was one of those special people whose passion for his work and love of the JCC made being with him a joy," said Carol Folkerth, JCC Executive Director. "His vision for Gallery Players as a diverse, welcoming theater experience for the entire community, is an inspiration to us. His knowledge of Jewish theater is legendary and his leadership guided our program into the excellent productions everyone is so proud of at the JCC. He will be missed."

Julie Friedlander, chair of the Gallery Players committee, said Eisenstein will be missed by the entire local theatrical community. "Harold was the patriarch of Gallery Players. You could tell it was his passion and his lifeline. He contributed so much - from acting during his heyday to the present, serving on the committee. He had a love of the theater in general and especially the mission and accomplishments of Gallery Players. We all will miss his guidance, ideas and enthusiasm."

"This is incredible loss not only for Gallery Players, but for the Columbus theater community as a whole," said Jared Saltman, JCC Cultural Arts director and Gallery Players producer. "Harold was an inspiring mentor to me and countless others, and was one of the strongest influences in making sure that community theater thrived for years on end in Columbus. The fact that Gallery Players has reached its 60th season is a true tribute to his vision and work."

Eisenstein directed or produced 200 Gallery Players productions for the JCC during his 40-year involvement with the community theater troupe. He was recruited for the job by Florence Zacks Melton shortly after Gallery Players began. "They were experiencing a leadership problem and wanted someone who had a strong background in theater and summer stock," said Eisenstein during a recent interview. "They were an outstanding community and they were pleased to receive me."

With good reason. Having started in the theater business at the age of 14 in Chicago, Eisenstein later became one of the pioneers of television, working as an assistant to the producer at ABC Network in New York with stars Ronald Reagan, Bob Cummings, Art Linkletter, Irene Dunne, Frank Sinatra, Debby Reynolds, Eddie Fisher, Fess Parker, and Buddy Ebsen. A few years later, he directed shows for the NBC All Star Review, which featured Ed Wyn, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, and Paul Winchell with Jerry Mahoney.

But, with his family growing, he and his wife, Anita, decided to trade in the bright lights for the footlights and returned to the fold of community theater. Gallery Players' "Eisenstein Era" was characterized by plays and productions that were innovative and daring for their time - ranging from Arthur Miller dramas to Adler and Ross musicals.

He is survived by his wife, Anita; sons, Richard (Christine), Robert, David (Monica); grandchildren, Emily Parker, Michael Eisenstein, Brendan and Dawson Eisenstein; and great-grandson, Zachary Parker.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial contributions be made to the Harold and Anita Eisenstein Fund for Gallery Players, in care of the JCC of Greater Columbus, 1125 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209.

To read a transcription of an oral history Eisenstein gave to the Columbus Jewish Historical Society in 1998, please click here.

To leave a comment on Dispatch theater critic Michael Grossberg's blog tribute to Harold, please click here.

To sign the guest book, please click here.