Tanya Berezin, Actress and Former Artistic Director of Circle Repertory Company, Has Passed Away

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Tanya Berezin, actress and former Artistic Director of Circle Repertory Company passed away on November 29th at the age of 82 from lung cancer, according to the New York Times. She was at home of her daughter, Lila Thirkield, in San Francisco.

Berezin appeared as Marion Clay in the original Broadway cast of Angels Fall. She won an Obie Award for Lanford Wilson's The Mound Builders in 1975. Other theatre credits include the Broadway cast of Fifth of July and numerous off-Broadway productions.

In 1986, she became artistic director of Circle Rep, a company she helped found in 1969. She remained with the company until 1994, and the company disbanded in 1996.

During her tenure at Circle Rep, she created a lab for new works, which brought to the stage plays such as Larry Kramer's The Destiny of Me, Paula Vogel's Baltimore Waltz, Jon Robin Baitz's Three Hotels, as well as Craig Lucas's Prelude to a Kiss and Reckless.

Her television credits include St. Elsewhere and The Equalizer and the film Awakenings, starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams.

Berezin is survived by her daughter Lila Thirkield, son Jonathan Thirkield, and two grandchildren. Her husband, Rob Thirkield, also a founder of Circle Rep, passed away in 1986.