KAHN, OTTO

Kahn, Otto: translation

(1867-1934)

Born in Mannheim, Germany, Kahn came to America in 1893, made a fortune inrailroadsand other investments, and became an American citizen. While the Metropolitan Opera probably ranked as the prime beneficiary of his largesse, Kahn became a legendary patron of all the arts. He had an important impact on theatre with his patronage of individual artists like Paul Robeson, of specific productions like Max Reinhardt'sThe Miracle(1923), of Americanengagementsby foreign companies like Serge Diaghilev'sBallets Russes(1916) and Jacques Copeau's Théâtre du Vieux Colombier (1917-1918), and of companies like theProvince-town Players, theWashington Square Players, and the Theatre Guild, to name but a few.