The York community was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death, on Sept. 11, of Professor Anatol Schlosser. A charter member of the faculty of the Department of Theatre, Schlosser was held in high affection and esteem by his students and colleagues alike. He had retired just this past July after 30 years of service at York. Details of a University memorial service in celebration of his life will be announced soon.
A theatre historian and theorist, Schlosser was particularly interested in theatre as a force for social change, the theatre of protest, and non-European theatre, especially traditional Asian puppetry. He also taught extensively in the Fine Arts Cultural Studies Program and the Faculty of Education, and served as academic advisor at Winters College from 2000–2002. Schlosser was a noted authority on the American singer and activist Paul Robeson. He published extensively on Robeson’s political and performance career, created a Canadian Paul Robeson Archive collection at the York University Library and, at the time of his death, was president of the Robeson Institute of Canada.