New York, NY – The Dramatists Guild mourns the loss of actor, director, and adaptor Frank Galati, who died the evening of Monday, January 2 in Florida at the age of 79.

Mr. Galati, a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble since 1985, received two Tony Awards in 1990 for his adaptation and direction of Steppenwolf's Broadway production of The Grapes of Wrath, as well as a Tony Award nomination in 1998 for his direction of Ragtime (music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, book by Terrence McNally).

Steppenwolf Co-Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis said in a joint statement, “Frank had a profound impact on Steppenwolf, and all of us, over the years. For some, he was a teacher, mentor, director, adaptor, writer, fellow actor, and visionary. Regardless of the relationship, Frank always made others feel cared for, valued, and inspired in his ever-generous, joyful, and compassionate presence.”

A Theater Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Galati served as an associate director of the Goodman Theatre from 1986-2008. His Goodman productions include The Visit, She Always Said Pablo, The Winter’s Tale, The Good Person of Setzuan, and Cry the Beloved Country. He was also an artistic associate at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, most recently having directed Asolo Rep’s world premiere musical Knoxville in 2022, which he adapted from James Agee's novel A Death in the Family. Galati was a professor emeritus in the Department of Performance Studies at Northwestern University.