Nicholas Martin, a wonderful director and a superb human being, died yesterday. Nicky was
one of the most truly adored people I’ve ever met. He was the chortling, ebullient, inspiring
center of a devoted theatrical circle; everyone in the theater knew Nicky, or wanted to.
He was a source of true delight, and he made every encounter, whether it was a working
relationship, a friendship, or just a hello on the street, into an event.
I only got the chance to work with Nicky once, when he directed my play The New Century
at Lincoln Center. Up until then I’d only known the Nicky Martin legend; people loved
him so much that he seemed mythical. He’d begun his career as an actor, and then moved
into teaching and ultimately directing. He was a master of re-invention, accumulating
fans from every new venture. One of his last projects was Chris Durang’s brilliant
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which won last year’s Tony Award for Best Play, and
Nicky was nominated for his direction. That play encapsulates all of Nicky’s favorite
themes, encompassing loss, hilarity and theatrical dazzle. Nicky had also directed
a memorable production of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, starring Victor Garber
as a matinee idol with friends, lovers and staff swirling around him.
Present Laughter was in many ways a portrait of Nicky.
The last few years had been rough on Nicky, as he’d suffered a stroke and then cancer.
But being Nicky, even his misfortunes became parties. After his stroke, I visited
Nicky in the hospital, and his room was not only filled with flowers and balloons,
but the supreme playwright John Guare was sprawled across Nicky’s bed, and the
matchless actress Dana Ivey was seated nearby. John had brought along one of his
students, and Andrea Martin, Debra Monk and Nathan Lane were due any minute.
Brooks Ashmanskas, the sensational comic actor who’s currently enslaving audiences
in Bullets Over Broadway, was an especially close friend of Nicky’s;
I think they’d met when Brooks was Nicky’s student at Bennington.
Nicky served as the Artistic Director of both the Huntington Theatre in Boston and
the Williamstown Theatre Festival; he could attract the finest talent just by paging
through his address book. He both loved and understood actors. The New Century’s
cast included Linda Lavin, Jane Houdyshell and Peter Bartlett, and I would sit beside
Nicky and share his pure joy at watching these world-class performers. Nicky made
actors, and playwrights, and everyone else, feel safe and appreciated. He had
the air of a sophisticated, giddy child, curious about everything and always expecting wonder.
Here’s a tribute, from his days at the Huntington:
