Elaine Stritch

Open Letters Monthly mourns the death at age 89 of Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, who taught generations of actors by dint of example to show up for work and work well, who knew all the greats of stage and screen in her time, who (as one of her more caustic critics once carped) "only became a star once all the other stars were dead," and who was once greeted by a stage-door fan (after a rather faintly-appreciated performance of Three Indelicate Ladies) who pompously said, "Boston is happy to have you, Miss Stritch," to which she replied, "Boston's got a fucking funny way of showing it." The commonplace in her obituaries has been that old reliable, "they just don't make 'em like her anymore" - but in this case, it might just be true.