Quintero, José (Benjamín)

(born Oct. 15, 1924, Panama City, Pan.—died Feb. 26, 1999, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Panamanian-born U.S. theatrical director. After studying theatre at theUniversity of Southern California, he directed his first play in 1949. He was a founder of the Off-Broadway theatre Circle in the Square, where he directed regularly from 1950, establishing the house as a major centre for serious theatre. His direction of Tennessee Williams's Summer and Smoke (1952) confirmed his reputation and made a star of Geraldine Page. He was best known for his productions of 20th-century plays, especially those of Williams and Eugene O'Neill, including The Iceman Cometh (1956), Long Day's Journey into Night (1956), and A Moon for the Misbegotten (1973, Tony Award).

Quintero, José (1924– ) theatrical director; born in Panama City, Panama. Educated in Los Angeles, he became producer and director of Circle in the Square Theater in New York City in 1951. He compiled a long and distinguished list of credits, including many 20th-century American dramatic works, particularly those of Eugene O'Neill. He also directed television and radio plays. He won a Tony Award for his production of Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten.