In Memoriam
Shirle Gottlieb was a freelance art and theater writer/reviewer/critic for over 25 years – ever since she completed her Interdisciplinary Masters Degree at California State University, Long Beach. What began quite by accident while researching her thesis topic, “Creativity/Creative Process,” became a labor of love. With a focus on “theater and art in the context of culture and psychology,” her premise reinforced her dedication to “art” in all of its manifestations.
Since 1983, Shirle had written reviews for various publications that included the Long Beach Press Telegram, ArtScene, Drama-Logue, Visions, Back Stage West, Long Beach Jewish Community Chronicle, the Gazette Newspapers, and stagehappenings.com. She was honored to be named a CSULB Distinguished Alumna in 1985 and a City of Long Beach Distinguished Arts Critic in 1997.
Shirle was a member of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle since 1999, and had written critical analyses for the Long Beach Playhouse New Works Festival for 18 years.
Instructing her OLLI class (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) at CSULB was another of her ongoing labors of Love. For twelve years Shirle and her class “Followed the Yellow Brick Road” each Fall semester through theater and art on campus and in the community.
In 2009, Women in Art (WIT) honored Shirle with a Red Carpet Award for her contribution to theater in Southern California. And in 2011, California Repertory Company thanked Shirle for supporting theater in the area by honoring her at its first “Big Bash” benefit on the Queen Mary.
Last, but far from least, was the event that took place when theater/art friends turned the table on Shirle by organizing a surprise “Critics’ Award Night” to thank her for her unwavering support of all the arts.