Arthur Storch, founder of Syracuse Stage, died Tuesday at the age of 87. Storch served as producing artistic director from 1974-1992, and was considered a pioneer of the Syracuse regional theater movement.

Among Storch’s biggest accomplishments was building a strong relationship between the Stage and Syracuse University’s drama department. The relationship became a national model for undergraduate drama programs and professional theaters, according to a March 6 Syracuse Stage press release.

Storch was also the chair of the SU drama department from 1973-1992. As producing artistic director for the Stage, he directed 30 plays and supervised the production of more than 100 others. He was also integral in making the Stage well-known for its artistic talent, as well as developing the drama department into one of the most prestigious bachelor’s of fine arts programs in the country, according to the release.

He left SU in 1992 after receiving the Mayor’s Achievement Award, according to the release, and the Arthur Storch Theatre in the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama complex was named in his honor.

“One of the traits that I most admired about Arthur was his attention to the audience. He knew that the audience was the final arbiter of the success of a play. If the audience was restless and not focused, it was not the fault of the audience. It meant that the director and actors had more work to do,” said Jim Clark, former producing director of the Stage and former chair of SU’s drama department, in the release.

Storch left an important legacy in Syracuse communities across the country through his leadership in the American Regional Theatre movement during the 1960s and 70s, said Timothy Bond, current producing artistic director of the Stage and SU Drama, in the release.

Said Bond: “His belief in the power and purpose of theatre to enrich the human spirit, and his passion in training the next generation of theatre artists remains a guiding force for all of us at Syracuse Stage and SU Drama.”