In Memoriam: Carrie Robbins (1944 - 2024)

The League of Professional Women in Theatre mourns the passing of Carrie Robbins, a unique luminary whose distinctive contributions to costume design and playwriting have left an indelible mark on Broadway and beyond. With a career spanning decades, Robbins was celebrated for her unparalleled ability in character drawing.

As a costume designer, Carrie Robbins designed over 30 Broadway productions with her artistry, collaborating with legendary talents such as John Travolta, Lauren Bacall, and Meryl Streep. Her work graced stages from New York to London, earning her two Tony nominations, five Drama Desk Awards, and numerous other accolades, including the prestigious TDF Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Beyond her achievements on Broadway, she was a dedicated educator. She served as the Master Teacher of Costume Design at the Tisch School of the Arts and was extremely proud of the huge successes of her many graduates. 

In addition to her illustrious career in costume design, she was a playwright whose works captivated audiences at venues such as La MaMa and TACT-The Actors Company Theatre. Her double-bill production, Sawbones & The Diamond Eater, garnered critical acclaim and multiple nominations at the Innovative Theatre Awards.

Carrie Robbins' impact extended beyond the stage, as she curated exhibits and authored catalogs showcasing the rich history of women in theatrical design. In 2008-09, Robbins was co-curator with the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center of the exhibit Curtain Call - Celebrating A Century of Women Designing for Live Performance. Her dedication to preserving and celebrating the contributions of women in the arts leaves a profound legacy that will continue to inspire future generations.

She was a longtime active member of LPTW, serving on the board. In 2004, she received the LPTW Ruth Morley Design Award and curated Round Up, a publication of LPTW co-sponsored with the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

Carrie Robbins will be remembered not only for her extraordinary talent but also for her generosity, passion, and unwavering commitment to her craft. She leaves a legacy that will continue to shape the theatre landscape for years.

Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and many LPTW friends, as well as with the countless lives she touched throughout her remarkable career.

A note from our Co-Vice President of Membership, Patricia B. Snyder

I felt most fortunate to work with Carrie Robbins. In 1983, Carrie designed costumes for Joe Raposo and Bill Gibson’s Rag Dolly directed by Pat Birch that I produced at the Empire State Institute for the Performing Arts ESIPA which toured to Moscow in 1985. Her NYU student,Greg Barnes assisted her. The production was the first cultural event that resumed the cultural accords between the United States and the Soviet Union after a 7 year hiatus. Carrie also designed costumes at ESIPA for Louis St Louis’ Sugar Hill directed by League member Billie Allen. She enthusiastically consulted on costumes for the staged reading of League member Gail Kriegel’s Sweetee for the League’s 30th anniversary at Signature Theatre. Rest in peace dear dear Carrie. You will be greatly missed.