Byrne Piven

Byrne Piven (September 24, 1929 – February 18, 2002) was an American stage actor and director. He co-founded the Playwrights Theatre Club, a forerunner of The Second City. Piven was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrant parents. In the 1950s, he and his wife Joyce Hiller were founding members of the Playwrights Theatre Club, which featured future stars like Mike Nichols and Elaine May. Piven studied with Uta Hagen in New York and played lead roles in several New York Shakespeare Festival productions. He returned to Chicago in 1967 to reunite with his colleagues and continue his career in theater. Piven passed away on February 18, 2002.