Mr Cates was born in New York City and attended Syracuse University. Gilbert Cates was the founder and producing director at the Geffen Playhouse and the producer of 14 Oscar telecasts. In the late '60s and early '70s, Mr. Cates produced a series of Broadway productions, including the Robert Anderson plays You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running and I Never Sang for My Father. The former was a hit, the latter became a popular standard in regional and community theatre.

In the 1970s, Mr. Cates turned to film. Mr. Cates served two terms as President of the Directors Guild of America from 1983 to 1987. In 1989, he received the Guild's Robert B. Aldrich Award for extraordinary service and, in 1991, he received the DGA's Honorary Life Membership.

From 1990 to 1997, Mr. Cates was Dean of the UCLA School of Theater. In 1999, Mr. Cates enlisted Steppenwolf Theatre alum Randall Arney to become the theatre's artistic director, while Mr. Cates assumed the role of producing director. Thereafter, Mr. Cates regularly directed at least one production a season.

Source: Playbill.com