Biography: Herbert Blau was born on May 3, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied chemical engineering at New York University, and earned both his M.A. in Drama and Ph.D. in English & American Literature from Stanford University. He married actress Beatrice Manley with whom he had three children -- Dick, Tara Gwyneth, and Jonathan. He then married Kathleen Woodward with whom he had his daughter, Jessamyn. He co-founded The Actor's Workshop in San Francisco in 1952, and served as co-director of the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center in New York City from 1965-1967. He was named California Institute of the Arts' founding provost and dean of the School of Theatre and Dance in 1968. His experimental theatre group, Kraken, was formed in 1971. He received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree in May 2008 from the California Institute of the Arts.

Film/TV Credits: He appeared in the documentaries "Stage Left: A Story of Theater in San Francisco" and "The Impossible Itself."

Trivia:
His production of Waiting for Godot with the inmates at the San Quentin State Prison in 1957 inspired them to start a drama group.