Joanna Merlin wrote two acting guides and was a faculty member of New York University's graduate acting program.
12 Facts About Joanna Merlin
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Joanna Merlin's parents had immigrated to the United States from Russia.
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Joanna Merlin's family included her older sister, Harriet Glickman, who would go on to gain recognition for helping persuade Charles M Schulz in 1968 to add a black character to his Peanuts strip, which he did with the introduction of Franklin.
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Joanna Merlin first acted on stage at age 11, joining a community theatre production, Too Many Marys.
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Joanna Merlin's family moved to Los Angeles when she was fifteen.
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Joanna Merlin attended UCLA, though did not graduate, and later studied under Michael Chekhov, learning his world-renowned acting technique.
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Joanna Merlin was described as the last student of Chekhov who was still alive and teaching.
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Joanna Merlin left the cast of Fiddler on the Roof before the end of its tour to take care of her two small children, but Harold Prince gave her the opportunity to become involved in casting with a more flexible schedule.
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Company was the first musical for which Joanna Merlin served as the casting director.
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Joanna Merlin was in charge of casting for such plays as Follies, Evita and Sweeney Todd.
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Joanna Merlin taught in New York University's graduate acting program at the Tisch School of the Arts and in 1999, founded the Michael Chekhov Association where she taught acting workshops.
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Joanna Merlin died from myelodysplastic syndrome at the Los Angeles home of her daughter, Rachel, on October 15,2023, at the age of 92.