Actress Ruth Maleczech, 74, Avant-Garde Earth Mother

“As co-creator of [the experimental troupe] Mabou Mines, Ms. Maleczech directed and/or appeared in many of the company’s productions. A regular presence in the downtown theatre scene in the 1970s and 1980s, she became something of an earth mother figure not only to her own outfit, but to the New York avant garde theatre community in general – a role only buttressed by her warm, matronly aura.”