Albert Hirschfeld became famous for his personality caricatures of theater people, pen and ink work he did in his position as Theatre Caricaturist for The New York Times. He earned 23 awards including in 1984 a special Tony Award, which was a sign that the theater world welcomed him as one of their own. His work also appeared in other newspapers and books, and in 1996, a film documentary of his life titled The Line King, was nominated for an Academy Award. That same year Hirschfeld was named one of six New York City Landmarks by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

He was a familiar figure at first-night openings, and rehearsals, and he perfected a method of making a sketch in the dark. To be one of his subjects was reg...