George Wolfe’s resignation from the Public Theatre brings up nostalgia for the theatre’s founding director Joseph Papp. “On one hand, it’s only natural that the Public’s founding spirit should loom large at a time when the institution is searching for its next leader. On the other, it’s a sign of the trepidation many in the industry feel about the uncertain course of America’s flagship theater when corporatizing trends are buffeting even Off-Broadway.”