Honoring the Life of John Bracchitta Braden

The College of Fine Arts and the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University extend condolences to the loved ones of alumnus John Bracchitta Braden, who passed on August 25 at his home in Irvington, N.Y., surrounded by his family. John was a professional actor for more than 60 years. Born in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., on April 30, 1931, he attended Washington Irving High School in Tarrytown, N.Y., before enrolling in the School of Drama at what was then Carnegie Tech. He graduated in 1954, and was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. John is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Maureen, his son Ian and Ian’s wife, Lydia, John’s daughter, Gayton, grandchildren Zachary and Emily, and sister Gertrude Arduino.

John’s professional career featured Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater and film, television and radio stints. While at RADA, he appeared in the first staged presentation of “Under Milkwood” with fellow actor Peter O’Toole.

In the U.S., he was part of The Antioch Shakespeare Festival run by Arthur Lithgow, and he appeared in many plays at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn. He took his roles to Broadway in three of those: David Storey’s “The Changing Room,” Peter Nichols’ “The National Health” and Eugene O’Neill’s “Ah, Wilderness.” John’s Long Wharf work also included “The Contractor” by David Storey, which featured the late John Cazale; “The Hostage” directed by the late Joe Maher; “The Crucible” with Ann Dowd; “Troika” directed by the late Morris Carnovsky; “Hamlet” starring Hamish Linklater; “Trelawny of the Well” directed by Max Strafford-Clark; “Mornings at Seven” playing opposite Mary Louis Wilson; and “A Pagan Place” by Edna O’Brien, directed by John Lithgow.

John made his Broadway debut in “Mary Mary” and his last Broadway performance was in “Our Town,” directed by James Naughton and co-starring Paul Newman. John also performed a season at New York’s Lincoln Center that included “The Little Foxes,” directed by Mike Nichols.

Off-Broadway credits include a Shaw Festival at the Provincetown Playhouse, “Power and the Glory,” starring Fritz Weaver at Phoenix Theater, “Living Quarters” at The Vineyard Theater, “Wayside Motor Inn” by A.R Gurney at Manhattan Theater Club, “The Balcony” at Circle in the Square, directed by Jose Quintero, and “Uncle Vanya,” playing the title role.

John’s regional work, aside from Long Wharf, included the inaugural season at The O’Neill Playwrights Conference. At Williamstown Theater, he was directed by Joanne Woodward in “The Big Knife” and played opposite Mildred Dunnock, Carrie Nye, Olympia Dukakis and many others. He starred in “Club Champions Widow” opposite Maureen Stapleton (directed by Robert Lewis), as well as “Fighting Over Beverly” with Elizabeth Wilson.

Among his many film/TV credits, John appeared in “Our Town” and “Ah, Wilderness” for the PBS “Masterpiece Theater” series, “Cagney and Lacey,” “Night Court,” “The Golden Girls” and “The Adams Chronicles.” John also was in Woody Allen’s “Bananas” and “The Anderson Tapes,” which was directed by Sidney Lumet.