For more than half a century, Ron Sossi dedicated himself to creating theatre that dared to tackle big questions. I mean big questions: Does human existence have meaning? What is the essence of consciousness? How is all life connected and interdependent? Is death nothing more than a transformation of energy? What is the nature of time?

These were lofty, philosophical musings for a bearded, broad-chested man with a deep, rumbling voice who could come across as gruff and cantankerous when the mood struck him. The truth was, this curmudgeonly bear of a man was a lifelong devotee of Sufism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Hindu philosophy. Ron Sossi was an explorer of psyches—his own, those of others, and of characters onstage. He was fascinated by how the human mind worked.

When Ron founded the Odyssey Theatre in 1969, he sought to build a permanent ensemble of actors devoted to raw, avant-garde, experimental work. He was particularly drawn to German and Eastern European playwrights, especially Bertolt Brecht, and to plays that wrestled with metaphysical and spiritual issues. One of the models for his new company was Joe Chaikin’s Open Theatre (Jean-Claude van Itallie’s The Serpent became the Odyssey’s second production and was revised for its 50th anniversary). Another inspiration was the “poor theatre” of Jerzy Grotowski, with whom Sossi had studied in Poland.

In 1973, Ron walked away from a lucrative career in television to devote himself to the Odyssey Theatre full-time. The Los Angeles theatre ecosystem would never be the same. Unafraid to break convention, he purposely disobeyed expectations by producing works from German, Polish, British, and Latin American playwrights—choices that many other local stages considered financially risky. When Ron produced Steven Berkoff’s Kvetch in 1986, it ran forever and made all of us take notice. The following year, The Chicago Conspiracy Trial, created by Ron and Frank Condon at the Odyssey, became an HBO movie.

Anyone who has run a nonprofit theatre knows it’s never solely about the art. Ron was a shrewd—some might say ruthless—businessman. Perhaps his passion for Sufism, which combines spiritual practice with practical living, is what made him such a brutal, stubborn negotiator. This resolve was evident in the epic battle between Actors Equity Association and the intimate theatre community that started in 1972 and stretched over 40 years.

Alongside the Colony Theatre’s Barbara Beckley, the Victory Theatre’s Maria Gobetti and Tom Ormeny, the Matrix Theatre’s Joe Stern, and the Back Alley’s Laura Zucker, Ron was a relentless Zen warrior in the legendary “Equity Waiver War,” fighting for the survival of his company and the community he cherished. Whether you loved him, hated him, or fell somewhere in between, there’s no denying that he helped shape the Los Angeles theatre landscape.

In 2001, he launched Koan, a resident ensemble dedicated to the ongoing creation of unique devised works. In Zen Buddhism, a koan is a paradoxical riddle intended to spark enlightenment by demonstrating the inadequacy of logical thought. Ron scoffed at the pretense that any play could trigger sweeping political or social change across a broad landscape. Instead, he challenged audiences to look inward. To summon the courage to initiate change within themselves. As he put it, his goal was to “shake the whole basis of what you believe in.” That can’t happen with every production, he admitted. “But I try as often as possible.”

In a recent interview at the age of 83, Ron turned his gaze toward the dimming horizon. He saw himself focusing more ardently on his life-long “spiritual quest”—a phrase he disliked, yet embodied. He added, with a touch of humor and wistfulness, “A few more years of living would be nice too.”

Stephen Sachs was the founding artistic director of L.A.’s Fountain Theatre from 1990 to 2024.