Three-time Tony Nominee Arthur Kopit Passed Away in New York Celebrity Just one month before he turned 84, the 'Phantom' playwright is survived by his wife Leslie Garis, his sister, Susan, his three children as well as his three grandchildren. Apr 5, 2021 AceShowbiz - Broadway playwright Arthur Kopit has died, aged 83. The Pulitzer Prize finalist passed away on Friday, April 2, in New York. Kopit's career began while he was still a student at Harvard with the 1963 play "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad", which landed a major theater run after finding success Off Broadway.