Paul Foster is a playwright, director, and first President of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Company. His plays produced at La MaMa E.T.C. include: HURRAH FOR THE BRIDGE (1963), THE RECLUSE (1964), THE MADONNA IN THE ORCHARD (1965), BALLS (1966), THE HESSIAN CORPORAL (1966), TOM PAINE (1967), and SATYRICON (1972). Throughout his career, Foster has won numerous awards, including Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships, a National Endowment for the Arts Award, and a British Arts Council Award.

Foster grew up in Salem, New Jersey and went on to study Journalism at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, subsequently attending NYU Law School. After having served in the Navy for two years, and about to return to law school, he had a shift in mindset and wanted to write a play with a revolutionary state-of-mind. He met Ellen Stewart, who wanted to open a clothing boutique. Foster wanted to share the space with her by opening a theater in the basement. Together they started La MaMa E.T.C. in 1962; it has since become legendary.