Christopher Martin is the founder of Classic Stage Company (CSC Repertory), and was the artistic director from 1967 to 1985. During his 18 years at CSC, Martin led more than 100 productions in rotating rep that brought the company to success.  Beyond CSC, Martin has worked as an actor both on and off Broadway, served as director, designer, and composer for State and National Theatres abroad, as well as a translator of plays from French, Spanish, Swedish, and German. His translation of the Heiner Mueller text for Robert Wilson's THE CIVIL WARs was nominated for the 1985 Pulitzer Prize. Off-Broadway credits from his time at CSC include: Goethe's FAUST I and II, Ibsen's uncut PEER GYNT, Yeats' CUCHULAIN CYCLE, Sophocles' OEDIPUS CYCLE, Aeschylus' ORESTEIA, Shakespeare's HOLLOW CROWN TRILOGY, HAMLET,  KING LEAR, Strindberg's GHOST SONATA, Pinter's  THE HOMECOMING, Shaw's complete MAN AND SUPERMAN, and Melville's MOBY DICK. He is also the founder  of A.R.T./New York (The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York) , originally known as the Off-Off Broadway Alliance (OOBA).

Martin grew up in Queens and Westport, Connecticut with parents who were both actors. In high-school he played guitar, cut a hit record with his band, and played with Allan Freed and Bruce Morrow, and appeared on Dick Clark's AMERICAN BANDSTAND. Settling in New York, he went on to play every major blues club and high society hotel. While at New York University (NYU) on a teaching fellowship, he assembled the company that became CSC, first located at Riverside Church, then moving to Rutgers Church on West 73^rd Street, and later to its own quarters at 273 Bleecker  Street and 89 West  3^rd Street, quickly expanding to its current space on East 13^th Street. In addition to his international productions, Martin is the composer of a blues opera, JACKHAMMER, and medieval rock opera, QUASIMODO. He currently he teaches Shakespeare, and is at work on a series of crime novels based on his international experiences.