He was survived by his father, Anthony Marasco, and his sister, Carole Melillo. He died of lung cancer at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset on December 6, 1998, leaving several unproduced screenplays and the finished play, Our Sally. Marasco spent his later life in High Falls, New York. Following a less successful London production at the Queen's Theatre in 1971, the play was made into a film in 1972 Sidney Lumet directed, and the cast included James Mason, Robert Preston, and Beau Bridges.Īfter Child's Play, he published two novels: Burnt Offerings in 1973, and Parlor Games in 1979.īurnt Offerings was adapted into a 1976 film directed by Dan Curtis, starring Karen Black and Oliver Reed, with such veteran actors as Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart, and Bette Davis in small roles. You may have also seen the chilling 1976 film adaptation starring Karen Black and Burgess Meredith.

The production ran for 342 performances between February and December 1970. Burnt Offerings begins with the familiar horror premise of a family moving into a big, mysterious house, and slowly unearthing its terrible secrets, but it takes a turn for the truly weird about midway through. Marasco drew both on his experience as a teacher of Latin and Greek classics at Regis High School and a newspaper account he had read about a teacher who, after assigning his students some homework, immediately killed himself by jumping out a window.Ĭhild's Play garnered a rave review on opening night from Clive Barnes of The New York Times, followed by a Tony nomination for Best Play of the Year. Starring Pat Hingle and Ken Howard, the play dealt with demonic doings at a Roman Catholic boys' school. Child's Play debuted at the Royale Theater in New York on February 17, 1970. After graduating from college, Marasco taught Latin at his high school alma mater.ĭuring his time teaching at Regis High School, Marasco wrote Child's Play. He is best known for his 1970 Broadway play Child's Play, and his supernatural novel Burnt Offerings (1973), which was adapted into a 1976 film of the same name.īorn in the Bronx, New York City, Marasco attended Regis High School in Manhattan and graduated from Fordham University. Robert Marasco (Septem– December 6, 1998) was an American horror novelist, playwright, and teacher.

Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco