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He recently hosted a March 30 book launch party for “The World’s Largest Cherry Pie,” a collection of poetry by his friend Sophie Appel, that featured a harpist and tea tasting.

A little over a year ago, Seyfried, Moore and Toscano took a research trip to Philadelphia and visited Kensington, where they met with community leaders including Father Michael Duffy of St. Francis Inn, a food service organization where Moore taught a writing workshop, and Johanna Berrigan and Mary Beth Appel of the free clinic the Catholic Worker.

The theater’s current artistic director, David Ivers, and managing director, Suzanne Appel, announced Tuesday that Benson died Saturday of natural causes.

From 1996 to 2007, he was OSF associate artistic director under Libby Appel, who asked him to join OSF in part because of his work with Group Theatre and its demonstrated commitment to diversity.

Hannah Appel, an assistant professor of anthropology, stood at one entrance, where people dropped off medical supplies, face masks and water bottles.