Broadway actor Dennis Letts dead at 73

Stage actor Dennis Letts, who was still performing in New York last month in the acclaimed drama August: Osage County, has died of cancer at the age of 73.

The New York Daily News said the retired professor-turned-thespian was diagnosed with the disease in September. Despite undergoing treatment, he performed through January in the play, which was written by his son Tracy and opened in December.

Dennis Letts died Friday. He told the Daily News in November he couldn't think of anything better than making his Broadway debut with his son.

Everyone is saddened by Dennis' passing, said the show's producer Jeffrey Richards.

An understudy took over his role in the play at the end of last month, the report said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International