Background
Petralito II, Frank was born on May 14, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Petralito II, Frank was born on May 14, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Northwestern University (Bachelor of Science, 1958). Stanford University (Bachelor of Laws, 1961). New York University (Master of Laws, 1964).
Managing Editor, Stanford Law Review. Partner, Everett, Johnson & Breckinridge, New York, New York, 1969-1977. Assistant General Counsel, Harford Insurance Group, Hartford, Connecticut, 1969.
Van Straten was the first archivist of the Performing Arts Museum (now Performing Arts Collection), at the Arts Centre, Melbourne, and its director from 1984 until 1993. Between 1986 and 2001 Frank researched and presented ABC Local Radio’s Nostalgia segment, broadcast on Melbourne’s 774 and the ABC Victorian Regional Network. In 2002 Van Straten acted as the Historical Consultant for Graeme Murphy’s ‘dance musical’ Tivoli, performed by the Sydney Dance Company, which premiered at the State Theatre, Arts Centre, Melbourne.
Van Straten has served on the Board of the National Theatre, Melbourne. He has also served on the judging panels of the Green Room Awards and Helpmann Awards. In 2007 Van Straten was appointed Live Performance Australia’s Official Historian.
He is a patron of the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society (Victoria), and a founding member and committee member of the Victoria Theatres Trust (now Theatre Heritage Australia).