IN MEMORIAM GAMUT THEATRE 2020

Every year that passes brings new gifts and also losses, which make us reflect all the more on those precious and foundational relationships from the past. This year Gamut marked the passing of three very different, but equally dear friends and company members. We’d like to take this opportunity to share our love and our loss with you.

Kent McNeillie

Kent McNeillie was an actor in many productions over the whole of Gamut’s history. Truly, there never seems like a time in the past 28 years when Kent wasn’t there. He was a plebeian citizen of Rome in our first production of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, and many years later in our second mainstage production, he was Caesar, himself. Kent wasn’t just precious to us onstage at Gamut, he was a true friend and workhorse offstage. Any time a set was built or there were large amounts of scenery to haul, Kent was there doing much of the work, and also making sure that less technically savvy members of the cast and crew were doing things safely. Kent was the big brother of Gamut, helping us out and always giving us an example to which we could aspire.

Lily Jordan

Lily Jordan was the beautiful young light of our stage last season. Her radiant smile and enthusiasm lit up the stage, and backstage she always had time for sharing laughs with her castmates. It was a surprise to know that during all of this, she was actively fighting cancer, the very cancer that had put her in the wheelchair which she refused to allow to restrict her or define her. She was an active student at Gamut, and shone so brightly and notably as the Skunk in our production of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and was hilarious in Gamut’s Young Acting Company production of Cinderella, a part she never got to fully realize on the stage because of its cancellation due to Covid-19. She left us far, far too early, but gave us the gift of her talents, and also the example of her fierce love of life.

Don Bridge

Don Bridge wasn’t a company member of Gamut, however in the history of this company, he was so very much more. Don was actually one of the most pivotal people in the foundation of our theatre, and his active contributions to this company continue to this very day. Many of the fables which we will be presenting in our digital Popcorn Hat Countdown to Noon were written by Don, and given to Clark and Melissa to perform, free of charge, back at the beginning of the company in 1992. Don, along with his wife Lisa, were the founders of Durham, NC’s Little Big Theater Company, one of the first companies to give both Clark and Melissa a job. Don and Lisa taught the future founders of Gamut so very much about how to build a puppet, how to make a joke work, how to handle a crowd of rambunctious preschoolers, how to rock that Sing Along, and, really, how to start and run a theatre company. If Melissa and Clark are Gamut’s Mom and Pop, then Don is the Grandpappy. And, we love him, miss him, and will be eternally grateful to him.