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Obituaries

In Memoriam: John Simpson, Founder of White Light, 79

John Simpson, 1942 – 2022

PLSN was saddened to learn of the death of White Light founder and former chairman, John Simpson. The company, which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, announced his passing on June 11, 2022. He was 79. In addition to his work with White Light, Simpson was known for his charity work, acting as Chair of Backup: The Technical Entertainment Charity, which provides financial support to industry technical professionals in times of hardship. Over the last two years of the pandemic, he had been tireless in the support of the people in the industry who needed help – right up until a week before his untimely death. Here’s a remembrance by White Light of Simpson and his career. We send our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends.Read More »In Memoriam: John Simpson, Founder of White Light, 79

In Memoriam | Douglas L. Pope, Live Event Production Manager, 79

PLSN has learned of the death of Live Event Production Manager, Douglas L. Pope on May 30, 2022 at the age of 79. Pope worked frequently with Patrick Stansfield, Imero Fiorentino, and others on a wide range of projects over his long career. Click below for a tribute written by John Purdy, a long-time friend of Pope’s where they worked together on many production events.

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In Memoriam: Martee Nuruddin, 68

PLSN learned of the passing of Martin “Martee” Nuruddin, Vice President of PRG Orlando on April 14th. Nuruddin, born on February 15, 1954, was 68. He was a 44-year member of IATSE Local One, having been initiated on February 2, 1978. He worked throughout the Broadway jurisdiction and started his career as an apprentice at Vanco in New York. He would move to Florida to open Vanco Orlando.Read More »In Memoriam: Martee Nuruddin, 68

In Memoriam: Mr. Keizo Kiyohara, FOR-A Founder, Passes Away at 88

Tokyo – March 10, 2022 – FOR-A Company Limited today announced the passing of the company’s founder and representative director, Mr. Keizo Kiyohara who died on March 7. He was 88 years old.

Mr. Kiyohara established FOR-A Co. Ltd. in 1971. Three years later, he started FOR-A Corporation of America in California. FOR-A, the Japanese company name, means “A Partnership that Grows Together.” The name was given by Mr. Kiyohara because he believed that with the solutions developed by the company, there was true value in its meaning.Read More »In Memoriam: Mr. Keizo Kiyohara, FOR-A Founder, Passes Away at 88

In Memoriam: MI Industry Icon, Juan ‘JC’ Faxas, Passes at 59

Juan “JC” Faxas, formerly with the ADJ Group of Companies and a prominent figure within the MI industry community, died Feb. 12 at age 59. Born in Cuba, Faxas’ family brought him to the U.S. at age six. His lifelong love of music shaped his career, first working as a DJ during high school in the 1970s before joining Guitar Center and then, later in his career, ADJ.

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In Memoriam: Alan Hall, Stage Manager and Production Supervisor

 

Stage Directions in PLSN has learned of the death of Production Stage Manager and Production Supervisor Alan Hall, who died Monday, February 7, 2022, in Spruce Head Island, ME. Born in England in 1936, Hall was 85. Here’s a great and informative video interview with Hall from the American Theatre Wing’s Guide to Working in the Theatre series, where Hall speaks in-depth on the role of the Production Stage Manager. Hall describes a PSM as “a benevolent dictator”:

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In Memoriam: Lina (Jean) Burch, Technical Director and Project Manager

Stage Directions has learned that Technical Director, Lina (Jean) Burch, 47, passed away quietly in her home in Kenosha, WI on December 1, 2021 at the age of 47. She had been working as the Technical Director at Milliken University since August 2020. Burch wrote for her blog Technical Direction Tidbits since 2007 and was very involved with the USITT Midwest Regional Section where she currently served as the Vice Chair of Programming on the Board of Directors and had been a Director at Large. Prior to her position at Milliken, she had freelanced as a project manager and technical director in the Chicago area and worked for a number of years at Chicago Scenic Studios as a project manager. Burch had an MFA in Technical Design and Production from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. We at PLSN and Stage Directions send our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues in the industry. Here is a recent remembrance from USITT, which Burch was very involved over her theater career.Read More »In Memoriam: Lina (Jean) Burch, Technical Director and Project Manager