| Dear School of Drama Alumni: I write now to let you know of the loss of Cletus Anderson, professor emeritus in the school of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University, who died peacefully at his home March 16. He was 69. Professor Anderson served on the School of Drama design faculty for 35 years. In 1978, he was appointed to head the design and production option; a role he held until 1995. Anderson retired from teaching in 2003. I am very glad to have known Cletus. His incalculable contribution to generations of Drama students, his taste and stature as a theatre artist and his deep humanity and friendship will be missed by us all. As many of you know, Professor Anderson earned the affection and admiration of both colleagues and students. For his selfless mentorship of students he received the Henry Hornbostel Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Among his many professional accomplishments was his work as production designer for the classic zombie films "Night of the Living Dead," "Day of the Dead" and "Creepshow," directed by friend George Romero (A'61), along with countless theatrical productions. He co-authored the book "Costume Design" with his long-time collaborator and wife, Barbara Anderson. Professor Anderson received his bachelor's degree in fine arts from Ohio University and his master's degree in fine arts from Yale School of Drama. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's theater critic, Chris Rawson, called him the "dean of Pittsburgh set and costume designers" and an inspiration to some of the most successful designers nationwide. (Read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette obituary here.) Cletus has made a lasting impact on Pittsburgh's theater design community and through his work on national television specials produced by WQED. He came out of retirement last year to design the set for Civic Light Opera's Cabaret "Forbidden Broadway." He leaves a network of friends and former students throughout the entertainment industry. As dramats, I am sure you are aware of the impact and legacy of the Andersons' partnership, and Cletus' unique strengths. In addition to Barbara, Cletus is survived by their two children, Catherine Anderson and Christopher Anderson, and son-in-law Matthew O'Connell; and grandchildren Madeline Rose Anderson O'Connell and Taylor Quinlan Anderson O'Connell. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m., in the Chosky Theater in the Purnell Center at Carnegie Mellon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Carnegie Mellon University - Anderson Production Fund, School of Drama, Purnell Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Friends are invited to stop by the Anderson house, 2030 Beechwood Blvd., on Saturday, March 24, 2007, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. I know all our thoughts are with Barbara and the Anderson family at this very sad time.
 |
| |
Thursday, March 22, 2007
School of Drama Announcement
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment