Sunday, May 6, 2012

A GOOD FRIEND PASSES

Our friend and colleague, Jane Bishop, has passed away - far too early as the result of a stroke during surgery.  She was a remarkable woman and a wonderful friend.This obit was published:

Jane Bishop was thrilled to have co-founded True Colors with her longtime friend and colleague, Kenny Leon. Her dream was to build a theater that looks like the world, and her best and favorite work was making people bigger and making things work better. Anyone who had the privilege of working with Jane came away from that experience enriched and enlightened not only about the art of theatre, but also about how to live one's life. Her smile brightened so many lives, and she will not be forgotten for the light she shed on this earth.

In her career in theater, she was a teacher, director, stage manager, production manager, general manager, managing director, consultant and co-founder of True Colors Theatre Company. She worked in a variety of capacities for Just Us Theatre Company, Imaginary Theatre, Showcase Cabaret, Theater of the Stars, Atlanta Writers in Concert , The San Jose Repertory Company, Dallas Theater Center, Indiana Repertory Theatre, the National Black Arts Festival and Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia.

For the 1996 Olympics' Victory Ceremonies she hired, trained, and coordinated 21 pairs of stage managers to rehearse and produce over 300 victory ceremonies in 28 different venues in Atlanta, Savannah, and north Georgia. In 1998 she served as the Alliance Theater's project manager for Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida, an Alliance/Disney co-production of a new musical by Elton John and Tim Rice, which ran for over five years on Broadway.

For nine years Jane served as General Manager of the Alliance Theatre where she worked with Managing Director Edith Love and Artistic Director Kenny Leon. She taught stage management at Georgia State University and theatre administration at La Grange College. She served on the boards of 7 Stages and the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts. All of her endeavors were taken on with the unwavering support of her partner, Sandra Deer.

Jane received an MA in Theatre Education and an MFA in Directing from Illinois State University where she studied in a class of aspiring actors and directors, which included John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinese, and Terry Kinny.

We will always love Jane and never forget her. We are blessed and lucky to have known her during her time on this earth.

2 comments:

Beats said...

She sounds like a lovely person I would have been privileged to meet. I'm sorry I did not get to know her in this life. May her spirit and example continue to shine in all the lives she touched.
Beats xoxox

Rick said...

Sorry for your loss Richard.