A celebration of Jerry Manning‘s life will take place at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater on Monday, June 23 at 6:00 pm. The gathering, organized by Gary Phillips—a longtime friend of Manning—will be in the Mead Center’s grand lobby. Those in the D.C. area theater community and any others who might like to say a few words will be given an opportunity to do so. Others may simply wish to gather in tribute to a beloved member of the DC, NY, and Seattle theatre community.
Manning worked for 11 years (from 1984-1995) with Arena Stage in various roles including fund-raising, literary management and as casting director. During that time he also directed plays at many area theaters. He became Associate Artistic Director at the New York Theatre Workshop from 1995-2000, where he served as the company’s literary manager and casting director, and was involved in the development of Rent, among other works. In 2000, Manning joined Seattle Rep as Associate Artistic Director overseeing casting and artistic relations, and was named Producing Artistic Director in 2008, a post he held until his sudden passing April 30, 2014.
The event is open to all, with or without advance notice, but an RSVP would be appreciated.
Please email [email protected] if you plan on attending.
Note from Joel: I admired Jerry Manning so much. He was one of the first people I met in the theater when I moved to the DC area in 1985. He inspired me to start a social group for theatregoers, which I named The Ushers, which I have been managing for 23 years. I was so thrilled for him when he moved to NYC and then to Seattle. His passing, as you can see from the articles and memorials below, has left a huge void in the theatre communities where he was loved and respected. May he rest in eternal peace.
LINKS
Remembering Jerry Manning by Brendan Kiley.
In Memoriam of Jerry by Seattle Rep.
In memory of Jerry Manning who has left his mark on theatre in DC and Seattle by Christopher Henley.
The article was sent to me by Kirstin M. Franko, Director of Media Relation of Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.
