Story Photos
 Photo by Bill Wagner Pictures of graduates who have acted in Mainstage Theatre productions over the years cover the doors of Dana Brown's office in this photo taken last December. |
"He left on his curtain call."
Saturday, March 3, 2007 12:24 AM PST
By Tom Paulu
Printable version
E-mail this articleMainstage Theatre director Dana Brown died at home Thursday evening, while the cast of his last play was half-way through a frenzied comedy at R.A. Long High School.
"Most of the cast went and saw Dana before the show so they were able to say good-bye," said Rick Little, who has been in many of Brown's productions. "He was going to direct his own death, I think," said Little, a funeral director who is handling arrangements for Brown.
Brown's last hours seemed a proper final act to his life, said "Noises Off" cast member Jerry Wilson. "We were acting and doing his thing, and he's resting at home with friends."
Brown, 61, died from cancer that had spread in recent months, though he was teaching and directing at R.A. Long as late as a week ago. He is survived by wife Sara and four children.
Born Nov. 1, 1945, Brown grew up in Spokane and during an interview in December spoke of a hard childhood. Like many young people he later mentored, Brown caught the theater bug in high school.
He narrowly escaped death several times while serving in the Navy in Vietnam. After that, he said he never expected to live a long life. His trademark sailor's cap carried a Vietnam service insignia.
After teaching for several years in Oregon, Brown came to R.A. Long in 1979, and started directing plays with both adult and student actors. Few school districts do this, but Brown wanted students and adults to learn from each other; he enjoyed seeing people become enveloped in theater at mid-life.
Brown also loved doing big-cast musicals like "Fiddler on the Roof" and "My Fair Lady," even though they're much more work for a director than smaller shows.
Starting Friday, dozens of former students expressed their affection for Brown under a story on his death on the Daily News' Web site.
"Dana Brown affected my life and so many lives in Longview community. In high school he gave students a place to be," one person wrote.
Another person wrote that he fought with Brown through two years of classes but has come to realize the teacher was pushing him to do better. "I can honestly say I would not be the person I am today if it was not from Dana Brown."
The outpouring of affection for Brown started last November, when he told friends the cancer he had fought for a decade was terminal.
He asked friends to arrange a reunion of people who had worked with him over the years. In January, about 400 gathered at R.A. Long. At the gathering, Brown led a closing prayer and told the auditorium full of old friends, "You are Mainstage, and when I'm gone I expect it to continue."
Knowing his winter quarter show would be his last, Brown switched from a serious drama to "Noises Off," a frantic sex farce about a hapless theater company.
Last week, he raved that the show featured his strongest cast and fanciest set ever.
Brown last attended a performance of the show on Feb. 24. "I'm glad he got to see people laughing at it," said cast member Mike Rader.
Earlier this week, Brown flew to Rochester, Minn., to see a cancer specialist at the Mayo Clinic. According to friends, the doctor was surprised Brown had survived as long as he had. Brown returned home Wednesday and spent his last day at home.
Little visited Brown Thursday afternoon and showed him the bronze signs that will adorn the R.A. Long auditorium, which has recently been named for the director.
Rader said he thought doing the Thursday performance would be difficult but "we had our best show" of the run. "I think we all knew what we had to do. We all wanted to do it for Dana."
A friend from his boyhood days in Spokane, Jim Brown, arrived at Dana Brown's home around 7 p.m. Thursday evening. "He really rallied when his best friend came," said friend Jerry Stevens.
Brown died about 90 minutes later.
"He didn't suffer until these last couple of days," Stevens said. "He left on his curtain call."
Stevens waited until the evening's performance was over before telling the actors.
Rader said the cast gathered in a circle -- as Brown always had his casts do before shows. "Everyone kind of looked down and some people cried," Rader said. "But that's what needed to happen -- he was in a lot of pain."
The cast voted to extend the run by two performances, on March 9 and 10.
"We need to make some people laugh," Rader said.
On Friday, extra counselors were available for Brown's classes at RAL. "I'm not sure a lot of instruction happened in some classes," Johnson said Friday afternoon. "That's fine today. We started the healing process."
Little said Brown stayed involved and in charge until the very last. "Dana was a director to the end, with specific instructions on what he wanted" for a celebration of life.
Tom Adams, a former pastor at Longview Community Church, will return from California to lead the service for Brown on March 11. Dennis Boaglio, who has starred in many Mainstage Theatre productions, will sing.
"I'm thinking of putting on the (funeral) folders 'Directed by Dana Brown,' " Little said.
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People may contribute to help with the Brown family's medical and travel expenses through the Dana Brown Memorial Account at the Bank of America.
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