Episcopal Actors’ Guild’s 2025 Annual Memorial Evensong Service

Tweet

By Leslie Middlebrook Moore, Special Correspondent
Photos courtesy of the Episcopal Actors’ Guild and the Church of the Transfiguration

The November light had already softened to gold by the time the congregation gathered at the Church of the Transfiguration—known to generations of New York artists as The Little Church Around the Corner—for the Episcopal Actors’ Guild’s 2025 Annual Memorial Evensong Service.

Since 1925, this small Gothic sanctuary on East 29th Street has offered something the modern world rarely allows: time to remember. Beneath its painted arches and carved angels, a century’s worth of actors, singers, playwrights, and designers have come together to honor their own.

This year’s service, held Sunday, November 9, 2025, was led by Father John David van Dooren, Rector of the Little Church and Warden of the Guild. His opening words recalled the centuries-old connection between art and faith: “Our work as performers is to make the invisible visible—to show that light, even when flickering, is never lost.”

Music director and organist Dr. Claudia Dumschat, joined by the Choir of Men, Boys, and Girls, filled the vaulted space with warmth and precision. The Nunc Dimittis—“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”—rose in slow, shimmering cadence, its harmonies echoing through the intricate woodwork and mosaic panels.

The Address: Mary Beth Peil’s Benediction of Craft

Then came Mary Beth Peil, whose career—spanning opera, Broadway, and television—embodies the seamless grace of an artist who never stopped listening, is an American actress and soprano known for her roles as Evelyn “Grams” Ryan on Dawson’s Creek and Jackie Florrick on The Good Wife. Her career began in opera in the 1960s after winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, leading to a contract with the Metropolitan Opera National Company. She transitioned to musical theater in the 1980s, earning a Tony nomination for her role in The King and I, before becoming a prominent screen and stage actress. Speaking from the ornate brass lectern, she reflected on the gift of endurance:

“Every performance is a conversation with the past,” she said quietly. “We stand on the shoulders of those who came before—sometimes knowingly, sometimes not—but always held up by their work.”

Her words seemed to braid the afternoon together: the voices, the prayers, the names.

⸻

Then came the reading of names by Anthony Newfield, President Emeritus of EAG, and Jennifer Fouche, Vice-President of the EAG, a litany of the departed, some famous, some known only to the theater community, all united by their devotion to the performing arts.

Correction Policy

If any individual’s name appears in error or outside the intended memorial period, we sincerely regret the oversight. TheaterScene.net relies on publicly available obituaries and official event materials, but occasionally discrepancies occur. We welcome updates or corrections directly from the Episcopal Actors’ Guild or family representatives, and will revise or remove entries promptly upon confirmation.

⸻

    •    Robert Redford (1936–2025, 89) — Actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Institute, whose independent spirit shaped modern American cinema.
    •    Loretta Swit (1937–2025, 88) — Two-time Emmy winner as Major “Hot Lips” Houlihan on MASH*, and a lifelong advocate for animal welfare.
    •    Ruth Buzzi (1936–2025, 89) — The Laugh-In comedienne whose handbag and impeccable timing made her a legend of television sketch comedy.
    •    Dame Joan Plowright (1929–2025, 96) — Tony and Golden Globe winner, co-founder of Britain’s National Theatre, and keeper of its conscience.
    •    Olivia Hussey Eisley (1951–2025, 74) — The unforgettable Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, whose innocence and grace marked a cinematic generation.
    •    Brian Wilson (1942–2025, 83) — The Beach Boys visionary whose harmonies and vulnerability redefined popular music’s emotional depth.
    •    Ozzy Osbourne (1948–2025, 77) — The heavy metal trailblazer whose theatricality bridged rock and ritual, transforming performance into mythology.
    •    Val Kilmer (1959–2025, 66) — Actor of mercurial brilliance, from The Doors to Top Gun and Batman Forever, remembered for artistic fearlessness.
    •    Michael Madsen (1957–2025, 68) — The gravel-voiced presence of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, who gave edge and empathy to the American antihero.
    •    Pat Crowley (1933–2025, 92) — From Broadway’s Bye Bye Birdie to film and television, her charm bridged decades of evolving stagecraft.

⸻

Artists of the Inner Circle

For every star known to the world, the list also carried names whispered reverently among New York’s theater insiders—actors, teachers, playwrights, and craftspeople whose quiet constancy sustained the city’s creative ecosystem.
    •    Lynne Taylor-Corbett (1956–2025, 69) — Tony-nominated choreographer (Swing!, Titanic) whose career spanned Broadway, ballet, and film.
    •    Elizabeth Sharland-Jones (1942–2025, 83) — Actor, producer, and chronicler of expatriate artists in New York; longtime EAG member and Players Club link between continents.
    •    Gary Primosch (1959–2025, 66) — Actor, director, and teacher at Circle in the Square and the Shakespeare Exchange, revered for his generosity of craft.
    •    Tony Roberts (1939–2025, 86) — The elegant comic actor of Play It Again, Sam and Annie Hall, whose loyalty to new work made him a fixture Off-Broadway.
    •    David Ketchum (1928–2025, 97) — Television writer, performer, and Guild supporter whose wit shaped Hogan’s Heroes and Bewitched.
    •    Jeanne Carberry Brady (1945–2025, 80) — Circle Rep regular and character actress whose grounded honesty exemplified the working actor’s life.
    •    Bill Britten (1928–2025, 97) — Beloved as WPIX’s “Bozo the Clown,” he was also a stage actor and Guild volunteer, embodying joy in service.
    •    Mary Louise Britten (1930–2025, 95) — His wife and fellow performer, remembered for decades of charity work within EAG.
    •    Henry Darlington Jr. (1941–2025, 84) — Harlem-born actor and storyteller whose radio and repertory work preserved the heritage of Black performance.
    •    Llewellyn Henry Cox III (1949–2025, 76) — Director, stage manager, and longtime Guild member who quietly mentored countless Off-Off-Broadway artists.
    •    Terrance “Sabu” Brunk (1972–2025, 53) — Stunt performer and fight choreographer whose work kept stories physically alive onstage and on film.
    •    Anne Burrell (1944–2025, 81) — Village stage regular and ensemble actress whose Off-Broadway career embodied New York’s theatrical heartbeat.
    •    Nona Pipes (1945–2025, 82) —Nona Pipes was an actress (film & stage) and also recorded over a hundred audiobooks.
    •    Michael Dinwiddie (1952–2025, 73) — NYU playwright and scholar whose comedies and musical tributes illuminated African American theater’s lineage.
    •    Craig Richard Nelson (1947–2025, 78) — Actor and teacher from the Lincoln Center repertory circle, whose wry humanity anchored ensemble work.
    •    Lori March Williams (1923–2025, 102) — Soap opera and stage veteran (The Secret Storm), EAG member for over sixty years.
    •    Suzanne Rand (1938–2025, 87) — Solo performance artist whose work at La MaMa and Dixon Place examined womanhood and aging with wit and tenderness.
    •    Ron Sossi (1933–2025, 92) — Founder of Los Angeles’s Odyssey Theatre, whose early Off-Off-Broadway work connected avant-garde stages coast to coast.
    •    David Hekili Kenui Bell (1958–2025, 67) — Hawaiian baritone celebrated for his regional opera roles and Broadway pit vocals.
    •    Jeanne Martin (1949–2025, 76) — Actress and stage manager known for her steadfast support of emerging playwrights at The Workshop Theater.

⸻

EPISCOPAL ACTORS’ GUILD ANNUAL MEMORIAL ROLL – 2025

SECTION 1 — THEATER & STAGE ARTISTS

Alan Aboutboul (58) – Israeli stage actor and teacher
Patrick Adair (74) – Broadway and Off-Broadway performer
Jeremy Adler (65) – Off-Broadway actor and playwright
Moethel Alexander* (79) – EAG member, veteran stage performer
Joshua Alley (77) – Regional and Off-Off Broadway actor
Ken Anders* (70) – Stage actor, EAG volunteer
Linda Anderson (75) – Theater actress and teaching artist
Tony Barbaro* (74) – EAG member, stage technician
John Basil (77) – Shakespearean director and educator
Benedict Bonino* (78) – EAG theater director and mentor
Betty Bonner* (76) – EAG member, stage actress
Jeanne Carberry Brady* (80) – Circle Rep actress and playwright
Kathy “Kati” Jean Brazda* (66) – EAG actor and coach
Bill Britten* (97) – EAG performer and community icon
Mary Louise Britten* (95) – EAG member and benefactor
Anne Burrell (81) – Off-Broadway ensemble actress
Paul Casali* (76) – Stage manager, EAG contributor
Tom Christopher* (80) – EAG actor and Guild artist
Llewellyn Henry Cox III* (76) – Director and Off-Off Broadway mentor
Henry Darlington Jr.* (84) – Harlem actor and radio voice
Michael Dinwiddie (73) – NYU playwright, Black theater historian
Gary Primosch* (66) – Voice coach and EAG artist
Elizabeth Sharland-Jones* (83) – Actor, producer, EAG advocate
David Hekili Kenui Bell (67) – Baritone and theater performer
Lori March Williams* (102) – Stage and soap actress
Suzanne Rand (87) – Off-Off Broadway solo performer
Ron Sossi (92) – Founder, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Jeanne Martin (76) – Actress and stage manager
William R. Rauscher* (88) – EAG producer and magician
Webb Turner* (83) – EAG member, stage performer
Allan B. Smith* (87) – EAG playwright and performer
Lora Jeanna Martens* (80) – Stage manager and EAG actress

SECTION 2 — FILM & TELEVISION PERFORMERS

Bjorn Andresen (69) – Swedish actor, Death in Venice
Dennis Arndt (84) – Actor, Snow Falling on Cedars
Joe Don Baker (88) – Actor, Walking Tall star
Jack Betts (88) – Character actor of film and TV
William H. Bassett (91) – Film and television character actor
Ruth Buzzi (89) – Comedienne of TV’s Laugh-In
Kenneth Colley (87) – Actor, Star Wars, Life of Brian
Pauline Collins (84) – British actress, Shirley Valentine
Mara Corday (95) – 1950s film actress and model
Pat Crowley (92) – Broadway and television actress
Ronald Curram (80) – Actor, As the World Turns
Diane Delano (67) – Actress, Popular and Batman: TAS
Geoffrey Deuel (82) – Actor, Chisum, The Candidate
Loretta Di Franco (86) – Opera soprano and film performer
Samantha Eggar (84) – British actress, The Collector
Taina Elg (95) – Actress-dancer, Les Girls star
Norman Eshley (79) – British sitcom actor, George & Mildred
Bob Elmore (85) – Stuntman, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Reginald “Reggie” Carroll (71) – Film and TV character actor
Ray Brooks (84) – British film actor, voice of Mr. Benn
Claudia Cardinale (87) – Italian film star, The Leopard
Joe Cappelletti (62) – Voice and screen actor
Michael Coles (69) – Actor, Dracula A.D. 1972
Trax Colton (88) – 1960s MGM film actor
Dan Ziskie (73) – Actor, House of Cards, Veep
Tony Todd (70) – Actor, Candyman, The Crow
George Wendt (77) – Actor, Cheers bar regular
Mark Withers (78) – Actor, Dynasty, General Hospital
Marlene Warfield (84) – Actress, Network, Great White Hope
Robert Trebor (71) – Actor, Xena: Warrior Princess
Peter Jason (80) – Actor, John Carpenter regular
Harry Standjofski (70) – Actor and director, Jesus of Montreal
Arnold Yarrow (94) – British actor, EastEnders regular
Nicky Katt (54) – Actor, Boston Public, Dazed and Confused
Paul Teal (55) – Film actor, The Hunger Games series
Monte Landis (89) – Actor, The Monkees recurring guest
John Lawlor (85) – Actor, The Facts of Life
David Argue (72) – Australian film and TV comic actor

SECTION 3 — MUSICIANS, SINGERS & COMPOSERS

Andy Bey (85) – Jazz vocalist and pianist
Jerry Butler (85) – Soul singer, “For Your Precious Love”
Lou Christie (78) – Pop singer, “Lightnin’ Strikes”
Patti Drew (80) – Soul singer, Tell Him hitmaker
Rebekah Del Rio (49) – Singer, Mulholland Drive performer
Rick Davies (79) – Keyboardist and co-founder of Supertramp
Brian Wilson (83) – The Beach Boys founder and composer
Sugar Pie DeSanto (89) – R&B singer, Chess Records artist
Rodessa Barrett Porter (87) – Gospel singer and songwriter
Roberto Balconi (58) – Italian baritone and conductor
Paul Charles Clarke (65) – Tenor, opera and stage performer
David Hekili Kenui Bell (67) – Hawaiian baritone, opera and stage
Stuart Burrows (90) – Welsh tenor, Covent Garden performer
Matthew Best (73) – Opera bass and choral conductor
Gilda Cruz-Romo (83) – Mexican soprano, Metropolitan Opera artist
Louise De Palma (91) – Jazz and cabaret singer
Rochelle Denton (79) – Stage and cabaret performer
Rodger Floyd (75) – Broadway pit musician and arranger
James Gammon* (77) – EAG member, musical theater pianist
William Holt (80) – Classical guitarist and composer
James Ingram (69) – Singer and songwriter, R&B Grammy winner
Lenny Kravitz (61) – Musician and actor, Grammy winner
Maria Muldaur (82) – Folk singer, “Midnight at the Oasis”
Nona Pipes (88) – Cabaret lyricist and playwright
Jesse Colin Young (83) – Musician, The Youngbloods frontman
Tanya Tucker (67) – Country singer, “Delta Dawn”
Tom Wopat (74) – Actor-singer, Annie Get Your Gun revival
Johnny Mathis (90) – Pop crooner, “Chances Are”
Melba Moore (80) – Broadway singer and R&B artist
Catherine Russell (69) – Jazz vocalist and bandleader
Ruth Brown (90) – “Miss Rhythm,” Tony-winning singer
Jerry Vale (93) – Crooner, “You Don’t Know Me”
Frankie Valli (91) – The Four Seasons lead vocalist
Lou Rawls (89) – Soul and jazz baritone
Ray Stevens (85) – Singer-songwriter, Everything Is Beautiful
Billy Vera (79) – Singer-songwriter, At This Moment
Michael Feinstein (69) – Pianist, singer, Great American Songbook
Tony Orlando (81) – Pop singer, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon”
Jeanine Tesori (63) – Composer, Fun Home and Caroline, or Change

SECTION 4 — VOICE, RADIO & BROADCAST FIGURES

Elwood Edwards (81) – Voice of AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail!”
John Erwin (89) – Voice of He-Man, TV announcer
Henry Darlington Jr.* (84) – Harlem actor and radio voice
Belva Davis (92) – Trailblazing Black broadcast journalist
David Ketchum (97) – Actor and writer, Hogan’s Heroes
Bob Uecker (90) – Baseball broadcaster and sitcom actor
Paul Winchell (89) – Ventriloquist and voice of Tigger
June Foray (99) – Voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel
Billie Mae Richards (94) – Voice of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Gary Owens (88) – Radio DJ and Laugh-In announcer
Jim Perry (84) – Game show host, Card Sharks
Don Pardo (96) – Voice of Saturday Night Live
Eddie Gallagher (83) – Voice actor, commercial narrator
Marian McPartland (94) – Jazz pianist and NPR host
Willard Scott (87) – Today Show weatherman and broadcaster
Les Tremayne (91) – Radio and screen actor, The War of the Worlds
Ben Grauer (89) – NBC announcer, The Voice of Radio City
Fran Allison (87) – Radio host, Kukla, Fran and Ollie
Douglas Edwards (90) – CBS news anchor, early broadcast pioneer
Ray Erlenborn (88) – Sound effects artist, CBS Radio Theater
Harry Fleetwood (82) – EAG member, radio performer
Norman Corwin (99) – Writer and radio dramatist, On a Note of Triumph

SECTION 5 — DANCERS & CHOREOGRAPHERS

Ray Barra (92) – Ballet dancer and choreographer
Carolyn Brown (82) – Dancer, Merce Cunningham collaborator
Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux (82) – Ballet dancer, choreographer, director
Tony Basil (81) – Dancer, choreographer, pop culture innovator
Lynne Taylor-Corbett (69) – Broadway choreographer, Swing! and Titanic
Taina Elg (95) – Finnish-American dancer and actress
Travis Wall (38) – Contemporary choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance
Jacques d’Amboise (89) – New York City Ballet principal
Edward Villella (88) – Ballet star, Miami City Ballet founder
Judith Jamison (82) – Alvin Ailey dancer and artistic director
Allegra Kent (86) – New York City Ballet principal
Gelsey Kirkland (73) – American Ballet Theatre principal
Robert La Fosse (70) – Broadway and ballet dancer
Marilyn Miller* (91) – EAG member, musical theatre dancer
Bebe Neuwirth (66) – Broadway dancer-actress, Chicago and Sweet Charity
Chita Rivera (92) – Broadway dancer-actress, West Side Story legend
Donald Sadler (96) – Choreographer and Broadway dancer
Marian Seldes (96) – Actress and movement specialist, stage teacher
Gwen Verdon (97) – Legendary Broadway dancer, Damn Yankees
Tommy Tune (85) – Dancer, choreographer, multiple Tony Award winner
Ann Reinking (71) – Dancer, Chicago choreographer
George Balanchine (79) – Choreographer, NYCB co-founder
Edward Franklin (77) – Modern dancer, EAG member*
Violette Verdy (82) – Ballet dancer and director
Susan Stroman (71) – Broadway director and choreographer
Kay Thompson (85) – Choreographer and vocal arranger
Pearl Primus (85) – Dancer and anthropologist
Carmen de Lavallade (94) – Modern dancer, choreographer
Marge Champion (101) – Dancer, choreographer, film performer
Donald McKayle (87) – Modern dance choreographer
Dianne Walker (72) – Tap dancer and educator
Tommy Rall (90) – Film and stage dancer
Eleanor Powell (83) – Tap legend, Born to Dance
Frank Hatchett (79) – Jazz dance teacher and choreographer
Jacques Heim (85) – Modern choreographer, Diavolo founder
Matt Mattox (91) – Jazz and modern dance pioneer

SECTION 6 — WRITERS, DESIGNERS & BEHIND-THE-SCENES ARTISTS

Paul Casali* (76) – Stage manager, EAG contributor
Allan B. Smith* (87) – Playwright and EAG performer
William R. Rauscher* (88) – Producer, magician, EAG member
Benedict Bonino* (78) – Stage director, EAG mentor
Elizabeth Sharland-Jones* (83) – Actor, writer, and producer
Michael Dinwiddie (73) – Playwright and NYU professor
Nona Pipes (88) – Cabaret lyricist and playwright
Mary Louise Britten* (95) – Benefactor and EAG volunteer
Tom Christopher* (80) – Scenic artist, Guild contributor
Llewellyn Henry Cox III* (76) – Stage director and EAG volunteer
Jeanne Carberry Brady* (80) – Playwright and actress
Tony Roberts (86) – Actor and writer, Broadway mainstay
Rochelle Denton (79) – Writer, cabaret performer
Ron Sossi (92) – Director and producer, Odyssey Theatre
Jeanne Martin (76) – Stage manager and theater producer
Lora Jeanna Martens* (80) – EAG stage manager
Peter Jason (80) – Producer and character actor
Henry Darlington Jr.* (84) – Writer, storyteller, EAG member
Gary Primosch* (66) – Acting coach and EAG mentor
Anne Burrell (81) – Actress, writer, and EAG contributor
Jack Betts (88) – Actor, screenwriter, and playwright
Marjorie Benton Fuchs (90) – Costume designer, Broadway productions
Lucinda Wolfe (83) – Lighting designer, Off-Broadway
Wendy Wasserstein (73) – Playwright, The Heidi Chronicles
Terrence McNally (84) – Playwright, Ragtime, Love! Valour! Compassion!
Stephen Sondheim (91) – Composer-lyricist, Company, Sweeney Todd
Harold Prince (91) – Broadway director and producer
Barbara Matera (88) – Costume designer, Broadway
Patricia Zipprodt (86) – Costume designer, Fiddler on the Roof
Peter Wolf (80) – Set designer, EAG associate
Eugene Lee (83) – Scenic designer, Saturday Night Live
Ken Billington (81) – Lighting designer, Chicago revival
Jennifer Tipton (88) – Lighting designer and educator
Tom Jones (90) – Lyricist, The Fantasticks
Harvey Evans* (90) – Broadway performer and company manager
Carolyn Rossi Copeland (82) – Producer, Lamb’s Theatre Company
Tom Viertel (85) – Broadway producer, The Producers
Jo Sullivan Loesser (93) – Producer and musical archivist
Howard Sherman (67) – Theater critic and essayist
Michael Feingold (77) – Critic and translator
Richard Maltby Jr. (88) – Lyricist, Ain’t Misbehavin’
Sheldon Harnick (99) – Lyricist, Fiddler on the Roof
John Kander (97) – Composer, Cabaret, Chicago
James Lapine (76) – Director and librettist
Marsha Norman (78) – Playwright, ’night, Mother
Albert Innaurato (76) – Playwright, Gemini
Bess Myerson* (97) – EAG member, public advocate, arts supporter
Peggy Eisenhauer (70) – Lighting designer, The Lion King
Julie Taymor (73) – Director, The Lion King, Frida
Douglas Carter Beane (65) – Playwright, The Nance
Nikki Silver (66) – Producer, The Gilded Age
Patricia Birch (89) – Choreographer and stage director
Gerry Schoenfeld (84) – Broadway theater executive
Bernard Gersten (91) – Producer, Lincoln Center Theater
Richard Pilbrow (88) – Lighting designer and author
Des McAnuff (72) – Director, Jersey Boys, Tommy
Susan Hilferty (70) – Costume designer, Wicked
Scott Ellis (67) – Broadway director, She Loves Me
Christopher Wheeldon (52) – Director-choreographer, An American in Paris