We dedicate CCT’s 2021-2022 season to…
We dedicate CCT’s 2017-2018 season to…
LORRAINE DURAND
(October 2, 1948 – July 4, 2017)
Lorraine was born in Montreal, Canada and was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. She was the eldest daughter of six sisters, a voracious reader, a gifted musician, an accomplished actor, director, and beloved colleague. She moved to St. Croix in 1986 with her husband Tucker. Lorraine touched everyone who knew her, especially at the Caribbean Community Theatre, where she pursued her passion.. We miss her and will find the void within us difficult to fill.
A Celebration of Lorraine’s Life was held on July 30, 2017 at the Caribbean Community Theatre. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CCT, PO Box 25793, Christiansted, VI 00824.
We dedicate of 2014-2015 season to….
Fran Couch, a retired physician who moved to St. Croix in 2007, was a former member of the CCT Board of Directors and Vice President of Operations.
Fran with Kevin Swanston, who played Angel in RENT
We first met Fran when she responded to a request for costumes and props for Evita; she brought not just one or two, but a carload of exquisite gowns. Since then, numerous sets have been dressed with Fran’s own artwork and furniture, and she was equally generous with her time and her artistic creativity. She did everything wholeheartedly. When she joined CCT, she threw herself into learning about stage design and decoration. She was a set designer and scenic painter for many of our shows, including Blithe Spirit and RENT, whose director, Michael Armendariz, says he told her often he wanted to be “just like you when I grow up.”
Fran would attend rehearsals and offer encouragement and a shoulder to lean on to everyone involved. Heather Weiler, who worked closely with her on Crimes of the Heart, characterizes Fran as “an extra-ordinary woman and a great encourager.” Lionel Downer, one of the RENT cast, re-members her as “a generous and talented woman who seemed to embrace new challenges.” And in the words of Fran’s husband, Steve Larchuk, she was “not just the smartest woman I ever met; she was the smartest person I ever met.”
A tireless worker; Fran was affec¬tionately nick¬named the “Energizer Bunny” by her good friend Charles Jaquays. Preparing to paint one of her trompe l’oeil scenic backgrounds, she thought nothing of clambering up tall ladders and hauling heavy set pieces around the stage. She would roll up her sleeves and tackle jobs which are not remarked by any official recognition in a program but keep the theater running – cleaning, sorting and organizing costumes and props, donating and soliciting raffle items – always with the vibrant smile and flawless lipstick which made a lasting impression on everyone who knew her.
We will miss Fran at CCT in many ways: as an artist, designer, board member, team player, photographer, donor, volunteer, cheer¬leader, and dear friend.
Rest in peace.
The CCT Board of Directors
We dedicate our 2009-2010 season to…
David Richards
1936 – 2009
David was a founding member of CCT and the resident artistic director for close to 20 years, as well as the founding artistic director for the Stowe Theater Guild in Stowe, Vermont.
Educated at Trinity College, he worked with such entertainers as David Carradine, Richard Chamberlain, Janis Joplin, Gail Nelson and Pia Zadora. He taught a Master Class for the Juilliard School and judged auditions at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. David directed many plays and musicals at CCT, but he most enjoyed working on musical revues such as last season’s Love Bytes. The many CCT cast and crew members who worked with him over the years remember with fondness such directorial gems as: “Don’t just do something — stand there!”
Peter Des Jardins
1950 – 2009
Peter Des Jardins was for years the link for St. Croix residents to the music and entertainment scene on the island. Through his participation in poetry readings, attendance at concerts, theater productions and art shows, his playing and singing at venues all over the island, and his camaraderie with everyone he met, he created the perfect niche job. His witty and insightful “Leisure” column in The St. Croix Avis started the weekend off for many of us.
Walt Julio
1935 – 2009
Walt, a V.I. Police Department captain, brought professionalism and his unique comic timing to shows at Island Center, the Airport Inn, and CCT over the years. As a member of our CCT Board of Directors, he always offered calm, well-thought-out advice. Walt also helped support several non-profit organizations, including The Queen Louise Home, the Animal Shelter, and the Women’s Coalition