Losing the heart of Evergreen Players

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

John Davis wore many hats in Evergreen. e retired United Airlines pilot was part of the heart and soul of Evergreen Players for more than 50 years and an icon on the Evergreen arts community. He was a great family man, doting on his wife, Kathleen, children and grandchildren, and had special relationships with his three brothers.

“ ere are many from his di erent families here,” Scott Ogle, a board member with Evergreen Players, told the crowd that packed El Rancho Restaurant for John’s celebration of life on Jan. 24. John died on Jan. 15 after a brief bout of heart failure. He was 79.

Friends, colleagues and family members called John enthusiastic, approachable and fun-loving. He was enamored with all things tech,

Celebrating 41Years

was meticulously organized and enjoyed the little things in life. He was an avid skier, diver and hiker, and loved taking family trips.

“What I remember most is the wonder he had about things,” Ogle said, noting that John even could make a taped-out square on the oor fascinating.

Evergreen Players

Newlyweds John and Kathleen moved to Evergreen in 1966 and soon after, they saw an announcement in the Canyon Courier of an Evergreen Players meeting. ey attended, and that was the beginning of their 56-year story with the theater group.

John, who had worked on lighting in college productions, remembers making the rst stage lights out of co ee cans and building the rst stage at e Little Log eatre, where Evergreen Players performed for about 30 years.

At Evergreen Players, John had every job imaginable from acting and technical director to several

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positions on the Players’ board of directors. e stories at the celebration of life attested to his love for community theater and its contributions to make Evergreen and surrounding communities better.

John and Kathleen did just about everything related to the Evergreen Players, most notably, building a path to sustainability. For years, each devoted about 40 hours per week to community theater.

eir vision guided the organization through many ups and downs.

ey worked tirelessly to create leadership roles and divide responsibilities, so the organization’s success didn’t rely on an individual.

During the COVID pandemic, John worked tirelessly researching and applying for grants to fund the organization when live performances were prohibited.

John and Kathleen acted together in shows over the years including Neil Simon’s “Mary, Mary,” and most recently, John played Carlyle the Genie in the production of “Human Beings and Other Acts of Comedy” in January 2022, which several people referred to as one of his favorite roles.

John volunteered on many boards and committees over the years, including the board of directors for the Colorado Community eater Coalition, the Evergreen Arts Council, and several committees with the American Association of Community eaters.

In 2018, the AACT named John a Fellow. In 2001, John was named Arts Person of the Year by the Evergreen Area Council for the Arts, now known as Center for the Arts Evergreen. He was also chairman of the Buchanan Park Building Committee.

Brad Moore, a member of the Colorado Community eater Coalition board of directors, said John was the leader the organization needed by shifting the focus and energy of that organization.

“John was a genius in his love and his care and his willingness to take a