Legacy in Lights

Theatre fund extends the memory and generosity of an inspired graduate

By Neil Harvey

When Tyler Humphreys ’92 came to Radford University, he was well into his 20s and on the older end of his class, but that extra mileage served him well.

It was the late 1980s, and he’d already served in the Army, launched a business and honed technical skills that dated back to his teens in Kilmarnock, Virginia, where he’d rewired his high school auditorium’s sound system.

At Radford, as he earned his degree in technical theater, Humphreys combined his knowledge with his love for theater, sharing the results with his classmates as well as countless Radford audiences.

When he came to the university he was very impressed with the classes that the program offered,” his wife, Jody Humphreys ’90 of Christiansburg, Virginia, recently said. “They gave him the opportunity to learn about new technical applications and immerse himself in an environment that provided new challenges that fostered his innovation.

The couple first met as students, in the lobby of Porterfield Hall, at that time the center of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA).

Tyler Humphreys '92 as the Hairy Man in the stage production of "Wiley and the Hairy Man"

“As far as the technical side of it, he was involved in every show that hit the stage while he was there,” she said. “Anything that had to do with electricity, lights, sound … he was part of it. He was incredibly creative.”

Technical theater was a calling that didn’t fade over the decades after graduation, when Humphreys often traveled the New River Valley and beyond, into West Virginia and Tennessee, using his talents to help smaller churches find solutions to get the best audio-visual presentations on limited budgets.

Brian James ’95 of Christiansburg was a classmate of Humphreys, a freshman nearly a decade younger. They worked together on theater projects, first as students and later as colleagues in the same field.

“He was kind of like a big brother for me,” James recalled.

One of the things Tyler was very big on was sharing his craft. He loved teaching, and he was a person who always made time to teach someone, if they needed it.

In the wake of Humphreys’ death, in September 2021 at age 58, James found a way to memorialize his friend’s craft and generosity. He created the Tyler B. Humphreys Support Fund for Theatre and Cinema, which provides help with lab fees and supplies to as many theatre majors as possible.

“Between the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters, it supplied close to $4,000. It covered makeup kits for 21 students, and those are about $75 each,” said Richard Dunham, chair of the Department of Theatre and Cinema. About 10 students obtained money for scene-painting supplies, with more receiving funds this semester.

“College students often feel they're on their own,” James explained. “This fund won’t be presented at a fancy award ceremony, but it's a way for students to know there are people willing to help. And sometimes in life, it's the basics that make a big difference.

“This was far from being solely my idea,” he said, adding that he drew inspiration from other alums and now hopes the fund will gather additional contributions and reach the level of an endowment.

“People sometimes want to give back, but can only afford $20, $30. So, this is a way for people to share their passion, and it’s easy to do,” James said.

Jody Humphreys believes her husband would’ve appreciated the fund’s goals, regardless of whose name was on it.

“The fact that Tyler has the ability, with this fund, to be able to give back to the students … is just a continuation of his legacy,” she said.

For more information about supporting this fund or to make a gift in honor or memory of a loved one, please call University Advancement at 540-831-5407.