Richard Adams, Husband of Karen Christensen Adams, Passes Away 2/22/06

Posted: Monday, February 27, 2006 05:06 pm PST

Dr. Richard Adams, former drama professor at CLU

(THOUSAND OAKS, CA – February 24, 2006) -- Dr. Richard G. Adams, a longtime faculty member of California Lutheran University, died on Feb. 22, in Thousand Oaks at the age of 82.

He was a teacher, actor, stage director and set designer in more than 250 theatre productions during his career at CLU. Besides live theatre, he worked in radio, television and motion pictures and was an accomplished water colorist.

After serving on the drama faculty at UCLA and Denison University, Dr. Adams was appointed to lead the drama faculty at Cal Lutheran in 1965. He brought his family to Thousand Oaks and began working with theatrical organizations in the region, a move that ultimately helped shape the variety of cultural activities available in the region.

He helped develop the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, serving as its first president before taking the leadership role as chair of the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission. He founded the AAUW- CLC Children’s Theatre program, the Shoestring Players and the Thousand Oaks Professional Theatre and Conservatory, an inspiration for the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival. He also served as president of the Southern California Educational Theatre Association and the Conejo Valley Optimist International Club. In recognition of his contributions to the arts, he was awarded the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission’s first Encore award. In recognition of his contributions to the community, the Conejo Valley Historical Society named him Don Triunfo in 1983.

A graduate of Brooks School in Massachusetts Dr. Adams also attended Antioch College and The Ringling School of Art before earning his bachelor’s degree from Denison University, his master’s from Columbia University and his doctorate from the University of Southern California.

He is survived by his wife, Karen; three sons, Jim Adams of Wisconsin, Mike Adams of Woodland Hills, and Gary Adams of Virginia; seven grandchildren; four great grandchildren; four stepchildren; and several step grandchildren.

After his retirement from teaching in 1985, Dr. Adams began researching and writing about regional theatre and drama. His book Arts in the Conejo, a personal reflection on the development of the arts in the community and a tribute to the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, was published in 2000. His latest endeavor had been compiling records and playbills from all of the Cal Lutheran theatre productions from the 1960s through the 1980s.

“His work with former CLU music faculty emeriti Elmer Ramsey and the late Bob Zimmerman helped shape the cultural offerings in the Conejo Valley and make Cal Lutheran the center for the arts in this region,” said Michael Arndt, a CLU professor of theatre arts and a co-founder of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival. “Dick’s legacy includes the many arts organizations that he helped found, the groundwork for a performing arts facility in Thousand Oaks, the strength of CLU’s theatre arts program and its connection with theatre professionals,” he added.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 28, at 4 p.m. in CLU’s Samuelson Chapel to celebrate his life and work. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Richard G. Adams Performing Arts Scholarship, California Lutheran University, 60 W. Olsen Road #1675, Thousand Oaks, California 91360. For more information about scholarship donations, please contact Della Greenlee, CLU Director of Grants and Scholarships, at (805) 493-3160.