Carl W. Stewart, Co-Founder Of Terrific New Theatre, Dead At Age 80 

It is with profound sadness that the Board of Trustees of Terrific New Theatre announces the death of co-founder Carl W. Stewart at the age of 80. He died peacefully of natural causes at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, March 14 at UAB Hospital, surrounded by family and friends.

"The TNT Board is heartbroken by this tremendous loss," says Interim President Chuck Evans. "Carl Stewart forever changed the landscape of the performing-arts scene in Birmingham by introducing a brand of theater that was new to mainstream audiences here in the 1970s and 1980s: avant-garde, sometimes controversial, often racy, but always entertaining. Every actor who ever worked under him learned the most valuable lessons about their craft and, really, about life. Carl's legacy will be felt for many years to come through the brilliant work of his pupils and the treasure trove of 'Carl stories' collected over the past 50 years by artists and patrons alike. TNT will make sure that Carl Stewart lives on."

Stewart was a pioneer and legend of community theater in Birmingham. After having co-founded Birmingham Festival Theatre in 1972, he and his life partner, Steve Stella, founded Terrific New Theatre in 1986 in an intimate space on the First Avenue South block of 21st Street (now Arrington Boulevard) in downtown Birmingham. TNT's inaugural production, the Stephen Sondheim musical revue "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow," opened in October that year. In November 1991, Stewart and Stella moved the theater to the first of two spaces at Pepper Place in the Lakeview District. TNT also attained non-profit status at that time, and its first Board of Trustees was created. Although Stewart and TNT lost Stella in 1996, Stewart continued to work tirelessly to maintain the level of excellence that he and his partner had established.

TNT was originally conceived as a for-profit theatre, and Stewart and Stella initially shared any profits from the shows with the cast and crew. The duo's other innovations included the "pay what you can afford" night to reach out to new theatergoers. TNT's TADA Nights (TADA = Thursdays Are Discretionary Admission) have been replicated by other theaters, and the concept is the cornerstone of TNT's mission to provide accessible theater for all.

Stewart retired as Artistic Director of Terrific New Theatre in July 2016 at the close of its 30th season, having directed every production during his tenure. He passed the reins to Executive Director Tam DeBolt, a local actress whom he had directed in many productions.

"Carl Stewart's spirit and love of theater will live in all of us who knew him," DeBolt says. "If you ever worked with Carl, you knew his room-filling laugh, you have a favorite quote from rehearsal, and you probably learned something you didn't know before."

Details of Stewart's memorial service will be announced soon.

 

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