Nashville Theater Mourns the Passing of Iconic Actor DAVID COMPTON

David Compton - one of the region's most accomplished and acclaimed and most beloved actors and directors - died early Wednesday morning, May 4, after a two-year battle with cancer. He leaves his wife, Amanda Card Compton (whom he married on Tuesday, May 3, just hours before his death); his mother, Jo Compton of Badin, North Carolina; his sister Becky Compton Taylor; his brothers Rob Compton and Jim Compton; and countless other friends and family who are mourning his passing while celebrating his illustrious career and genuinely deep and abiding impact on the theater community, both locally and throughout the region.

Compton directed and choreographed countless plays and musicals over his years in Nashville, and designed and built sets for numerous productions.

A public memorial service for the North Carolina-born and educated actor will be held Saturday, May 7, at 2:30 p.m. at Nashville Children's Theatre (doors will open at 2 p.m.) to pay tribute to Compton's legacy as an artist, loving husband, devoted son and beloved brother.

Amanda Card Compton made public the news of David Compton's death on her Facebook page on Wednesday morning, telling friends and family that he had passed away quietly and peacefully in her arms earlier that day, with his family gathered with them. Since then, social media has been filled with words of remembrance and condolences as the news of Compton's death circulated among the theater community and the gravity of his impact on Nashville theater became more apparent with each passing moment.

After being born in Badin, North Carolina, and attending the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Compton made his way to Nashville. His career spanned more than 30 years in Nashville theater, including eight years as the head of the Upper School Drama Department at Franklin Road Academy.

"He had a unique and remarkable talent and it's unfair that a man who brought so much life to the stage has been forever taken from it," reads an obituary provided to local media outlets. "David Compton was, and always will be, the finest artist our community has been lucky enough to call their own."

In lieu of flowers, Compton's loved ones ask that donations be made in his memory to Nashville Children's Theatre.

A multiple First Night Award winner, Compton has appeared on virtually every Nashville stage during his career here, performing for such companies as Nashville Children's Theatre, Nashville Repertory Theatre, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, Blackbird Theater Company, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Studio Tenn, playing a wide range of roles and oftentimes taking the helm of productions as director. His most memorable roles have included the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret for Nashville Rep, as well his critically acclaimed performances in A Christmas Story (as the Old Man), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Company, Death of a Salesman and his portrayal of Frank Ewell in the Rene Copeland-directed To Kill A Mockingbird; starring roles in Arcadia and Roger's Version for Blackbird; and roles in Studio Tenn productions of Gypsy, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music, among others.

For Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Compton appeared over the years in a plethora of roles, including onstage performances in Henry V and Julius Caesar among them.

Compton worked with his wife, Amanda Card Compton (another member of the Nashville theater community whose burgeoning resume includes many of the same shows as Compton), and the two became engaged just over a year ago.

At Nashville Children's Theatre, where Compton worked for more than 30 years, he starred in such productions as Holes, Frankenstein, The Tempest and Charlotte's Web, working closely with his close friend Scot Copeland, who for more than 31 years served as producing artistic director at the nation's oldest professional children's theater. Copeland died, suddenly and unexpectedly, earlier in 2016.

At Chaffin's Barn, Compton played roles in a wide and diverse slate of shows, including Barefoot in the Park, Camelot, The Robber Bridegroom and The Fantasticks (which he also directed). His first First Night Award came for his direction of The Odd Couple at Chaffin's Barn.

Compton previously was married to Martha Wilkinson, the 2015 First Night Honoree and winner of nine First Night Awards, and she starred opposite her then-fiance in The Robber Bridegroom and scores of other shows, including Nashville Rep's Dinner With Friends, Our Town and Cabaret.

A memory of David Compton which I shared on social media on Wednesday: Back in July, 1997, when Stuart Bivin died - after the paramedics had done their job and told me he was dead - I called Martha Wilkinson and David Compton, along with Aurora Daniels and Chris McKee, to tell them what had happened. Somehow, they were transported by magic, arriving at my house in a matter of minutes. Martha and David stayed with me for at least six weeks after that while I came to terms with what became my new life.

David, along with Harrison Williams and Christi Dortch, "emceed" Stuart's memorial service at Nashville Children's Theatre. I had planned a terrific send-off for Stuart and the three of them knew exactly what I wanted and what would be the proper way to send Stuart off. There was a lot of wonderful music (thanks to Jane Kelley Watt, Rhonda Tiefenauer Harpole,Christopher Harrod, Carolyn German, David Arnholter, Lynn Schultz and many others - everyone joined in singing Irving Berlin's "Always" at the end) and it was very sweet and meaningful.

But there was so much laughter, thanks to David's story about a particularly profane phone call from Stuart (he was famous for that) and the appropriate tone was set for the remainder of the party (which is what it was).

Today, I have no idea what tone to have. The sun is too bright, the sky is too blue and the temperature too perfect. But inside me, my heart is broken once more and I am uncertain how to express the loss I feel because I am constantly reminded of how much joy David brought to my life over the years.

From my reviews of David Compton's work in Nashville theater:

"David Compton is a revelation as Bob Ewell, the mean-spirited and racist personification of evil; Compton tackles the role with relish, giving a reading of the role that is altogether terrifying and rivets your eyes to his every scene..." - Nashville Repertory Theatre's To Kill A Mockingbird

"However, it is David Compton's vividly mind-altering portrayal of Cassius that will live in your memory for hours (maybe even days or months) after the play's figurative curtain falls. His performance is nothing short of amazing-although overused, it's the best descriptor of his achievements in this play-and he adds another facet to an already significant list of skills and stage accomplishments. Emotionally naked, revealing the most horrific personal torments, Compton's Cassius is pitch-perfect..." - Nashville Shakespeare Festival's Julius Caesar

"David Compton, as next-door neighbor Charley, eases in and out of his younger and older character with charm underscored by a sense of genuine gravitas..." - Nashville Rep's Death of a Salesman

"Rona Carter is particularly impressive as The Warden, while David Compton adds yet another redneck heavy to his burgeoning resume as Mr. Sir (and the even more dastardly Trout Walker) and Bobby Wyckoff plays the lovelorn Elya Yelnats and the earnest Mr. Pedanski with skillful conviction..." - Nashville Children's Theatre's Holes

"David Compton, as The Conjurer, gives a portrayal that is multi-faceted: he very ably shows us his character's inner turmoil by conveying the demonic forces that are fighting for the man's very soul..." - Blackbird Theater's Magic

"David Compton, who is never better than he is as a Southern layabout or stereotypical redneck, imbues Duke with his very heart and soul, crafting yet another impressive performance to add to his already burgeoning resume. Compton's fearless portrayal of the hapless, ineffectual Duke is - despite the character's lackluster personality and defeatist attitude - colorful and multi-dimensional, and the actor's resolute approach results in a startling performance..." 3PS' Long Way Down by Nate Eppler

"Denice Hicks, as modern day academic and Byron scholar Hannah Jarvis, gives an effortless reading of the role, easily slipping into Hannah's contemporary British self and giving a performance that is winning on every level. Denice Hicks plays with - and against - the estimable David Compton, as Hannah's sometime critic, University of Sussex don Bernard Nightingale. Compton is surprisingly droll and self-assured at first, ultimately becoming manic and excitable, creating a vivid portrait of the fame-driven professor..." - Blackbird's Arcadia

"Jamie Farmer is delightfully cast once again as the mother, exuding warmth and maternal concern for her boys throughout her performance, and showing her versatility with a bevy of other roles in the piece. She's paired this year with the always charming David Compton, cast as The Old Man (the role originally assayed by Jeff Boyet in the 2009 production). Farmer and Compton work well together and Compton effectively portrays The Old Man's temper tantrums with well-timed humor..." - Nashville Rep's A Christmas Story

To post a comment, you must register and login.