Nov. 4, 2024 7:15p
From the Racine Theatre Guild:
Norm McPhee, the Racine Theatre Guild’s managing/artistic director from 1969 to 2001, passed away on Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 88 years old in Utah.
Norm grew up in Utah and received his BFA and MFA in theatre arts from Utah State University. He was recruited by RTG in 1969 and the trajectory of the theatre was forever changed. Norm brought the theatre through immense waves of organizational shifts and expansions in programming during his tenure at RTG.
"We have the responsibility of raising the standard of theater in Racine to the highest level we can attain,” Norm remarked at his welcoming reception.
He directed over 200 productions, the first being “Star Spangled Girl” in 1969 and the final before his retirement being “West Side Story” in 2001. From 1969 to 1990, Norm directed every mainstage play or musical at RTG. He continued to direct and be involved with the Guild through his final production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” in 2015.
“When Norm retired, I stole a pair of his work shoes to remind me of what big shoes I had to fill,” Doug Instenes, current managing/artistic director of RTG shared. “His leadership set a standard that we all try to live up to. To quote ‘Wicked:’ “Because I knew him, I have been changed for good.’ Many people can say that about this inspirational man.”
RTG had been at the Guild Playhouse since 1953 and was rapidly outgrowing the space on the corners of High and Erie Street. Norm and a search committee toured other theatres, discussed plans with the city, hired architects, and finally, broke ground on RTG’s current theatre facility took place in 1975. The development and construction of the Northwester Avenue venue steered the course for more ways to celebrate the community and theatre when it opened in 1976.
Norm put theatre at RTG in the spotlight on a state, national, and international scale. The Guild hosted theatre festivals for the state in 1977, region in 1983, National Festival of American Community Theatres in 1985, and the World Class American Association of Community Theatre’s International Festival in 1994. Productions traveled overseas to England, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Japan, and Ireland. In 1988, the Guild became the first U.S. amateur theatre to develop a cultural exchange with the U.S.S.R., with RTG taking “Rough Crossing” over in 1989. In 1991, “Foxfire” returned to the U.S.S.R and Norm stayed behind in Tbilisi to also direct “Still A Mountain Wind” with Georgian actors as a Soviet coup unfolded outside the theatre doors.
Reaching the greater Racine community was also a priority for Norm. Educational outreach programs and workshops in collaboration with Racine Unified School District and other schools throughout the area that allowed students to learn about theatre and attend productions. He also became involved in many groups throughout Racine, serving as president of the Racine Optimists and Racine Arts Council. He was also on the Carthage Theatre advisory committee and a board member for the Wisconsin Theatre Association.
The accolades for Norm’s impact included the American Association of Community Theatre’s (AACT) 1993 Art Cole Lifetime of Leadership, Wisconsin Theatre Association’s Life Service Award, the Cultural Achievement Award from the Theatre Society of the Republic of Georgia, the 1994 Wisconsin Governor’s Award in Support of the Arts, Carthage New Town Award, the AACT’s 2020 David C. Bryant Outstanding Service Award, and he was given the Racine Theatre Guild’s Life Member distinction in 2001.
His daughters, Jenny, Sara, and Rachel, shared: “Norm McPhee was a figure larger than life for many of us. His legacy will continue to live on through his children, grandchildren, family, and friends, as well as the creativity and talent that he nurtured in so many, many actors and productions. He is missed already and will always be remembered and loved so very much.”
Norm was a part of every aspect of RTG. He was a teacher, a mentor, a leader, and a friend to many and loved to share stories of the stage. He built an organization and theatre that continues to grow from his original vision and he will be missed by so many. A ghostlight will be placed in his memory on the Racine Theatre Guild stage.
Service and memorial details will be available at a later time, but his family has a GoFundMe to help support costs https://gofund.me/64d13c75.
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