In Memoriam: Patton Campbell

Patton Campbell passed away Thursday, September 28th at the age of 80.

Among his many Broadway credits are Man of La Mancha (1965), Loot (1968), All American (1962), A Hole in the Head (1957), and Come Live with Me (1967). He designed extensively for New York City Opera for over twenty years including productions of La Traviata (1981), The Pirates of Penzance (1977), La Belle Helene (1976), The Ballad of Baby Doe (1976), The Mikado (1974), Susannah (1971), Lizzie Borden (1965), Wings of the Dove (1961) and The Makropoulos Affair (1970) for which he also designed the scenery. He was long associated with Santa Fe Opera having designed Cosi Fan Tutte (1969), Tosca (1969) and many other operas during the early years of the festival, and also designed The Lady from Colorado (1964) and Madame Butterfly (1964) for Central City Opera.

In addition to the many credits listed above, Patton was a beloved member of the Purchase College, SUNY faculty for many years. He taught for one year in the early 1970s, and then joined us on a regular basis from 1986 until his retirement in 2002. While it is often said at times like this, Patton was truly one of a kind, and our community (and the theatre community at large) has lost a remarkable person.

In lieu of flowers, Patton’s sister Courtney, has asked that donations be made to the Omaha Community Playhouse in Patton’s name. The Omaha Community Playhouse is where Patton developed his interest in theatre and it always held a special place in his heart.

Omaha Community Playhouse
6915 Cass Street
Omaha, NE 68132