Rita Hunter, an icon of the Aspen theater scene and a member of the Aspen Hall of Fame, died Saturday at the age of 76 from complications of ALS.
Hunter produced or co-produced more than 50 shows with the Aspen Community Theatre, and her name was nearly synonymous with the organization.
“When anybody would mention the Aspen Community Theatre, it was always answered by saying, ‘Oh, you mean Rita’s theater,’” said Brad Moore, the president of the theater’s board of directors.
According to a family obituary, she made “key contributions” to every one of the organization’s shows from 1980 onward. But she was also determined to give the Aspen community credit for what happened on the stage and behind the curtain, Moore said.
“She would look out at the community and she’d say, ‘This is your theater, not mine,’” Moore said.
She took a step back after her ALS diagnosis in 2019, but remained involved with the organization. Moore considered her “a real driving force,” and “the backbone of the theater.”
“The grace and the courage and the strength that Rita has put forth is just awe inspiring,” Moore said.
Hunter viewed the group’s members as her family, and she looked to the future of the Aspen Community Theatre in a video commemorating the organization’s 45th anniversary a couple years later.
“I think just keeping that spirit of community going is so important, because that’s really what we were building here,” Hunter said at the time.
In the wake of her death, Hunter’s friends and family are remembering Hunter for her optimism, kindness and spirited personality — and her commanding presence in the theater.
“She was, in many ways, the queen of the theater,” Moore said. “She was so, so passionate, so committed to what ACT has always done that … it was like her life.”
Hunter’s last mainstage show with the Aspen Community Theatre was “Mary Poppins” last fall.
At the time, she told Aspen Public Radio she treasured the joy and community of the experience.
“When I watch the show, I'm usually watching the audience — just to see their faces and see how much they're enjoying it,” Hunter said.
Hunter is survived by her daughter, Christy Garfield, son-in-law Nathan and granddaughter Clementine, as well as three brothers and many nieces and nephews.
According to a post from her daughter, Hunter “died peacefully and in the same way she lived her life: with courage, generosity and love.”
“Please know that she has felt loved and held by you these past four years since her diagnosis,” Garfield wrote. “She felt acknowledged and appreciated for her life's work, and she felt the support of her community she so adored. She died with not a single regret or grudge, no unfinished business, no wish unfulfilled. She truly loved her life. And you all were the reason for that.”
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Her family is encouraging donations to the Aspen Community Theatre and to Pathfinders, “which supported Rita and her family so generously over the past four years.”
