The Thunder River Theatre Company and the wider community will honor the life of the theater’s founder Lon Winston on Saturday.
Winston died in late March, leaving behind a legacy of creative experimentation, and dedication to artistic excellence. He established the theater in 1995, after a lengthy stretch as a theater professor, and led the organization as executive artistic director for about two decades. According to the company, he directed and designed more than 60 productions in his tenure — many of them at the theater’s permanent home in downtown Carbondale, which Winston helped establish.
“Thunder River Theatre Company will forever be grateful for Lon’s vision, leadership, and enduring impact on our community,” the organization’s staff and board shared in a public letter after Winston’s passing. “We pledge to carry forward his legacy with the same passion and dedication that defined his life’s work.”
Winston’s wife, Debra, said he was an “exacting” director and an “engaging” professor who liked to address challenging topics in his work.
“His vision really was to tackle the plays that made people think,” Debra said.
“He wanted to be able to do the classics, but also new and contemporary, provocative plays,” she added.”
Debra said Lon was also a mentor for emerging artists, albeit a “persnickety” one at times. Lon would write copious notes after every rehearsal and performance; in a class for scenic designers, he asked each student to create their own designs, then analyze the value of each.
“He would coach for excellence, and he was unrelenting,” she said.
"He liked to see people grow as artists, and he would cheer them on,” she added. “He would do whatever it took.”
Lon was a passionate advocate for the support of small, community arts organizations, according to Debra. He was “very involved” with the Carbondale Council for Arts and Humanities, which would later become Carbondale Arts, and “championed” other establishments like The Arts Campus At Willits and the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, she said.
His philosophy, as Debra put it, was that “it’s better if we have more.”
Lon also served on the Roaring Fork School District Board of Education, where he spoke up for more arts in schools and better teacher pay.
“Of course, as an educator myself, I really appreciated that about him,” said Debra, who has helped lead several charter schools in the Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys.
Outside of his creative work, Debra said Lon loved travel and outdoor adventure. The two were married for nearly five decades, and cherished experiences both abroad and close to home.
“I can't imagine having had a better companion to share this life with. And… I'm so grateful to the people who are recognizing him now,” Debra said. “I can't tell you how much it means to know that there is that legacy.”
A celebration of life will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday at Thunder River’s Lon Winston Theatre in Carbondale. The venue was named in his honor in 2017 to recognize Winston’s contributions to the organization.
