THEATRE: A star is borne away

Coeur d’Alene is losing a luminary. With sadness, we say goodbye to Roger Welch, former Artistic Director of Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre as CST reinvents itself at the Salvation Army Kroc Center.

Spanning decades, Roger and CST evolved together. He grew from hilarious, young actor on a tiny stage to leader of a company that had Burt in “Mary Poppins” dancing on the ceiling over a full orchestra. Roger drew local, national and world-famous talent.

While happily directing “Sound of Music,” he also fought for shows with challenging content like “Pippin,” “The Full Monty” and “La Cage Aux Folles;” making us laugh and squirm at ourselves anew. Empathy, diversity and imagination, those dreaded enemies of the zealously extreme, permeated his shows. The hate mail proved it. There was fan mail too; just not enough. The quiet and kind-hearted seldom write letters to the editor.

What’s done is done. Maybe Salvation Army-censored shows will balance the budget. Faith in the Big Good Thing, to reference “Secret Garden,” eases the pain of my personal loss; Roger is my friend and mentor.

Roger’s “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” line, “That pie’s been sittin’ there for so long, it’d be like eating an old friend,” stopped the show every performance.

Conservatives, liberals, religious, non-religious, young and old helplessly laughed and laughed. Roger showed us it doesn’t matter who you are, funny is funny. Talent like his is rare.

Thanks, Roger. Good luck in your next Big Good Thing. I wish it were here.

JULIE POWELL

Dalton Gardens