Former Erie Playhouse Director David Matthews dies following bout with COVID-19
Matthews #Matthews
Kate Neubert-Lechner remembers how her godfather, former longtime Erie Playhouse Director David Matthews, would often lament that he didn’t believe he did a good enough job giving her a spiritual upbringing, as godparents should.
“I would always tell him that he gave me the best church that I could ever have, which was theater,” said Neubert-Lechner, the Erie Playhouse’s present executive director.
Matthews, who served as the Erie Playhouse’s managing director from 1972 to 2006, died Friday in Winter Haven, Florida. He was 79.
Matthews, who would have turned 80 on Sunday, died from complications of COVID-19, Neubert-Lechner said. He had been hospitalized for a week.
“It’s a very sad time for the theater community in Erie, Neubert-Lechner said. “When you look at the current state of the performing arts, what we have today is because of what David did. When he came to the Playhouse, the Playhouse was a small community theater. He kept it going through all those years.
Neubert-Lechner last corresponded with Matthews about a month ago. They often kept in touch through emails.
“We were talking about a show I was hoping David would direct once the Playhouse reopened,” Neubert-Lechner said.
Matthews, a New Castle native, joined the Erie Playhouse as its managing director and business manager in 1972.
At that time, the Playhouse performed at a Wesleyville theater. When fire regulations prompted the closure of that theater in 1975, the Playhouse was without a home, but Matthews for several years oversaw theater productions held at various Erie-area high schools, including Fairview High School, Iroquois High School and McDowell Intermediate School.
In 1983, the Erie Playhouse moved into its present facility, the former Strand Theater, at 13 W. 10th St., in downtown Erie.
“He didn’t just put on shows, he created a family and he had a way of welcoming people,” Neubert-Lechner said.
Matthews was known for his laugh, his smile and his witty remarks, she said.
“He made people feel welcome,” Neubert-Lechner said. “He inspired so many people. A lot of people say they have a career in the arts because of him.”
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Former Erie Playhouse Director David Matthews dies following bout with COVID-19