"A well-grac'd actor leaves the stage."

• William Shakespeare

The Theatrical World has lost a Giant. Bradley Carl Speck was untimely ripp'd from this mortal coil on Saturday, April 16, 2022, after a sudden illness.

Brad made his debut on June 19, 1951 in Fort Worth, Texas. He immediately got into an argument with the obstetrician on the proper use of the clamps. Growing up, he enjoyed the life of any typical kid born on the planet Krypton. He was kind, opinionated, generous, telekinetic, outspoken, loving, a little stubborn, and always happy to enjoy your company. These traits followed him throughout his life.

And what a life it was! Drama! Romance! Thrills! Affairs! Gnomes! Intrigue! Brad was an aviator with a commercial pilot's license. He saw the ghost of an old friend late one night. He was shot at! Twice! One day he walked into his house and - seriously, no kidding - he found a tiger sitting in there. Brad Speck's life was the adventure most of us only dream of! An adventure that began in 1969 when Brad - a senior at O.D. Wyatt High School - played "Tom" in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. A passionate love of the Theatre was ignited, and that shaped everything that was to come.

Brad's journey took him from coast to coast in the early '70s. In New York City he was mentored by dear friend and Academy Award-winning Actress Celeste Holm. He worked On and Off Broadway in various capacities. He had exploits that can only be hinted at in a family paper. Being the hippie that he was, Brad then decided to make his way West. Once he arrived in California, he spread his wings by developing interests beyond theatrical acting. He discovered he also enjoyed theatrical directing and theatrical lighting design. Brad did dip his toe ever so slightly in the film industry, but he found the stage much more to his liking. He eventually wound up co-founding an outdoor theater in Santa Cruz.

Brad's life in the Theatre saw him working with some of the greatest names in B and C-level entertainment. These included Christopher Reeve ("Much more Clark Kent than Superman."), Shelley Winters ("So difficult to work with, we didn't care if she had an Oscar. We fired her!"), Morgan Fairchild ("She wanted me so bad."), Tom Poston ("The man knew how to party."), Jonathan Frid ("Partied harder than Poston, but he got the job done."), and Olivia de Havilland, of whom he said very little. Rumor has it they had a falling out due to his secret affair with Joan Fontaine, but there's no actual evidence to back that up. We are talking about Brad Speck, though, so I wouldn't bet against it.

Having grown disillusioned with the professional theatrical world, Brad took an extended hiatus and moved back to Texas in 1977. There he attended North Texas State University, and fell in love with the small college town of Denton. Between the keggers, the panty raids, and the constant humiliation of Dean Myrtledinker, Brad achieved his Bachelor's Degree in Radio, Television, and Film in 1979. In 1986, he started working for the United States Postal Service. He enjoyed the fact that the job gave him an opportunity to interact with his community on a daily basis, and he stayed with the post office for 21 years. During this time, a common Denton sight was Brad zooming around town on his electric bicycle. He loved riding so much, he eventually opened his own business - Speck EBikes. It didn't make him rich, but building bikes for his customers sure made him happy. There finally came a time, though, when a welling desire made itself known. There was a buried need that screamed to be let out, to be free, to allow itself to run its natural course. Brad could ignore it no longer. He had to go back to the Theatre.

Brad made his triumphant return with the Denton Community Theater in 1998. Within weeks he was a treasured and respected member of Denton's extended Theatre Family. Brad was a tireless volunteer with DCT and its sister organization Music Theater of Denton. Between acting, directing, stage managing, set construction, serving years on DCT's Production Board, filling in any position that needed a body, and hanging and designing his beloved lights, he's worked on hundreds of shows. There's not a performer, director, or technician in Denton who wasn't somehow touched by Brad's influence.

Brad could be ornery, and he didn't mind a good verbal fight if everybody could hug and still be friends afterwards. The end was peaceful, though. Brad quietly left us on Saturday, April 16. He was in the company of the people he loved the most. Brad was preceded in death by mother Esther Locke, father James Carl Speck, and his dear longtime companion, Cheri Throop. Brad is survived by sister Carla Somers, brother-in-law Richard Somers, niece Olivia Brown, her husband Corey Brown, grand-niece Delaney Jean Brown, and a large family of saddened thespians. Those closest to Brad would like to express their gratitude to the staffs of Medical City Denton and Texas Presbyterian Hospital, as well as everybody who came to pay their respects during Brad's final hours. He knew you were there.

Brad was the first to admit he had no idea what death would bring or what would come after. But the next time the sunset is a little more beautiful, or the moon is a little fuller, or your day just couldn't be going any better and brighter, remember there could be an extraordinary director and lighting designer out there somewhere, pulling some strings. On those days, admire the show, maybe give it a little applause, and repeat these words:

Thank You, Brad.