— IN MEMORIAM —
It's with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of a friend. Please take a moment to read excerpts from the family-approved obituary below and reflect on his achievements. He was truly a creative and talented man.
It's with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of a friend. Please take a moment to read excerpts from the family-approved obituary below and reflect on his achievements. He was truly a creative and talented man.
Artist/designer Richard Scully, whose multifaceted career encompassed both abstract and representational art, set design, teaching and directing, is dead at age 67, survived by his loving wife, Shelly Weaver; his sister, Patricia Allen, and his brother, William L. Scully, O.F.M. He died June 6, 2013 from complications of leukemia.
"He was the love of my life." — Shelly Weaver
As a long-time affiliate of An Claidheamh Soluis / The Celtic Arts Center, Richard Scully was known for the brilliance of his set design, and skill at every aspect of theater. He began in New York City, and was Artistic Director at Theater XII Repertory there, where he designed 26 shows.
At The New School For Social Research, he taught a course in the "History of Stage Design", along with, "Design and Construction" for Off- and Off-Off Broadway productions, and functioned as tech director for The Martha Graham Theater, and aided students in designing and constructing for "The Three Sisters", "Pajama Game", "Stage Door", and "Guys and Dolls".
In Los Angeles he was co-creator of the Eastside/Westside Ensemble and worked for two years with the Celtic Arts Center as Artistic Director where he designed many production, including Brian Friel's "Translations"; O'Casey's "Bedtime Story" , "A Pound on Demand" and "The Shadow of a Gunman"; and "Don Juan in Hell" by George Bernard Shaw. For the Celtic Arts Center's production of "The Shadow of a Gunman," he designed the set both at our original Hollywood location in the 80s and also when the production was moved to the Ivar. Many of his distinctive sets won Drama-Logue and other awards. While with the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, he designed 10 shows and received a Drama-Logue Award for "Only the Dead Know Burbank" and an Ovation nomination for "Room Service." He designed "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me" at Actors Alley and designed "The Puppetmaster of Lodz" for the opening of the 99-seat theater at the El Portal. He designed and directed "Sea Marks" for the Celtic Arts Center and The Irish Arts Center in NYC. He also created the set for ACS/CAC's production of "The Au Pair Man" in North Hollywood in 2011. At ShapeShifter Productions, he was set designer for "Our Own Dear Anton's Abandoned Story Cycle" by Joseph Skibell at the Raven Playhouse in North Hollywood and "Mimi's Guide" at the Fremont Theater in South Pasadena.
A life-long student of the arts as well as a practicitioner and teacher, his educational achievements are as impressive as his artistic history.
"Scully's artwork could be startlingly modern, abstract and non-objective, bitingly satiric or touchingly traditional, and he was an inspiring co-worker, always. Speaking as one who worked with him on several projects, his creativity and versatility never flagged. Nor did his wide ranging conversation and broad familiarity with art in its many forms. On occasion he also demonstrated a fine Irish tenor voice. A supporter of human rights and a friend of all cats, he is irreplaceable in the lives of those who loved him and enjoyed his company and generous collaboration in the arts."
— Adrien Burke (artist and former ACS/CAC board president)
The Celtic Arts Center was truly blessed to have known and worked with such a talented man as Richard Scully — he will be missed.
"Richard Scully's award-winning set for the Celtic Arts Center's production of Brian Friel's "Translations." Actors from left to right — rear: Bo Brundin, Mark Borkowski, Sean Walsh, Tim Ruddy, Morna Regan, Brian Mallon, and Cynthia Savage and front: Clark Brolly and Lara Campbell.