Richard C. Johnson, 81, Drama Teacher
October 17, 2000|By Walter Gottesman. Special to the Tribune.
Richard C. Johnson, 81, of Barrington, longtime chairman of the performing arts department at Barrington High School, died Friday, Oct. 13, in Governors Park Healthcare Center, Barrington.
He retired from the school in 1986 after 40 years as a drama teacher.
"Dick was best known professionally as `Mr. Children's Theater' in Illinois," said Chris Deignan, English teacher and former drama teacher and set designer at Barrington High.
"He was head of the children's theater division of the Illinois Theatre Association for many years."
Mr. Johnson received a bachelor's degree in secondary education in the early 1940s and a master's degree in drama from Northern Illinois University.
Mr. Johnson served as a staff sergeant in the Army Air Forces in the Philippines and Japan during World War II and with the U.S. occupation forces in Japan after the war.
"He came straight out of the Army to teach in Barrington," Deignan said.
"He was the high school drama teacher for all those years. When he hired me ... the year before he retired, he was still directing three to four plays a year. He designed the auditorium, which was built in 1960 and named after him the year he retired."
Mr. Johnson was chairman of the drama department in a summer honors program for high school students sponsored by the Georgia governor's office, from 1967 to 1973. He was also a teacher of theater and director of play production for a summer program at Northwestern University's National High School Institute, from 1958 to 1965.
"His greatest objective in teaching drama to kids was to instill in them that they were acting as another person so they could have empathy for and relate to others," said his son, Richard W.
Mr. Johnson was author of "The Theatre Student: Producing Plays for Children," published in the 1970s, and "A Guide to Makeup for the Stage," among other publications.
He also held positions with numerous professional organizations, including membership on the board of directors of the American Theatre Association from 1971 to 1974.
He served on the governing board of the Secondary School Theatre Conference from 1965 to 1971 and the governing board of Children's Theatre Conference from 1959 to 1965. Mr. Johnson received the Illinois Theatre Association Award of Honor in 1986.
In addition to his son, survivors include his wife, Gladys; and two grandchildren.
A service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Madison Funeral Home, 305 Park St., Elgin.
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