The Heights Players Founder John Bourne Has Died at 91

With great sadness, The Heights Players reports the passing of its founding member John Bourne on Friday, January 9, 2015. He was 91.

John Bourne was one of the founding members of the Heights Players, Brooklyn's oldest self-sustaining community theater organization. In 1956, a small group of people interested in theater held its first meeting as the Heights Players. John Bourne was at that meeting and from that moment on, he was committed to the organization. His legacy with the Heights Players will never be matched and the organization celebrated this legacy in 2012 by naming the theater after him and bestowing the title of President Emeritus on him, on the occasion of his retirement from the Board of Directors.

John served as President of the Heights Players for twenty years, from 1968-1989. He then remained on the Board of Directors as Member At Large from 1989-2012. His love of theater went far beyond having a leadership role in the group, as he also directed 46 plays, assistant directed five, produced six and acted in numerous productions over the course of 54 seasons. Many audience members more fondly recall his great service as the house manager of 247 plays.

In November the Heights Players community gathered to celebrate John's 90th birthday during an evening's performance of The Boys From Syracuse.

The Heights Players Board of Directors will announce plans to hold a memorial service for John Bourne soon. Details will be provided when they are available.

The Heights Players say, "There will never be another John Bourne ... he was one of a kind and he made the Heights Players what it is today."