Lee Devin, professor emeritus of theater, actor, author, and dramaturge, has died at 85

Lee Devin, 85, formerly of Swarthmore, professor emeritus of theater at Swarthmore College, actor, playwright, author, and longtime dramaturge at People’s Light theater, died Tuesday, March 19, of heart failure at the Quadrangle in Haverford.

Professor Devin arrived at Swarthmore in 1970 as an associate professor of English literature, and his mandate was to create a vibrant theater program at the college, which previously did not offer a comprehensive curriculum in creative arts. By all accounts, he earned a standing ovation. His work over three decades won prizes and grants, and theater achieved status as a graduating major at the college in 1987.

He focused his classes on the fundamentals of acting, directing, writing, and set design. He created artist-in-residencies and welcomed theater companies of all kinds to perform on campus. He invited professional actors to interact with students, arranged student internships with local companies, and helped design the Lang Performing Arts Center that opened in 1991.

Former colleagues praised his “compelling visions” and “entrepreneurial” projects in an online tribute, and said he showed students that theater studies were “not an alternative to their education but an invaluable contribution to it.” His wife, Abigail Adams, said: “He taught lovingly.”

Professor Devin also traveled to study and work at Columbia, Ball State, and Bucknell Universities, and other colleges and arts organizations. He retired as director of the Department of Theater at Swarthmore in 2000 and from teaching in 2002. He taught earlier at Vassar College in New York, the University of Virginia, and Indiana University.

He became the first acting teacher at People’s Light in the 1970s and was named dramaturge in the 1980s. He appeared in many of the company’s performances, from Twelfth Night to Much Ado About Nothing to A Streetcar Named Desire, and conducted popular seminars so theatergoers could learn about life behind the curtain.

In 2005, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas gave him the Elliott Hayes Award for “outstanding achievement” in dramaturgy. “Lee was a giant of our theater, of the theater,” Zak Berkman, producing artistic director of People’s Light, said in a tribute. “He embodied and articulated the values and energy of purpose that are our foundation.”

He was an eclectic and prolific writer who authored plays, librettos, program notes, articles, book chapters, and papers about a variety of topics. He cowrote Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know About How Artists Work that was published in 2003 and The Soul of Design: Harnessing the Power of Plot to Create Extraordinary Products in 2012.

He worked as a technical director, master electrician, and production stage manager when he was young, and won awards for his radio dramas and play scripts in the 1960s. Years later, he hosted webinars about innovation and leadership for the Cutter Consortium and said in a 2015 paper: “We must fit our expectations to the fact that of the things, services, and ideas we find innovative, many if not most will not display immediate value.”

Philip Lee Devin Jr. was born April 28, 1938, in Glendale, Calif. He developed an early love for the outdoors that stayed with him, and he told stories later about riding his pony, Lucky, and other adventures he had.

He was active with the drama program in high school and earned a bachelor’s degree in theater at San Jose State College, now San Jose State University, in 1958, and a master’s degree and doctorate in theater at Indiana University.

He married Barbara Norton in 1958, and they had daughter Siobhan and son Sean. They divorced later, and he married Adams in 2005.

Away from the theater, Professor Devin enjoyed fly fishing, good beer, dogs, cats, and birds. He liked to cook and garden, and read crime novels and the works of Aristotle.

He watched westerns, never lost his natural cowboy spirit, and charmed folks with what his wife called “a devilish wink.” His son said: “He was a genuine person who connected with working people and had respect for others.”

His wife said: “He was funny and had a fantastic laugh that everybody knew. He was a people person with tremendous warmth.”

In addition to his wife and children, Professor Devin is survived by two grandchildren and other relatives. His former wife and a sister died earlier.

A celebration of his life is to be held later.

Donations in his name may be made to People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern. Pa. 19355.