Travis Johnson GS, a student enrolled in the Brown/Trinity Master’s of Fine Arts in Acting program, died, wrote Dean of the Graduate School Andrew Campbell and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Eric Estes in a community-wide email Thursday. He passed away Sunday, according to his obituary.
Johnson, who hailed from Amarillo, Texas and received his undergraduate degree in theater arts from West Texas A&M University, was a “fiercely talented actor and a generous collaborator, who was deeply loved and trusted by his classmates,” according to the email. He performed with Amarillo Little Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey before moving to New York, and later, Providence, according to the obituary. Recently, he portrayed Malvolio in “Twelfth Night” and Longaville in “Love Labor’s Lost” in Brown/Trinity’s fall Shakespeare productions, which “captured his innate whimsy and spark of mischief,” according to the email.
“It would be hard to overstate how much he was loved and admired by the directors, fellow class members, classmates. … The range of people that he had formed friendships with was truly remarkable,” said University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson.
The email offered support to students through Counseling and Psychological Services, deans in the Graduate School, deans in Student Support Services and University chaplains. People who wish to write tributes may send them to the MFA department at Trinity, who are assembling a book in his memory, Cooper Nelson said.
Johnson is survived by his partner, parents, brother, and sister as well as other family members and friends, according to the obituary. Memorial donations should be made to Amarillo Little Theatre or the Education Foundation of Canyon Independent School District, as requested by the family.
