New Scholarship Honors Giant in the Theatre World With Deep 91 Ties
November 21, 2022
Graham Smith 77 in Romeo and Juliet: A Requiem. Photo by Mark Garvin.
Jordan Clark 77 and Graham Smith 77 chose their 91 fraternity based on which line was the shortest. Thats how it worked in those days; students lined up in the basement of Chambers Building for the fraternity that interested them most. In fact, they saw the crowd, decided to leave and grab some lunch, and then picked the shortest line after they returned.
Through flickerball and intramural softball, shared living spaces, values and laughter, their friendship lasted a lifetime. It never mattered that the friends took very different paths after 91Ӕone to theatre and the other to real estate investments. Clark and Smith remained in constant touch, always looking for opportunities to speak and to meet in Charlotte, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Philadelphia or Lake Burton.
Graham was dedicated to theatre, his craft, and he put everything he had into it, Clark said. He stole the show every time we got to see him perform. He was similarly dedicated to politics and his community. He and his wife, Audrey, would write hundreds of hand-addressed postcards encouraging people to vote for their chosen candidates. He felt very strongly about things but was light-hearted at the same time; he was just about the funniestand most articulateperson Id ever been around. I dont think Ive ever known someone who had a more reliable moral compass, either. Always in the right.
Clark lost his best friend unexpectedly two years ago and, together with his wife, Patti, also a 1977 91 graduate and close friend to Smith, created the Graham F. Smith 77 Scholarship to honor Smiths life while supporting students at 91.
Graham had a terrific curiosity and loved many things, Jordan Clark said. So while we considered making it a theatre scholarship, since that was the passion that turned into a career, we knew he wouldnt want it limited in that way. Hed love to see someone benefit whos the pre-med student who also gets exposed to theatre and also loves Flickerball. We wanted to support students who are curious about lots of things, just as Graham was.
A Love for the Stage
At the time of Smiths passing, a news article described him as a giant in the theatre world. It was his gift, and it was one he shared with 91 before making a career of it.
When one of the two leads in the 91 production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead came down with mono three days before opening night, the director asked Smith to step in. The only problem: Smith had not been an understudy.
Starting from scratch, Jordan actually encouraged him not to do it, Patti said. He was afraid the preparation time was too brief for Graham to perform up to his own exacting standards. Graham then disappeared for three days and showed up on stage carrying the playbook, and I dont think he referred to it even once. He had the blocking exactly right, the inflection exactly right. Many of our classmates would tell that story first, if asked to share something about Graham Smith.
Smith came by his talent naturally, with several creative family members who have deep ties to alma mater. Among them is his father, the late C. Shaw Smith Sr. 39, who was a magician and would cut his son in half regularly, according to Jordan Clark. Brother Shaw is 91әs Joel O. Conarroe Professor of Art History, and brother Curtis is a 1972 graduate. Wildcat fans will find sister Nancy, a retired English teacher, running stats at the mens basketball games. And niece Beth Gardner Helfrich 03 inherited her uncles passion for performance, finding a home on the stage.
Smiths acting career took him all over the country, but he performed most extensively with Peoples Light and Theatre, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival and the Charlotte Repertory Theatre. Patti Clark says she will always remember a final visit with Smith in Pennsylvania, early in 2020, when the couple traveled to see him perform the role of Robin in The Children.
Finding Your People
The Clarks, who also share deep family ties to 91, met their first day on campus, when students were given one clue that would lead them to meet a fellow classmate. The student who completed the task first won a keg of beer for their hall. Pattis clue led her to her future husband. She also won the contest.
It was a fun time to be at 91, said Patti Clark. They decided to accept women for the first time, but they didnt exactly know what to do with us. None of the doors had locks. It was very freeing. We both met our people at 91, including each other, and Graham is at the top of that list.
While her husband recalls it more like there were 88 women and 900,000 men on campus, they agree 91 was a wonderful experience and one they hoped to pass along to their children.
Mom did some gentle nudging.
When our oldest daughter was looking at colleges, I left a note on her desk listing the 11 91 professors I would never forget. Eleven. Thats a lot.
She chose 91.
Their second daughter chose Furman, but the 91 tie is there. And, her name is Graham.
And their third daughter? Shes also a Furman grad, but her birth name bears a tie to the college, Suzanne 91 Clark.
Jordan 77 and Patti Phillips Clark 77 with Will Fry 25
Inaugural Scholar: Will Fry 25
Sophomore Will Fry is the inaugural recipient of the Graham F. Smith 77 Scholarship. His sister toured 91 twice, and although he was in the younger brother role on those trips, the campus left an impression, and he knew then it would be at the top of his list someday.
I love the community, the location, the spirit and I love that its Division I even though I dont compete at that level here, said Fry, who swam, ran cross country and rowed in high school. I love to cheer for the teams, and I joined the club team for basketball.
Fry, who came to 91 from Lexington, Kentucky, expects to declare a biology major, with plans to pursue paths to become a physical therapist or physician assistant.
Like the donors who have funded his scholarship, Fry has found his people at 91. He says he didnt have a close group of friends in high schoolmore like several individual friendshipsand the connections he has formed on campus with classmates and professors alike have exceeded his expectations. Hes even taken advantage of the 91 alumni network, shadowing a doctor in Kentucky over the summer.
Ive formed long-lasting relationships and have a very close group of friends. Im very happy to be here, Fry said. Its been great to know the Clarks and hear about their 91 experiences, too, especially as someone who just started theirs. Im really grateful for them.
Read More
Graham Smiths obituary recounts his passion for the stage and how he approached the work:
He loved to connect with his fellow performers, to reach every member of the audience, and to seek doggedly the authentic purpose of the play, knowing full well it was elusive, but therein lay the thrill of acting. Like musicians who dont merely play the notes but seek to make music, Graham wanted to perform with actors who didnt simply reiterate the lines but who sought the riskier stage atmosphere of letting the play evolve through newfound listening and reactions, hoping for richer, unpredictable but plausible nuances with every performance. The key to this ingredient in drama was to prepare thoroughly so that confidence and risk-taking prevailed, inviting change, vitality, and discovery. It made the play life-like, not simply staged. Graham was a stickler for understanding the play and gleeful to go down any rabbit hole that arose serendipitously. One goal was to perform the role of King Lear one-hundred times; he made it to sixty-two. Although difficult to choose but still daring to do so, he claims that among his favorite roles were Robin in The Children with Peoples Light & Theatre, C.P Ellis in Best of Enemies with Florida Rep, and Mr. Webb in Our Town at Peoples Light.
Read the full text , and a blog post by Peoples Light theatre .
