Donald Fowler, the retail director at the Nasher Sculpture Center and a noted actor and composer, has died. Fowler was jogging on Sunday when he was struck by a DART streetcar.
Fowler, 57, became familiar to Dallas audiences starting 20 years ago, appearing in such productions as Kiss of the Spider Woman at Uptown Players as well as The Wild Party. Although not trained as a composer, Fowler’s passion for the story of Jack the Ripper led him to write the book and songs for an original musical, Creep, which received its full-staging world premiere at WaterTower Theatre in 2015. The last time I ran into Fowler, he told me plans for another show he was writing, although he was hush-hush on the details.
His day job was in retail, formerly at Nest on McKinney Avenue and since 2016 with the Nasher, where he ran the gift shop.
Craig Lynch, co-producer of Uptown Players, said the news filled him “with great sadness. Donald was instrumental in the growth of not only Uptown Players, but the vibrancy of the Dallas art scene. He was loved and cherished and will be missed by many. It will take a long time for the Dallas arts community to recover from this loss.”
“Heartbreaking,” echoed Paul J. Williams, a fellow actor who had know Fowler since he was 18.
No arrangements have been announced.
— Arnold Wayne Jones
I first met Donald years ago in my job as a talker on the radio.
Today, I simply have no more words than these.
I am so sad.
I’ve never met a more kindhearted person than Donald! His smile could change your heart immediately! He has touched so many of us and he is so loved! I’m glad I knew you Donald!