The Dietrich-Richard McMillan and Anne Louise Bannon Endowed Scholarship Fund

 

Richard McMillan made a name for himself in the 1980s as a keystone member of the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival. During his time on the stage, Rick’s outstanding performances drew the attention of the Pittsburgh theatre community.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Mr. Richard McMillan passed away on Sunday, February 19, 2017.  His passion for the theatre is highlighted in his obituary.

Richard McMillan created some of the most memorable characterizations seen on Pittsburgh stages, including Richard III, Hamlet, Cassius, Enobarbus and Jacques. At a time when the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival was reaching its full aesthetic maturity, Richard set new standards of excellence in acting that endeared him to playgoers and drew the attention of other Pittsburgh producers. Throughout the 1990s Rick was seen at the Playhouse Repertory, the City Theatre, and the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, making Pittsburgh his second artistic home.

While here, he met and ultimately married Anne Louise Bannon, one of the finest students to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh’s MFA program.  Mr. McMillian's final three onstage performances in Pittsburgh were of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters, opposite his wife, Anne Louise Bannon.  Proceeds from these performances went to the newly formed Dietrich-Richard McMillan and Anne Louise Bannon Endowed Scholarship Fund.  This undergraduate fund strives to continue Rick and Anne's legacy of dedication to excellence.

The Dietrich Foundation Endowment Fund for William S. Dietrich II Undergraduate Scholarships will match the annual income of this fund. Donations to this fund help to support the outstanding outstanding theatre students at the University of Pittsburgh.  This fund also celebrates the talents of two wonderful actors and commemorates the institution of the Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival.

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