The Springfield theater scene lost one of its giants Oct. 6 with the passing of Robert H. Bradley, better known to most as Bob or Dr. Bradley. He was 86 years old.
“The last day of his life, he was working on some plants and some pots during the daytime, then he went into the office, the rehearsal studio, because he was still reading actors for a production of ‘Arcadia’ he was going to direct (for Springfield Contemporary Theatre),” said Lou Schaeffer, Bradley’s partner of 53 years. “When he got home for the evening he hit his computer, still working on the casting for ‘Arcadia.’ Right up to the end he was working.”
Bradley spent his entire 39-year teaching career at Missouri State University, serving as the head of the Department of Theatre and Dance for 31 years. In his time at MSU, he directed 38 mainstage productions and 30 productions for the university’s summer program, Tent Theatre, working with students, including Kathleen Turner, John Goodman and Tess Harper, among many others. His students found success in film, television, professional theatre, academia, teaching and various other pursuits.
Educator, director, intellectual
“He was an intellectual,” said Julie Bloodworth, a former student-turned-friend of Bradley’s. “He deep-dove into anything he directed. He was brilliant at research. And as a director, I found that he also kind of directed as a teacher. He would do those things that good teachers do. He would ask a question and not tell you the answer. You explored the answer for yourself. He was very much, at his core, an educator in everything he did.”
His passion for teaching reflected a deep love for that work.
“He loved the classroom,” Schaeffer said. “He loved being in front of the students, he loved directing the students in productions and, be them students or community people, he was always a great follower and kept up with what they were doing and tried to see them in whatever city they were working in.”
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A love for travel and connection
That includes the last big trip Bradley and Schaeffer took, to Chicago to see a former student in the national touring company for “Hamilton.” They also visited with Betty Buckley, whom Bradley directed in “Oliver” at Springfield Little Theatre back in 1971.
“He had a really special way of connecting with people,” Bloodworth said. “He would go all over the country to see students and former students performing, in little regional theatres or on Broadway. He treated everyone with the same level of respect whether you were performing in a little community theatre or you were literally on Broadway.”
But that connection wasn’t limited to the good times.
“I think of him as the quintessential southern gentleman,” said Bloodworth, whose father was one of Bradley's colleagues. “He was the person who showed up at weddings, at funerals, at hospital sides — and I know this for a fact because he did it for my family. He would show up at those uncomfortable times and he would just be there. He’s done it for my husband and me, so as much as we respected and admired him as a teacher, we loved him as a human being.”
Bradley directed SLT's first big musical
Community theater was very important to Bradley. He directed 15 productions for Springfield Little Theatre, getting his start there at the request of Dr. Irene Coger.
“Irene told him he was going to go over and direct the first big musical Springfield Little Theatre was producing,” Schaeffer said. “Just told him without batting an eye. He said ‘yes ma’am’ and he spent basically his vacation period between Tent Theatre and fall classes resuming directing ‘Paint your Wagon’ for Springfield Little Theatre, and that was the first big musical SLT produced.”
Bradley also directed multiple productions for Springfield Regional Opera.
Following his retirement from MSU, Bradley directed 34 productions for Springfield Contemporary Theatre. He was scheduled to direct “Arcadia” in December.
“When we first posted about Bob's passing on the theatre's Facebook page, the outpouring was immense,” said Rick Dines, managing artistic director for Springfield Contemporary Theatre. “Not only from locals who knew him, but from friends and former students all over the country. It's been uplifting and very overwhelming the messages that have come in. Bob touched so many lives in so many ways.”
A servant of the arts
He also served the arts community. Bradley was on the boards of Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Contemporary Theatre, Springfield Regional Opera and the Springfield Art Museum, and the planning committee for the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.
At the time of his death, Bradley was serving on the Southwest Missouri Museum Associates Board of Trustees as well as Chairman of the SMMA Theatre Appreciation Arts Group and as a Resident Director for Springfield Contemporary Theatre.
Bradley was recognized for his work in the community many times in his life, including receiving an Ozzie Award from the Springfield Regional Arts Council. He was inducted into the MSU Wall of Fame at Missouri State, received an Award of Appreciation from the MSU Alumni Association and was the recipient of the first Byrne Blackwood Memorial Award from the Springfield Regional Opera for significant contributions to area arts.
“Dr. Bradley was a wealth of knowledge and always prepared to educate around the theater arts,” said Leslie Forrester, executive director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. “He paved the way for the local theater community as we now know it; thriving, creative, quality and dedicated. Dr. Bradley will be dearly missed by so many students across the country, friends, colleagues, and loved ones.”
Memorial service scheduled for Dec. 4
Bradley was born March 9, 1936, in Clarksville, Tennessee. He earned his undergraduate degree from Austin Peay State University and got both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Mary Fern (Harlow) Bradley and his brother David W. Bradley. He is survived by his partner of 53 years, Louis Schaeffer of Springfield, Missouri; David’s wife Shirley of Nashville, and by their children Laurie Dambro (Ed Chairvolotti) of Orlando, Fla., and Scott Bradley (Michelle) of Brentwood, Tenn.; and brother W. Blakey Bradley (June) of Clarksville, Tenn., and their children Sherri Brown (Mike) of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Steve Bradley (Karen) of Clarksville, Tenn.
A memorial celebration will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at The Old Glass Place in Springfield. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution can be made to the Robert Bradley Memorial Fund at the Springfield Contemporary Theatre website, or P.O. Box 6228, Springfield, MO 65801-6228.
