Philadelphia theaters to dim their lights in honor of the late Carrie Gorn

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For the first time in local theater history, at least 10 theaters in the Philadelphia region will simultaneously dim their exterior lights and do something they have never done: pause for one minute.

On Thursday at 7 p.m., the gesture will honor the memory of an important figure in the Philadelphia theater industry who died suddenly and unexpectedly last week: Carrie Gorn, 49, suffered a cardiac arrest on Wednesday, January 29. She is survived by her husband Chad Gorn, 17-year-old daughter Rosie and two sisters.

The theaters participating in the ritual dimming include Arden Theatre and FringeArts in Old City, the Wilma Theater and Philadelphia Theatre Company in Center City, Theatre Exile in South Philly, Plays & Players Theatre in Rittenhouse Square, Hedgerow Theatre in Media, Theatre Horizon in Norristown, Quintessence Theatre in Germantown, and the Wolf Performing Arts Center in Rosemont, Pa.

While a seminal figure in the region, even seasoned theatergoers may not recognize her name. Gorn, born Carrie Smith in Williamsport, Pa., was a publicist who worked a wide swath of the regional theater community, from major downtown houses like the Arden and Wilma theaters, mid-sized companies like Quintessence in Germantown and Hedgerow in Media, to small companies like Curio in West Philadelphia and countless solo artists during the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Her encyclopedic knowledge of Philadelphia theater extended well beyond whichever clients Gorn was working for at any given moment.

“She was theater in Philadelphia’s greatest advocate,” wrote Alexander Burns, artistic director of Quintessence, in an email. “Her loss will be profound for a community which was already reeling due to the loss of substantive media coverage.”

Full disclosure: This reporter worked with Gorn many times over many years to call upon her deep theatrical experience to help guide stories.

“She would constantly reach out and say, ‘Hey, have you heard this thing? Have you thought of this? I talked to this reporter and you should call them,’” said Leigh Goldenberg, managing director of the Wilma Theater, and formerly with the Arden Theater and Theater Philadelphia.

“I just did one of those things where I searched my inbox for her name, just to see some past interactions, and that’s what it was: Really generous offerings even when where I was working was not an official client of hers,” she said. “Always collaborative and really caring about the community as a whole.”

The act of theaters collectively dimming marquee lights in memoriam is a Broadway tradition going back at least to 1952, when lights were dimmed for the death of actress Gertrude Lawrence. As far back as Philadelphia theater professionals can remember, it has never been done here.

“In my time here I’ve never known of an instance where the community has come together to do this,” said Terrence Nolen, who co-founded the Arden Theatre 37 years ago.

“There are so many people who work behind the scenes who make Philly theater what it is, and Carrie was one of those people,” he said. “Carrie spent her energy telling other people stories. There is something really right about the community taking a moment to remember Carrie and to tell her story.”

The tradition of dimming lights on Broadway is decided by committee: the Broadway League’s Committee of Theater Owners determines which people are memorialized. Perhaps inevitably, that has led to controversy. Last year the Actor’s Equity Association opposed the Broadway League’s decisions on light-dimming, causing the League to announce it would review its policies.

No such drama arose in Philadelphia theater. Gorn’s daughter Rosie, into whom she instilled a strong love of theater, suggested the idea to one of Gorn’s colleagues, publicist Bryan Butler. He spread the word. Theaters immediately agreed.

“The part that has gotten me so emotional is that Carrie was such behind-the-scenes. It was not about her being in front. She just really cared about the art and the people,” Goldenberg said. “I just hope she knew there was this deep appreciation for her as a person, and her as a publicist and a community member. I’m grateful that her family will be able to see how many theaters are honoring her memory.”