Connie Mahan was a tireless advocate for the arts

Connie Mahan was a lover of theater and all things British. 

“She will definitely be missed in the theater community,” said Richard Whittington, Mahan’s friend of 17 years. “Even if she didn’t work for you she worked with you.”

Mahan, PlayMakers Repertory Company’s communication director, was killed Thursday night in a head-on collision on Raleigh Road. Her death rocked the theater community across the state. 

Mahan got her start as a lawyer but soon realized her love of theater.

“She got her law degree and back then when she was working in Texas she kept finding herself drawn to entertainment — to film and theater — and was doing a lot of volunteer work for both film and theater organizations,” Whittington said. “When she realized that law wasn’t the place she wanted to be she did a huge career change and started working as a publicist for theater companies.”

Whittington met Mahan soon after she delved into theater — at the same time he and a mutual friend were creating a new theater company, Triad Stage.

“When we actually started Triad Stage it made sense for us to ask Connie to join us as our director of communications,” Whittington said. “She was sort of part of the founding team here.”

Mahan made the move to North Carolina from Texas to be the first marketing director for Triad Stage. After six years in Greensboro, Mahan made the move to PlayMakers. 

“Even after she moved to Chapel Hill and began working with PlayMakers, Connie continued to both see our work and support us with her charitable donations,” said a Facebook post by Triad Stage.

“We are incredibly saddened by this tragic loss and our hearts and thoughts go out to her friends and family. She will be missed.”

Justin Haslett, managing director at PlayMakers Repertory Company, said the company, the dramatic art department and the College of Arts and Sciences are grieving over the loss of Mahan.

"She was a passionate and dedicated supporter of the arts and particularly theater," Haslett said. "She was a tireless advocate for bringing greater and broader and more diverse audiences to see plays everywhere — here at PlayMakers and elsewhere."

Mahan, who loved to travel, got to spend 10 days in Prague this summer, Whittington said.

“She had shared with me that that was one of the trips that she ... she said ‘I don’t have a bucket list, but I just have places I want to visit before I go,’” he said. “And that was one of them so I think it was really fitting that she was able to have such a great trip before this accident.”

Whittington said Mahan's work was always top notch, her work behind the scenes making a huge impact at Triad Stage.

“She was a tough person to get to know but once you did you had a friend for a long time, for life.”

University Editor Acy Jackson contributed reporting.

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