[Comedias] Fwd: Amy Williamsen

[AHCT Listserv]

From: Burningham, Bruce <brburni at ilstu.edu>

Dear members of AHCT,



As you may have already heard, our dear friend and colleague Amy Williamsen
passed away unexpectedly earlier this week.  I know that we are all stunned
and deeply saddened by this news.



Amy was a longtime member of our community and served for many years on the
AHCT Board of Directors.  Moreover, as you know, Amy’s father Vern
Williamsen was one of the founders of our organization, and thus Amy’s
connection to AHCT actually began well before her official membership as a
professional academic.  Indeed, if any one of us could truly be considered
“family,” it was Amy; she was AHCT royalty.



As a scholar, teacher, translator, mentor, and colleague, Amy’s
contributions to AHCT, to the wider field of *comedia* studies, and to the
Academy at large are immeasurable.  (And who can forget the sheer sparkle
and wit that she brought to the pre-show introductions that she often
performed with Ben Gunther and Kerry Wilks at the Chamizal festival?)



More importantly, Amy’s commitment to kindness, to caring, and to justice
made her the dear friend that we all loved and deeply respected.  Her
enthusiasm was infectious and her generosity of spirit inspired us all to
be better people.  I, for one, can say that it has been a profound honor to
share the planet with her.  She will be sorely missed.



Many of you have expressed a desire to honor Amy’s legacy.  In the coming
weeks and months, the officers and board members of AHCT will discuss ways
of doing justice to Amy’s profound impact on all of us, including
scheduling formal events in her honor at next year’s conference in El Paso,
Texas.



In the meantime, if any of you have any suggestions for ways to pay homage
to Amy, please do not hesitate to email me.



And for those of you who may wish to send expressions of sympathy (Amy’s
family has requested that we not send flowers), please send your
condolences to:



Tora Williamsen-Berry

724 Rickets Lane

Ardmore OK 73401





With a heavy heart,

Bruce Burningham, President

The Association for Hispanic Classical Theater





Bruce R. Burningham

Chair of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Professor of Hispanic Studies and Theatre

Editor of *Cervantes*: Bulletin of the Cervantes Society of America

President of the Association for Hispanic Classical Theater

http://bruceburningham.com





******************************************

Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

114 Stevenson Hall

Illinois State University

Campus Box 4300

Normal IL 61790-4300

(309) 438-3908

burningham at ilstu.edu
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