Celebration to honor theater founder Georgia Neu

Las Vegas’ local theater community will gather to honor Actors Repertory Theatre founder Georgia Neu at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Summerlin Library Theatre, 1771 Inner Circle Drive.

Neu, an educator and arts advocate as well as a theater professional, died Aug. 26.

Those attending Tuesday’s tribute will sing the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” as part of the celebration of of Neu’s life.

Originally from Ohio, Neu studied music, dance, speech and theater at the University of Cincinnati and earned a master’s degree in education at Reno’s Sierra Nevada College, according to her Facecbook page.

She performed with the Cincinnati Players and also acted and danced in New York.

In Las Vegas, Neu founded Actors Repertory Theatre, Southern Nevada’s first local troupe to feature members of Actors Equity, the professional stage actors’ union.

Neu served as ART’s artistic director for 13 years, acting in and directing numerous productions before the company closed down in 2001.

“Las Vegas has lost its first lady of theater,” Rainbow Company staf member Kris Shepherd posted on Neu’s Facebook page. “Long before there was ‘lots’ of theater in town, there was her theater. We all worked with her, some on the stage, some in the wings.”

Survivors include her husband Rob, who served as ART’s technical director, and daughter Laura Gubbins. The family requested donations to the Animal Foundation in lieu of flowers.