by Steve Arnold

An important figure from ACT I's early years left life's stage June 29.  In recognition of his contributions to 19 of our first 24 productions, we honor the memory of David J. Nolte as our Member of the Month for July, 2003.

David Nolte, 86, was a loyal and steady contributor of his time and talents to ACT I throughout the 1980s, taking his place in the limelight as well as taking his turn at offstage assignments.  David and his wife of 58 years, Mary Zoe, lived in Vinton from 1963 until December of 2000, when they moved to Cedar Rapids.  He was a long time employee of Hawk Bilt Manufacturing in Vinton until his retirement, and Mary Zoe taught third grade at West Elementary in Vinton.  Their family included two sons, David and Ted, and a daughter, Anne, as well as two grandchildren.

David Nolte's ACT I debut role was as the sheriff in Deadwood Dick in 1981

David Nolte made his ACT I debut in our fourth production, the musical melodrama Deadwood Dick, in December of 1981, when our fledgling community theatre was only a year and a half old.  He returned in March of 1982 for the role of Hannibal in The Curious Savage.  After serving on the prop crew for The Murder Room, he returned to the stage as Krojack, the hilarious role of the head of the communist secret police in Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, in 1983.  He next appeared for us as the Intruder in See How They Run in 1985.  For The Mousetrap, David took on another off stage assignment, working the box office and serving as House Manager before going back onstage for the role of Mac in the Skeet Powers musical Lovingly Yours in February 1986.  He was back onstage in April of that year as Henri Trochard in My Three Angels, and again in our next production he was featured in the dual roles of Winthrop Allen and Francis X. Nella, the national chairs of both the Republican and Democratic parties in our first rendering of The Girls in 509.  Going offstage again, David worked on set construction and publicity for our next production, The Rainmaker.  In 1987 he portrayed the role of Roger Crosby in The Cat and the Canary, returning to the publicity committee for Take a Number Darling.  For our next production, the melodrama Klondike Kalamity, David appeared as Chief Wapakoneta, a show for which he also worked set construction and publicity.  David appeared on our stage for the last time in 1989 in the role of David Crampton in Morning's At Seven, but he continued to do crew work for several more ACT I shows, working publicity and box office crews for In 25 Words or Death, Play On, Daddy's Dyin, Who's Got the Will, Cheating Cheaters, and his final show, Dancers, in May of 1992.  David's wife Mary Zoe also did crew work for Morning's at Seven, Cheating Cheaters, and Dancers.

David Nolte with Colleen Stufflebeam in The Curious Savage (1982)

In addition to his involvement with ACT I, David was very active with the Masons from 1943 until his death, holding all offices at the local lodge as well as holding state wide office.  He was also an active member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Vinton.

In Don't Drink the Water, David Nolte's character
Krojack (center) was the butt of many of the play's jokes

David's involvement in ACT I is remembered fondly by the many members who had the opportunity to work with him both onstage and off during the twelve years that he was active with the group.  ACT I member Linda Radcliffe recalled that David was always very nice to work with, very quiet but with a lot of good ideas.  She praised his loyalty to the organization, saying he would always do what ever needed to be done and would always distribute the posters for our shows.  She added that Mary Zoe was always very supportive of his involvement.

In 1986, David Nolte appeared as Henri Trochard in My Three Angels.

Dorothy Albert is another ACT I veteran who quickly spoke of David's loyalty to the group.  "My first introduction to Dave Nolte was in the fall of 1982, when I tried out for my first ACT I play," she said.  "Dave was already an established veteran of ACT I.  I soon discovered he had a strong stage presence, not only from his physical stature but also from his deep, gravelly voice.  With those distinctive assets he could play an assertive lawyer or a Russian mobster - complete with accent!"  Dorothy went on to recall that Dave also had a great sense of humor offstage, "and sometimes, to the director's dismay, onstage as well!"  Dorothy said that Dave was always ready to help any way he could in the production of a play, if only to boost morale.  "We could count on a good audience if Dave was in the cast, as he had a loyal following, and a great PR manager in his wife, Mary Zoe."  Dorothy also said that Dave loved cast parties, "because he loved to interact with people offstage as well as onstage; and people onstage, backstage, and out front, loved Dave Nolte!"

                                                                                                                    Photo by Julie Zimmer

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