Longtime Chicago lesbian artist, performer and playwright Bev Spangler died July 23 after an extended battle with non-small-cell lung cancer. She was 61.
Spangler was born March 17, 1963, in Columbus, Indiana. She spent her youth and teen years in Wisconsin and later Ocala, Florida, where she graduated from West Orange High School. At the age of 13, Spangler began to write her first plays, screenplays and monologues, which she continued for the rest of her life.
She attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where she received her BA in psychology and Spanish in 1986. While in college, Spangler studied abroad at Trinity College in Seville, Spain in 1983; University of Kent in Canterbury, England from 1984-85; and Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain from 1985-86. She also got her post-baccalaureate in Theatre Arts at Indiana University with a concentration in acting, movement, voice, playwriting and screenwriting.
Spangler went on to Northern Illinois University where she received a Masters of Fine Arts degree in acting in 1998, and then Loyola University for her dual masters in organizational design and training and development (which focused on team consulting, training design and leadership coaching) in 2000.
Her non-artistic day jobs included as a Magellan Behavioral Health regional training consultant from 2001-06; Suzuki Music School of Lincoln Park administrative specialist from 2011-17; Above and Beyond Pet Care Chicago owner and seasonal academic researcher from 2014-16; and Awaken Performance Coaching from 2004-2017.
Spangler was the founder and artistic director for Awaken! Performance Theatre Company (2000-08), where she performed and wrote original scripts for full-length plays, screenplays, monologues and sketch comedy.
Her full-length 2000 Awaken! Performance Theatre Company production Take All of Us With You show at the Strawdog Theatre of monologues and scenes garnered praise from the now-deceased theater critic Rick Reed, who wrote that she has an “attuned ear for the human condition … a real sense of both physical comedy and the absurd … Bev Spangler is a talent to watch.”
In 2004, Spangler adapted Windy City Times cofounder and author Tracy Baim’s book The Half Life of Sgt. Jen Hunter for her Awaken! Performance Theatre Company. Half Life ran three weeks at the American Theatre Co. In the program book, Spangler gave special thanks to Baim and director Jenna Newman “for brilliant feedback on the Half Life script; Tracy for ‘birthing’ such an amazing story to begin with; Jessie for her patience with my absences, absent-mindedness and for speed typing, so I didn’t get fired from my day job.”
Spangler published a letter to audience-goers in the Half Life program book where she noted Awaken! Performances’ mission that “believes in theater that contributes to the possibility of positive change in the world by examining how interesting, diverse people struggle toward that change from within and without. With a mind toward positive change, Awaken! endeavors to create ensembles that find safety, respect, and mutual learning in exploring stories with widely diverse characters. ‘Safety’ at Awaken! translates as welcoming, egoless communication and generous, playful, disciplined work. ‘Respect’ translates into a policy of clear contracting and potential livable wages for all company members—a goal we are striving for even now in our grant proposals for future productions. ‘Mutual learning’ means that, while we embrace diversity, we know we cannot assume we fully understand everything about each other, and therefore welcome the opportunity for continuous education to appreciate and utilize our invaluable differences.”
Spangler also produced Parallel Lives (2003) at the Viaduct Theatre and Coulda Shoulda Woulda(2005) at Mountain Moving Coffeehousethrough her Awaken! Performance Theatre Company.
She was alsoan education instructor in the theater departments of Indiana University as a substitute movement instructor in 1990 and Northern Illinois University, where she instructed actors from 1996-97. Later on, she was a Girlie-Q Ensemble member; Gurlesque private vocal coach for the 2004-05 season; and a Pow-Wow, Inc. acting coach in 2005.
Additionally, Spangler performed in the Sissy Butch Brothers Gurlesque Burlesque at the now defunct Stargaze queer women’s bar in 2002, the now defunct No Exit in 2003 and at The Abbey in 2004, as well as other variety shows over the years.
She also produced and performed in the Chicago-based theater production Kathy and Mo Show with Lisa Samra in 2003 and took to the stage that same year in the Big Goddess Pow Wow Eleven: Big Goddess Nation production.
Spangler’s sole movie role was as a nurse in the 2008 Chicago-made film Hannah Free with Sharon Gless in the lead role, based on the play by Claudia Allen.
Spangler also took on leadership roles for two Chicago LGBTQ+ organization—Femme to Femme Chicago chapter co-founder (1999-05) and as Center on Halsted’s women’s coming out group co-facilitator in 2001.
She was also a prolific member and/or volunteer for many important organizations in Chicago over the years—Chicagoland PFLAG, GLSEN, LCCP, Howard Brown Health, Center on Halsted (also when it was named Horizons Community Center), Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, ACLU, HRC Chicago, The Mautner Project, Mountain Moving Coffeehouse, Lesbian Theatre Initiative (she also performed there), Sav-a-Pet, Stardust Animal Sanctuary, Misericordia and Suzuki Music School of Lincoln Park. At Twilight Brigade, she was a companion to people with terminal illnesses, and at Instructional Design Cancer Treatment Center of America, she designed two holistic workshops on how to use humor as a form of stress relief.
When Spangler lived in Bloomington, Indiana in the early ‘90s, she volunteered for the National Women’s Music Festival for four years (she also performed there); GLB Speaker’s Bureau, where she was a panelist for education and outreach to the straight community; and Unitarian Universalist Church Coffeehouse where she performed and raised funds for AIDS-related causes.
Additionally, Spangler was a singer in the Chicago-based all girl pop/rock Pulsation Band from 1993-95 and Chicago Idol competition vocal finalist in 2003.
Spangler is survived by her brother Gary (Bambie) Spangler and their sons Tristan (Jeanette) Spangler and Mikhail (Jessica Hollis-Spangler) Spangler;sister Victoria Spangler; and countless chosen family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents George and Raechel (Krill) Spangler.
“Bev was a prolific writer and creative talent,” said former life partner and longtime friend Laura Hosto. “Her deep connection to others is seen in her volunteer work and art. She is held precious as an amazing friend, sister, aunt and cousin to her family and those who loved her. I miss her deeply.”
“In 2005, Bev did a wonderful job adapting my book Half Life into a play, which we staged with her production company,” said Baim. “The book, later renamed The Half Life of Sgt. Jen Hunter, is a fictional tale of a lesbian journalist who meets a closeted lesbian military spokeswoman during the first Gulf War. My partner Jean Albright had served that role in the Air Force, but the book and play were fiction. Bev took great care not just to write the stage adaptation, but she also brought great passion to the lead role of the lesbian military woman. I always enjoyed Bev on stage, and she gave of her time and treasure to so many great community causes.”
Half Life co-lead Jaime Dias Delgado said, “There are folks you meet that leave an impression for the whole of your life. Bev was like that for me. We weren’t in close contact throughout the years but I followed her journey and attended benefits for her medical care. Half Life was the last stage production I performed in. I left acting to build a career helping industry professionals become well in a culture that abuses and exploits our bodies. Bev was at the beginning of that story for me.”
Theater colleague Sapna Kumar said, “I met Bev in Chicago’s theater community. She was always committed to her craft and really shined in her role in the play Half Life, where we worked together. She was also a kind person and went so far to write a monologue for me to use for auditions. She offered depth and empathy to her roles and in her personal interactions.”
Kathy Munzer, a friend from Mountain Moving Coffeehouse days, said “Bev was a talented artist/creative, herself, but still found time to volunteer at the Coffeehouse. She was a delight to know, and work with—a loving and kind soul, fun/funny, spirited, always ready to pitch in, whenever and wherever needed.”
Good friend Nathan Hiemstrasaid, “Bev was one of the most caring, hardworking, honest friends I’ve ever had. I will miss her kindness and sense of humor.”
An open to the public celebration of life will be held Sunday, Sept. 8 from 4-6 p.m. at 2445 N Washtenaw Ave. in Chicago. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/397970426301464.