Katherine Mendeloff ’76

    Kate died April 15, 2023, at her home in Ann Arbor, Mich., of pancreatic cancer. She was a teacher and theater director in the University of Michigan residential college drama program for more than 30 years.

Born in Missouri and raised in Maryland, Kate came to Princeton after graduating from Western High School in Baltimore. She was deeply involved in Theatre Intime. After graduating cum laude in English, Kate continued her studies at the Yale School of Drama, earning an MFA in directing in 1980. Back in Baltimore, she returned to professional directing at Center Stage and Arena Stage, and teaching theater at both Towson University and the University of Maryland. There she married Jeffrey Curtis. They moved to San Francisco in 1983 for his pulmonary fellowship, where Kate taught at San Francisco State and became the artistic director of Tale Spinners Theatre while raising their two young daughters. 

In 1990, the family moved to Ann Arbor. Kate became a lecturer in the University of Michigan residential college drama and first-year programs, developing new courses on direction, acting, and textual analysis. For 33 years, she taught theater and collaborated with playwrights across the country. In 2001, she inaugurated “Shakespeare in the Arb,” an annual environmental staging of the Bard in the 120-acre Nichols Arboretum. Kate inspired generations of students to love learning and theater. She also kept up with her college friends, most recently serving in our 45th reunion on Zoom as a co-presenter in “Theatremakers.”

The class officers extend sincere condolences to Kate’s husband, Jeff Curtis, daughters Hannah and Nora Curtis, and three grandchildren.