In this town, one cannot swing a cat without hitting
an actor that will go on about how much they love
working with Alison Davies. Had they done comedy
with her, they wouldn't be the least bit surprised to
find out how adept she was at drama or vice-versa.
They might be slightly surprised to know she was a
championship swimmer. They might be genuinely
taken off-guard to hear she participated in the
Cancer 3-Day Walk between Fort Worth and Dallas
3 years ago as a Cancer Survivor.

...

They certainly would be pleasantly stunned
to hear that she first beat her cancer in 1975.

Having worked with nearly every major theater in the
region, and many of the minor and fleeting companies,
one can pretty well assume someone in the room
could confirm any anecdote there was to tell about
her outrageous humor, wry smile and surgical sharp wit
or about her generosity, reliability and friendship.

Rover alone boasts her involvement in four productions
Lady Windermere's Fan, Love From a Stranger,
Surviving Grace, Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,
and our One Day Only 3!,

As much as they'd all clamor to add a fun
quip to the fray, nobody would want this line:

Alison passed a few weeks ago after months of battle with
recurring cancer of the stomach and intestines. The cancer
came out of remission about two years ago, but was contained
by surgery and radiation. Alison celebrated her second
recovery, got new head shots and dusted off her resume.
But her luck was running out.

After an extended trip "Down Under" Alison became ill again in
February. For months she battled symptoms and faced chemo
with declining energy, until a final surgery determined that the
cancer was too extensive to remove.

The body of a competitive swimmer does not go
readily and fought her resignation for several weeks.

Her family returned her to New Zealand.
Kiwis always return to their territory. They are fiercely
loyal and dogged defenders of their homes and
interests and are generally impossible to categorize.
So are the birds.

For her numerous friends still here in the States,
there will be a tree dedicated
September 7, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.
at the Dallas Arboretum
8525 Garland Road
Dallas, Texas 75218

The organizers will need a head-count so let us forward your
name and information via email contact_azz_at_roverdramawerks.com

As Alison has performed the work of Ken Ludwig many
times, enjoying his writing well enough to perform in his
Lend Me A Tenor twice! Rover Dramawerks would like
to dedicate the run of his Shakespeare in Hollywood
to her memory including a Memory Book for her family
to which we ask members of the theater community to
contribute.

Any good drama knows that the secret of a good ending
is to let the audience laugh a good bit before asking them
to cry. That should help explain the sudden quiet now.

Please make plans to help Alison's family and friends
remember her either by attending her tree dedication
September 7, or by contributing to her Memory Book.
If you wish to contribute an anecdote but cannot make
it physically to the performances of Rover Dramawerks'
Shakespeare in Hollywood September 11 - October 4,
please feel free to send them here and we will get them
to her family.

J. Rice - V.P. of Production, Rover Dramawerks