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What you should know about Curt Schwartz
Curt Schwartz was a performer. A commercial real estate developer by day, the married father of two fueled his passion for theatre and live performances through Lyric Theatre productions and as part of a two-man comedy team.
After his death in 1985, his friends and family established the Curt Schwartz Lyric Theatre Scholarship Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, ensuring that his love of the theatre will live on through future generations of young performers.
Armed with a fine arts degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1960, Curt quickly became active in local, state and national arts and cultural organizations and served on numerous boards including the Arts Council of Oklahoma City and Lyric Theatre. But performance was his calling. With his close friend Larry Bledsoe, they created the comedy team Schwartz & Bledsoe and performed across the country. He also appeared in memorable leading roles in several Lyric Theatre productions including Bye Bye Birdie and The Music Man and was the television and radio spokesperson for a local car dealership for many years. Curt always attributed his success as a performer to Maybelle Conger, his drama teacher at Central High School.
When Curt died at the age of 46 in a commercial airplane crash, friends and family established a memorial fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to benefit the Lyric Theatre’s Thelma Gaylord Academy. Each year, the academy offers classes in acting, music, dance and theatre technology to more than 300 children, ages 5-18, as well as adults. The Curt Schwartz Lyric Theatre Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for children who would not otherwise be able to attend the academy, thus encouraging the love of performance for future generations.
