Clarkie’s 60th Surprise Party
Robert Dowling
Rob and Clark first met on 45th Street after Clark's performance in O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. A high-spirited conversation on the street led Clark to invite Rob up to his dressing room: Clark would sign Rob's playbill and Rob would sign Clark’s copy of his O'Neill biography, Eugene O'Neill: A Life in Four Acts which clark used while working on the character Hugo Kalmar in Iceman.
Rob's now working on a biography of Sam Shepard. Before they Met, Rob saw Clark perform as Ellis in Shepard's The Curse of the Starving Class, and as Taxi at a reading of Shepard's The Late Henry Moss. A year after Iceman, Rob, Clark, and Elissa wandered around Sam Shepard's stomping grounds in California's San Gabriel Valley: his boyhood house, his schools, Santa Anita Park.
Rob will deeply miss Clark, whom he will always consider a generous, funny, and compassionate friend.
Robert Dowling and Clark meeting for the first time after a masterful performance by Clark as Hugo Kalmar in the 2018 Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh. Rob and Clark remained great friends after that wonderful encounter on West 45th Street.
Elissa, Clark, and Robert Dowling outside of Sam Shepard's boyhood home in Bradbury, California, where The Curse of the Starving Class is set. Clark played the gangster Ellis in a 2013 revival of that play and recited some of his old lines in the living room, to Elissa and Rob's delight.
Sheila Farland
This hit me hard and deep when I saw it in the news this morning. Clark was an unpolluted light beam of optimism. I would be hard pressed to name someone kinder or more true. Rest easy, old friend.
Terry Knickerbocker
What a special artist he was. I have such fond memories of watching him in class with Bill Esper when I was training - your class, Annie McGovern, as you know. He was a force. SO sad - but he left such an indelible mark on the world. Grateful for all that. Sending you love, Elissa Middleton.
Farrah Martin
I’m sad and sorry to hear this. I took his on camera class one summer. He definitely left a deep impact on me and my heart. Great man and great actor.
Kendrick Merdani
I'm saddened and in shock to hear of this.
We started off as teacher student and became colleagues, then friends. I will miss him dearly and cherish the times we spend together.
Frankie Vitolo
I am so sad to hear this news... So many memories are being brought up at the moment... That kid was one of the biggest inspirations oh I am sitting here today.... I can hear my grandfather's voice right now saying "bring that clarky kid up ...... he likes to eat with us!"..... I literally and praying that he is at peace and sees the promised land that I saw..... when I died for 10 days.... I think he would be proud to know and I'm working on some significant stuff that has meaning that's why I am awake at this hour... God knows that kid taught me about meaning.