Richard Southern

Richard Allen Southern was born May 5, 1942 in Great Bend, KS. His father was Woodrow Southern, an oil field worker, and his mother, Hazel Mary Daves, was a housewife. His father's occupation necessitated frequent moves and, as a consequence, Richard was too often the new kid in school. According to his count, he attended 12 schools before graduating high school. He vividly remembers twice changing schools three times in one academic year. Richard read for a school play his senior year in high school and was stunned to get a role. Once into the rehearsal process, he discovered it was a natural fit and never looked back. This was his life's calling. He went on to major in theater at Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso. From there, he migrated to the Hillberry Classic Theatre at Wayne State University where he performed and, also, earned a master's degree in theatre. He served in the U.S. Army in the 24th Infantry Division. While in the service, he met and mar