One of our terrific Theatre Fairfield alums, Cait Davis, passed away on Halloween, 2020. Her classmates held a terrific zoom tribute party for her and have shared their memories and terrific photos for this website---many thanks to Laurie Small, who took many of the photos you see here, Rachel Pederson Saunders, ’05, and Christopher Taggart, ’05, and our longtime technical director, Susan Haggstrom, for contributing great words and images.

Cait was a vibrant playwright, stage manager, actor, and all-around theatre pro while at Fairfield. She is still the only person to have written a full-length play (which she also performed in), The Biggest and Brightest in Town, for the annual Independent Project, supported by the Jamie Hulley Arts Foundation. Laurie Small unearthed the show poster, designed by Cait’s mom, as well as great photos of the show and of Cait, on stage and off. The play, set in the 1950s, provided a perfect occasion for Laurie to snap the glam shot of Cait above.

The Biggest and Brightest company

Cait's Obituary:

Caitlin M. Davis, 37, passed away peacefully from natural causes on Saturday, October 31, 2020, at her home in Woodbury, Connecticut.  

She was born August 6, 1983, to John and Cecily (Hunt) Davis at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stamford, CT. She grew up in Woodbury and graduated from Fairfield University where she was a double major in English and Theatre. While at school, Cait spent a semester abroad in England, studying at the University of Cambridge where she continued to study theatre as well as selected works of Shakespeare.

After graduation, Cait moved to New York City and worked in the theater industry. While in the city, Cait became an established writer. Cait wrote the novel Lilly Palmer is a Mess and recently published the sequel, Lilly Palmer has a Dress. She enjoyed spending her summers in the Adirondacks with her family and Boston Terriers, Bette and Viola. Her time in the mountains is where she wrote many of her plays. Cait also enjoyed acting in Community Theater as well as attending Broadway musicals.

She recently started her own freelance business, Mare Magnolia, for copywriting, internet marketing and proofreading assistance.

5 Great TF Stage Managers: Chris Taggart, Katie McLaughlin, James DeSilvestri, Cait, and Kelly Henn

Never in my years of working have I met a more perfect stage manager than Cait. She was organized, fastidious, and compassionate. She was “mother hen” of our crazy little group. Aside from her work as a stage manager, I remember her fondly as a writer. She told beautiful stories. Heartfelt stories. Honest and true stories. She always said how lucky we were to be friends. But it was we who were the lucky ones.

--Christopher Taggart, ‘05

Cait, Jill Amato, ’05, and Susan Haggstrom at a TF Party

It is with great sorrow that Theatre Fairfield acknowledges the untimely passing of Cait Davis, one of our own. Cait, who graduated in 2005, was known for her organizational skills, her energy, and her can-do attitude. She was a Cracker Jack stage manager and a wonderful writer. Cait was a friend to all and will be sorely missed by all in TF and beyond who knew her. A shining light has dimmed, but will not be forgotten.

--Susan Haggstrom, Theatre Fairfield’s longtime Technical Director

Production Photo of The Biggest and Brightest in Town; Rachel Pederson Saunders is the woman in red standing behind Cait

The T-shirt I’m wearing today is not my typical wake/funeral attire: It says “Careful or you’ll end up in my novel.” I’m wearing it today because I bought it for Cait for her birthday but with the pandemic we had yet to be able to celebrate. If you’ve read Lily Palmer is a Mess, Cait’s first novel, I’m the “visitor from out of town”. Well, here we are in the midst of a pandemic and I’d like to think Cait would appreciate the sentiment in this shirt. She was, after all, probably my MOST sentimental friend. From her scrapbooks to her videos to her quote books, Cait worked tirelessly to preserve the memories of her friends in college. I read a quote yesterday that made me think of Cait. I find it fitting that it is a quote from an actor/comedian, Jim Carey. The quote was “some people aren’t good at asking for help because they’re so used to being ‘the helper.’” And that was Cait. She was the helper, she was the mother hen of the group, she was the stage manager extraordinaire of our college improv group and for anyone who isn’t sure what that entails, a quick definition would be - the person in charge of a stage full of somewhat crazy people, where LITERALLY ANYTHING could happen in front of a full audience. And Cait pulled off countless shows without a hitch! She was always prepared for anything; it’s like she carried a Mary Poppins bag with her at all times.

Similarly to Mary Poppins, Cait always said, for the 19 years I’ve known her, that she did not want children of her own, yet she LOVED my children and our friends’ children beyond a doubt. In looking back at pictures over the past few days, I have many of Cait coming to visit shortly after my children were born and you can just see the pure joy in her face as she is holding her friend’s tiny humans. She spoiled them to the level of a grandparent, which somehow seems an appropriate comparison as Cait often compared herself to one of the Golden Girls. I want to end with one final sentiment. Cait had SO many talents and one in particular was making exquisite Shadow Boxes. She made one for me for my bridal shower and another for my baby shower. The one from my baby shower was a picture of all of our housemates from college dressed as Disney princesses and Cait found the matching figurines to accompany each of us inside the Shadow Box. The saying she included was “You never know how many fairy God-mothers you have.” And now it is true, my children and all the children Cait loved will forever have a real Fairy God Mother watching over them from above. I’m positive Cait will receive a 5-Star review for this new role.

--Rachel Pederson Saunders, ‘05