It is with the deepest sorrow that we must inform you of the passing of Christian “Chris” Winans. For more than 30 years, Chris was an active member of the Trilogy Repertory family. Whether working as an award-winning stage manager, serving on the Board of Directors, or turning in solid performances in his many on-stage roles, Chris always good naturedly contributed to the growth and success of Trilogy.

Whatever needed doing, Chris was there for us. He helped pull the ropes that made Mary Poppins fly; he stage managed many shows, ensuring that everything ran smoothly, and received a Perry Award for his hard work; and he appeared as the hilarious Mr. DePenna in You Can’t Take It With You and in countless other roles through the years, from children’s theater to Shakespeare.

Most of all, Chris was our friend, and we were saddened when he had to leave our Board for health reasons. At that time, we recognized his many contributions and assured him he would always be part of our family. Now, we will have to keep him in our hearts because we will no longer see him coming down the hill to the park stage in his trademark cowboy hat with a tin of chicken wings under his arm, ready to help in any way needed.

A memorial service for Chris will be held at the Bradley Funeral Home at 345 Main St., Chatham, at 3:00 PM on Saturday, June 19th. Chris’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to Trilogy Repertory at PO Box 199, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 or via the PayPal link on this website.

We were incredibly blessed to have Chris a part of us for so many years and will never forget everything he did for Trilogy and our casts, crews, and patrons. Thank you, Chris.