By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
MIAMI, Okla. — David Froman, a local actor and college drama instructor with Hollywood credentials, died this week. He was 71.
According to a Facebook page dedicated to him, he died Monday of cancer. One section of the page is written in the first person.
“This is only the end of act one,” it reads in part. “I have only slipped away into the dressing room. I am I and you are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we still are.”
The section concludes: “All is well. See you in act two. David.”
According to Internet Movie Database, Froman played Lt. Bob Brooks in 56 episodes of “Matlock,” the series starring Andy Griffith that aired from 1986 to 1994.
He played Capt. K’Nera, a Klingon starship commander, in a 1988 episode of the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
He also had roles in single episodes of “Hill Street Blues,” “Trapper John, M.D.,” “T.J. Hooker,” “21 Jump Street” and “Cheers.” All of those were in the 1980s. He also was on the television game show “Family Feud.”
He was working as a part-time drama instructor at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M; College in Miami at the time of his death. He had worked for the college in that capacity since August 2007.
College spokeswoman Christen Stark said Froman worked as a full-time speech and theater faculty member from 1961 to 1969 and again from 1994 to 2002.
He was active in the Miami Little Theatre, where his final role was as Capt. Keller in “The Miracle Worker” in November. He was on the board of the Miami Little Theatre.
Pamela Catt, the current MLT board president, said that in the first play she directed, “Annie,” Froman had the role of Daddy Warbucks. That was six or seven years ago.
“That’s how I first met David,” Catt said. She said Froman had a strong voice that no one could forget.
“He was a professional actor,” Catt said. “He was a good friend and a good person to know.”
Catt said Froman was involved in every Miami Little Theatre production, whether he had a part in it or not.
“We could always go to him for advice,” she said. “He was a wonderful set designer and a wonderful actor. He was willing to do anything to make the show successful.”
Steve McCurley, technical director in the NEO theater department, said he worked side-by-side with Froman for around 16 years. He said Froman was happy to share his experience with others.
“David, having such a wealth of information, was an ideal teacher for us,” McCurley said. He said Froman wanted even amateur productions to have a professional quality.
McCurley also commented about Froman’s booming voice, which he said he imagined the voice of God must sound like.
“When he spoke, people paid attention,” McCurley said.
He added that Froman didn’t take himself too seriously.
“Every day working with him was a fun experience,” McCurley said.
No information was immediately available about funeral plans.
Sense of humor
David Froman exhibited self-deprecating humor during a Globe interview while he was visiting Miami in 1991, during a break from “Matlock.”
“When you’re tall, dark and ugly, they tend to cast you a lot as the bad guy,” he said.
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Television actor David Froman dies at age 71
NEO instructor was active in Miami Little Theatre
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