Beloved Waterville performer dies on stage at Lakewood Theater in Madison
Randy Jones, 63, died Wednesday evening during a dress rehearsal for Lakewood Theater’s production of “The Village Idiot” in Madison, Maine. The actor was in the middle of the first act, delivering the line “You can’t take it with you,” when he collapsed on stage. Castmates performed CPR until emergency personnel arrived, but Jones could not be revived. The theater company immediately cancelled the show.
Jones had found his true calling in the dramatic arts in his forties, after a career that included a doctorate in computer science and co‑founding a software company. He moved to Waterville to teach at Colby College and, while playing trumpet and singing in the college chorus, watched a production of “Oklahoma!” at the local opera house. The experience rekindled a secret dream of acting that would later consume his life.
He became a familiar face on Maine’s regional stages, appearing in productions at the Waterville Opera House, the Gaslight Theatre in Hallowell and Lakewood Theater. “He was a dependable performer, whether the role was large or small,” noted former Portland Press Herald editor Carol McCormick Semple, who had seen him several times. Her recollection underscored the steadiness of his craft, a quality that earned him respect among peers and audiences alike.
In 2023, Jones and his wife, Lisa, purchased the former Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville and transformed it into the Playhouse at Waterville Station. “We didn’t say no to anyone,” the couple told local media. The venue became a community hub for the Aqua City Actors Theatre, the Elm City Community Music School, and local artists, offering a space where the arts were accessible and affordable. “It’s for the community,” Jones said, “a place for anyone who wants to put on a show.”
His son, Benjamin “Ben” Cojo, 31, said the theater venture was the perfect mission for his father. “He found a later‑in‑life passion that he loved, and he was a huge community guy,” Cojo told the Morning Sentinel. “Being able to put those two things together just flourished for him.”
Lakewood’s president of Curtain Up Enterprises, Katherine Quinn, described the loss as sudden and intense. “He went in full costume, center stage, doing what he loved,” Quinn said. “It was a collaborative decision to cancel the show.”
Jones’ death came as a shock to the cast and crew, but his legacy lives on through the institutions he helped build and the many people whose lives he touched. His dedication to the arts, his community, and his family earned him a place in the hearts of those who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Lisa; his parents, Walter and his siblings Earl, Heather, and Seth; his children Ben, Sam and Steph; his “bonus” children Kate, Josh and Jesse; and his grandchildren Shaylee, Adrianna, Luke, Bronson and Pepper. The local community has begun to rally in support, recalling the way Jones offered comfort and encouragement to friends and strangers alike.
