Walter Ernest Sanders

Walter Ernest "Wes" Sanders III (1941–2025)

Walter Ernest “Wes” Sanders III, a puppetry and theater innovator, educator, and advocate for justice, passed away in his home on February 14, 2025, in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 83.

Born on November 25, 1941, in Washington, D.C., Wes was a graduate of Colgate University (B.A.) and Northwestern University (M.A., Ph.D.). His love of theater began at age 12 when he played Lacy in The Shoemaker’s Holiday at his English prep school, but it was a turn in Othello at Colgate that cemented his desire to pursue drama professionally.

He spent a decade as an English and Theater professor at Oberlin College, where he helped establish the drama department, experimenting with Herbert Blau, directing productions from Euripides to Beckett, and devising with future luminaries like Julie Taymor and Debra Wise.

In 1978, Wes left his tenured position at Oberlin to co-found Underground Railway Theater (URT) with Debra, pioneering the integration of puppetry with socio-political storytelling. URT tackled issues of social justice, human rights, and environmental activism, using theater as a force for resistance—giving voice to the marginalized, illuminating injustice, and fostering dialogue in communities across the country. He saw himself as an organizer-animateur, viewing theater as a Dutch door on the world: a place to observe with a critical eye while always having the option to step in and take action. He and Debra co-wrote Underground Railway Theater: Engine of Delight and Social Change, chronicling the first 20 years of URT’s bold, visionary work.

After retiring, Wes reconnected with childhood friend Susan, and an old flame reignited. They married in 2000 and settled in Burlington, Vermont, before moving to Denver in 2010 to be near family. Even in retirement, Wes remained committed to theater and civic engagment, conceiving the puppet character Climo Dino to teach children about climate change. He also entertained friends and neighbors with puppet performances and lectures about URT’s legacy. When time and budget allowed, he and Susan traveled widely, from the American Southwest to Europe, South America, and Armenia, always seeking culture, history, and adventure.

Wes' passion, integrity, and unwavering commitment to justice informed both his art and his life. His legacy lives on through the stories he told, the artists he inspired, and the family and community he cherished.

He is survived by "troops of friends" in Macbeth’s phrase, including his spiritual daughter, Maggie Tai Tucker; political compañero Bill Fleming; dear friend in recovery Scott Murphy; and fellow thespian and poet Carol Bemmels.

In his immediate family, Wes is survived by his beloved wife, Susan Young of Denver; son Liam Davis (Jennifer Friedrich) of Evanston, IL; daughter Catherine Collett of Austin, TX; daughter-in-law Gretchen Achenbach (Kenneth Barron); son-in-law Chris Achenbach (Heidi); and grandchildren Bethany, Ian, Ella, Ryan, Vivian, and Holliway.

A scholarship fund is being established in Wes’s name to support puppetry artists and theater-makers dedicated to using their craft as a force for social change. Details will be shared as they develop; those interested in contributing or learning more can reach out to scholarship@liamdavis.com.