San Diego Playwrights mourns the loss of our dear friend and colleague, known to most as California Jack Cassidy. He was a core volunteer who helped design our website, edited and updated our dramaturgs/editors page and published interviews with them, and served as the charismatic host of WordPlay Tuesdays at Diversionary Theatre. Beyond those contributions, he was a brilliant writer who made kindness, gratitude, and enjoying each day his life’s practice. We are so lucky to have been in his world. He was magic.
Jack was also an actor, dancer, and musician. Here he is running with his eyes closed at a 100 Giving Way dance performance at La Jolla Playhouse. Photo Credit: Jim Carmody
Obituary
Courtesy of Janice Steinberg
John Joseph (Jack) Cassidy (October 4, 1949-August 25, 2023)
Jack Cassidy was born in Port Hueneme, California, where his father served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His dad’s Navy career took the family from coast to coast. During Jack’s high school years, they lived in Coronado, and Jack led the Coronado High School math team to a state championship. He went on to receive a BA in math from Cornell University. An early interest in the new field of computer science led to an engineering career at Hewlett-Packard and other companies.
Jack’s wide-ranging curiosity included a lifelong fascination with the mathematics of poker. He wrote two papers that were published in academic journals. After he retired at age 60, he studied bioinformatics (using computer technology to analyze genome data) and volunteered with a research project at UCSD. His work led to a paper published in Nature.
Jack was also a gifted writer. His first major publication was a book of humorous short stories titled “Winning at Poker and Games of Chance” (West Coast Poetry Review Press, 1977). In retirement, he became a playwright. His play “Border Grill” was staged by Scripps Ranch Theatre, and several other plays were given staged readings.
He was both the writer and performer of a powerful personal monologue presented at Diversionary Theater in San Diego. He shared that he had struggled all his life with shame about being non-binary but was now ready to present himself to the world as his full self—both Jack and Sarah. (Jack continued to use “he.”)
Jack was fortunate to meet his soulmate, Janice Steinberg, when he was 24. They shared a life together for more than 49 years, until his death. He is survived by Janice, his siblings Ginny Cassidy-Brinn; Anne Cassidy; Bill Cassidy; and Paul Cassidy; and adoring nieces and nephews.
During the 16 months after Jack was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, he inspired everyone who knew him with his positive attitude and willingness to give people a chance to help. He recruited friends for an ER squad to spare Janice the strain of repeated emergency room visits. He turned chemotherapy sessions into “Infusion Camps,” inviting friends to come hang out with him. When he had to use crutches because of bone metastases, he danced with them.
The week before his death, Jack had a dream come true: a reading at La Jolla Playhouse of his play about AI and human relationships, “Counterfactual Regret.”
About the reading, Janice wrote:
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for everyone who made this happen: Dea Hurston, playwright/angel who set all this in motion (and got us a VIP parking space!); Gabe Green at La Jolla Playhouse, who responded with lightning speed to the request for a space; and Deb Salzer, organizer extraordinaire.
A dream team brought the play to life: director Tori Rice and actors Kandace Crystal (Chloe), Mikaela Macias (Vanessa), and Claudette Santiago (Layla). The actors were paid through the generosity of Jack’s Around the Block Playwrights buddies Jean Seager, Susan Gembrowski, and Katie Keller.
And there’s more! Superb dramaturg Shirley Fishman worked with Jack through multiple drafts of the script and connected us with Gabe Green. Aleta Barthell prepared the scripts – copied, punched, bought binders (plus she regularly brings us lovely flowers and homemade CBD cream). The videographer is Chris Boyd, and his services were paid for by Cecelia Kouma at Playwrights Project.
Reflections from Jack S. Cassidy’s Writing Group
From Steven Oberman
Jack made quite an impression on me and my writing. His comments and notes were always extremely helpful and a valuable aid to the development of my plays. To me, Jack represented both an “everyman” and an artisan. So to receive a positive critique from Jack was a sign that both a general audience and the artistic elite could enjoy that snippet of my writing. Positive comments from Jack were always a major win.
I so looked forward to our writing group meetings, since it was such a delight to share our thoughts and musings and laughter with Jack, and he is deeply missed.
From Morgan Kinnally
J.S. Cassidy was a member of our playwriting group, but of course, he was so much more.
Jack’s heart will influence how I write and who I am as a person. I have never met someone so thoughtfully curious about the world, science, and religion. A forever-learner with the biggest heart and genuine concern for others. I have never met someone so open and brave about their own thoughts and feelings.
I loved reading his work which so eloquently wove concepts about science and love, words that can be contrary to one another, but words that Jack made seem inseparable. I will never forget when he explained how our modern technology would have seemed like magic in historic times. He discussed that if you tried to tell someone hundreds of years ago how a cell phone worked, it would be incomprehensible and thought of as magic since they wouldn’t have the knowledge to express how it worked. I will miss how we challenged each other in our writing group, and we loved every minute of it.
From Aleta Barthell
Jack came to a staged reading of a play of mine. Afterward, he asked me if I wanted to join a writing group he was in. Honestly, I was so tired at that moment…I didn’t want to make a commitment. To anything. I asked him if I could get back to him. Jack was gracious, of course, and said, “Sure.” After some thought (and sleep) I reached out and told him that I was interested.
We had a trial run to see if I fit. I guess I did, because I kept coming after that. Starting in 2019, we met once a month. Pre-Covid. Some during Covid (we weren’t too fond of Zoom) and after Covid.
My memory of Jack in those meetings is of him sitting upright, hat on his head, his iPad on a stand connected to a keyboard, typing, smiling and nodding. He took in all the notes that came his way. When it was my turn to get notes from Jack, I didn’t have to work so hard. He had them all typed up, ready to be handed over after we discussed my piece.
If there was any science related fact/issue/element in the play, I could count on Jack to confirm or correct its accuracy. More importantly, if there was a lack of logic in the piece, Jack was always there to gently suss it out—helping me to find a way to address it. He was always kind, engaged, and gave the most thoughtful, intelligent notes.
As I’m working on things now, my mind keeps flashing to this image of Jack—him nodding, smiling, typing into his iPad—and I’m looking forward to what his response will be, but I have to stop myself … realizing that I’ll have to conjure those notes on my own. Thank you for always giving me so much, Jack.
Playwrights Project Dedication
Playwrights Project dedicated their workshop production What Goes Unsaid to Jack:
This production is dedicated to Jack Sarah Yankel Cassidy, a dear friend, fellow theatre artist, and founding member of Around the Block Playwrights, who shared their love of life and creative brilliance with us. We will miss you, Jack. Rest in Peace.
Photo Gallery
From SDP Founder Thelma Virata de Castro
Recognizing how words are insufficient to describe my loss, our loss, the world’s loss of this special person. Thank you to his community of friends and artists who banded together to contribute and support his comfort and art. Holding Janice in my heart. Love you, Jack.
Donations in Jack’s memory may be made to Temple Emanu-El Scholar in Residence Fund or New Israel Fund
San Diego Playwrights 