Friends, family, Louisville performers mourn loss of Doug Schutte, owner of The Bard's Town

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Friends, family and local performers are remembering the owner of The Bard's Town.

Doug Schutte died on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the age of 47, according to his obituary on the Ratterman Brothers Funeral Home website.

Schutte owned The Bard's Town Theatre and Restaurant, a performance venue, for about a decade.

David Serchuk, who performed at The Bard's Town, said Schutte was unfailingly honest. He added that Schutte ran everything — booking, promoting and ticketing for each show — all while overseeing the restaurant.

"Doug was an easy person to work with. He was enthusiastic about putting up new or untested talent," Serchuk, producer for Double Edged Stories, said. "He was the opposite of whatever a gatekeeper is. His attitude seemed to be very much about having a space where people can put up a show."

Schutte was a teacher, football coach and theatre director at his alma mater, St. X High School, were he was part of the class of 1993, according to his obituary. A former Treadwell Fellow at Shakespeare's Globe in London, Schutte was also the former Executive Director of the Kentucky Theatre Association, where he worked "for nearly a decade" while running The Bard's Town.

Ryan Watson said he worked for Schutte from the beginning, "from July 2010 to January 1, 2023."

"He did a lot for me. He helped me through some very difficult times. He fostered a community of local artists, actors, comics, theater goers, neighborhood regulars, and all sorts of people in between. He worked tirelessly to keep The Bard's Town going through every challenging setback," Watson said in a statement to WDRB News. "During the pandemic, he opened his kitchen for staff members who were waiting on unemployment to get figured out, had no money, and were hungry. He found odd jobs for me to do when the restaurant couldn't be open during the lockdown. He deeply cared about everyone in his life. I am one of many people who would tell you that he made a difference in their lives."

Some of Schutte's most notable works include "The Kings of Christmas," "Chasing Ophelia," his annual "Ten-Tucky" festival and his one man show "It's (Still) a Wonderful Life."

Both the visitation and memorial service for Schutte will take place Tuesday, Feb. 28. Visitation will be held from 1-7 p.m. at Ratterman Brothers East Louisville Funeral Home at 12900 Shelbyville Road. Funeral services will follow from 7-8 p.m.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Xavier High School or the Kentucky Theatre Association, in lieu of flowers.