Douglas Staley

Douglas Allyn Staley April 23, 1956 - October 25, 2025

Douglas Staley, 69 of Vancouver, Washington, died on October 25, 2025.

Doug was born in Denver, Colorado to parents Harold Joseph Staley and Catherine Roetker.

Doug earned his BA in Theatre at Regis University where he performed in a number of mainstage productions. He also minored in History and English. It was at Regis that he met Cindy Varney in an acting class in 1979. The couple were married by December 29 of that year. In 1982 Doug and Cindy welcomed a daughter, Miranda.

Doug went on to study Theatre and Directing at the University of Denver, earning a Master of Arts in 1983. Following graduate school, Doug and friends pooled resources to open a theatre company in Fort Collins, Colorado—Inner Eye Theatre Co. There, Doug directed productions of The Importance of Being Ernest, Suddenly Last Summer, Private Lives and Taken in Marriage. Doug also co-wrote, produced and performed skit comedy "Bob's Theatre and Grill" for both the stage and video while with Inner Eye Theatre Co.

In 1987 Doug and his family moved to the Pacific Northwest, to the Seattle area to partake in the vibrant theatre scene. In 1988 he started working at the Evergreen Theatre Company (ECT) in the Seattle Center where he held administrative roles from Public Relations Director to later Artistic Director as well as several artistic roles on different productions including light design, set design and directing. Directing highlights at ECT included an acclaimed 1990 production of Cabaret and a production of Sweeny Todd.

In 1994, Doug and friends once again made (in his own words) the "economically terrible choice" of starting their own production company, WindowLight Productions. WindowLight ironically opened its black box theatre in the basement of the Eitel Building on the corner of 2nd and Pike, near Pike Place Market. Among the work produced at Windowlight included original plays, Doug wrote and directed Acting Gods, a satire of the theatre world. Doug also co-wrote with Scott Arend Valley of the Dolls spoof, Hello Valley of the Dollies. WindowLight Productions produced a number of shows, that ranged from Shakespeare's As You Like It, to Mamet's Speed the Plow, to the campy Bush one acts of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Psycho Beach Party.

In the 2000s—though he directed successful stage shows like Four Dogs and a Bone and Hospitality Suite—Doug started Staley Productions, a video production company. The theatre continued to call to him, however, and in 2007 he was back in a basement, behind the scenes in various roles and on stage at Theater Schmeater. In 2014 Doug and Roger Huston were awarded the Melisa Hines Award for the Advancement of Theater for their efforts in creating a new home for theatre company in Belltown (downtown Seattle).

Writing was another outlet for Doug's creativity. Between 1988 and 1990 he and writing partner Rick Williams conceived and drafted an alternative history spy thriller On the Rocks. In 2017, the pair revisited the manuscript for rewrites, with 30 more years of lived experience and a shift from "the Future 2020" to "an Alternative 2020." The World of Siblaska trilogy consists of On the Rocks, Straight Up, and No Chaser. The final draft of the third book was completed on October 14, 2025.

After moving to Vancouver, Washington, Doug could not stay idle long in retirement and was eager to get invoved in the art community in his new home. He started volunteering with Artstra, an arts advocacy non-profit. He volunteered to assist with events and joined the organization's board, serving as the Treasurer.

While the theatre and writing was his life, Doug's other passion was baseball. He was a fervent follower of the Seattle Mariners, who made it a point to watch nearly every game, holding his breath on every pitch, hit, and homerun. He was thrilled with the Mariners 2001 playoff run, even if it ended in disappointment, and would consistently talk about that team with anyone who would listen. He bonded with his son-in-law over baseball and would have hours-long conversations about every aspect of the sport with him.

Doug was beloved by his friends and revered by his colleagues due to his keen sense of humor and overall kindness. He collected many friends throughout his journey and he maintained his friendships through the decades with care and attentiveness. At home, he was a loving husband and dotting father. The Staley household was rich with stories and laughter due to his presence.

Doug revered art for its candid exploration of the human condition from all angles. Over his career in the arts, he has served as a director, collaborator, dutiful writing partner, board member, and most of all, a beloved mentor and colleague to countless fellow artists. Doug was a lover of film, the co-author of three novels, and a long-time director and producer in the theatre. Theatre, he felt, was the art form that most closely reflected life, as both are ultimately ephemeral in nature.

Doug is survived by his wife of 46 years, Cindy Staley, his daughter Miranda Holtmann, son-in-law Andy Holtmann, brother Joe Staley and nephew Kent Staley.