Joseph Anthony Wright Esq.

Joseph Anthony Wright, Esq., 39, formerly of Indianapolis, passed away in his sleep of natural causes on April 25 in Los Angeles, California. Joe graduated from Park Tudor School in 1988; majored in Philosophy and History at Pomona College in Southern California; and earned his law degree in 1998 from Indiana University, Bloomington. At Park Tudor, Joe was active in theatre productions, the orchestra, yearbook, tennis, soccer, and baseball. In high school, he was the recipient of the prestigious Indianapolis Prelude Award for Theatre. At Pomona, Joe majored in Philosophy and minored in History. While in college, he continued his involvement in theatre and was one of the founders of the international fraternity Zeta Psi. After graduation, prior to attending law school, Joe was a counselor to young men at the McKinley School for Boys. In Indianapolis, at ten years old, Joe first appeared in local theatre in The Beeple at Civic Theatre. Following, he enjoyed featured roles in numerous plays at Civic Theatre, Beef ‘N’ Boards, Christian Theological Seminary, and Indianapolis Repertory Theatre. Joe’s roles included “King Ptolemy� in Caesar and Cleopatra, “Theo� in Pippin, “Winthrop� in The Music Man, “Tommy� in Ah Wilderness, “A Royal Prince� in The King and I, and “A Party Urchin� in A Christmas Carol. Theatrically, Joe made it all the way to Broadway in 1984, appearing in Oliver as a member of “Fagin’s Gang.� In a movie made for television, Joe played the memorable “Jerry Disbro� in Poison Ivy (NBC), co-starring with Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, Adam Baldwin, and Robert Klein. In 1986, Joe co-stared with Sean Astin in Walt Disney Television’s B.R.A.T. Patrol. Arriving on the silver screen in 1985, Joe played Brady Kincaid in Stephen King’s Silver Bullet, produced by Dino DeLaurentiis and Martha Schumacher. Joe is also the star of the independent movie Shock Therapy TV, currently due out in 2010. After graduating law school in Bloomington, Indiana, Joe moved to Los Angeles and once again became active in the theatre world, staring in a number of productions and accepting administrative responsibilities for VOX Humana Theatre Company. At the time of his death, Joe was represented at William Morris Agency as a Voice Over Artist. His work was featured in many productions, including The Discovery Channel’s Spring and Winter, which he narrated. All of Joe’s life, he was an avid musician, composing countless songs for the piano. Joe was President of Lawyer Branding, a company that produced web sites and videos for Law Firms around the country. Joe’s father, Dr. James J. Wright, preceded him in death by eight years. He leaves his mother Janet B. Wright, and brothers Paul A. Wright, Dr. John M. Wright, and Steven D. Wright. A private service will be held for Joe’s immediate family at Crown Hill Cemetery this week. Friends of Joe, including Park Tudor Alumni, are encouraged to gather on Saturday, May 23, in Foster Hall at Park Tudor School from 3-6pm. In lieu of flowers, because Joe was an avid hiker and spent many happy walks on the trails of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, donations in his name can be sent to: Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation c/o Park Rangers 4730 Crystal Springs Drive Los Angeles, CA 90027 Please mention you are making a donation in Joe Wright’s name and that you prefer the donation to go to trail maintenance in Griffith Park.