Scott Livermore Bennett, Jr. | Eclectic theater comrade (1946-2026)
The world is a little less joyful today without an ATCA stalwart who loved jokes, puns, wordplay, and the delight of awaiting the rise of the theater curtain “on the aisle”.
Scott Livermore Bennett, Jr. (who always asked to be called “Scotty”) was born on August 8, 1946, in Kings County, New York, to Dr. Scott Livermore, Sr., and Beatrice Frances “Bea” Cedarholm Bennett. He was one of six children, including his sisters Elizabeth Bennett Karcher, Jennifer Bennett, and Linda C. Homer (Tom), and his brothers David C. Cedarholm (Mari Mar), and David W. Bennett. In addition to his many friends and colleagues, he leaves behind his niece, Kate, and nephews, Steven and Michael, as well as his lifelong friends David Henzer and Steve Berger. Bennett found companionship and marriage a few times in his life, though his greatest love was that of his daughter, Beatrice Apikos-Bennett, of whom he spoke often.
He passed away peacefully, surrounded by love, in hospice in January 2026 after a series of strokes.
Scotty received a Liberal Arts education at Colgate University, where he studied Political Science and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in 1970. A few years later, he enrolled at the City University of New York, where he received a Master of Arts in Non-normative Political Theory and was all but a dissertation away from a doctorate.
Scotty’s radio voice, commented on by many, was put to use as a college DJ under the nickname The Rack Monster. Scotty would, when asked, refer with some nostalgia to his political activism in the ‘60s, then could easily shift to conversations about the art of project and financial management skills he offered generously to organizations such as ATCA, where he enjoyed membership. After working for a number of companies, Bennett began his own, iTeWorks, which he ran from January 1998 until his retirement in December 2019.
Scotty spent the last 15 years working as a theater critic, largely for TheaterScene.net and TheatreCriticism.com. This work was a natural fit with his background in myriad entertainment roles, from being an actor and director to a lighting and sound designer, and more. He became treasurer of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association (ATCA) during a pivotal time when the organization implemented a new website, membership management system, and financial systems. Scotty was always ready with insider information about an artist, show, or theater, skills developed over years of theater-going on his own and with his long-term friend, mentor, lifelong travel companion, and ATCA Emeritus member Glenn Loney.
His ATCA friendships were deep, extending well beyond just the tasks of running the organization. “If Scotty knew I wasn’t feeling well or needed cheering up, he would immediately text or email me to check in,” said Amanda Finn, ATCA Chair, who served alongside Bennett from 2018 onward as Secretary and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee. “He would randomly send a joke, a remedy, or just a message to remind me that he was there. In the last few years, I would often hear from Scotty more than nearly anyone else. He made even really terrible days feel survivable. Very quickly, he became one of my dearest friends, and I will always cherish that friendship.”
Martha Wade Steketee, who worked with Scotty since 2017 during the period she served as ATCA Chair (2019-2021) and for several years thereafter on the ATCA New York meeting planning committee, shared several texts with Scotty during his final hospitalizations. In her final communication, she wrote, “Know that I miss your big laugh, your raucous anecdotes, your ability to constantly surprise me with stories about bits of your professional (and fun-loving) past, even after enjoying your company and camaraderie for years.”
“Scotty was just a perfect soul. I was always struck by how selfless he was, always willing to take on extra tasks for the benefit of ATCA,” recalled David John Chávez, who served as ATCA Chair for four years, the bulk of those working hand in glove with Scotty until the last few months of 2025. “His partnership shaped everything about my tenure as Chair. Over time, we developed not just a fantastic working relationship (he always called me ‘el jéfe,’ Spanish for ‘the boss’), but a profound friendship built from mutual respect and deep love. Speaking to him about all things, with theater being only one of those topics, was a master class in engaging with a life of wisdom he lived so very well. They just don’t come as worldly as my dearest of dear friends.
“What we lost when we lost Scotty simply cannot be measured, but in the case of his enduring legacy, his final lesson to us is to treat each other with kindness and never stop asking questions about the world that surrounds us. We do that through many things, but theater will always be a special connection we can claim with Scotty for eternity.”
A celebration of Scotty’s life will be planned at a future date, and details will be shared as they are available.
– Submitted by David John Chávez, Amanda Finn, and Martha Wade Steketee
Additional coverage:
February 16, 2026 TheatreScene.net (Victor Gluck)
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