BTE founder, COD theater instructor Craig Berger has died

Craig Berger, a retired College of DuPage educator and director of theater who founded the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, has died.

He was 74.

"He was a visionary," said BTE artistic director Connie Canady Howard, who served as Berger's associate for several years until they switched roles in 2000. "I'm overwhelmed by the outpouring of love people are expressing about how he changed their lives through the arts."

"Both the College of DuPage and Buffalo Theatre Ensemble were able to grow because of the foundation Craig Berger gave us," she said.

Berger, who died Friday, helmed the company from 1986 until 2000, and remained a subscriber and donor. In 2014, after COD severed its relationship with BTE, a longtime resident company at the college's McAninch Arts Center, Berger was among the patrons, students and theater artists who called for its reinstatement, which occurred two years later in 2016.

Berger officially retired from the college in 2003, Howard said.

He spent time with his son and daughter and did volunteer work. But he remained active in suburban theater, serving as artistic director for Naperville's EverGreen Theatre from 2005 through 2016, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Howard described Berger as warmhearted with a quick wit and a wicked sense of humor "that turned on a dime."

"He was incredibly generous with people," said Howard.

While BTE has expanded, the core mission that Berger established remains, Howard said.

"He was a progressive thinker committed to the power of the arts to help us frame who we are," she said.

Visitation is at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at Adams Winterfield and Sullivan Funeral Home, 4343 Main St., Downers Grove, followed by a 6 p.m. service. (630) 968-1000 or adamswinterfieldsullivan.com.