Monte Ralstin, actor, professor at UA, dies at 66

For 18 years, Monte Ralstin never missed an opening night of an Arizona Repertory Theatre production at the University of Arizona, where he was music director and vocal coach in the School of Theatre, Film and Television.

Ralstin, who was 66 when he died Jan. 22, often beamed with pride as the production unfolded, was the first to jump to his feet for a standing ovation, and always made sure to go backstage after curtain to praise the student actors, many of whom were his students.

It is that dedication, joy and encouragement that his students and colleagues remember most about Ralstin, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma last summer.

“Monte had the ability to make you feel you were the only person in the world when he spoke with you,” said Hank Stratton, a theatre professor at the UA. “He had a way of connecting on the deepest level. He was funny, kind and the most generous man I ever met.”

Shawn Cullen, who earned a master’s in conducting at the UA, was mentored and taught by Ralstin.

“To be a good teacher, you have to create a space for people to feel comfortable, to be authentic and to really be at their most vulnerable; that’s when we grow the most,” he said. “Monte made that space effortlessly.”

Ralstin, who was born in Guymon, Oklahoma, earned his master’s degree from Oklahoma City University. He was an actor and a voice teacher in New York City for close to two decades before he joined the UA faculty.

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As an actor, he was in the 1989 Great Performances production of “Show Boat,” which earned two Emmy Award nominations for PBS. He performed in regional theater around the country, was in the national tour of “On the Twentieth Century,” and toured Europe with a production of “Cats.”

With the exception of student films, he rarely performed after he joined the UA faculty, but in 2017 he was persuaded to take the role of Uncle Fester in Arizona Rep’s production of “The Addams Family” musical.

“(Ralstin’s) acting and singing chops are wildly impressive,” said the Star review. “He made a character that could have been ho-hum vibrant.”

While he loved performing, it was teaching that he loved most.

“He was a bundle of energy and love and positivity and encouragement,” said Kylie Arnold, who studied with him privately and at the UA. “He was such a light. He knew the voice like no one I’ve ever known. He took his students beyond what they knew they could do.”

Ralstin is survived by his brother, Todd, of Oklahoma City. A celebration of his life is being planned for the spring.