By Grace Esquibel, February 3, 2026
Brian Newman, a Cal Poly Pomona theater professor who died Jan. 8, will be remembered for his work ethic, humor and easy-to-talk-to nature, according to his colleagues and students.
Newman was part of CPP’s Department of Theatre and New Dance for five years, where he taught stage management and theater practicum courses. He used his 25 years of experience from professional stages such as Cirque du Soleil to teach students the ins and outs of theater production.
“He had so many achievements, and he wanted to pass those opportunities onto our students,” said Sarah Krainin, the theatre and new dance department chair and an associate professor.
When Newman began working at CPP in 2020 during the pandemic, he was in a new state with a different environment, but he immediately took a leadership role, according to Kainin. She said without him, they wouldn’t have been able to implement the different methods of online theater to execute shows such as the Thanksgiving play.
“He never met a challenge he wouldn’t take,” Krainin said. “He never shied away.”
The students were impacted the most, as Newman was a mentor throughout their college experience and into their fields after graduation. According to Krainin, Newman helped alumni reach their potential by connecting them with professionals and uplifting them within the career path of the arts.
Students felt they could go to Newman for not only school-related advice but life advice as well. According to his students, he was known for being the professor to crack a joke but never lost sight of the project at hand.
Theater student Alexi Bruton said Newman had a heart of gold. When Bruton needed a supplement project to complete instead of the workshop portion of the stagecraft course, Newman didn’t hesitate to help.
“When stuff hit the fan, he was there,” Bruton said. “Brian stepped up.”
Theater student Nolan Frymer, who worked on the Harbur Gate play with Newman, said he aspires to be as knowledgeable in his area of craft as Newman was.
“There’s a lot to be said about somebody who’s able to teach about it, but also roll up their sleeves and actually do it,” Frymer said.
Outside of teaching, Newman served as production manager, where he oversaw theater productions to ensure they ran smoothly, which included tasks such as securing rights, handling funding and looking over processes and procedures.
Newman also secured a safe place for the students to learn and craft, Krainin said. He served on a variety of committees, including the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences’ Student Success Committee, and worked with Associated Students Incorporated to establish the budget for the department each year, which includes areas ranging from technical production to costume design.
“The logistical stuff that he handled was so integral that I can’t in some ways separate it from the personal loss,” Krainin said.
Since Krainin temporarily stepped in and took on the tasks Newman left behind, she has become very aware of just how much work he was doing. She said he was involved in every corner of the department, always finding a way to integrate teaching, production managing and actively tying that into his service in the committees.
“It’s impossible to replace him,” Krainin said. “Because he wasn’t just someone who helped students learn, he was someone who helped faculty learn.”
Even through his many roles, Newman always maintained his positive attitude, humility and admitted when he made a mistake, Krainin said. This was a trait his colleagues valued about him. He would take risks and support his colleagues, which inspired others to do the same, she added.
“The other thing that I’ve learned from sharing my grief with other faculty and students is that it’s a gift that he gave us,” Krainin said. “The gift was his nearly implacability. We’re struggling because of this vision of excellence that he gave us.”
While she was confronted with how Newman would handle a theatre situation, Krainin looked to her students, who usually look up to her, for reassurance. They reminded her, “Sarah, he would tell us we can get through this together.”