Danette Marie Baker

On Saturday, November 12, the final curtain rang down upon the spectacular life of Danette Marie (Wood) Baker. Actor, director, theater professor, fight director for the stage, advocate of new play development, and cherished wife, Danette was preceded in death by her mother, Rita Wood; and by her brother, Randall Wood, and his wife, Janie Catherine Wood. She is survived by her husband Ed Baker; father, Gordon Wood; brother, Gary Wood; brother, Allen Wood and his wife, Sharon; her many dear nieces and nephews; and countless friends and former students.Born Nov. 16, 1963 in Wichita to Rita Elizabeth Hoag and Gordon Lee Wood, Danette attended Magdalen Catholic School, then Kapaun Mt. Caramel High School, where she discovered her love of live performance. As an undergrad at Wichita State University, she grew with the guidance of mentors including Dick Welsbacher, Joyce Cavarozzi, Audrey Needles, and Bela Kirafalvia who influenced her as an actor and later as a director and educator for years to come. Danette achieved a Master of Fine Arts in the professional actor training program at Ohio University, and later was certified as a Teacher of Stage Combat with the Society of American Fight Directors.In 1984 Danette met her soulmate, Ed Baker, while performing in “The Apple Tree” at WSU’s Wilner Auditorium. They married in 1991 and would perform in hundreds of productions together over nearly four decades. After Danette completed her master’s degree, the couple moved to New York to pursue their acting careers and worked as professional actors, often sharing the stage, for seven years, before returning to Wichita to teach, which they would do as they had done all things since their partnership began, together. Although she treasured opportunities to perform and was a masterful stage artist who acted in more than 200 productions, Danette’s true love was teaching. She adored sharing her knowledge and experience and did so from 1999-2022, teaching a variety of drama classes at WSU, including Art of the Theater, Acting I & II, Movement, Stage Combat, and many others. She served as director of the WSU School of Performing Arts from 2017-2022. At her side personally and professionally was Ed, and the two became known as “theater parents” to a constant stream of talented drama students who came to them for advice and support. Danette loved baking bread; growing vegetables; reading new, edgy plays; snuggling her cats Lupin and Loki; working annually at Seven Devils Playwrights Conference; and traveling with Ed to New Orleans’ French Quarter. Her passion for theater and higher education and her fierce love of her people will be deeply missed. Services will be held Wednesday, Nov. 16 at Holy Savior Catholic Church, 3000 E 13th St. N. in Wichita. Rosary will be held at 10 a.m. with Mass at 11 a.m.In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Danette Baker Memorial Fund, c/o WSU Foundation & Alumni Engagement, 1845 Fairmount, Campus Box 2, Wichita, KS 67260-0002, https://foundation.wichita.edu/memorials-honors/ Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.