Archived Site: Jonestown Survivor

Information Concerning this Archived Site

Source: https://jonestownsurvivor.com (Inactive)

This is the archive of a large website of articles and blogs published in conjunction with the book, Jonestown Survivor: An Insider’s Look. The book and all the material in this archive were written by Laura Johnston Kohl, a member of Peoples Temple who survived the tragedy in Jonestown by being in Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown on 18 November 1978.

Following the twentieth anniversary of the Jonestown tragedy, Ms. Johnston Kohl became a prolific writer and active public speaker, work she continued to do until shortly before her death on 19 November 2019. She also made herself available to family members of those who perished in Guyana and scholars who try to understand the calamity of the ending. Finally, she was a generous contributor of articles and remembrances for the Alternative Considerations site, all of which may be found here.

In the interest of preserving the information from her site for future generations of Jonestown scholars and researchers, the managers of this site obtained permission from Laura’s husband Ron Kohl to archive her work in its entirety. Both the archive and the book itself are published with his permission.

JONESTOWN SURVIVOR: A Tribute to PJ Paparelli

May 22, 2015

Hello everyone,
Today, Leigh let Mac know that PJ Paparelli was killed in a car accident while vacationing in Scotland. He was the superb Artistic Director from the Chicago American Theater Company where Leigh’s play “The Peoples Temple” was presented. Claire, Nel and I flew to Chicago to see it. Last June, PJ and his Assistant brought twenty inner-city high school drama students out to meet us, to visit CHS, and to get some California air. So many people jumped in to speak with the students, i remember Alan, Garry, Tim, Jordan, Eugene, Stephan, Vern and I spent time, and others did too, I know. Then, Marie Silva at CHS was great too. He ALWAYS went far out beyond the norm, and beyond anything you would expect. He was always thinking out of the box. What an inspiration!

PJ was a wonderful person as well as an extremely talented and passionate director. He had asked me if he could go along with us on the trip to return to Guyana.

All ceremony plans are in limbo right now.

The Chicago Tribune printed this:

Paparelli, the artistic director of the American Theater Company, a highly respected and nationally accomplished director of new plays, the co-author of such potent works of documentary theater as “Columbinus” and “The Project(s),” and one of the Chicago theater’s most formidable and complicated talents, died Thursday while on vacation in Scotland, following a car accident earlier in the week.

Paparelli’s death was announced Thursday by American Theater Company board member David Katz. The company is a non-profit, ensemble-based theater located in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood.

Much love,
Laura

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