Mark Cuddy

Artistic Director

Mark enters his 17th season as Artistic Director of Geva Theatre Center in 2011-12. He has led Geva through a renaissance of artistic and institutional growth with a diverse repertory, top-flight artists, wide-reaching educational programs and a commitment to new play development. During his tenure, Geva has doubled its operating budget, built the 180-seat Nextstage, erased previous accumulated deficits and began an endowment. As a director, Mr. Cuddy is known for his productions of musicals, contemporary comedies and premieres. Recent Geva productions include Sweeney Todd, Fences, Five Course Love, A Christmas Story, Pride and Prejudice (co-adaptor), and The Music Man. In 2011-12 he will direct his own adaptation of A Christmas Carol with music and lyrics by Gregg Coffin. Among his many other Geva credits are the world premieres of Convenience (musical) by Gregg Coffin, Theophilus North by Matthew Burnett from Thornton Wilder (also at Arena Stage), Splitting Infinity by Jamie Pachino, Famous Orpheus by Oyamo (choreography by Garth Fagan), House and Garden by Alan Ayckbourn (East Coast premiere), and That Was Then (American premiere).

Mr. Cuddy has also served as Artistic Director of Sacramento Theatre Company, Producing Director of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and on the directing staff of the Denver Center Theatre Company. He serves on the board of directors of Theatre Communications Group and has served on the review panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. He received his BA in Theatre/Honors from the University of Massachusetts where he was a Commonwealth Scholar. He resides in the Highland Park area of Rochester with his wife, artist Christina Selian. Their older son, Maximilian, recently graduated from Temple University, receiving a Fulbright to teach English in South Africa, and their younger son, Augustus, is in the 10th grade at the Rochester School of the Arts with a creative writing emphasis.