Engagement
at Geva
Engagement at Geva’s overarching objective is to connect more people and organizations with the productions presented on the theatre’s stages. Engagement at Geva programs include Geva Insights, Mondays at Geva, the Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Awards, symposiums and more.
The goal of these programs and initiatives is to build more connected relationships with existing patrons and partners. To build new and meaningful relationships with people and organizations with whom we have traditionally had no or little connectivity, the kind of sticky connectivity that endures.
Geva Insights
Next Event
About
Stay tuned for event details!
Later This Season
Little Women
- Tuesday, February 4th, 2025
24/25 Season Post-Performance Insights Dates:
Pure Native
- Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
- Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
Mondays at Geva
The stages are dark on Monday evenings at Geva, so the art and action shift to the lobby and café where brilliant local visual artists, performers, musicians, and speakers broaden our consideration of the onstage productions. Geva Theatre invites the community to join us for a free series of art openings and to party for a couple of hours each month!
Next Event
Nina Simone: Four Women
- Monday, January 27th, 2025
About
Stay tuned for event details!
Later This Season
Little Women
- Monday, February 10th, 2025
Pure Native
- Monday, April 28th, 2025
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
- Monday, June 9th, 2025
Stay tuned for event details!
ArtsBloom Workshops
In 2025, Geva will launch a series of workshops, facilitated by locally and nationally renowned theatre artists. Professional enrichment workshops, in Geva’s Fielding Stage, are open to anyone ages 14 and up and include interactive instruction on topics such as: arts & activism, acting, embracing & celebrating difference, and more! These workshops are funded in part by the City of Rochester’s ArtsBloom grant with the goal of “enriching and expanding the experience of public art for all Rochesterians by reaching historically underserved residents, while increasing economic opportunities for local artists and small arts organizations in Rochester.”
ArtsBloom Workshop Events
The first workshop in the series will be held on Sunday, January 19th from 1pm-5pm, with a focus on “Arts & Activism”. This workshop will be facilitated by Rochester’s own Lu Highsmith – Poet, Spoken Word Artist & “Artivist”.
Tickets are $75. Student tickets $50 with proof of valid student ID at door.
February Break Camp
A week-long intensive February break camp 2/17- 2/21 for youth in grades 4-6, 9am – 4pm. Tuition: $400.
Modeled after our Summer Academy, students will spend the day in Musical Theatre training, taking classes in acting, movement and voice, led by local theatre professionals.
Space is limited – only 15 spots available!
Engagement at Geva programs are sponsored, in part, by Volvo Cars Rochester 
ROC Geva Pass
Geva is excited to continue this partnership with the City of Rochester which provides two hundred complimentary tickets for each of Geva’s Subscription Series Production to city residents in specified zip-codes (14621, 14605, 14608, 14611, 14619, 14606, 14613, 14615, and 14616). Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. Individual households may reserve up to 4 tickets per production. Restrictions will apply, such as: only valid for the first two weeks of a production, excludes Opening Nights, A Christmas Carol and other holiday or special programming, and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Once tickets are booked, no exchanges will be allowed.
Get Roc Pass Tickets
Residents wishing to obtain complimentary tickets through the ROC Geva Pass may call the Geva Box Office at 585-232-GEVA(4382) or visit the Box Office in-person at 75 Woodbury Boulevard, Rochester, New York 14607. For groups larger than 4, please email RocGevaPass@gevatheatre.org
Thank You!
We would like to thank our partner organizations for making the ROC Geva Pass a success and raising awareness of this incredible program with their constituents and communities:
- Beyond the Sanctuary
- Ibero-American Action League
- Baden Street Settlement
- Soulstainable Living
- Rochester Public Library system’s participants in the Safe to Be Smart teen program
- Center for Youth
Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award
Geva Theatre annually presents the Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award to an individual who or organization that promotes and encourages diversity in the arts. The award recognizes that art allows for the expression of truths and beliefs, and helps us gain an understanding of one another and our world. It further acknowledges that a mixture of cultures stimulates creativity, the sharing of ideas, and the building of a common collective future, which has always been close to Ms. Calhoun-McDavid’s heart.
The award was established in 2011 and named in honor of Essie Calhoun-McDavid, retired Chief Diversity Officer, Director of Community Affairs, and Vice President of Eastman Kodak Company. Ms. Calhoun-McDavid, a longtime advocate for diversity in the arts, was the first recipient of the award.
The award is designed by renowned Rochester glass artist Nancy Gong.
Past Recipients
- Dr. David Anderson (Sankofa)
- The Center for Youth Strings for Success
- Rachel Y. DeGuzman
- Shawn Dunwoody
- Garth Fagan
- Reenah Golden
- Delores Jackson Radney
- Tonia Loran-Galban (Akwesasne Mohawk, Bear Clan)
- Debora McDell-Hernandez
- Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez
- School of the Arts
- Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan
- David Shakes
- Dangerous Signs
- Thomas Warfield
Geva's Engagement Staff
Importance of Engagement
It’s no secret that the programming at Geva Theatre is evolving with the rest of the nonprofit theater world to begin to reflect the authentic creative expressions of more people, from multiple perspectives. As director of engagement programs, I ask myself, everyday, “How can engagement programs at Geva reflect the art on the stage and a strategic shift in vision and mission as well as contribute to building the meaningful relationships that are necessary to achieve equity and live up to our organizations anti-racism commitment?”
– Rachel Y. DeGuzman
Contact Information
Eritrea Haile
Connectivity Assistant – Engagement
EHaile@gevatheatre.org
