Leadership
Mark Cuddy
Artistic Director
MARK CUDDY is celebrating his 25th season as Artistic Director of Geva Theatre Center. During his tenure he has worked alongside talented and dedicated staff, artists and trustees to build Geva into a regional theatre powerhouse. Geva boasts one of the largest audiences of any professional regional theatre in the Northeast, and has a reputation for excellence in education programming and new play production. Having just completed a nine million dollar facility renovation including the purchase of fourteen new artist lofts, Geva is now focusing its future on engaging the Rochester region in meaningful theatrical experiences that unite and strengthen our community through the celebration of our shared humanity. Mr. Cuddy has directed over fifty productions here, and has appeared as Georges in Geva’s 2019 production of La Cage aux Folles, and in the 2018 world premiere of Heartland. Mr. Cuddy is a founding member of the Board of Directors for the Rochester Fringe Festival, and served on the Board of Directors of the national organization for non-profit theatres, Theatre Communications Group. 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 received his B.A. in Theatre/Honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar. He resides in the Highland Park neighborhood with his wife, theatre and visual artist Christina Selian. Their older son, Maximilian, is writing his doctoral dissertation in Sociology at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Their younger son, Augustus, is an actor in New York City.
Christopher Mannelli Executive Director
CHRISTOPHER MANNELLI joined Geva in 2016 from Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, a Tony Award-winning institution dedicated to new plays and playwrights, where he has served as Managing Director. During his five-year tenure he led the reorganization of the institution and was responsible for the strategic planning, fundraising and audience development initiatives that created the theater’s new business model. Under his leadership, Mr. Mannelli oversaw numerous award-winning productions, increased contributed income, and launched innovative membership and audience engagement initiatives. Prior to his work with Victory Gardens, he served as Deputy Director at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, one of the largest nonprofit theatres in Chicago. He oversaw operations and helped to produce the theatre’s “World Stage” international programming, including Chicago Shakespeare’s first ever tour to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Before moving to Chicago, Mr. Mannelli was the Managing Director for HotCity Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. In this capacity, he was instrumental in the company’s financial and programmatic growth, which included educational outreach programs, new play initiatives and several collaborations with prominent arts organizations. He has served on the board of directors of the League of Chicago Theatres, as a steering committee member for Enrich Chicago (a group of arts organizations in Chicago working collectively to address racial equity), as a board member for the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce and the community board of Emerald City Theatre. In 2017 he was appointed to the New York State Council on the Arts’ Theatre advisory panel where he has served for the last two years. He currently serves on the board of directors for the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Washington Square Park Community Association and on the corporate board for the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. Mr. Mannelli grew up on Long Island and began his career as an actor and a musician, touring nationally and internationally. He holds a B.A. in opera performance from the SUNY Geneseo School of Performing Arts, an M.F.A. in Arts Leadership from DePaul University, and an Executive Scholars Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Executive Leadership |
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Mark CuddyArtistic Director |
Christopher MannelliExecutive Director
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Staff Leadership |
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Skip GreerDirector of Education/Artist in Residence Jenni WernerLiterary Director/ Resident Dramaturg Pirronne YousefzadehDirector of Engagement/Associate Artistic Director Jenn LyonsDirector of Production
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Alana SansoneDirector of Finance and Operations Laura SadowskiDirector of Institutional Advancement Melissa BoyackDirector of Marketing
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Departments |
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EDUCATIONLara Bidus Rhyner LITERARYFrancisca Da Silveira Jean Gordon Ryon ARTISTICAngela Giuseppetti COSTUMESCasey McNamara Janice Ferger Katherine McCarthy Karin Eckert Noel O’Day Michaela Lincoln LIGHTING & SOUNDDerek A. Madonia Andrew Mark Wilhelm Michael Rehor Chris Nimick John Wilcox PROPERTIESTheresa Pierce Butch Kane SCENERY CONSTRUCTIONErik Benson Chris Dake Maya Schuetz Sara Stabley STAGE MANAGEMENTDana Angellis
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MARKETING & ADVANCEMENTAmanda Riekstins Tyler Cassidy-Heacock Caitlin Milizia Emily Rhone Amanda Serianni-Davis AUDIENCE SERVICESTimothy Intili John Hamolsky Katherine Kuhn Joseph Moser Andy Germuga Smart Marketing Scott Falkowski Keith Bullis Sarah Trine Nanette Falchi FINANCE & OPERATIONSFrank Del Vecchio Jeff Jones Anna Beck
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Officers
Maggie Symington, Chair
Kelly Shea, Treasurer and Chair, Finance Committee
Stephanie Caffera, Secretary
Vice Presidents
Philip Burke, Chair, Advancement Committee
Margaret Busch, Chair of Education/Summer Curtain Call Committee
Dennis Bassett, At-Large, Immediate Past Chair and Chair, Committee on Trustees
At Large
Faheem Masood
Essie Calhoun-McDavid
Trustees
Peggy Boucher
Ted Boucher Barb Bruning Gloria Culver Hope Drummond Suzanne Gouvernet Richard Gray Todd Green Christina Gullo Pamela Hines Barbara LaVerdi Dr. Dawn F. Lipson Diane McCue Steve Metzger Daniel Meyers Suzanne Nasipak-Chapman Mike Ninnie Frank Novak Wolfgang Pfizenmaier Loren J. Ranaletta Mary Freund Tilton Wynndy Turner William Weir Kathleen R. Whelehan John Williams |
All Trustees are volunteers who generously give of their time, talent and resources to support locally produced professional theatre and arts education programs.
*Indicates Former Board Chair
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Honorary Trustees
Helen H. Berkeley*
William A. Buckingham Barry B. Clements* Sergio Esteban* David L. Fiedler* Ronald H. Fielding Betsy T. Friedman* Patrick Fulford* Joanna Grosodonia* A. Thomas Hildebrandt David L. Hoffberg* Arthur M. Holtzman Maureen D. Holtzman John F. Kraushaar* Carol Love* Peter Messner* Michael B. Millard* Emily Neece* Nannette Nocon David Perlman John C. Rasor* Joseph R. Rulison* Robert Saltzman Paul Seidel Paul L. Smith Mary Kay Taber John Tyler Jr. Linda Cornell Weinstein* Henry W. Williams, Jr.* Deborah Wilson |
*Indicates Former Board Chair