Geva Theatre's Leadership Recognized in Area Awards Today

By: Nov. 20, 2013
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It is a special occasion when a leader of any organization is recognized for their achievements, but when both of the Co-CEO's are recognized in the same year, it is cause for celebration.

The Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester recently announced the recipients of their Annual Arts Awards. Geva's Artistic Director Mark Cuddy will be receiving the 2013 Performing Artist Award, today, November 20, 2013. Previous recipients of the Arts & Cultural Council's Performing Artist Award include: PUSH Physical Theater's Darren and Heather Stevenson, Mitzie Collins, Garth Fagan, Gap Mangione, Christopher Seaman and Jeff Tyzik.

The Rochester Business Journal has also announced the recipients for the annual "40 Under 40" Awards and Geva's Executive Director Tom Parrish is included in the Class of 2013. These awards will be presented on Thursday, November 21, 2013.

Mr. Cuddy is in his 19th season as Artistic Director of Geva Theatre Center. He has led Geva through a renaissance of artistic and institutional growth with a diverse repertory, topflight artists, wide-reaching educational programs and a commitment to new play development. Mr. Cuddy is a founding member and Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Rochester Fringe Festival, and serves on the Board of Directors of the only national service organization for non-profit theatres, Theatre Communications Group. Mr. Cuddy has directed over 30 productions at Geva, and is known for his interpretations of musicals, contemporary comedies and premieres: recent Geva productions include Pump Boys and Dinettes, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, You Can't Take It With You, A Christmas Carol (which he also adapted), Superior Donuts and Company. Among his many other Geva credits are The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Fences, Five Course Love, A Christmas Story, and Pride and Prejudice (co-adaptor), and the world premieres ofConvenience (musical) by Gregg Coffin, Theophilus North by Matthew Burnett from Thornton Wilder (also at Arena Stage), Splitting Infinityby 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. Parrish joined Geva in 2011. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation and is a member of Rochester Rotary. He is also actively involved with the League of Resident Theatres, the management association of America's top-tier professional regional theatres, and has served on multiple negotiating committees. This will be the third time that Mr. Parrish has been named a "40 Under 40." He was honored as one of the Merrimack Valley's "40 Under 40" during his tenure as Executive Director of Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, Massachusetts; and as one of the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine's "40 Under 40 during his tenure as Associate Managing Director and General Manager of San Diego Repertory Theatre.

Geva Theatre CENTER: Founded in 1972, Geva Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre productions, programs and services of a national standard. As Rochester's leading professional theatre, Geva Theatre Center is the most attended regional theatre in New York State, and one of the 25 most attended in the country, serving up to 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students.

The 524-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage is home to a wide variety of performances, from musicals to American and world classics. The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva's own series of contemporary drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornet's Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. In addition, the Nextstage hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. Since 1995, the organization has been under the artistic direction of Mark Cuddy.



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