Obituary For Broadway Talent Agent Mark Schlegel

By: Aug. 28, 2017
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Mark A. Schlegel, aged 57, a longtime resident of Oradell, NJ passed away on Sunday, August 13th. Born in Peoria, Illinois, Mark graduated from Plymouth High School in Indiana, and received a communications degree from DePauw University in 1981.

Upon arriving in New York City, Mark worked for The Mitch Leigh Company, producers of the Broadway show, "The King and I," starring Yul Brynner. The actor saw so much potential in Mark that he recommended he become an assistant to his legendary agent, Robert Lantz. Under Lantz, Mark learned firsthand the importance of personal attention to clients. He later would go on to work as an agent at Ambrosio/Mortimer & Associates, J Michael Bloom and APA.

For the past 15 years, Mark was a partner at one of the few premiere boutique agencies still in existence in the entertainment business, Cornerstone Talent Agency in Manhattan. There, alongside his partner Steve Stone, his current clients included Kassie DePaiva, Deborah Headwall, Neal Huff, Peter Friedman, BranDon Flynn, Terrence Mann, Jefferson Mays, Marin Mazzie, Clark Middleton, Bryce Pinkham, Lois Smith, Daniel Sunjata and LiLlias White. Over the span of his career, he also spent time representing Steve Buscemi, Viola Davis, Jeff Goldblum, David Harbour, Samuel L. Jackson, LaChanze, Debra Messing, Denis O'Hare, Molly Ringwald, Thomas Everett Scott and Michael Stuhlbarg.

He would regularly go from coast to coast in search of new talent. Mark often gave lectures at institutions such as the Yale School of Drama and Rutgers University, to name only a few. He would also sit in on acting classes, giving constructive critiques to students and offering insight and honesty to them so that they didn't feel so powerless or clueless as to the "business of the business."

Mark is survived by his wife of 33 years, Christine Karner Schlegel, his son Reid Andersen Schlegel, and his daughter Kirsten Margaret Schlegel. He is also survived by his parents Shirley and Donald Schlegel, his sister Christine Schlegel Sullivan, and her husband Kent Sullivan, all of whom reside in Indiana. His memory will live on through his many loving nieces and nephews, as well as his many friends too numerous to mention.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial visitation on Wednesday, September 6th from 2-4pm & 7-9pm at the Volk Funeral Home, 268 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell, NJ. A memorial service will take place at 11AM on Thursday, September 7th at The Church of the Atonement, 97 Highwood Ave., Tenafly, NJ. A celebration of life is also being planned for members of the entertainment industry, friends and family in New York City, and will be announced at a later date.

In Lieu of flowers donations to New Jersey Search & Rescue, P.O. Box 14, Mahwah, NJ 07430 (www.njsar.coom) and/or to The Actor's Fund, 729 7th Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019 (https://donate.actorsfund.org/donate) are appreciated by the family.

Photo courtesy of Oradell Police Department


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