Mark retired as Artistic Director Emeritus after completing twenty-seven years leading Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, New York in July of 2022 – shaping it into a regional powerhouse, and one of the most successful professional theaters in the country with: a newly renovated facility, new artist housing, and a Top 25 audience size in the 50th largest metro region. He recently completed an eighteen month tenure as the Interim Artistic & Managing Director of Cleveland Play House, which inaugurated a new service providing interim leadership.
mark cuddy, BY THE NUMBERS (as of 12/1/2023)
Range of staff supervised - FTE from 8 to 110.
Total trustees and Board Chairs worked alongside – 380 trustees, 25 Chairs
Range of performance venues - 90 seats to 650 seats
Total of budgets managed - $192,000,000
Total audiences served – 3,650,000
Total artists employed – 4,000
Total full productions made – 358
Mark has worked professionally in the theatre since 1976: successfully leading theatres across the country for over 45 years including his current position as Interim Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House. In July of 2022, he concluded his 27th season as Artistic Director of Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY. From 2013-2015 he simultaneously was the Producer/CEO of the Cape Playhouse on Cape Cod.
From 1988 to 1995, Mark served as Artistic Director of Sacramento Theatre Company, where he was the recipient of the 1995 “Professional Artist of the Year” Award given by the California Educational Theatre Association. He was Producing Director of the outdoor Idaho Shakespeare Festival from 1983 to 1988, increasing attendance 112%, increased contributed income 375%, and increased earned income 390%. As a member of the directing staff of the Denver Center Theatre Company 1979-1982, he became the youngest director in America working on a major regional stage with his direction and adaptation of The World of Sam Shepard. While co-leading City Studio Theatre in Northampton, MA from 1976-79, he was featured on CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite for producing a landmark festival of Russian émigré artists.
Mark has served on the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group, and is founding member of the Board of Directors for the Rochester Fringe Festival (3rd most-attended in America). He 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 B.A. in Theatre/Honors from the University of Massachusetts where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.