Mark Cuddy

Background

About Mark Cuddy

In 2025, Mark founded The Classics Company, devoted to producing and preserving the plays and playwrights of the classical canon by focusing on one playwright each year starting with Anton Chekhov. Mark has over 45 years of successfully leading theatres across the country. He just retired after his twenty-seventh year leading Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, New York – shaping it into one of the most successful regional theaters in the country with a Top 25 audience size in the 50th largest metro region. He is current,y the Interim Artistic Director of the Cleveland Play House. BY THE NUMBERS: • Range of staff supervised - FTE from 8 to 75. • Total trustees and Board Chairs worked alongside – 300 trustees, 20 Chairs • Range of performance venues - 90 seats to 650 seats • Total of budgets managed • Total audiences served – • Total artists employed – • Total full productions made - 315 Besides being Artistic Director of Geva Theatre Center, 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 leading City Studio Theatre in Northampton, MA from 1976-79, he was featured on CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. 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 received his B.A. in Theatre/Honors from the University of Massachusetts where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.