Gary Sullivan, Full Professor
B.A., Idaho State University; M.F.A., University of Oregon
Office Phone: 718.390.3271 Email: gpsull@wagner.edu
Biography: Mr. Sullivan supervises the Arts Administration program. Previous posts at Wagner include a term as Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs; Producing Director of Theatre; and in his first years here as Art Director, Scene Designer/ Technical Director. Professional credits include Dames at Sea, Pacific Overtures and Just So Stories Off-Broadway; concert theatre management at Garden State Arts Center (PNC Bankcenter); general contracting for national tours; design/display for industrial trade shows; special effects contracting; and as a conflict resolution, communications consultant and manager trainer. Prof. Sullivan received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Arts from Idaho State University.
Phill Hickox, Full Professor
B.A., Hiram College; M.F.A. University of Illinois
Office Phone: 718.390.3326 Email: phickox@wagner.edu
Phill's Home Page
Biography: Prof. Hickox received the M.F.A. in Scenic Design from the University of Illinois, with additional graduate study at Kent State University. Previously, he served as Resident Designer and Associate Professor at Beloit College Theatre Department. His scenic design credits at WCT include Nine, Kiss Me Kate, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy and Sweeney Todd. His most recent design credits in the city include, scenic design for Visions in the Fun House, at Clark Studio Theatre, Lincoln Center Plaza and assistant scenic design for Queen of Hearts, The Musical, at the Harold Clurman Theatre. His regional credits include Godspell at the Lycian Theatre, the 1995 and 1996 Shaw Festivals at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, resident designer at American Players Theatre Spring Green, Wisconsin in 1993 and 1994. Phill has also designed for Youtheatre, Rochester, New York; and College Light Opera, Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Christopher Catt, Associate Professor
B.A., University of the Pacific; M.F.A., UCLA
Office Phone: 718.390.3321 Email: ccatt@wagner.edu
Biography: Prof. Catt is a graduate of UCLA with the degree of M.F.A. in Directing, with extensive credits in NYC and nationally. Prof. Catt recently directed a revival of I Do, I Do staring Donna McKecknie. He recently staged a revival of New Faces in Manhattan; taught an advanced seminar, Studies in Directing and conducted a Musical Theatre Survey course for N.Y.U.; participated in a two week Presentational Skills Workshop for the Columbia School of Business. Prior to coming to Wagner he served as producer of St. Bart's Playhouse in New York. He is a member of Actors' Equity Association and Stage and Screen Directors Assoc. He appeared last summer as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls at the Park Playhouse in Albany.
John Jamiel, Associate Professor
B.A., William Patterson College; M.F.A., Brooklyn College
Office Phone: 718.390.3261 Email: jjamiel@wagner.edu
Biography: John Jamiel has been a professional director and actor for the past 30 years in New York City. He recently directed Three Sisters at The Guilford School of Acting in Surrey, England to sold-out houses. At Wagner College he has directed In Fireworks Lie Secret Codes, Icarus’s Mother, Bash, The SeaGull, Uncle Vanya, The Normal Heart, A Grand Night for Singing and The Man Who Came to Dinner. Acting roles include Voynitsky in The Wood Demon at the American Theatre of Actors, Dostoyevsky in Circus at Theatre for the New City and Sganarelle at The Van Dam Theatre. Regionally he has acted at Buffalo Studio Arena in The Man Who Came to Dinner, in the role of Sheridan Whiteside. He is the recipient of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival teaching fellowship where he studied with Slava Dolgatchev of the Moscow Art Theatre. He has trained with Uta Hagen, Austin Pendelton, F. Murray Abraham and Christine Lavren and received his MFA from Brooklyn College.
Todd Alan Price, Esq. Associate Professor
B.A. Rutgers University (Eagleton Institute), J.D. Tulane University School of Law
Office Phone: 718.420.4338 Email: todd.price@wagner.edu
Biography: Professor Price teaches in the Theatre and Arts Administration programs, as well as serving as Administrator of the Stanley Drama Awards. Professor Price practiced Entertainment Law in New York City, with emphasis in theatre, music, film, television, and book publishing. His extensive theatrical production experience includes his role as Associate Producer at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, where he produced a variety of shows, including Death of a Salesman with Hal Holbrook, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Elizabeth Ashley, Ladies in Retirement with Julie Harris and the world premier of Don’t Stop the Carnival, based on the novel by Herman Wouk, music by Jimmy Buffett. As the founding Artistic/Executive Director of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, a not-for-profit, professional regional theatre, he created a business plan and developed community support to save the former Burt Reynolds Theatre. In that role, he oversaw massive renovations to create a state of the art, 550 seat professional theatre, and established a season of dramas and musicals, with strong subscriber support. Professor Price also produced an Off Broadway show, Noel Coward’s Suite in Two Keys, starring Hayley Mills and Judith Ivey. At the School of Visual Arts, he created and taught a class in Film and Entertainment Law. His frequent lecturing engagements include the Producers’ Network in New York and Boston, the New Jersey Music Seminar and the Association of Authors’ Representatives. Professor Price is a member of the New York and Florida bars.
Lauri Young, Assistant Professor
B.M., Oberlin College; M.M., University of Louisville; D.M.A., University of Cincinnati
Office Phone: 718.390.3324 Email: lyoung@wagner.edu
Biography: Dr. Lauri Young's NYC credits include: Lincoln Center Director’s Forum, Weill Recital Hall, Ontolological Theatre Company, Sundog Theatre Company, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island Symphony and original shows at Lorenzo’s, Danny’s, Judy’s, Don’t Tell Mama and the Duplex. Regional theatre credits include: Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, College Light Opera Company, Papermill Theatre. Dr. Young has been on the faculty of the Governor’s School for the Arts, Walnut Hill Performing Arts School, Third Street Music Settlement School, Turtle Bay Music School and Lee Strasberg Acting Institute.
David McDonald, Associate Professor
B.A., University of California, Davis; M.F.A, University of California, Los Angeles
Office Phone: 718.390.3325 Email: dmcdonal@wagner.edu
Biography: Prof. McDonald has studied at UCLA, where he received his M.F.A. in Acting, and UC at Davis as well as private coaching in the U.S.A. and United Kingdom. A member of SAG and AFTRA, David has taught at UCLA, and the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles as well as Florida Community College at Jacksonville. David has established a professional and curricular connection with Teatro Punto, a Commedia dell'Arte company, having taken students to study with them in Italy. David does vocal coaching and directs at Wagner College as well as having worked as a professional vocal coach at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey as well as Princeton University. David has performed for film, television and in the theatre in addition to his teaching activities.
Felicia J. Ruff, Associate Professor and Department Chair
B.A., Rutgers University; Ph.D., CUNY Graduate Center
Department Phone: 718.420.4036 Email: fruff@wagner.edu
Biography:
Dr. Felicia J. Ruff received her Ph.D. in Theatre History from the Graduate Center of CUNY. She is a 2007 recipient of a NEH summer seminar “The Oscar Wilde Archive” held at UCLA’s Clark Library. Other recent scholarly endeavors include a book chapter titled “The Laugh Factory? Humor and Horror at Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol” in Theatre Symposium: Comedy Tonight published by University of Alabama Press, performance reviews of Pygmalion and Some Men in Theatre Journal, and biographical entries of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim for the Encyclopedia of Broadway and American Culture, Greenwood Press, to be published in 2009. She serves as Chair of the Department of Theatre and Speech as well as an elected member of the Academic Policy Committee. She has extensive production experience, including opening the Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island, where she worked with many artists of international renown. Other recent production activities include directing Wagner’s Stage One production of The Shape of Things and producing Wagner’s participation in Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365Plays/365Days.
Rusty Curcio, Head of Dance
Office Phone: 718.390.3308 Email: rcurcio@wagner.edu
Biography: Rusty has worked for Wagner College since 1997 and is currently the Head of Dance. As a dancer Rusty trained extensively with the following teachers in New York City; Nanette Charisse, David Howard, Douglas Wassell, Gregory King, Peff Modelski, Betteanne Terell, Nina Stroganova, Nancy Mikota/Hutchings, Pamela Pribisco, Graciela Kozak, Paul Boos, Igal Perry, Finis Jhung, Peter Schabel, Luigi, Rick Atwell, Michele Assaf, and Frank Hatchet. Rusty first worked as a dancer with The Ramsey Dance Ensemble then professionally with Acanthus Ballet, Humphrey Dance Company and for 9 years toured internationally with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, performing some of the most coveted roles in the classical repertoire. He also had the opportunity to perform with in New York City with Peridance Ensemble and toured Japan for two seasons with Les Ballets Grandiva de Russia. Rusty has worked for many regional and summer stock theatre companies performing in such shows as Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, Sugar Babies and Cats. He was co-founder and Artistic Director Bergen Festival, Bergen County, NJ as well as Artistic Director for the Lycian Center, Sugar Loaf, NY King's Theatre Company where created the Royal Pavilion Family Theatre Company focusing on children’s theatre and family entertainment. He was a member of the Artistic Production staff for Surflight Theatre, Beach Haven, NJ for three consecutive seasons where her served as dance director, company manager and choreographer. Rusty has created many original Dance Concert compositions as well as directing and choreographing numerous musical theatre productions for professional and college theatres.
Charles Lawlor, Technical Director
Office Phone: 718.390.3157
Biography: Charlie began his career as a stage technician as a spotlight operator for Brockport High School’s production of Oliver Twist. Following high school, Charlie attended SUNY Geneseo where he earned a BA in History and worked on as many stage productions as possible, while serving as Student Technical Director for College Union Technical Services. Upon graduation, Charlie began work at Geva Theater, a LORT B theatre in Rochester, NY; he was privileged to work with many talented designers, directors and technicians during his tenure there. After leaving Geva, Charlie began graduate work at The University of Memphis where he received his MFA in Technical Direction and Lighting Design. Since graduation, Charlie has served as Technical Director at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Charlie is excited to start as Technical Director at Wagner (which coincidently was founded in his home town of Rochester, NY in 1883) and looks forward to working with students and faculty on a very exciting season.
Wagner College Theatre Staff:
Master Carpenter: Jonathan Raymond
Office Phone: 718.390.3157 Email: jonraymond20@hotmail.com
Master Electrician: Patience Edwards
Office Phone: 718.390.3157
Box Office Manager: Allison Figley
Office Phone: 718.390.3259 Email: allison.figley@wagner.edu
Department Secretary: Diane Catalano,
Office Phone: (718) 390-3223 Email: diane.catalano@wagner.edu
