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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

Are the classics making a comeback?

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published January 13, 2026 at 4:16 PM EST
A smiling man stands with his arms crossed next to a statue of a man.
1 of 2  — Mark Cuddy
Mark Cuddy
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A smiling man with short brown hair and a brown beard wears a blue plaid blazer over a light blue button-down shirt.
2 of 2  — Staropoli.jpeg
Rick Staropoli
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WXXI News

The classics — under a recent microscope — are getting a reboot from a longtime arts leader.

Mark Cuddy is back in Rochester. He spent nearly 30 years as artistic director at Geva Theatre, retiring a few years ago.

Now he has a new project: a theater company bringing the classics to Rochester stages. The first round features the work of Chekhov, and Cuddy thinks the material is more relatable than audiences might expect.

We discuss why he wants more focus on the classics, his post-Geva career, his tenure at the Cleveland Play House, and the future of the arts.

Our guests:

Connections
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams