ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Theater veteran Mark Cuddy plans to use the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center in Rochester to stage shows from his new theater company. 

The Classics Company aims to bring a new life to old stories. 

“The classics have great universal truths that have stood the test of time," said Cuddy. 

Cuddy spent 27 years as artistic director at Geva Theater in Rochester before retiring in 2022. With the Classics Company, he’s reimagining historic plays from around the world. The first production looks at works from a Russian playwright from the turn of the 19th century. 

“Anton Chekhov, he was called the father of modern drama," Cuddy said. "He took the melodrama and turned it into real people."

The Classics Company joins a crowded theater scene in Rochester, but Cuddy isn’t worried. He believes the audiences and actors looking for this will find their way to the stage. The first play, "The Seagull," takes the stage in early 2026.Cuddy says the later start date will give actors time to immerse themselves with what was happening in the world during the play's time period.

The Classics Company is still looking for actors and backstage crew, if interested click here for more information.