By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Studio Arena Theatre begins a new area of creativity with the announcement Monday of a new Artistic Director.
Niagara Falls native Kathleen Gaffney comes home to become Studio Arena's fourth artistic director in as any decades. The 1971 Buffalo State College theatre grad returns after a successful run as an award-winning arts administrator in New York City. She succeeds Gavin Cameron Webb who left the theatre last season after 13 years. Gaffney is also the theatre's first woman artistic director. And she says she plans to create a legacy.
"I intend to have a huge and mighty impact," Gaffney said. "I have a tremendous amount of ideas and lots of fodder to feed those dreams."
Gaffney is an accomplished actress, playwright and director, as well as arts educator and administrator. She is currently president and artistic director for ArtsGenesis in New York. She helped found the non-profit company that creates programs for children, parents and educators. Gaffney says her experience meshes well with Studio Arena's roots as an educational institution.
"That's one of the aspects I feel very confident about -- helping us to achieve a really wonderful education department."
Studio Arena offers a theatre school and "preflections," an informal, free educational conversation before show times.
Gaffney says she will also continue the theatre's recent success in developing Broadway bound productions, such as "Ring of Fire."
She begins creating a new artistic vision for Studio Arena on April 17th.