UB Announces Appointment of Vincent O’Neill to Head Department of Theatre and Dance

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In a move that bolsters both institutions, Kerry Grant, dean of the University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences, today announced the appointment of Vincent O'Neill, founder and artistic director of the Irish Classical Theater Company (ICTC), as chair of the UB Department of Theatre and Dance.

O'Neill will continue as artistic director with ICTC.

In his new UB position, he will direct the university's academic program in theater and dance, which offers courses leading to bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts degrees in dance and theater and a bachelor of fine arts degree in music theater. It also offers an academic option in arts management in cooperation with the UB School of Management and presents a full theater season, two dance concerts a year and a dance touring season.

The move was applauded by the ICTC Board of Directors, whose chair, Calvin Rand, noted that O'Neill will continue to have responsibility for that theater's play selection, oversight of casting, selection of designers and directors, and monitoring of all productions.

In announcing O'Neill's appointment, Grant noted: "We are very excited to have O'Neill assume leadership of a program with which he is well familiar, having served on our faculty for many years. To many of us, he represents the ideal marriage of the professional actor/director and the educator and in many ways his new responsibilities parallel his current role.

"Since the vitality of the arts in Western New York is of such concern to us at UB," Grant added, "there can be no better individual to provide leadership than one who has a vital interest in both. I'd like to thank the Irish Classical Theatre Company and its board of directors for the cooperation they have extended to us in this regard."

Rand concurred with Grant's assessment of the appointment and its results.

"Cheers to Vincent, the Irish Classical Theatre, the UB theater department and the cultural world of Western New York on a new and stronger relationship between two great institutions," he said.

"I am confident," Rand added, "that as both artistic director of the Irish and an honored department chair, Vincent O'Neill will greatly strengthen the connection between the ICTC and UB to the benefit of both institutions and the region as a whole. This will mean more theater -- uptown and downtown -- for everybody, especially for UB students, who have played an important part in most Irish Classical productions."

An honors graduate of University College, Dublin, and Trinity College, Dublin, O'Neill trained as an actor at the internationally regarded Abbey Theatre School of Acting, an affiliate of Ireland's National Theatre. He subsequently trained with legendary performance artist Marcel Marceau and in 1980 graduated from Marceau's International Mime School.

In addition to founding and directing Ireland's first professional mime company, O'Neill was a member of the Abbey Theatre acting company, a lecturer at Dublin University and served for seven years as director of the Dublin Theatre School, a professional conservatory for actors.

He has been a lecturer in the UB Department of Theatre and Dance for 10 years. He co-founded Buffalo's Irish Classical Theatre Company and has been the company artistic director for the past decade, during which time it earned a critical reputation for high-quality dramatic and comedic productions. O'Neill has been repeatedly cited for his notable acting and directing accomplishments.

Commenting on his appointment, O'Neill said, "This is a very prestigious and positive development, not just for me personally, but for the Irish Classical Theatre Company. There is great synergy between the goals and mission of the company and those of the university's theater department. The connection this appointment provides is sure to be beneficial for both parties and for the community."

O'Neill said that as he assumes his new responsibilities, ICTC's longtime associate artistic director, Fortunato Pezzimenti, will take a more active role in the day-to-day administrative functions of the theater. Pezzimenti also is a very highly regarded director and is responsible for the ICTC's current production of Lorca's "Blood Wedding."

O'Neill resides in Buffalo with his wife, actress Josephine Hogan, and their two children.