Published on January 28, 2020 |
It’s good news: Sundog Theatre has added two new board members to its organization: Congrats are in order for Mark Giacalone and Jeannine Otis.
“Diversifying our board is important to Sundog”, stated Susan Fenley, executive director. “With good representation from the varied communities here, we feel we can serve more people and have a wider reach into different areas of the Island.”
Jeannine is a singer, teaching artist, and director of music at St. Mark’s Church in New York City.
She’s been singing since the early 1980’s when she toured with such groups as Kool and the Gang and Shirley Allston and the New Shirelles.
Among her stage appearances are principal roles in: Steel (Galt McDermot of Hair) by the American Repertory Theater, and Jerusalem (Liz Swados) produced by New York’s Public Theater.
Jeannine also appeared at The Supper Club in Manhattan and has sung with Grover Washington, Webster Lewis, and Arthur Prysock. She was featured on two gold records and her single, “Somewhere over the Rainbow” went to the Top Ten in Germany, Italy, and England.
As an educator, Jeannine has participated in a variety of arts-in-education initiatives as a curriculum design consultant, coordinator, and teaching artist.
Jeannine developed and delivers Sundog’s “Soundtrack of Life” program which encourages students — through music and spoken word — to communicate artistically about a variety of issues as they relate to students’ lives, then professionally record their creations.
Jeannine a graduate of Wellesley College, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in music and sociology and Emerson College where she earned a master of arts in theatre.
Mark currently holds the position of vice president at US Private Banking for IDB Bank, where he supports the expansion of the bank’s depository, lending, and investment portfolio.
Mark maintains key roles in various organizations — in addition to his role as a board member for Sundog Theatre — at the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce in the organization’s Young Professionals Group, along with serving as a committee member for their Police Officer of the Year Luncheon.
He also is a board member and finance committee member for the Broadway YMCA, a member of the SIEDC Young Professionals Group, as well as the Italian Club of Staten Island Foundation.
A fun fact about Mark is that he also works part-time in the maritime industry as a longshoreman.
A lifelong Staten Islander, Mark graduated from St. Peter’s Boys’ High School and attained his bachelor’s degree in business management and entrepreneurial studies from Paul Smith’s College.
ABOUT SUNDOG THEATRE
Formed in 2002, Sundog Theatre has been presenting original and contemporary theatre for 17 years.
The arts company is unique on Staten Island in that it also presents culturally-based school programming rooted in theater, visual arts, dance, music and literacy.
Programs are offered to students in kindergarten through high school in schools as well as community-based organizations.
In addition, Sundog Theatre offers year-round acting classes for children ages 6 to 17 and tours productions for young audiences throughout the year.
Among the thought-provoking theatre the company has staged are favorites like “The Fantasticks,” “Roar of the Greasepaint…,” “Blood Brothers,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and “A Christmas Carol.”
Its original productions have included “My Mariners,” about retired sailors at Snug Harbor on Staten Island; “Once Upon a Mime,” an original, full-length show without words; “If You Could See: The Alice Austen Story,” about Staten Island’s pioneering female photographer; “Meucci’s Message,” about Staten Islander Antonio Meucci’s invention of the telephone, and Sundog’s signature series, its annual “Scenes from the Staten Island Ferry.”
For further information, visit www.SundogTheatre.org or phone 718-816-5453.
