About Our Roving Adjudicators
Spencer Watson, Sabillasville, MD, has been involved in scholastic, collegiate and community theatres since early high school days in Port Jefferson, NY, in the late 1950’s. He minored in theatre at Allegheny College and has acted in over 75 non-professional productions. He has directed over 50 productions and has done lighting, set and sound design for numerous others. His productions have won awards in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Spencer has been involved in community theatre in New York, Connecticut, Texas, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He is a board member of the Eastern States Theatre Association representing Maryland. He recently authored an article on adjudication for the TANYS Adjudicator’s Training Manual.
Robert Sharman, Rochester, has been doing theatre over 30 years. He is an accompkshed director, choreographer, set designer and many other coats he wears for theatre. He has been trained over the years and has won many awards. He is one fo the most recent adjudicators to join the TANYS team, having gone through the training program and is excited about being a member of the TANYS adjudicator team. He is currently president of Everyone's Theatre Compny, Inc. in Rochester, NY and has performed with several of the Rochester area theatre groups. was an original member and board member of Wyoming County Bicentennial Singers in Wymoing County where he got his start and interest in theatre.
Ed Scutt, Rochester, is a retired high school Language Arts teacher who lives in the Rochester NY area. He has been active in theatre, video media and the local poetry scene for over forty years. He is an award winning actor and playwright and a stage director. Ed has been a certified TANYS Adjudicator since June of 2007. He lives with his two literary, if not literate dogs, Holden and Huck.
Frances Ruoff, Breezy Point, has a commitment to theatre that spans 30+ years, as a professional actress and director in New York. As a member of Screen Actor's Guild, Actors Equity and AFTRA she has appeared on TV and in numerous theatre and film productions. Having received an MFA in Directing from Brooklyn College her first and foremost love is directing for the theatre. Frances was Artistic Director for the Diocesean Theatre Guild's Repertory Co. and The Sunshine Players. She is presently directing for the Rockaway Theatre Co. and teaching Theatre and English courses at Kingsborough Community College/CUNY. Frances has received great satisfaction working with TANYS and its members and looks forward to serving many more years as a TANYS adjudicator.
Pam Rapoza, Geneva, has spent most of her life performing, studying and directing theatre. She studied theatre at SUNY Fredonia and has been seen in over 100 productions in central New York. She is a TANYS award winning director and actor and has directed numerous shows, mostly musicals, as well as choreographed and served as makeup or set designer. At the 2003 Festival, Pam received a Performance Award from Festival Adjudicator Annette Procunier and a Festival Favorite Award from the Festival attendees. In addition, Pam is a judge and division leader for the Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s Stars of Tomorrow Program. By day she moonlights as an Assistant Principal at Dundee Elementary School.
Paul Nelson, Olean, has been adjudicating in New York State for over 15 years. In 2007, he attended the AACT National Adjudicator's training seminar at the National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina and has since served as a Responder for the Ohio, Delaware and Pennsylvania State Festivals. He has also served as a Responder at the New England Regional Festival (Region I) and is scheduled to respond at the Mid-Western Regional Festival (Region III) in the Spring of 2011. He is a lifelong member of Alpha Psi Omega and has been recognized theatrically as a recipient of the Robert E. Sinclair Award for Performance, the Cothurnus Award for Outstanding theatrical work and the Daryl L. Hanson Award for Musical Theatre. Paul has also been recognized by the Theatre Association of New York State (TANYS) and the Eastern States Theatre Association (ESTA) for his work as an actor and director. Paul's performance of a one man show entitled One Person won the ESTA Festival in 2002. He has been honored by the TANYS with the Mary Eva Duthie Award for outstanding contributions to non-professional theatre across New York State. Paul has served as President for the Theatre Association of New York State and as a board member for Eastern State Theatre Association. He is currently employed by Olean General Hospital as a Psychiatric Registered Nurse on their Behavioral Health Unit. He obtained his BFA in Theatre and BS in Education from SUNY Geneseo. Additionally he has earned an AAS in Nursing from SUNY Jamestown and is currently working on his Masters as an Adult Nurse Practitioner at Daemen College in Buffalo, New York.
Joan Luther, Naples, has been active in all aspects of educational, community and professional theater for over 40 years. She is a Roving Adjudicator for the Theatre Association of New York State and currently serves on their Board as President. She was recently presented the Mary Eva Duthie Award for significant contributions to community theatre. Ms. Luther also attended AACT’s National Adjudicator training seminar in Charlotte, NC in 2007.
Joel Lord, Troy, serves as a TANYS Technical Adjudicator. He has been a freelance jack-of-all-(technical)-trades over the past 15 years, but primarily concentrates on sound design for musicals at this point. He has been recognized by TANYS for his sound design work at Schenectady Light Opera Company. He is on the national board of directors of Alpha Psi Omega, the theater honorary society.
Ruth Legg, Geneva, has been involved with the Theatre Association of New York State since the organization was formed in 1987, served as a Roving Adjudicator since 1993, President in 2005-2006 and chaired the 2001- 2004 TANYS Festivals and 2006 ESTA Festival. She has adjudicated the Eastern Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland Festivals and the 2008 and 2010 ESTAFest/Original Works Festivals. She will adjudicate the Region III Festival this year. In 2008, she received the Mary Eva Duthie Award for Outstanding Contributions to Theatre in New York State. Ruth has directed and designed over 100 college and community theatre productions, co-authored a children’s play and is a TANYS award-winning director. She currently serves as President of the Eastern States Theatre Association and is co-chair of AACTFest11, the national community theatre festival. Her novel, Veils of Conspiracy, a political thriller, is available at Amazon.com.
Arnold Galin, Rome, has a BA in Speech and MA in Theatre and Communications from SUNY Albany. He has been active with the Catham Dinner Theatre in Blassville and the Oneida Area Little Theatre. Arnie has been involved with the Rome Community Theatre for 30 years and directed and acted in over 50 productions. He is also the drama director at Rome Free Academy (Senior High School.)
Robert (Bob) Frame, Skaneateles, is President-Elect of TANYS, stepping into the job of President in November 2011. Bob has a BA in Theatre from SUNY Oswego and is the Director of Theatre Operations for Cayuga Community College in Auburn. In addition to his "day job", he is a freelance actor, director, lighting designer and theatre consultant who has received numerous awards from ACTF and TANYS for his work. A 1995 recipient of the Mary Eva Duthie Award and the winner of the J. Richard Mahlstedt Festival Directing Award, Bob is the producer/director for Harlequin Productions of CCC which specializes in doing new, unpublished scripts. He is both a Roving Adjudicator and Technical Adjudicator.
Jeff Clair, New York, has been a performer and director in both Rochester NY and Tampa FL for over 20 years. In that time, he has developed a deep passion for all things theater. Most recently, he directed The Wiz with Everyone's Theatre Company in Rochester and performed in a Broadway Cares benefit revue. Some favorite roles include Steve in Zanna, Don't!, Adam in Children of Eden, Younger Brother in Ragtime, Daniel in Once on this Island and Marvin in Falsettos. By day, Jeff is the team leader of the Benefit Information Systems department at Relph Benefit Advisors, an employee benefits broker and third party administrator. Yes, technical people can be artistic too! Jeff is thrilled to join such a talented team of adjudicators and really enjoys the opportunity to see a lot of well done theater across the state.
Cindy Appleton, Warsaw, long time director and thespian, with extensive experience as a teacher, critic and performer. She holds numerous awards for directing, acting, set & stage design and production work from the Theater Association of New York State and most recently directed the WCBS Players award winning production of” Snow Stars” which received top honors for Best Short Production at the 2008 TANYS Festival and brought Cynthia the coveted J. Richard Mahlstedt Directing Award. “Snow Stars” went on to represent NY State at the Eastern States Theater Festival (ESTA) in April 2009 at Wye Mills, Maryland and received the award for Outstanding Production Design. In 2009 Cynthia was the recipient of the Arts Council for Wyoming County’s Directors Award. Cynthia currently sits on the Board of Directors for WCBS Players and is Past President of this organization.
Bob Alonzo, Lancaster, has a BS in Speech from Syracuse University’s School of Theatre of Dramatic Arts. He worked in professional summer stock, as a Master Electrician, Technical Director, Stage Manager and in minor acting roles. He acquired his Equity Card in 1958. Bob worked as Advance Publicity Director for Sir John Gielgud's Shakespeare’s Ages of Man, Lighting Director for Ken Bowles Company, Production Coordinator and Box Office with the Broadway Theatre Alliance and stagehand with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 10, Buffalo. He has been involved with the Lancaster Regional Players for 37 years as a Director and has acted as Set Designer and Stage Manager.
Neilson Jones, Clifton Park, has more than 20 years experience working in community, educational, and professional theater, with near 100 productions to his credit. Neil is a distinguished actor and award-winning director who earned his B.A. in Drama from Jacksonville State University in Alabama. He is a alumnus of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, an Actors’ Equity Association Membership Candidate, and the founder of Confetti Stage in Albany, where he has served as Managing Artistic Director for the past 7 years
