Mark Viola
Lecturer of Theatre Design/Technology
Mark Viola is vice president of Showman Fabricators, Inc., founded by Robert Usdin and Michael Cioffi in May 1986. He has been with the company since its start: he and the founders met at Purchase College when they were technical direction students in the theatre design/technology program.
The company is renowned for its technical innovations, which include cutting-edge wood and metal fabrication techniques, automation, electrical services, graphics, and scenic art. The company’s work has graced scores of Broadway productions, including 42nd Street, The Vertical Hour, Contact, Take Me Out and Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life. They also work in television, live events, corporate promotions, cruise ships, and museums.
A longtime member of the theatre design/technology faculty at Purchase, Viola has also taught at Yale and the North Carolina School of the Arts.