Gary Poholek

Set & Production Designer

     Gary is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. He has worked with young actors and artists extensively as an acting instructor for Norwood Youth Theatre, drama coach for two semesters at Attleboro High School, theater consultant for Holliston High School, Groton-Dunstable High School, Benjamin Franklin Charter School, and Franklin School for the Performing Arts. He was staff scenic designer for the performing arts department at Dean College for twelve years and art teacher at the Leland Hall School. He is currently employed as staff scenic designer for Oliver Ames High School in Easton.

     Prior to teaching Gary performed featured roles in plays and musicals at theatres across the country including Glassboro Summer Theatre (NJ), North Country Center for the Arts (NH), Sunshine Dinner Playhouse (IL) and Cape Cod’s Christopher Ryder Opera House. Local audiences may remember him as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, George M. Cohen in George M., Curley in Oklahoma and most recently as Harold Hill in The Music Man.

     For the past two years Gary performed his own one-man adaptation of A Christmas Carol at the Paris Cabaret and for the third time at the Mansfield Music and Arts Society Black Box Theatre. Gary directed (and designed the settings and costumes) for the recent Fiddlehead Theatre Company’s production of Bye Bye Birdie and directed, choreographed, and designed the successful Friends of the Orpheum benefit production of Annie, which broke all box office records at the theatre for two years running.

     When Gary is not performing he works professionally as a set designer and scenic artist. He was master scenic artist for Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires for two seasons, and has designed and painted numerous settings for Rhode Island’s Festival Ballet in Providence. In addition he has designed for Providence College and the Instages Theatre in Boston’s theatre district. His designs have appeared at the Orpheum Theatre in Foxboro, the Starline Room Dinner Theatre in Stoughton and many regional theaters. Gary was the Musical Theatre and Drama Director for the first two years of the Academy for and is very happy to remain on staff as the Production Consultant and Scenic Designer.