Rod Caspers

Rod Caspers – B.A., Illinois State University, 1976; M.F.A., The University of Texas at Austin, 1984. For the past five years Rod served as Executive Director of Creative Services for the University of Texas System where he and his colleagues recently received five Lone Star Emmy Awards for creating and producing the PBS series, State of Tomorrow. He has taught and directed at the University of Wisconsin and The University of Texas at Austin. While at UT Austin he also worked in the Office of University Relations, creating and producing large-scale special events for the university – and he received UT's Margaret C. Berry Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Life. Rod conducts directing and curriculum development workshops throughout the nation and has served as a guest artist/instructor for the Facing History and Ourselves Program in Switzerland, as well as in the Czech Republic. He has adjudicated the University of Texas Interscholastic League's One-Act Play Contest for over twenty years, including the State Contest in both Class 4-A and 1-A. He has directed over 100 productions, receiving numerous production nominations and awards (including directing awards for Big River, The Secret Garden and Honk!). While living in New York, Rod served as Associate Director for GreenPlays, creating and directing several new musicals and cabarets. In Texas he produced and directed the UT Performing Arts Center's 20th Anniversary Gala starring Tommy Tune, Linda Eder and The Broadway Tenors, as well as the We're Texas Milestone Celebration featuring Judy Collins. Most recently Rod directed Slammer for New York's Fringe Festival, Assassins for the University of Texas, The Bat, Austin Lyric Opera's new adaptation of Die Fledermaus and the Music Man for Zilker Theatre Productions. For the past two seasons ha has stage-managed the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Arena Tour starring the Rockettes. Rod is a proud alumnus of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.