Guy Suabedissen ’78 MA

Guy Suabedissen ’78 MA attended Montclair State University from 1975-1978 where he received his Masters in theater. Guy already had a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Rutgers University but wanted to pursue his love for the arts. Montclair State University helped Guy dive further into the field and allowed him to fulfill a dream.

He has taught acting, stagecraft and dramatic literature for fifty years. He has produced, directed, designed, built and teched plays in high school and community theater. But his involvement for theater started at Montclair State. During his time at Montclair, he interned as a theater tech in the Summerfun summer stock theater which was a resident company presenting six major stage productions in a seven week period. Guy then spent the next five summers as Technical Director and Scenic and Lighting Designer at Summerfun. He states, “I didn’t learn how to do theater at Montclair; I learned how to do it right.”

It was at Montclair State during theater classes where he met his forever sweetheart, Lillie Molesko Suabedissen. They ended up working together in several central Jersey community theaters and at Summerfun. They were married in 1978 and are still together and are still doing theater.

Guy gives advice to young college students and says “If you want to teach middle or high school, get a subject degree first. Then get a Masters of Education. The extra year or so will make you infinitely more effective in the classroom”. He says to make sure to get your certification because just because you know it does not mean they will let you teach. The certificate says you can teach it. For those pursuing their love of theater he says it is more complex, “ A college degree will teach you about theater, but only doing theater will teach you how to do it.”

Guy is now 71 and just finished designing the set for a play and will begin building it soon.