Dr. Fonzie Geary
Associate Professor of Theatre

Contact information
Office 10 in the Holloway Theatre
870.307.7511 | fonzie.geary@lyon.edu

Dr. Fonzie D. Geary II joined the Lyon faculty in 2013. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky,
Dr. Geary graduated cum laude from Eastern Kentucky University with a double-major in
psychology and theatre arts. He completed a master’s in clinical psychology, but soon after
discovered theatre was his life’s calling. He completed a master’s in theatre at the University of
Kentucky, and then moved to Columbia, Missouri where he completed his Ph.D. at the
University of Missouri.

Dr. Geary’s research focuses on reflections of institutions and culture in mid-20 th century
American drama. He emphasizes how plays function as cultural documents; representations that
either reinforce or challenge the status quo of the given culture from which they derive. Dr.
Geary has published juried articles in the New England Theatre Journal, the Journal of
American Drama and Theatre, and Theatre Annual. He also contributed a chapter on Harold
Clurman to Volume 2 of the anthology Great North American Stage Directors, which was
published by Bloomsbury in 2021. Dr. Geary is currently working on a book centering on the
Jazz Age drama of American playwright Maxwell Anderson, which is set to be published by
Palgrave.

Not confined to research, Dr. Geary has had experience as an actor, playwright, and director. He
has performed in over thirty productions. He has written plays recognized by the Kennedy
Center American College Theatre Festival (KC/ACTF), the Great Plains Theatre Conference
(GPTC), the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), and the Mid America Theatre
Conference (MATC). He has directed numerous productions ranging from Ancient Greek to
contemporary American. Dr. Geary sees the interaction between scholarship and practice as
integral to any student’s education.

In addition to his work at Lyon College, Dr. Geary regularly invests his summers teaching
theatre to high school students as part of Lyon’s APPLE program. He also occasionally
contributes his time to Batesville Community Theatre (BCT) productions as well as teaching
workshops for BCT’s annual summer theatre camp.

Dr. Geary resides in Batesville with his wife, Laura, and their three children. He and his family
are active members of First Presbyterian Church.