It wasn't long after Sam McCready arrived in Baltimore that the UMBC community realized
they had received a gift. One year after immigrating to the United States from Ireland,
McCready began a 17-year term as theatre professor at the university. Now, after many years
of directing award-winning productions, McCready has retired.
"Whether on the stage or in a meeting, Sam McCready's passion and commitment to
excellence are very clear," says President Freeman Hrabowski. "His strong voice and
keen intellect have allowed him to have a significant and positive influence on the
UMBC campus and beyond. He is a symbol of the best at UMBC."
But UMBC isn't the only place that has recognized McCready's talent. In his American
debut McCready wrote, directed and acted in A Fantastic Voyage with W.B. Yeats at the
White Barn Theatre in Westport, Conn. He has received rave reviews for his performances
with the Maryland Stage Company, UMBC's professional resident theatre company. Three of
his UMBC productions were selected to the American College Theater Festival's national
showcase at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His direction of the summer touring
Shakespeare on Wheels program was recognized by the Maryland Association for Higher
Education and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He has also
received "Best Director" accolades from Baltimore Magazine,
The Baltimore Sun, City Paper,
Catonsville Times and the Belfast Telegraph.
"Sam has always been devoted to the growth of our students as they learn about this art."
says Wendy Salkind, chair of the Department of Theatre. "He has made a tremendous
contribution to this department and remains an inspiration to our students." One student
who was moved by McCready's passion for theatre is Carl Fruendel, theatre '86. Now assistant
professor of theatre and speech at the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex, Fruendel
has appeared in many of McCready's productions "Sam inspired us all to make a difference,
even when it demanded courage," says Fruendel. "Every role I played pushed me to new heights
of understanding and emotion. I found myself leaping for goals because of his belief in me."
McCready will no doubt continue to be a force in professional theatre, but, in the words
of Robert Burchard, professor emeritus of biological sciences and a well known advocate for
the arts at UMBC, "Sam's genius for the multiple dimensions of stagecraft will be missed in
the cultural life of the UMBC community."
