John Nassivera was born in 1950. He lived next door to the house the Nassivera family built when they came here from Italy in 1906. He graduated from HFCS in 1968. He attended college in the U. S., in Italy, and in Canada, receiving his B.A. from Boston University in 1972, and his Ph.D. from McGill University in 1977.
After graduate school, he moved to Manhattan to teach at Columbia University, where he became a lifetime Fellow of Columbia’s Society of Fellows in the Humanities. At that time he began playwriting and his plays have since been presented around the United States, including New York, Miami, Washington, Phoenix, etc., and have received a National Endowment for the Arts Award.
John Nassivera was Founding Producing Director of the award winning Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont, and he co–produced plays in New York, as well. He also founded the Dorset Colony for Writers, for authors from across the U.S.
While at HFCS, he studied under Mr. Robert Rose, who taught English and instilled a deep respect for writers and the written word. That valued relationship was a classic example of the truism: one teacher can make all the difference in one’s life. He’d also like to express appreciation to Ms. Joyce Irwin as well, who instilled a love of music and had him in the choir – even though he‘s never been sure he could sing. Of course, a special thanks to his parents: to his mother, for her love of books and reading, and to his father for his curiosity, patience, and positive support of his son’s decisions in life.
Professor Nassivera is now on the faculty of Green Mountain College in Vermont, where he greatly enjoys teaching drama, literature, and writing. He lives in Vermont with his wife, actress Paula Mann, and their two adopted children.