Dominic Joseph Cunetto, a professor of theatre at Mississippi State University for nearly 50 years, died on Saturday morning at Oktibbeha County Hospital in Starkville. He was 78.
After an extended illness, Cunetto contracted pneumonia and never recovered, said John Forde, a friend and colleague.
He became MSU”s first director of theatre in 1963 and was tasked with founding a drama program. He taught courses and directed more than 80 productions until 1991, when he retired from full-time teaching work. He was made a Professor Emeritus of Communication in 1993.
“He had a passion for theatre that came out when he taught,” Forde said. “He was kind of a one-man show here for a long time.”
Cunetto was also instrumental in planning the construction of McComas Hall, which included an auditorium for stage productions.
“They had plays wherever they could find a spot,” Forde said. “He encouraged and pushed and prodded, and the University built a theatre.”
While Cunetto valued his relationship with students, he also drew in his peers. When Forde, a former student, became a faculty member in the Department of Communication, Cunetto told him he could no longer address him so formally.
“He said, ”You”re my colleague now,”” Forde remembered. ” ”You have to call me Dom.””
Even after his retirement, Cunetto remained extremely active in the theatre culture in Mississippi.
“He didn”t retire and just go home,” Forde said
His lengthy experience made him an invaluable adviser to younger directors and professors.
“Any time we had a specific question none of us could answer, we would always go to him, and he would have the answer,” said Marianne Ulmer, a colleague and former student. “He was very passionate about young students learning correct theatre.”
But Cunetto also exercised tough love.
“When he didn”t like something, he would take off his shoe and throw it at the student,” Ulmer said. “He would try to act mean and gruff, but he was a big, old teddy bear. Everybody would act like they were afraid of him, but everybody loved him.”
He was involved in the Mississippi Theatre Association and held multiple offices, including president. He was one of the organizers of the Starkville Area Arts Council, and in 1996 he became its first president.
In 1963, the same year he signed on as theatre director at MSU, he founded the first statewide High School Drama Festival in an effort to reach students who were not yet in college. As a way to honor Cunetto, the Mississippi Theatre Association named the award for the winner of the drama festival the “Dominic J. Cunetto Award for Best Production.”
He earned numerous awards from both independent theatre organizations and schools, including Washington University and the University of Florida.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Ida Loving Cunetto of Starkville; son, Dominic Joseph Cunetto Jr. and daughter-in-law Trisha Ashmore Cunetto; and son, Stephen Hearn Cunetto, all of Starkville; daughter, Marla Cunetto Dennis and son-in-law the Rev. David Dennis, and two grandsons, Jacob Asim Dennis and Matthew Josiah Dennis all of Pulaski, Va. He is also survived by his sister, Rosalie “Lil” Hubacek of St. Louis, and brother, Joseph Richard Cunetto of Herrin, Ill., as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Josephine Grana Cunetto Carmelo Cunetto of St. Louis, and a brother, Vincent Cunetto of Riverside, Calif.
Funeral services were today at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The family has requested that memorial donations be made to the Dominic J. Cunetto Theatre Scholarship, Mississippi State University Foundation, P. O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762; St. Joseph Catholic Church; or another charitable organization.
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