“I have memories of sitting in Memorial Hall and staring at a blue book, thinking I need to fill this in three hours,” Cadiff says. “I would sit and stare at the other 1,000 people and wonder, ‘who are they and how did they get the information to put in this book.’”

But since Cadiff’s special concentration allowed him to tailor his schedule to his interests, he says the “other blue books” were not so daunting.

Cadiff also directed a number of productions that appeared at the Loeb and Agassiz theaters.

Cadiff says another student, Joshua M. Rubins ’70—who also went on to a career as a director—encouraged him to become part of Harvard’s theater scene.

In his first year at the College, Rubins—who Cadiff says was “the czar of the Harvard theater scene”—let Cadiff assistant direct the spring 1974 production of Kiss Me Kate, Rubins’ last show at Harvard.

Soon thereafter, Cadiff began directing his own works—including Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town.

Cadiff recalls that he invited Bernstein to attend the performance but, instead, only Bernstein’s mother came.

“My mother sat next to her and they got along so well that I ended up meeting Bernstein when he was doing 1,000 Pennsylvania Avenue in Philadelphia,” Cadiff says.

Second Act

Rather than pursuing a master’s degree in performing arts, Cadiff chose to seek a professional career in theater upon graduation—using a Harvard connection to his advantage.

While he was an undergraduate, Cadiff met Harold “Hal” Prince, the Broadway producer of such shows such as West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, and Phantom of the Opera.

When Cadiff graduated, Prince offered him the position of assistant stage manager for On the Twentieth Century.

After he held a number of other posts under Prince, Cadiff says Prince encouraged him to begin directing his own shows.