Israel Hicks, 66, artistic director

Israel Hicks, 66, of Westchester, N.Y., chair and artistic director of the theater arts department at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, died of cancer Saturday, July 3, at a Westchester County hospital.

Working at Mason Gross for nearly a decade, Mr. Hicks left a large footprint.

In his first year as artistic director, he started a yearlong residency program at Shakespeare's Globe in London for juniors seeking a bachelor of fine arts degree. Students work with renowned British directors.

He also arranged for the school to be part of the Theater Consortium, a group of American programs that collaborate on auditions, according to school.

"He continued to fine-tune the faculty," dean George B. Stauffer said. "He was always working on something new."

Mr. Hicks recently had spoken with him and other faculty members about working on a black-box theater with virtual scenery, Stauffer said.

Aside from his initiatives, what faculty and students liked about Mr. Hicks was his quiet and gentle demeanor. He enjoyed staying in the background and giving the spotlight to his actors, Stauffer said.

Mr. Hicks had a short stint as director-in-residence at Temple University in the 1980s while teaching part time at nearby Freedom Theatre.

Last year, he directed the last of August Wilson's plays at the Denver Center Theatre Company, using the company for all 10 within 12 years, said Michael Miller, founder and chair of the Actors Center Inc.

"It's an extraordinary record," Miller said.

Mr. Hicks was born in Orangeburg, S.C., but raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. After graduating from high school, he studied at Boston University, where he discovered directing.

After graduating from there in 1966, he enrolled in the master's program at New York University's School of the Arts.

After receiving a master's degree in fine arts in 1970, Mr. Hicks began his career by directing the Negro Ensemble Company in New York City and then taking it on a European tour, Miller said.

From there, Mr. Hicks worked all over the country, including at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis; Actors Theatre of Louisville, Ky.; and the Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles.

Mr. Hicks taught for a few years at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and, before going to Mason Gross, taught and directed at the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College in New York.

Mr. Hicks is survived by his wife, Renee Harriston-Hicks. His daughter, Victoria, died 41/2 years ago. His first wife, Catherine, died in the mid-1970s.

A memorial service will be held at dawn Sunday, July 11, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver.

The Mason Gross School plans to hold a celebration of Mr. Hicks' life in the fall.