Dr. Eleanor Ferrar

Dr. Eleanor Barbara Ferrar, 87, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2024, in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Born on July 24, 1937, in Columbus, Ohio, she was the daughter of Frank (Ferraro) Ferrar and Josephine Sugar Ferrar, and the beloved sister of the late Ann Arena and Augustine Ferrar.

Dr. Ferrar had a distinguished career in theatre and academia. ​ She earned a Ph.D. in Theatre from New York University in 1974, with a dissertation on “The Place of Law in the Commercial Theatre.”​ She also held an M.A. and a B.A. ​ in Speech/Theatre from Ohio State University. ​

Her academic experience includes serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Baruch College, City University of New York, from 1970 to 2000, where she also chaired the Theatre department. ​ She was a lecturer at Lehman College from 1966 to 1970, an instructor at Cuyahoga Community College from 1965 to 1966, and a teaching assistant at Ohio State University from 1959 to 1961. ​

Dr. Ferrar was a beloved and highly respected professor who taught a wide range of courses, including Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Theatre History, Theatre Administration, and Public Speaking. Dr. Ferrar was the academic advisor to the student theatre clubs, Theatron and Stagewise, where students created their own theatrical pieces. Many of her theatre students went on to pursue the arts on a professional level.  She was instrumental in the creation of the Bernie West Theatre (aka The Studio Theatre) as well as a consultant on the design of the Baruch Performing Arts Center. She was the recipient of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teacher.

She directed numerous theatre productions over her thirty years at Baruch.  She also published several articles, including "The Law Looks at the Theatre" and "Bats and Blood."

Her related professional activities include consulting for a children's TV series, guest lecturing, translating, and teaching acting at Teatro Orologio in Italy. ​

She is survived by her nephew, Michael Arena, Jr., her nephew Robert Farrington, her great-nephew, Nicholas Arena, and a wide circle of friends, colleagues, and former students who have been fortunate enough to have known her.

Dr. Eleanor Barbara Ferrar will be remembered for her brilliance, her frankness, and her passion for teaching. She was also an animal lover who volunteered for  The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach. She had a tough exterior with a heart of gold.

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