Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival announces full casting and complete line-up of events for its summer season from May 31 to August 6
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, under the leadership of Artistic Director Jason King Jones and Managing Director Casey William Gallagher, announce the complete principal casts, creative teams, and events planned for the previously announced summer season running May 31 through August 6 at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University in Center Valley, PA, and touring the region June 2 to June 18
The season will begin in the intimate Schubert Theatre with William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2 playing May 31 to June 11. The production marks the return of “Extreme Shakespeare” which gives an ensemble four fast paced days to rehearse and stage the play on their own using only their wits and collaboration to mount one of Shakespeare’s most compelling works.
The cast for Henry IV, Part 2 includes the previously announced John Ahlin in the role of Falstaff and Christopher Patrick Mullen as Hastings/Francis/Silence. Joining them in the cast are Kimberly Gilbert (Mistress Quickly), Eric Hissom (Lord Chief Justice/Mouldy), Jim Ireland (King Henry IV), Gina Lamparella (Lady Northumberland/Mowbray), Ty Lane (Prince John/ Fang), Anthony Lawton (Northumberland/Shallow), Eli Lynn (Hal/Fight Director), Gabe Moses (Poins/Coleville), Ian Merrill Peakes (Westmoreland), Sabrina Lynne Sawyer (Lady Percy), and Patrick Toon (Bardolph). Ashani Smith is the stage manager and Melissa Collins is the assistant stage manager.
The Festival season launches on the Main Stage with the Broadway hit musical In the Heights featuring music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes.The production will be directed by Valeria Cossu, with musical direction by Walter “Bobby” McCoy, and choreography by Michael Anthony Sylvester. Preview performances are on Wednesday, June 14 and Thursday, June 15, with opening night on Friday, June 16 and performances through July 2.
The cast for In the Heights includes the previously announced Danny Bolero as Kevin and Ryan Reyes as Usnavi, along with Luis-Pablo Garcia (Sonny), Tauren Hagans (Camila), Daisy Marie Lopez (Nina), Solomon Parker, III (Benny), Ralphie Rivera de Jesús (Graffiti Pete), Kevin Matthew Solis (Piragūero), Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield (Abuela), Ariana Valdes (Daniela), Gabrielle Villarreal (Carla), and Chelsea Zeno (Vanessa).
In the Heights will feature costumes by Jeannette Christensen, lighting design by Max Doolittle, and sound design by Hayat Dominguez. Majo Ferrucho is the stage manager and Kelli Herron is the assistant stage manager.
Next in the line-up, PSF will be heading outdoors for an updated revival of the raucous three-person comedy, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield (with new revisions by Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield). Matt Pfeiffer returns to PSF to direct Sean Close, Eli Lynn, and Sabrina Lynne Sawyer who will attempt to take on Shakespeare’s entire canon in 99 minutes, in this recently revised version of a familiar favorite playing June 28 to July 16.
The Complete Works creative team includes Costume Designer Rebecca Callan, Sound Designer David M. Greenberg, and Set Designer Joshua Rose. John “JP” Pollard is the stage manager.
The season continues on the Main Stage with two shows, and casts, performing in rotating repertory in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Artistic Director Jason King Jones will make his PSF directorial debut with The Tempest playing July 12 to August 6. Associate Artistic Director Dennis Razze was slated as the original director but due to a medical leave Jones will direct. The cast of The Tempest includes the previously announced Robert Cuccioli as Prospero, along with John Austin (Ferdinand), Akeem Davis (Trinculo), Sarah Gliko (Ariel), Jim Helsinger (Stephano), Eric Hissom (Alonso), Gregory Issac (Antonio), Gina Lamparella (Goddess), Christopher Patrick Mullen (Caliban), Sue Jin Song (Gonzala), and Billie Wyatt (Miranda).
The Tempest will feature projections by CJ Barnwell, sound by David M. Greenberg, lighting by Eric T. Haugen, fight directing by Eli Lynn, original compositions by Matthew M. Nielson, set design by Steve TenEyck, and costumes by Lisa Zinni.
Next in the repertory, Jessica Bedford will direct a fresh and witty adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility from the Olivier Award-winning writer Jessica Swale playing July 20 to August 5. The cast includes John Austin (Willoughby), Arrianna Daniels (Marianne Dashwood), Akeem Davis (Edward Ferrars), Sarah Gliko (Elinor Dashwood), Gina Lamparella (Mrs. Dashwood), Christopher Patrick Mullen (Thomas Middleton/Sir John), Sue Jin Song (Mrs. Jennings), and Billie Wyatt (Fanny Dashwood).
Sense and Sensibility will feature lighting design by Lily Fossner, sound design by David M. Greenberg, fight directing by Eli Lynn, costumes by Leigh Paradise, and set design by Steve TenEyck.
The productions playing in repertory will be stage managed by Leslie Ann Boyden and Emma D. Emde is the assistant stage manager.
The season will conclude in the Schubert Theatre with a second musical offering, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill by Lanie Robertson with musical arrangements by Danny Holgate. Directed by Amina Robinson, the musical will play July 19 to August 6 and will feature Ebony Pullum in the leading role of Billie Holiday and Cedric D. Lyles, the music director for the production, in the role of Jimmy Powers.
The creative team for Lady Day includes Lighting Designer Trey Brazeal, Set Designer Charlie Calvert, Sound Designer Larry D. Fowler, Jr., and Costume Designer LeVonne Lindsay. Ashani Smith is the stage manager.
Children’s theatre this summer includes a charming adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic story James and the Giant Peach beginning July 7, and Erin Sheffield’s Shakespeare for Kids opens July 26 this summer complete with sing-along songs, puppets, and scenes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. These plays will be sure to awaken the imagination of children of any age—playing through August 5.
Also coming this summer, PSF launches its inaugural “Play On!” community touring program with Shakespeare’s classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream performing in libraries, parks, and community centers throughout the region June 2 to June 18. The production will be directed by Matt Pfeiffer and features the PSF Young Company. These performances are a gift to the community and free for patrons to enjoy this summer. Visit PaShakespeare.org for the performance schedule with dates, times, and locations.
Additionally, the Festival will host its inaugural Community Day event on Saturday, July 1. A celebration of the arts as well as the many local organizations that provide invaluable services to this community, the day will feature several family-friendly activities and performances including: A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the outdoor Trexler Library stage at 3pm (free); a ticketed performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] at 6:30pm; and In The Heights will have two ticketed performances at 2pm and 7:30pm on the Main Stage.
In addition to the ambitious summer line-up, PSF will present its annual Luminosity Gala fundraiser on June 3, opening night champagne receptions following the performances, actor talk-backs, prologues prior to each Shakespeare performance, live music on the green before every show, and various dining options. PSF also has several accessibility offerings including American Sign Language interpretation, open captioning, audio description, and relaxed performances. Visit PaShakespeare.org/about/accessibility/ for more information.
Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online or by calling 610.282.WILL [9455] or by visiting the PSF box office at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. The Festival encourages patrons to order early for the best seating options.
The 2023 Season Sponsors are Yvonne Payne and Edward Spitzer. The Associate Season Sponsors are Douglas Dykhouse, Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan, The Szarko Family, and Harry C. Trexler Trust.
The 2023 Productions Sponsors are Air Products, Alvin H. Butz, Inc., Amaranth Foundation, The Auvil Family, Breslin Architects, Crayola, Brenda & John McGlade, and Keith & Stefanie Wexler.
Artistic Leadership:
Jason King Jones, Artistic Director; Casey William Gallagher, Managing Director; Dennis Razze, Associate Artistic Director
JASON KING JONES (Artistic Director, Director, The Tempest) Prior to moving to the Lehigh Valley with his family, Jason spent ten years at Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center, where he served as Senior Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director of National Players, America’s longest-running touring theatre company. At Olney, Jason directed over twenty productions, mentored over 200 early-career theatre makers, and established various in-school and summer educational programs. As a freelance director, Jason has worked across the US, including the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Jason is an Acting Company alumnus, a proud member of the PSF Board, and a member of the Shakespeare Theatre Association’s IDEAA Committee. Jason holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from Missouri State and an MFA in Directing from Boston University.
CASEY WILLIAM GALLAGHER (Managing Director) has worked at PSF for 25 seasons. Over the years he was the assistant house manager, box office manager, company manager, assistant producer, and director of development. Since 2004, in his role as general manager and later managing director, he has served as the administrative leader of the Festival, working very closely with the box office, business, development, marketing and production departments. Casey is excited to now serve as co-leader of the Festival with Artistic Director Jason King Jones. Beyond PSF, Casey has also been treasurer for the Shakespeare Theatre Association, director of audience services for The People’s Light & Theatre Company, a board member for Civic Theatre of Allentown, a peer panelist for the New Jersey Council on the Arts and a judge for the Greater Philadelphia Barrymore Awards for excellence in theatre.
DENNIS RAZZE (Associate Artistic Director) was one of the founding members of PSF back in 1992. Since then, he has directed over twenty productions for PSF including Ragtime, Les Misérables, Evita, Sweeney Todd, South Pacific, West Side Story, Oklahoma!, Fiddler on the Roof, 1776, Cyrano de Bergerac, My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, Amadeus, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Mr. Razze has been a faculty member at DeSales for the last thirty-nine years and served as chair of the theatre department from 2003 to 2020. Besides directing, Mr. Razze has worked as an actor and a composer. He composed the scores for many PSF and Act One productions. Mr. Razze will be retiring from DeSales at the end of this summer, but he plans to continue working as a freelance director.
Artist and Creative Team Bios (alphabetical order): 2H4=Henry IV, Part 2; Heights=In the Heights; Lady Day=Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill; S&S=Sense and Sensibility; James=James and the Giant Peach.
JOHN AHLIN* (Falstaff, 2H4) This is John’s eighth PSF production, which include Fiddler on the Roof, and Playboy of the Western World. Broadway credits: Waiting for Godot, Journey’s End (2007 Tony Award Best Revival), The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Voices in the Dark, One Mo’ Time, Whoopee! and Macbeth. Off-Broadway: Orson Welles in Orson’s Shadow, and dozens more. John has appeared at the top regional theaters around the country. TV/Film: Law and Order: SVU, Late Night with David Letterman, the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis and the upcoming Space Cadet. As a playwright, John’s award-winning plays include Gray Area, My Witch: The Margaret Hamilton Stories, and ChipandGus, co-authored with Christopher Patrick Mullen, about two guys playing ping pong. johnahlin.com
JOHN AUSTIN* (Ferdinand, Tempest; Willoughby, S&S) National Tour: Me, Myself, and Shirley starring the late Cindy Williams of the hit television show Laverne & Shirley; National Players, Tour 69: Othello, Alice in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby (Jay Gatsby). Regional: Arena Stage: Angels in America (Joe Pitt), Holiday, Right to Be Forgotten, Kleptocracy; Round House; Signature; Studio; Shakespeare Theatre Company; Constellation: Melancholy Play (Helen Hayes Award, Outstanding Production); Tutto Theatre Company: Zeus in Therapy (Young Zeus, B. Iden Payne Award, Outstanding Young Performer); Austin Shakespeare: Pride and Prejudice. Education: Boston University: BFA Acting, Summa Cum Laude, Dean’s Award, Bette Davis Prize; Shakespeare at Winedale: Twelfth Night, The Duchess of Malfi, Pericles, Henry V. LAMDA: Julius Caesar (Antony). Certificate in Classical Acting. johnaustinactor.com.
CJ BARNWELL (Projections, Tempest) designs lighting and visual media for theatre and live events around the country. CJ was most recently projection designer for PSF’s How I Learned What I Learned by August Wilson. Regionally, CJ has also designed projections for Mountaintop and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, AK; Be Here Now at North Carolina Stage in Asheville, NC; and Mountaintop for West Virginia Public Theatre. Some of CJ’s recent lighting designs include West Side Story at Flat Rock Playhouse; Jeeves Intervenes at North Carolina Stage Company; Jersey Boys at Theatre Raleigh; and Color Purple for North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh, NC. See his other current and upcoming designs at cjlights.com.
JESSICA BEDFORD (Director, S&S) is a Philadelphia based actor, director, dramaturg, playwright and teacher. She has been seen onstage at McCarter Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Lantern Theater Co., Montgomery Theater, Act II Playhouse, Tiny Dynamite, Theatre Horizon, People’s Light and Theatre Co. and other stages in the Philadelphia area. Recent directing credits include Delaware Shakespeare, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, Act II Playhouse, DeSales University, McCarter and PSF. As a writer, her works have been produced with Passage Theatre, 1812 Productions, Recognize Theatre, Act II Playhouse, Tiny Dynamite, Villanova University Theatre, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, and Juniper Productions. Jessica has taught at Villanova University, Temple University, and University of the Arts. She was a finalist for the 2018 F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Award from Theatre Philadelphia and a 2012 finalist for NY Stage & Film’s Founder Award. She is co-author of the satirical piece The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged. Currently, she is an assistant professor of theatre at DeSales University. Villanova University, MA; Queens University, MFA.
DANNY BOLERO* (Kevin, Heights) was recently awarded the prestigious 2023 Bistro Award and the 2023 MAC award for his critically acclaimed one-man show, They Call Me Cuban Pete, the music and genius of Desi Arnaz in which he plays I Love Lucy star, Desi Arnaz. Danny is thrilled to be part of PSF, working again with Valeria Cossu on this special show. Danny made his Broadway debut in Webber’s Joseph…, returning to Broadway in 2009 in In the Heights, which led to him originating the role of Kevin on the 1st National Tour. Last year he appeared on Broadway again in Plaza Suite, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Mathew Broderick. He comes to us straight from an intense 29-hour reading of the Broadway-bound musical The Buena Vista Social Club; his latest film Townhouse Confidential is currently streaming on a TV near you, as well as his VO work as Abuelo on Alma’s Way, for PBS Kids. @ELAactorinNYC, dbolero.com.
LESLIE ANNE BOYDEN* (Stage Manager, Tempest, S&S) (she/her) is a stage manager based in the Philadelphia area. In the past she has worked with Philadelphia Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon, The Wilma Theater, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre, Simpatico Theatre, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Act II Playhouse, Arden Theatre Company, Millbrook Playhouse, and Hedgerow Theatre. She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2014 with a B.A. in Theatre and Drama.
TREY BRAZEAL (Lighting Designer, James, Lady Day) Some of his credits include: Much Ado About Nothing, Fences (The Olney Theatre Center); The Last 5 Years (Third Avenue Playworks); Moulin Rouge! The Musical US tour (2nd Ass’t, Nederlander Theatre); Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster tour (Manual Cinema); This Wide Night (Shattered Globe Theatre and Interrobang Theatre Project); Little Shop of Horrors, My Way: A Frank Sinatra Tribute Musical (Metropolis Performing Arts Center).
REBECCA CALLAN (Costume Shop Manager) is the Costume Shop Manager at DeSales University and PSF. Previously, she was the Costume Designer and Costume Shop Supervisor at the College of Wooster in Ohio and the Costume Shop Director and Costume Designer at Cedar Crest College. She has worked for the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, Imagination Costume Las Vegas, the Santa Fe Opera, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. Rebecca holds an MFA in Theatre—Costume Technology from the University of Houston.
CHARLIE CALVERT (Set Designer, James, Lady Day) Other recent credits: Comedy of Tenors, Dial M for Murder and Fickle: A Fancy French Farce (Olney Theatre Center); Blithe Spirit, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Henry VIII, The Learned Ladies, Comedy of Errors (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); The Crucible, Moonlight for the Misbegotten (The Warehouse Theatre). Broadway: assistant set designer for In My Life and One Mo’ Time. Off-Broadway: assistant set designer for Well (Public Theater) and Wintertime (Second Stage Theater). Charlie, a member of USA829, received his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and serves on the faculty at University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.
JEANETTE CHRISTENSEN (Costume Designer, Heights) is a Helen Hayes nominated costume designer, illustrator, and fashion stylist based in Baltimore, MD. She has most notably designed costumes for the Broadway national tour of On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2022-2023) and the national tour/world premiere of Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (2019). She has designed throughout DC with The Kennedy Center, Gala Hispanic Theatre, Theater Alliance, 4615 Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Pointless Theatre, Imagination Stage, Monumental Theatre, Dance Exchange, and Mosaic Theater. She has assisted with costume designs at American Players Theater, Roundhouse Theatre, Folger Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, and Studio Theater. She has worked as a costume designer/mentor with Arizona State University, University of Maryland, Bowie State University, American University, and George Washington University. She recently launched her own clothing brand, called Ronni-X. Education: BA in Design & Production from Arizona State University, MFA in Design from the University of Maryland. Find more of her work at jchristensendesign.com
SEAN CLOSE* (Daniel, Complete Works) (he/him) Recent credits include: PSF, Much Ado About Nothing (Don John); 1812 Productions, This is the Week That Is (News Anchor/ Ensemble); Theatre Horizon, TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever (TJ); Arden Theatre Company, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream (Lysander/ Flute); Quintessence Theatre Group, One Man, Two Guvnors (Francis); Delaware Theatre Company, The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sir Henry) and many others. TV/Film: 21 Bridges; Dispatches From Elsewhere on AMC.
MELISSA COLLINS (Assistant Stage Manager, 2H4) an Atlanta native and Florida resident, Melissa studied at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida receiving an A.A. in Entertainment Design and Technology. This is Melissa’s first season with PSF and she is thrilled to be here. Recent credits: Noises Off, Henry V at Orlando Shakes; The Fantasticks at Flint Repertory Theatre; Hymn at Shakespeare & Company.
VALERIA COSSU (Director, Heights) began her career as a performer at the Opera Lirica in Italy, dancing in prestigious productions such as Rigoletto, La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Carmen, Nabucco, La Vida Breve, on famous venues such as Teatro Reggio in Parma. She toured all over Europe as part of several dance and theatre companies, such as MAYUMANA and Yllana. With MAYUMANA, Valeria started discovering the body percussion technique, developing it further and creating her own unique style that brought her to teach and choreograph in several countries such as Perú, Colombia, Spain, United States among others. Her international experience and collaboration with excellence in the body percussion field gave Valeria the opportunity to improve her style fusioning with Flamenco, Zapateo Peruano, Tap dancing, Stepping, and evolve it as a different international language to tell stories through rhythm. Stepping into more leadership roles, Valeria served as John Rando’s Assistant Director on the Broadway production of The Wedding Singer in Spain. Upon moving to NYC, Valeria choreographed Ser o no Cer…Vantes, 2011 Revolucion Latina Choreographers Festival, BOUNTIFUL, To Be Or Not To Be, and The Tempest. As a director in NYC, Valeria has been invited to work in several festivals. She won Best Director for the musical Discovering Magenta, and the play Until Death Do Us Part was nominated for Best Play (New York Theatre Festival). Valeria joined Salgado Productions for several years working alongside Luis Salgado as Associate Director/Choreographer in many productions such as Candela Fuerza y Pasion, Song of Solomon, Zuccotti Park, In The Heights, Ragtime, Fame, Aida, Matilda, and the World Premiere of On Your Feet en Español. Recently she served as choreographer/associate director in the LONJ Opera production of La Boheme.
ROBERT CUCCIOLI* (Prospero, Tempest) He is known by many for his critically acclaimed TONY nominated performance as the dual title roles in the Broadway hit musical Jekyll & Hyde, for which he also received the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, FANY and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards for “Outstanding Actor in a Musical.” Other Broadway credits: Inspector Javert in Les Misérables and Dr. Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Off-Broadway: And The World Goes ‘Round (Outer Critics Circle Award), Rothschild and Sons (Offie nomination – London), Jacques Brel, Bikeman: A 9/11 Play, Snow Orchid, White Guy on the Bus, The White Devil, Caesar & Cleopatra, Mrs. Warren’s Profession and most recently A Touch of the Poet at The Irish Repertory Theatre. Television: The Sinner, Elementary, White Collar, Sliders, Baywatch, The Guiding Light. Film: Woody Allen’s Celebrity, The Stranger, Impossible Monsters, The Rest of Us. Robert is currently involved with the new musical Mozart: Her Story now in development and recently performed the role of Malvolio in Twelfth Night at The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ. robertcuccioli.com
ARRIANNA DANIELS (Marianne Dashwood, S&S) (she/her) Previous credits include work with PSF, Winnipesaukee Playhouse, River Union Stage, and Rogue Theater Festival. As a DSU graduate, she has helped lend a voice to Main Stage productions in various roles on both sides of the curtain, whether that be leading lady or ASM. She continues to explore the essence of the human experience by illuminating neglected narratives and reanimating classics to provoke conversation about the world we live in now.
AKEEM DAVIS* (Trinculo, Tempest; Edward Ferrars, S&S) Akeem Davis, from Miami, Fl, is a graduate of The Florida State University. Festival credits include Henry V (2015), Longaville (Love’s Labor’s Lost, 2016), Duke Orsino (Twelfth Night, 2018), Demetrius (Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2021), Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing, 2022). Regional credits include Arden Theatre Company: A Doll’s House, Gem of the Ocean; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: The Arsonists; Folger Theatre: District Merchants, King John; People’s Light: All My Sons; Theatre Horizon: Lobby Hero, In The Blood; InterAct Theatre: The Dangerous House of Pretty M’bane, Marcus/Emma; Theatre Exile: Buzzer; Simpatico Theatre Project: The Brothers Size. A Helen Hayes and Barrymore Award nominated actor, as well as recipient of the 2015 F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, Akeem is a proud man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
MAX DOOLITTLE (Lighting Designer, Heights) Regional: Ford’s Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, Folger Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theater Center, Mosaic Theater, Theater Alliance, Theater J, Rep Stage, The Kennedy Center, The Second City, Imagination Stage, Forum Theater, Adventure Theatre, Constellation Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Academy for Classical Acting, Pointless Theatre Co, NextStop Theatre. NYC includes Ars Nova, Juilliard School, New Ohio Theatre, New World Stages. Regional includes Geffen Playhouse, Santa Fe Playhouse, Kitchen Theatre Company, Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Fulton Theatre. Lighting direction for television includes Anderson Cooper 360, Piers Morgan Live. Aboard Cruise Ships: Wine Lovers, The Musical. BFA: Ithaca College. MFA: University of Maryland.
HAYAT DOMINGUEZ (Sound Designer, Heights) Hayat received their MFA in Sound Design and Technology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and their BFA in Theatre Technology from the University of South Dakota. Hayat is a current Lecturer of Sound Design and Technology at Texas State University and has worked for such companies as Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Santa Fe Opera, Lees-McRae Summer Theatre, and more. They have done work with opera, dance, theatre, musicals, cirque, devised work, concerts, musicians, and many more.
EMMA D. EMDE (Assistant Stage Manager, Tempest, S&S) During the 2022-23 season Emma was working at Virginia Stage Company as their Season Assistant Stage Manager. Her credits there include Henry V, Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, The 39 Steps, A Merry Little Christmas Carol and The Hobbit. Following this summer she will be heading back to the Virginia Stage Company for their 2023-24 season. Emma is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a proud member of the Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honors Society and National Honors Society for Dance Association. @mrsemmademde
MAJO FERRUCHO* (Stage Manager, Heights) is a Colombian production stage manager and producer. Has worked on numerous productions. Selected credits as Stage Manager: Arrabal directed by Sergio Trujillo; Beauty and the Beast with Disney Theatrical Group, directed by Lynne Kurdziel Formato; Blood Wedding directed by Andres Gallardo; On Your Feet! en Español, directed by Luis Salgado; The Sound of Music; Peter Pan; Fame and recently traveled with On Your Feet! U.S. National Tour. Selected credits as Producer: The Last 5 Years; Daddy Long Legs; The Lion. Selected credits as Producer/General Manager: Vida starring Carolina Gaitán; Every Brilliant Thing starring Amalia Andrade.
LILY FOSSNER (Lighting Designer, S&S) (she/her) Recently: Pay No Worship for InterAct, Empathitrax at Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Pillowman at Hedgerow. Theatre Includes: Theatre Horizon, 1812, Azuka, People’s Light, Lantern, Delaware Theatre Company, Act II, Bryn Mawr, Public Theatre, NYU/Grad Acting, Chautauqua Theater Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, A Fierce Kind of Love for the Temple Institute on Disabilities. Dance Includes: Nichole Canuso, Doug Varone & Dancers, Monica Bill Barnes & Company. Opera Includes: Juilliard Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass Festival. Training: MFA, NYU/Tisch. Member, United Scenic Artists Local 829. www.lilyfossner.com
LARRY D. FOWLER, JR. (Sound Design, Lady Day) Philadelphia: Fences (PA Shakespeare Festival); Death of A Driver (Interact Theater); A Hit Dog Will Holler (Azuka Theater); The Light (Theatre Exile); All My Mothers Dream In Spanish (Azuka Theater). Regional: Blues for an Alabama Sky (PlayMakers Rep), By The Queen (Trinity Rep), History of Theater (A Contemporary Theatre). Awards: 3-Time Barrymore Award Nominee. Upcoming: Galilee (Azuka Theater); Chicken and Biscuits (Bristol Riverside Theater); Last Night and the Night Before (Steppenwolf); Zooman and the Sign (Theater In The X); Child Support Camden Repertory). Faculty Associate Adjunct Professor At University of the Arts.
LUIS-PABLO GARCIA* (Sonny, Heights) is a 21-year old first generation Cuban-American and Miami Native. He graduated from New World School of the Arts High School in 2020 and attended Webster Conservatory of theatre arts. Garcia has recently been seen in the world premier and pre-broadway tryout of The Karate Kid: The Musical and In the Heights at Stages St.Louis and Rubicon theatre.
KIMBERLY GILBERT* (Mistress Quickly, 2H4) a Delco native, is making her childhood dream come true by being a part of this festival at long last. A proud union actor since 2001, she is a graduate of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy For Classical Acting and company member of both Woolly Mammoth Theatre and Taffety Punk Theatre in Washington DC.
SARAH GLIKO* (Ariel, Tempest; Elinor Dashwood, S&S) is an actor/musician and founding member of the Wilma HotHouse Acting Company, where select productions include: KISS, The Cherry Orchard, Minor Character, Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Drama League Award Nomination), Constellations (Barrymore Nomination-Lead Performance), When The Rain Stops Falling (Barrymore Award-Ensemble), the U.S. premiere of Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem, and the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s Don Juan Comes Home from Iraq. Other recent credits include: Greenbrier Valley Theatre’s Mountain Home Christmas, TOWN at Theatre Horizon, alongside Bebe Neuwirth in A Small Fire and The Bridges of Madison County (Barrymore Award-Lead Performance), both at PTC.
DAVID M. GREENBERG (Sound Designer, Sound Supervisor) is a composer and sound designer for theatre, dance, and film from Fort Lauderdale, FL by way of Knoxville, TN. He received his BA in Theatre from the University of Tennessee and went on to earn his MFA in Theatre Sound Design and Technology at the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA), David serves as the Resident Sound Designer/Sound Supervisor for DeSales University and PSF. His recent works include Always…Patsy Cline (Creede Repertory Theatre), Silent Sky, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (DeSales), and Hamlet (PSF Willpower Tour)
ERIC T. HAUGEN (Lighting Designer) In past PSF seasons, Eric has designed the lighting for some of the more memorable PSF productions such as: Crazy for You, Ragtime, Evita, Westside Story, Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, Sweeney Todd, South Pacific, Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker, King Lear, Amadeus, and My Fair Lady, among others. His theatrical lighting has been seen Off-Broadway and in regional theatres across the country. Through his company, Luminous Design Studios, Eric provides lighting designs for television, themed entertainment, and architectural projects worldwide. In August of 2018, Eric joined the faculty of DeSales University and is thrilled to be teaching the next generation of designers. www.LD-Studios.com
TAUREN HAGANS* (Camila & u/s Abuela, Heights) is a New York native who currently lives in The Bronx. Tauren has performed in In the Heights with the National Tour (Daniela), as well as at The Fulton Theatre (Daniela), Stages St. Louis (Camila) and Mill Mountain Theatre (Abuela). Some of her favorite credits include the world premiere of the new musical Far From Canterbury (The Oracle) at The Barnstormers Theater, Mamma Mia (Rosie), 9 to 5 the Musical (Roz) both at Flat Rock Playhouse, Pride and Prejudice (Mrs. Bennet) at Greenbrier Valley Theatre.
KELLI HERRON (Assistant Stage Manager, Heights) Kelli Herron earned her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Tennessee where she worked at the Clarence Brown Theatre as a Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager on several productions including The Busy Body, the World Premieres of both the strangers and People Where They Are, Candide, The Real Inspector Hound, and Airness. She then moved on to work as Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s resident Assistant Stage Manager for all productions, some including the World Premiere of Designing Women, School Girls, Into the Woods, Guys and Dolls, and most recently Little Shop of Horrors.
JIM HELSINGER* (Stephano, Tempest) PSF acting credits include Parolles (All’s Well that End’s Well), Lady Bracknell (The Importance of Being Earnest), Master Ford (The Merry Wives of Windsor), Malvolio (Twelfth Night) and Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). PSF directing credits include The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Hound of the Baskervilles and Lend Me a Tenor. Regional acting includes title roles in Cyrano de Bergerac, Hamlet, Dracula, and Henry V. Helsinger is in his 29th season as the Artistic Director of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in partnership with UCF. He holds a BA from Miami University (Ohio) and an MFA from the University of Alabama.
ERIC HISSOM* (LC Justice, Mouldy, 2H4; Alonso & u/s Prospero, Tempest) Eric’s PSF credits include roles in Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, A Man for All Seasons, The Tempest, Taming of the Shrew, Troilus and Cressida, Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Around the World in Eighty Days, King John, All’s Well that Ends Well, and more. Other theatre credits include work at Seattle Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep, Asolo Rep, Syracuse Stage, Arena Stage, Arden Theater Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Folger Theatre, and many others. He did the national tour of The Thirty-Nine Steps, and has done a bit of TV and film, including the feature Out of Time. He has an MFA from Florida State’s Asolo Conservatory.
JIM IRELAND* (King Henry IV, 2H4) first appeared on the Labuda stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1987 and in PSF’s inaugural season where he also directed the Festival’s first Green Show. Most cherished Shakespearean roles are Sir Andrew Aguecheek (dir. Gregory Doran, RSC), Malvolio (New York), Mercutio (Tour) and King Lear’s Fool (Orlando Shakespeare Theater). Off-Broadway credits include The Shawl (dir. Sidney Lumet), and Motherbird (Original cast) by Craig Lucas. Jim played opposite Phylicia Rashad in Every Tongue Confess (dir. Kenny Leon) at Arena Stage and was a member of the Lab Theater (formerly Circle Rep) where he workshopped plays for fellow members Terrance McNally, Craig Lucas, William Hoffman and Lanford Wilson. Jim’s voice can be heard most recently in Marvel’s Wolverine, and most previously, with Coleen Dewhurst in A Door in the Wall, a radio drama on NPR.
GREGORY ISAAC (Antonio, Tempest; Cln. Brandon, S&S) (he/him) makes his debut with PSF this summer. Based in Philadelphia, his recent work includes Doctor Faustus, My Fair Lady (Quintessence Theatre Group); The Royale, Betrayal (Lantern Theater Company); A Christmas Carol (Walnut Street Theatre); The Merry Wives of Windsor (Delaware Shakespeare); Hope, Gravity (1812 Productions); and he was a Barrymore Award nominee for his work in Iphigenia at Aulis (Philadelphia Artists’ Collective). He also spent a number of years living and performing in New York City, Atlanta, and Chicago. 2,500 years ago, Aesop told us, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” www.gregory-isaac.
GINA LAMPARELLA* (Lady North, Mowbray, 2H4; Goddess, Tempest; Mrs. Dashwood, S&S) has appeared on Broadway in Caroline or Change, The Phantom of the Opera, A Little Night Music, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel), Gypsy, Imaginary Friends, Jane Eyre (Blanche Ingram), and Les Miserables. Other theater: Miss Saigon, Crazy For You (Polly), The Graduate (Mrs. Robinson), The Sound of Music (Elsa Schraeder), Fiddler on the Roof (Golde). TV credits include The Blacklist, Master of None, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and All My Children. For PSF, Gina has appeared on stage as Thaisa in Pericles and Miranda in The Tempest; and directed Crazy For You, Richard II, and WillPower tours of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet.
TY LANE (John, Fang, Drawer 2, 2H4) This is Ty Lane’s first season with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Credits include: Romeo & Juliet at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Twelfth Night, The Metromaniacs, and the 2022 Shakespeare LIVE! tour of Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Much Ado About Nothing at Opera House Arts; Troilus & Cressida, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cabaret, Into the Woods, and Ragtime at the Scranton Shakespeare Festival; He has been in the world premieres of The Richard Project at the Lester Martin Theatre and Let Go at the New York Theater Festival. He is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and was a member of the 2018-2019 Academy Company.
ANTHONY LAWTON* (Northumberland, Shallow, 2H4) has acted in Philadelphia for twenty-four years. Favorite roles include George in Of Mice and Men (Walnut); “man” in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (1812); and Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet (Arden).In 2005, Lawton received grants from the Independence Foundation and Philadelphia Theatre Initiative to write and develop The Foocy, which garnered five Barrymore nominations (including Best New Play). Keep an eye out for The Light Princess at the Arden this spring, which Lawton adapted for the stage with music by Alex Bechtel. The Philadelphia City Paper named him the city’s “Best One-Man Theatre” for his solo productions of The Devil and Billy Markham, The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters. For more information on these shows, go to: www.anthonylawtonactor.com.
LEVONNE LINDSAY (Costume Designer, Lady Day) PSF: Much Ado About Nothing; Arden Theatre Company: Radio Gulf, Into the Woods, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Ragtime, Gem of the Ocean (2019 Barrymore Award), The Bluest Eye. Wilma Theater: Kiss; Kill, Move, Paradise; Philadelphia Theatre Company: Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, The Garbologists, Sweat: Simpatico Theatre: Time Is On Our Side; Virginia Stage Company: Native Gardens, The Hampton Years; Trinity Repertory Company: Gem of the Ocean. Education: BS in Fashion Design (Philadelphia University); MFA in Costume Design (University of Maryland, College Park). Allen Lee Hughes Fellow at Arena Stage 2001-2003. Academic positions held at Swarthmore College, The University of the Arts, James Madison University, and Valdosta State University.
DAISY MARIE LOPEZ* (Nina, Heights) is a proud Mexican American from Los Angeles, California! She is a recent graduate of Hussian College, receiving her BFA in musical theatre and film. She is so grateful and excited to be in another production of her favorite show, after making her debut at La Mirada’s production of In The Heights.
ELI LYNN (Hal, Fight Director, 2H4; Fight Director, Tempest; Fight Director, S&S; Jess, Complete Works) (they/them) is a trans nonbinary actor, IDC-certified Intimacy Director, and Barrymore-nominated fight director. Regional acting credits include: Trevor (The Play That Goes Wrong, 1812 Productions), Orsino/Toby (Twelfth Night) and Jean 3/Prince (Thrive, World Premiere – American Shakespeare Center), Aramis (The Three Musketeers, Cleveland Playhouse), Raymond (The Sea Voyage, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective), Flute/Thisby (Midsummer Night’s Dream, PA Shakespeare Festival), Dorcus/Dion (The Winter’s Tale, Folger Theatre), Danny/Diana (Sensitive Guys, World Premiere – InterAct), Flask (Moby Dick, Hedgerow). They are also an Artistic Associate with Philadelphia Artists’ Collective. www.Eli-Lynn.com
CEDRIC D. LYLES* (Jimmy Powers, Lady Day) is a passionate artist with many roles including administrator, arts manager, educator, and performing artist. Originally from Washington, D.C., he received musical training as a child from the Levine School of Music: a skilled pianist and musician who has served Toby’s Dinner Theatre, Everyman Theater, and Baltimore Center Stage. and other arts organizations in the D.C./Baltimore Metro area. Cedric has a B.A. in Music, a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management, and over 30 graduate credits from American, Morgan State, and Towson Universities. As a musical director and performer, he focuses on telling a story through music and encouraging actors to make musical choices that support the story. Cedric is also a composer and arranger with many successful works, including 7:32 the musical (NYMF-2012) and Delilah: a new musical (KC-Page to Stage – May 2021). He is a founding board member of ArtsCentric, Inc. and serves as the volunteer Director of Operations and Musical Supervisor. Cedric is now the Director of Artistic Studies (arts division head) at Walnut Hill School for the Arts.
WALTER MCCOY (Music Director, Heights) Walter “Bobby” McCoy-He/They (Music Director), is a proud Nicaraguan-American and Washington D.C. based pianist, contractor and music director. Music Direction Credits include- NEW YORK: Xanadu, The World Goes‘Round (The Mac-Haydn Theatre). ST. LOUIS: In The Heights (STAGES St. Louis). WASHINGTON DC: A Strange Loop (AFM contractor) Woolly Mammoth, A.D. 16 (Asst MD), Beauty and the Beast, Miss You Like Hell, Annie (Olney Theatre Center); On Your Feet! En Español, Fame: in Spanish (2021 HH Nom), In The Heights in Spanish (2018 HH WINNER, Outstanding Musical Direction) (Gala Hispanic Theatre); Legally Blonde (2020 HH WINNER, Outstanding Musical Direction) (Keegan Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors (2020 HH Nom), Aida (2019 HH Nom), The Wild Party (2018 HH Nom) (Constellation Theatre). UPCOMING: In The Heights- Music Director (PA Shakespeare Festival). IG: @wmccoymusic94
GABE MOSES (Poins, Coleville, 1st Beedle, 2H4) (he/him) is an actor and director who strives to use his platforms to amplify black and brown voices. Gabe has been seen at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in their productions of Ragtime, Crazy For You, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and others. His other acting credits include HAIR (Cortland Repertory Theatre), The Tempest (Delaware Shakespeare), and Park Protectors (Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble). His directing credits include Blood At The Root (Charter Arts High School), Trouble In Mind (Civic Theatre), Dark Skinned Pavement (Palm Beach Dramaworks), and assistant director to Steve H Broadnax (Broadway’s Thoughts of A Colored Man) for Bayard Rustin: Inside Ashland (People’s Light). IG: @gabejmoses
CHRISTOPHER PATRICK MULLEN* (Hastings, Francis, Silence, 2H4; Caliban, Tempest; Thomas Middleton, Sir John, S&S) DeSales graduate— CPMʼs work with PSF (since 1992) includes: Irma Vep, Henry IV Part 1, Shakespeare In Love, Richard II, Loveʼs Labours Lost, Julius Caesar, Pericles, Charleyʼs Aunt, Hamlet, The Glass Menagerie, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker! — Other credits include: ChipandGus (Baltimore CenterStage, et al); A Christmas Carol Comedy (Hedgerow Theatre); Long Day’s Journey into Night, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Bridge Street Theatre); Birds of North America, The Pavilion (Chester Theatre Co); Rumors, Noises Off (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina); Hamlet (Orlando Shakespeare Theater); West Side Story (1st National Tour); The Runner Stumbles (Off-Broadway); Cabaret, Metamorphoses, Macbeth, A Little Night Music, Candide, Assassins (Arden Theatre); Law & Order, FBI — ChristopherPatrickMullen.com
MATTHEW M. NIELSON (Composer, Tempest) Off-Broadway sound design and original music credits include The Public Theater/NYSF, Lincoln Center Theater and 59E59 Theaters. Regional credits include Denver Center Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Barrington Stage, Round House Theatre, Woolly Mammoth, Studio Theatre, Theater Alliance, Olney Theatre and Contemporary American Theater Festival. Film/TV credits & clients include Elbow Grease, Blue, Epix Drive-In, Netflix, Discovery Channel. Matthew wrote the songs the Audrey Cefaly’s The Last Wide Open musical and is the creator of the audio drama series Troublesome Gap. He is currently enrolled in Songwriting and Music Production with the Berklee College of Music Online. Samples online at CuriousMusic.com.
LEIGH PARADISE (Costume Designer, S&S, Midsummer, Abridged) (she/her/hers) is a costumer based in southeastern PA, excited to be a part of this project. Her design credits include Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Walnut Street Theater), This is the Week That Is (1812 Productions), Town (Theatre Horizon), Bayard Rustin: Inside Ashland (People’s Light), The Importance of Being Earnest (DeSales University, Act 1), and Resilient: Black Bottom (Drexel University).
SOLOMON PARKER III* (Benny, Heights) Regional: Olney Theatre Center: Kinky Boots (Lola). Signature Theater: The Color Purple (Harpo) [Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical], Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder, Cabaret, RENT, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Andre), Grand Hotel, Billy Elliot, Jesus Christ Superstar. Ford’s Theatre: The Wiz, A Christmas Carol, Grace the Musical (Lawrence). Monumental Theatre Co: Pippin (Leading Player) [Helen Hayes nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Musical], Sunday Funday (Host), Montgomery, Bashful. Keegan Theatre: Legally Blonde, Halloween Gala ‘21. Toby’s Dinner Theatre: Kinky Boots, Dreamgirls, Hairspray; Red Branch Theatre Company: Dogfight. Film: After Midnight dir. Jared Grimes, Signature Vinyl. EDUCATION: Montgomery College. TheSolomonexperience.com Instagram @thesolomonexperience
IAN MERRILL PEAKES* (Westmoreland, 2H4) PSF: Midsummer, As You Like It, Blithe Spirit, Taming of the Shrew et al; Philly: Lantern Theater: Lifespan of a Fact; Molly Sweeney; Walnut Street Theatre: Blithe Spirit, Matilda, Peter and the Starcatcher. Arden Theatre: Something Intangible (Barrymore Award), All My Sons (Barrymore Award); Wilma Theater; Philadelphia Theatre Company: Sideman (Barrymore Award); Theatre Exile: Red Light Winter and Invisible Hand (Barrymore Award nominations); Regional: ACT, Seattle Rep and Shakespeare Theatre: Charles III; Folger: R and G are Dead (Helen Hayes Award), Henry VIII, Macbeth, The Game of Love and Chance (Helen Hayes nominations); Denver Center for the Performing Arts: The Catch, Glengarry Glen Ross (Best of Denver Awards); Actors Theatre of Louisville; Shakespeare Santa Cruz; Gulfshore Playhouse.
MATT PFEIFFER (Director, Midsummer, Complete Works) (he/him) is a Philly born actor and director. He’s thrilled to be back for his 23rd season at PSF. Other credits include; Arden Theatre, People’s Light&Theatre, Bristol Riverside, InterAct, Lantern Theatre, Walnut St., 1812 Productions, Delaware Theatre Co. The Gulfshore Playhouse, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Playhouse on Park, UArts, Villanova University, and Desales University. Matt is a twelve-time Barrymore nominee and winner, for his direction of The Whale and The Invisible Hand both with Theatre Exile, where he is a resident artist. He’s also a recipient of the F. Otto Haas Award and a proud grad of DeSales University.
JOHN “JP” POLLARD (Production Stage Manager, The Complete Works) joins PSF directly from stage managing Waiting for Lefty and The Tempest at Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia. Other previous credits: An Act of God, starring Sean Hayes (LA/SF), The Search for Signs… starring Lily Tomlin (SF), Carrie: The Musical Experience (LA), Jersey Boys -2nd National Tour, Nice Work If You Can Get It, starring Sally Struthers, and Anything Goes starring Sally Struthers and Andrea McArdle, both at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Previous resident positions: Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA, Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City, UT, Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, NY, and Grease – Das Musical which toured Germany and Switzerland. In a previous lifetime, JP served as personal assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker. Proud Equity member since 1983.
EBONY PULLUM* (Billie, Lady Day) Ebony Pullum is an actress, singer and teaching artist based out of Philadelphia. She is excited to make her “PA Shakes” debut with such a dynamic piece of theater. Some of her notable credits include; Florida Rep- Lady Day Curio Theater Co.- Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. The Lantern Theater- Fabulation. Theater Horizon- Shug Avery, The Color Purple ( Barrymore Award winner); Lantern Theater: Red Velvet (Barrymore Nominated) @Ebonythestar
RYAN REYES (Usnavi, Heights) Ryan Reyes is a proud Puerto Rican actor from New Jersey who is very excited to be coming back to his stomping grounds! This is full circle for Ryan as he returns to PSF not only as a performer but also as an alumni of the DeSales Theatre program. Ryan’s previous roles include: !Americano¡ as Fro Valdovinos (Off-Broadway), Usnavi in In the Heights at the Rubicon Theatre with director Luis Salgado, Chino in West Side Story at Florida Repertory Theatre, Ritchie Valens in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at North Shore Music Theatre. When not on the stage, Ryan is a horse trainer and a stuntman for western independent films. @iam_ryanreyes.
RALPHIE RIVERA DE JESÚS (Graffiti Pete, Heights) Dancer, teacher and choreographer. Among his most recent contracts are On Your Feet National Tour cast as Ensemble / US Nayib and Young Emilio, On Your Feet and In the Heights in Puerto Rico. He has collaborated with some of the top ballet companies in Puerto Rico: BCPR, BNPR. Two times World Salsa Open Champion in the same gender duo category. Part of his dance credits include Atención Atención, Buscabulla, Lizbeth Román, Christian Daniel, Laura Pausini, Ken Y. He’s currently part of the contemporary dance collective Claroscuro.
AMINA ROBINSON (Director, Lady Day) is happy to make her PA Shakespeare debut with this production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Amina’s directing work includes shows with The Arden Theatre, Passage Theatre in Trenton, Queens Theatre in New York, IAMA Theater in Los Angeles, Philadelphia Artists Collective, Azuka Theater, Theater Horizon, The Lantern, and Temple University, where she is a Professor of Acting and Musical Theater. Amina became the first Black woman to win a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical in 2019 for her work on The Color Purple at Theatre Horizon. Amina is a professional actor, and currently serves as the Artistic Director of The Centre Theater in Norristown, under the management of The Elmwood Park Zoo, where she just finished directing Dreamgirls in Concert.
JOSHUA ROSE (Director of Production) is thrilled to be able to work with PSF to bring our 31st season back indoors. He has previously worked with CMT San Jose, TheatreWorks, San Jose Rep, The Fifth Avenue, A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theater, and The Fulton. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth.
SABRINA LYNNE SAWYER (Lady Percy, Snare, Clarence, Wart, 2H4) (she/hers) Recent credits include The Cake, the Boston premiere of Chicken & Biscuits, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Folger Theatre in Washington D.C.; National tour: National Players (Olney Theatre Center): A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Raisin in the Sun. Training: B.A. Theatre (Acting), University of Southern California. sabrinalynnesawyer.com
JAQUELIN LORRAINE SCHOFIELD* (Abuela Claudia, Heights) Jacquelin is a proud Afro-Latina Air Force Veteran, who hails from Brooklyn, NY. She is also a very gifted home chef. Honors: Ovation and NAACP Theater Award winner (The Color Purple). After a successful run of Diane Frolov’s new musical, Come Get Maggie, she is overjoyed to be making her PA Shakespeare Festival debut, as Abuela Claudia, in their production of In the Heights. Other Theatre Credits: The Crucible (Theatricum); The Color Purple, A Musical (Greenway); Sister Act, The Musical (CASA) Bronco Billy, The Musical (Skylight); Bad Habits (Ruskin Group); How We Got On (Sacred Fools); Rapunzel Alone (The Wallis/24 th Street); In the Heights (La Mirada Theatre); Camille (Santa Clarita Shakes); and A Great Wilderness (Rogue Machine). #IcandoallthingsthroughChrist
ASHANI SMITH* (Stage Manager, H24, Lady Day) She/Her. Ashani returns to her third year at PSF directly from the 1st national tour of Jagged Little Pill. PSF credits include: A Chorus Line (AEA ASM) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ASM) Other recent credits include: 1st national tour of Pretty Woman (Sub ASM), Metropolis (New Light Theater Project), and Jelly’s Last Jam (2019 National Black Theatre Festival). Proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc! @ashanihadiyah
KEVIN MATTHEW SOLIS (Piragūa Guy & u/s Usnavi, Heights) Kevin Solis is extremely excited to be making his PSF debut! Regional credits include: In the Heights, Into The Woods, Public Works Dallas: The Odyssey, and Babalu: La Vida Es Muy Larga (Dallas Theater Center); How The Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe); In the Heights (La Mirada); The House on Mango Street (Cara Mía Theater Co); Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Dallas); and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Casa Mañana). IG: @Sirkevykev
SUE JIN SONG* (Gonzala, Tempest; Mrs. Jennings, S&S) Select credits include OFF BROADWAY: The World of Extreme Happiness (NYC premiere, Manhattan Theatre Club); Iphigenia at Aulis, Exit the King (Pearl Theatre). REGIONAL THEATER: A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre Center), The Arsonists, Marie Antoinette (Woolly Mammoth Theatre). Smart People, Hot ‘n Throbbing (world premiere) (Arena Stage). Mirele Efros, Yellow Face, iHo (Theater J); 36 Views (Constellation Theatre). Waiting for Tadashi (world premiere, George Street Playhouse); Burn This (Syracuse Stage). FILM: Steel Town, Pipe Dream, Someone Like You. TELEVISION: New Amsterdam, 24, ER, Law & Order. EDUCATION: MFA Acting NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
MICHAEL ANTHONY SYLVESTER (Choreographer, Heights) Performance Credits include: TV: MTV MOVIE AWARDS (2015) BET Soul Train Awards Commercial feat. Eryka Badu, Season 1 of Todrick on MTV (Dancer, Vocalist) and DANCE MOMS!!! STAGE: Guys and Dolls (Rusty Charlie) In the Heights (Graffiti Pete) Dallas Theatre Center, West Side Story (Pepe) Lyric of Oklahoma, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Benjamin) Casa Manana Theatre, Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere) Broadway Bares: XXX 30th Anniversary and many more. Choreography Credits: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Beauty and The Beast, In The Heights, Spring Awakening, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (World Premiere) Rosie Revere Engineer TheaterworksUSA, Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide to School TheaterWorksUSA, All Shook Up (Column Award Winner for Best Choreography) and is a recipient of the Column Awards Chita Rivera Best Male Dancer Award. He also choreographed the family friendly movie Rising Stars Starring Kyle Riabko (Spring Awakening) Leon Thomas III (Victorious, August Rush) and recording artist Rebecca St. James!! Available on Amazon Prime Video. IG:oohmikeyy
STEVE TENEYCK (Set Designer, Tempest, S&S) is pleased to return to PSF having designed here for many of the last 16 seasons. Some favorite PSF past productions: West Side Story, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado, Evita, Ragtime, Julius Cesar and Twelfth Night. Designs have been seen at Dallas Theater Center, Gulfshore Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, Big Art Group, Kitchen Theatre Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Hangar Theatre, Madison Opera, Syracuse Opera, Anchorage Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florida Grand Opera. Steve is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and teaches design at Ithaca College in New York.
PATRICK TOON* (Bardolph, 2H4) A twenty-year resident of New York, Patrick has worked regionally in ten states and is happy to add Pennsylvania to the list. Favorite roles include Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, the Ghost and Player King in Hamlet, Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps, and Mr. Dussel in The Diary of Anne Frank.
ARIANA VALDES* (Daniela, Heights) (she|they) National Tours: The Sound of Music (Mother Abbess u/s), My Fair Lady (Mrs. Hopkins). Off-Broadway: The Green Room. Regional: In the Heights (Daniela), Sister Act (Mary Patrick), The Sound of Music (Mother Abbess), Beauty and the Beast (Madame Wardrobe), Seussical (Sour Kangaroo), Jerry Springer: The Opera (Peaches/Baby Jane), Shrek (Dragon), Hamlet (Gertrude). Workshops: Little Duende, El Otro Oz. Paper Mill Playhouse, STAGES St. Louis, Gateway Playhouse, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Westchester Broadway, Arizona Broadway, SpeakEasy Stage, Forestburgh Playhouse, Engeman Theater, Palace Theatre, TheatreWorksUSA, York Theatre Company, Scranton Shakespeare Festival. Boston Conservatory. Gregg Baker Management. Private voice teacher and Artistic Director of the Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellowship New Voices at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. www.ArianaValdes.com @arianavaldiva
GABRIELLE VILLARREAL (Carla, Heights) Gabrielle Villarreal (she/her) She is currently in her senior year pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at CAP21 Conservatory/ Molloy University and a member of The Miranda Family Fellowship. She recently has been seen in Elf, In The Heights and The Madison Theatre Celebration at The Madison Theatre.
BILLIE WYATT* (Miranda, Tempest; Fanny Dashwood, S&S) (she/her/hers) is thrilled to be part of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival this season. Billie was born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia and is a proud graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy Studio Conservatory. She is also an alumni of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Apprenticeship. Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Credits: The Rose Tattoo, Twelfth Night, Florence and Mojo two plays by Alice Childress, The Metromaniacs, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, the world premiere of Snug by Bonnie J. Monte, Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare Live! 2019-2021, Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and multiple filmed productions on Pandemic Playhouse Entertainment. Pennsylvania theater credits: Camille and Flyin’ West at Quintessence Theatre Group. Other credits: Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s Julius Caesar, Oxford Shakespeare workshop’s All’s Well That Ends Well. Billie is currently represented by Victoria Kress at A3 Artists Agency. billiewyatt.com
CHELSEA ZENO* (Vanessa, Heights) Credits: Distant Thunder (Shareen) at First Americans Museum directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Hunchback of Notre Dame (Esmeralda) with Fuse Productions, In the Heights (Vanessa) directed by Nick DeGruccio. Chelsea also sings with the Disney tribute band The Little Mermen, as well as with the NY based pop group Emergency Tiara. @chelsea_zeno
LISA ZINNI (Costume Designer, Tempest) Lisa has designed many PSF productions over the years. Some Favorites include: Shakespeare in Love, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Les Mis, Macbeth, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ,The Importance of Being Earnest and The Mystery of Irma Vep. Broadway Credits include Freestyle Love Supreme, Associate Costume Designer for SIX the Musical, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, School of Rock, Cats, An American in Paris, The Play that Goes Wrong, The Glass Menagerie, Rent, and Hair including the National and international touring companies. Off Broadway, Is There Still Sex and the City written and performed by Candace Bushnell .Other Design credits include of West side Story at the IHI stage around in Tokyo, Breaking Bricks and Remember Our Song for the Tulsa Ballet, Orlando Shakes, Walnut Street Theatre, The Arden Theatre Company, Riverside Theatre Vero, Bucks County playhouse, Bristol Riverside Theatre, The George Street Playhouse. LISAZINNI.com
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Stage Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Cast and creative team members are subject to change.
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