The Comedy of Errors
Directed by Steven Maler

Set Design ..... Jon Savage
Costume Design ..... David Reynoso
Lighting Design ..... Scott Pinkney
Sound Design & Original Music ..... David Wilson
Choreography .... Yo-El Cassell

Production Manager ..... Mark Lorenzo
Production Stage Manager ..... Katie Ailinger*

Cast

Remo Airaldi* … Dromio of Ephesus
Karl Baker Olson … Ensemble
John Bamberry … Ensemble
Cheo Bourne … Pinch/ Ensemble
Jeremy Browne … Ensemble
Larry Coen* … Dromio of Syracuse
Dmetrius Conley-Williams … Solinus/ Balthazar
Michael Costello … 1st Merchant
Jennifer Ellis* … Adriana
Tanya Everett … Ensemble
Tom Gleadow … 2nd Merchant
Linda Goetz … Ensemble
Zofia Gozynska … Luciana
Stephanie Jenkins … Ensemble

Samson Kohanski … Ensemble
Zachary LeClair … Ensemble
Lucas Lloyd … Ensemble
Grant MacDermott … Ensemble
Kara Manson … Ensemble
Marie Polizzano … Ensemble
Dan Roach* … Antipholus of Syracuse
Bill Shorr … Angelo

Cheryl Singleton ... Emilia
Josh Stamell … Antipholus of Ephasus
Fred Sullivan Jr.* …. Egeon

Samantha Weppelmann … Luce & Ensemble
Rebecca Whitehurst … Courtesan

* Members of Actors Equity Association

Cast Bios

Remo Airaldi

Remo Airaldi is a member of the A.R.T. Acting Company since 1993. He appeared in sixty productions, including Romance (The Defendant), Endgame (Nagg), The Seagull (Shamrayev), The Communist Dracula Pageant, When It’s Hot, It’s Cole, Cardenio, Julius Caesar, Donnie Darko, A Marvelous Party!, Oliver Twist (also at Theatre for a New Audience and Berkeley Repertory Theatre), The Onion Cellar, Island of Slaves, Romeo and Juliet (Peter), No Exit (Valet), Amerika (Captain, Green, Head Porter), Dido, Queen of Carthage (Nurse), The Provok’d Wife (Constable), The Miser (Master Jacques), The Birthday Party (McCann), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Francis Flute), Pericles (Fisherman), La Dispute (Mesrou), Uncle Vanya (Telegin), Marat/Sade (Cucurucu), Enrico IV (Bertoldo), The Winter’s Tale (Clown), The Wild Duck (Molvik), Buried Child (Father Dewis), Tartuffe (Monsieur Loyal), Henry IV and V (Mistress Quickly), Waiting for Godot (Pozzo), Shlemiel the First (Mottel/Moishe Pippik/Chaim Rascal), The King Stag (Cigolotti), Six Characters in Search of an Author (Emilio Paz). Other: Camino Real and Eight by Tenn (Hartford Stage), productions at La Jolla Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, American Conservatory Theater, Walnut Street Theatre, Prince Music Theater, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, Serious Fun Festival, Moscow Art Theatre, Taipei International Arts Festival, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

Karl Baker Olson

Karl Baker Olson CSC: Shakespeare on Love, Anna Christie (reading), Mr. Maler’s assistant on As You Like It. Boston credits include The Lieutenant of Inishmore and The Misanthrope (New Repertory Theatre); The History Boys (SpeakEasy Stage); A Moon for the Misbegotten (Merrimack Repertory Theatre); Gary (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); The Duchess of Malfi (Actors’ Shakespeare Project). Training: Boston University School of Theatre; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art; The Children’s Theatre Co. 2008 IRNE Award.

John Bambery

John Bambery is very excited to be working with Commonwealth Shakespeare this summer. Area credits include Light in the Piazza (Speakeasy Stage Company); A View from the Bridge (Harvard University); West Side Story (Boston Conservatory); and Shakespeare On Love (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), which will be touring through boston area parks this summer. John just graduated with a BFA from the Boston Conservatory, and has also trained at the Moscow Art Theater School, National Theater Institute, American Academy of Dramatic arts (NY Campus), and Manhattan School of Music. He would like to thank anybody and everybody who made this production possible, it means A LOT!!!

Cheo Bourne

Cheo Hodari Bourne (Pinch/ Ensemble/ SOL) gladly returns to the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company! Cheo graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in Theater and attended The British American Drama Academy in London, England (BADA). Regional: Jerry Springer The Opera (Speakeasy Stage Co.), Of Mice and Men (New Repertory Theater on Tour), Cabaret (New Repertory Theater) and Shakespeare on Love (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company).
University: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander, London), Company (Robert), A Man of No Importance (Robbie Faye) and Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr., NETC Moss Hart Award: Best Production) Cheo thanks his Mom, Dad, three sisters, family and close friends for truly believing in him and helping his dreams unfold.

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy Browne is glad to be making his Boston Theater debut with CSC. He has been seen most recently in The Pillowman (Katurian), A Christmas Carol (Jacob Marley) and Arms and the Man (Sergius Saranoff) with UMass Amherst, and King Lear (Kent) and Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio) with Hampshire Shakespeare Company. He would like to thank Shawn laCount for his guidance, his family for their encouragement, and Katie for her constant support.

Larry Coen

Larry has appeared in three previous Commonwealth Shakespeare Productions: He played Touchstone in As You Like It (Elliot Norton Award nomination. IRNE Award nomination); Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream; Biondello in The Taming of the Shrew (Elliot Norton Award)

This past season he appeared in the World Premiere of Tennessee Williams’ 2-character play, The Dog Enchanted by the Divine View at the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival; played the role of Ivan in Conor McPherson’s play The Seafarer at SpeakEasy Stage Company (Elliot Norton award “Best Ensemble”); played Georgie in Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans’ Of Mice and Mink; played hairdresser Tony Witcomb in Shear Madness, (the Longest Running Play in American History) and co-directed the musical smash Willie Wanker and the Hershey Highway for the Gold Dust Orphans.

Larry is the Artistic Director of City Stage Co. of Boston, which provides free arts education programs and performances at schools and community centers throughout Boston, including KidStage at Boston Children’s Museum. City Stage Co. received a special Elliot Norton Award in 2005 from the Boston Theater Critics Association. The company also received a MUSE Award from the American Association of Museums for the creation of Getting Across to Each Other, a video about children and racism that was seen at museums across the United States, including The Smithsonian.

Coen received a 2007 Elliot Norton Award for "Outstanding Actor, Small/Midsize Company" from the Boston Theater Critics' Association for his performances in The Plexiglass Menagerie, Silent Night of the Lambs (The Gold Dust Orphans), Miss Witherspoon (Lyric Stage Company), The Taming of the Shrew (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), Samurai 7.0 Under Construction (Beau Jest Moving Theatre)

He is the co-author, with FRIENDS creator David Crane, of Epic Proportions, which had a Broadway run in 1999, directed by Jerry Zaks and starring Alan Tudyk, Kristin Chenoweth and Jeremy Davidson. Epic Proportions has been published by Dramatists Play Service and has received productions throughout the United States and Canada.

Coen directed the World Premiere of M.L.K.: We Are the Dream, which ran off-Broadway at The American Place Theater. This production was telecast nationally as an Emmy Award-winning television special. He also directed the World Premieres of Shel Shocked by the late Shel Silverstein at the Market Theater and Fax of Life, which was presented by Manhattan Punch Line. He directed the musical RUTHLESS!, for SpeakEasy Stage Company and Greetings from Planet Girl which performed at the New York International Fringe Festival.

Coen played the title role in the independent film Disturbing Leonard, which won First Prize at the Redstone West Film Festival in Los Angeles, Third Place at the Redstone Film Festival in Boston and which was showcased at the 2005 Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona and the Long Island International Film Expo.

Larry was one of six American improvisors chosen to represent the United States at the World Cup of Improvisation in Lille, France. He was a cast member of the Canadian television series, Improv Champions. Additional improv performances include Musical, The Musical; ImprovBoston; Just For Laughs Festival; Chicago Fringe Festival; Improvisation Theatre League.

Larry has been a Creativity Consultant for the MBA program at Babson College. Mayor Thomas Menino appointed him to a three-year term as a member of the Boston Cultural Council. He holds a BA from Brandeis University.

Dmetrius Conley-Williams

Dmetrius is delighted to return for his fifth season at CSC. Past productions with CSC include: Romeo and Juliet (Tybalt), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Lysander), Julius Caesar (Marc Antony), and Twelfth Night (Orsino). As an A.R.T. company member, he appeared in The Bacchae, Woyzeck, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, and the national tour of The King Stag. Off-Broadway credits include Candide, Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui at Classical Stage Company in NYC. Residents include Leontes in The Winter's Tale at Shakespeare and Company, Aaron in Titus Andronicus at Actors' Shakespeare Project, and Cassius in Julius Caesar at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. He received his MFA from the Moscow Art Theatre School and is a graduate of the A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.

Michael Costello

This marks Michael's second appearance with Commonwealth after Taming of the Shrew, Summer 2006. Recent credits include the critically acclaimed Spring Awakening (Zeitgeist Stage Co.) Bad Jazz (Zeitgeist) Voyuers de Venus (Company One) which received a 2009 Elliot Norton nomination for Outstanding Production, Memory of Water (Way Theatre Artists) The Kentucky Cycle (Zeitgeist) Winner! of the 2008 Elliot Norton Award Outstanding Prod. He lent his voice to Third (Huntington Theatre), {SIC} (Devanaugn Theatre). He will appear this fall in Lady and Private Fears in Public Places with Zeitgeist Stage Co. at The Boston Center for the Arts and can be seen in Madso's War On Spike TV.

Jennifer Ellis

Jen is thrilled to debut with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company! She is a native of Boston’s South Shore and is honored to have the opportunity to perform Shakespeare on the Common. For the last couple of years Jen has been having a ball in the basement of the Charles Playhouse performing in America’s longest running play, Shear Madness, as Barbara DeMarco.
This past spring she helped to make Shakespeare’s plays come alive for high school students alongside Neil A. Casey with Actors in the Classroom.
Recent roles include: Hope Cladwell in Urinetown and Martha Jefferson in 1776 (Lyric Stage), Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Boston Theatre Works), Dunyasha in The Cherry Orchard and Snow White in Snow White (Peterborough Players); Marta in Company (Company Theatre); Belle in Disney's Beauty & the Beast (Fiddlehead); Ragtime (New Rep) and a national tour of A Christmas Carol. Some other favorite past performances are: Sister Mary in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All; Mrs. Walker in Tommy; Grandma in The American Dream, Maria in The Sound of Music; Edward/Betty in Cloud Nine; Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Mrs. Martin in The Bald Soprano, Viola in Twelfth Night (Bridgewater Theatre) and Cinderella in Into the Woods (Curtain Call). Jen is an alumna of Bridgewater State College. Thanks to my family, friends and Ben for their support. For Henry.

Tanya Everett

Tanya Everett has always loved the theater, ever since she was a little girl. Her first acting class was in Quincy, with Diane Purdy. She has had the good fortune to attend the British American Drama Academy in London and the Stanislavski Summer School, through which she has begun her training. Some of her favorite roles include Rosa Parks in The Rosa Parks Story, George in Devotees in the Garden of Love, and Queen Margaret in Richard III. She was thrilled to work on the Drama Desk Nominated Off-Broadway play, Surrender. She recently shot a special for the HBO drama In Treatment, and starred in Another Treasure, a Columbia University Graduate Film which will be hitting the film festivals this fall. She thanks her family and friends for their love and support and CSC for casting her this season.

Tom Gleadow

Tom Gleadow has recently appeared in The Producers at the New Bedford Theatre Festival as well as The Scarlet Letter, Don Carlos, and Awake and Sing! (Elliot Norton winner) at The Gamm Theatre. This is his third production with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, the others being A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It. He has appeared in A Christmas Carol at Trinity Repertory Company and with The Gamm theatre in Mother Courage, Sin, Radio Free Emerson, Elephant Man, and Taming of the Shrew.

Linda Goetz

Linda is thrilled to making her debut with the CSC. Most recently Linda appeared with Stoneham Theatre's production of It’s a Wonderful Life. Linda has toured nationally with A Christmas Carol and with the New Hampshire Theatre Project and the New England Theatre Guild. She has also appeared with the GlimmerGlass Opera's readings of Eurydice and Cleopatra. Some Past productions include, Breaking the Code, Our Country's Good, The Crucible, Memory of Water, On Golden Pond, Gypsy, Kiss of the Spider Women, Noises Off, and The Elephant Man. Special thanks and love to the support group that is her family.

Zofia Gozynska

Zofia is thrilled to be working with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, having spent several summer picnics watching such wonderful performances. She is also very happy to be performing again in Boston after a two year stint in the UK where she was honing her Shakespeare skills while completing a graduate diploma at the the Birmingham School of Acting. Regional theatre credits: Olly's Prison: American Repertory Theatre, Desire Under the Elms: American Repertory Theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird: Foothills Theatre Company, Arcadia: Longwood Players, Our Country's Good: Theatre Co-operative, The Tempest: Redfeather Theatre Company, The Play About the Baby: Mill 6 Collaborative. Zofia recently worked on the Boston independent feature film Slip & Fall directed by Marc Colucci and starring William Forsythe and Andrew Divoff. Zofia holds a BFA in Theatre from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and has recently moved back to New York City. Thank you to my wonderful family for never settling for mediocrity and for supporting me in my crazy adventures.

Samson Kohanski

Samson Kohanski (Ensemble) is honored to be working with CSC agian. Area credits include Of Mice and Men, A Christmas Carol (New Repertory Theater); Mary’s Wedding (Whistler in the Dark); The Baltimore Waltz (Holland Productions); As You Like It (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); and The History Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company). He received his BA in Acting from Brandeis University.

Zach LeClair

Zach LeClair was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston. Recent productions include MacBeth (Macbeth), The Corn is Green, An Inspector Calls, Dracula, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cripple of Inishmaan, Mothergun, Dangerous Liaisons (Valmont), and an assortment of original works experimenting with movement and theatre. Recently, he has been working on a group of independent short films. He is a graduate of Wheaton College in MA and a member of the Fearless Children, NTI 2007.

Lucas Lloyd

Lucas Lloyd (Ensemble) is delighted to make his first appearance with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. In the past two and a half years ago, he has performed in more than a dozen Boston-area productions, including as Harry Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life (Stoneham Theatre), Tom in The Glass Menagerie, Eugene in Broadway Bound (New England Repertory Company), Paul in Barefoot in the Park (Fiddlehead Theatre), the fireman in Working (Metro Stage Company), and Malcolm in Macbeth (Shakespeare Now! Theatre Company). In the winter of this year, he directed the New England Repertory production of Shadowlands in Mansfield. His recent theatrical training includes three semesters studying Sanford Meisner's acting techniques with Lyralen Kaye of Another Country Productions. Prior to his relocation to Dorchester, Massachusetts in the fall of 2006, Lucas spent 17 years acting and directing in East Tennessee, performing in such productions as Children of a Lesser God, Six Degrees of Separation, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Wizard of Oz and Lost in Yonkers, and directing productions such as Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, various youth productions, and two original, full-length musicals for which he also wrote the books: Behold the Lamb and Finding Jesus. It is part of Lucas’ dream to spend his life creating theatre as a director, performer and writer that will have nationwide cultural impact.

Grant MacDermott

Grant is a recent graduate of Emerson College with a degree in Acting and Theater. Originally from New Jersey, he began doing theater with Garage Theater Group and The Bergen County Players of Oradell, NJ. He has worked all over New Jersey including multiple performances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and Bergen Performing Arts Center (BPAC). He has performed with his improve troupe The New Wave of Comedians all over New York City including Gotham Comedy Club, Don’t Tell Mama’s, and Rose’s Turn. Some of his favorite theater credits include Toyn in Moontel Six by Connie Cogdan at the Eugene O’Neill Playwright’s Festival; Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Melia Bensussen; C.K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story directed by Spiro Veloudos; John in The Lion in Winter; and Psudolous in Forum. He has appeared in multiple national commercials and is a proud member of SAG. He will be seen this September in Boston and Provincetown performing with the Beau Jest theater company as part of the Tennessee Williams play festival. He is a published author and a huge book worm.

Kara Manson

Kara Manson is delighted to work with Commonwealth Shakespeare for the first time. She was last seen as Natasha in Bad Jazz with Zeitgeist Stage, and in the Nora Theater Company's staged reading of Vessel of Glass. Kara received her BA in Theater Arts from Brandeis University, where her credits include: As You Like It (Lord Amiens), The Threepenny Opera, The Physician of His Honor (Prince Enrique), The Love of the Nightingale (Procne), Into the Woods (Rapunzel), Urinetown (Hope), and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Genevieve). Other credits include: Mrs. Warren's Profession and Cinderella, both with Berkshire Theatre Festival. Kara is originally from Brattleboro, Vermont, and now lives in Brighton with her boyfriend and their cat.

Marie Polizzano

Marie is thrilled to be working again with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company! Last summer, she was an ensemble member and an understudy in their outdoor production of As You Like It, and she was also a part of their production of Shakespeare On Love, which performed as a part of First Night Boston, and which will be touring parks throughout the Boston area again this summer. She has worked with The New Repertory Theatre, touring schools with their productions of The Crucible (Mary Warren), OthelloOf Mice and Men (Curley’s Wife). Other regional credits: She Loves Me (Swing and Asst. to Choreographer), How Shakespeare Won the West (Understudy), and Pirates! (Asst. to Choreographer), all with The Huntington Theatre Company. Marie earned her BFA in Acting from the Boston University School of Theatre, and has also studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Dan Roach

Dan is absolutely thrilled to be back working with Steven Maler and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company this summer! Boston: The Rainmaker (Foothills Theatre) Othello (New Rep on Tour), As You Like It (CSC) Los Angeles: Stories of the Night Told Over (Hayworth Theatre), Still Photos (Celebration Theatre), In the Boom Boom Room (Underground Theatre), Illyria (The Hayworth Theatre), Stitching (Ark Theatre) New York: Tracers (Arthur Seleen Theatre), KTP (Abingdon Theatre), Curing Ron (American Theatre of Actors), Styrofoam (Trilogy Theatre), Two Rooms (Trilogy Theatre), Uncovering Eden (Wings Theatre), Deathtrap (Gallery Players), Yanni & Johnny (Theatron) TV: Guiding Light, As The World Turns, Las Vegas Education: BA - University of South Carolina, MFA - Brooklyn College. Dan is originally from Newport, RI. He is a proud member of The Actor's Equity Association.

Bill Shorr

Born in Brooklyn, Bill’s first acting job was with The NY Shakespeare Festival. He
studied with Uta Hagen, Joe Chaiken, Julie Bovasso and Word Baker. He has worked with the APA-Phoenix Company in New York, the Playhouse in the Park in Cincinnati and the American Place Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Playwrights Horizons and La Mama Theatre in New York.
He co-founded the Pilgrim Theatre and the Aspen Playwrights Conference in Aspen Colorado. Working with noted director and critic Harold Clurman, the Conference presented new works by such playwrights as AR Gurney, John Ford Noonan, Ira Lewis and Tim Kelley among others. Jules Feiffer, Romulus Linney, Jack Gelber and William Gibson followed Clurman as critics-in-residence. The Pilgrim Theatre brought such actors as Charles Durning, John Travolta, Lois Smith, Brian Kerwin, Rosemary Murphy, Peter Maloney and JT Walsh to the Rocky Mountains.
Bill has taught at the University of Cincinnati, the Madeira School and recently Shore Country Day School. He currently lives in Beverly with his wife Karen; and now that his children Emma and Sam are in high school, he is making a return to the stage.

Cheryl Singleton

Cheryl D. Singleton is very excited to make her CSC debut in Comedy of Errors. Most recently she was seen as the X-Men's Storm in The Superheroine Monologues, a co-production of Phoenix Theater Artists and Company One and Paulina in The Seagull at the American Repertory Theater. She has appeared in many productions in the Boston area including: the Elliot Norton award-winning productions of The Kentucky Cycle, (Young Sallie/Sallie – Phoenix Theater Artists & Zeitgeist Stage Co.) and Stuff Happens (Dr. Condolezza Rice – Zeitgeist Stage Co.); Ryan Landry & The Gold Dust Orphans' Whizzin' (Auntie Em/Crow Fatale/Gospel) and Cleopatra, the musical (Syphillis); Nana in Home and several roles in lost & found: the anniversary series (Queer Soup); Gertrude in Hamlet and Provost in Measure for Measure (Theatre Coop) and; understudy for Sonia/Marta & Nina/Pilar in Sonia Flew (Huntington Theatre Co.). Under the auspices of City Stage Co., Cheryl has taught improv for their Teen Stages program and for the Camille Cosby Girls' Program. As an improviser, Cheryl has performed in various shows at ImprovBoston and with Musical Improv Co. at festivals in New York, Chicago and Toronto. She is a proud member of the executive committee of StageSource, the Greater Boston Theatre Alliance.

Josh Stamell

Josh Stamell just received his MFA from the MXAT/A.R.T. Institute at Harvard where he appeared in several shows, notably as Dima in Ladybird (Jim True-Frost, dir.), Alex in The Island of Anyplace (Tommy Derrah, dir.), and filling in as Will Lebow's understudy as Dracula in The Communist Dracula Pageant (Annie Kauffman, dir.). Prior to grad school appeared in a variety of roles regionally and in New York City, including the title role in Hamlet (ATA at the Churnuchin Theater), John Wilkes Booth in The Tragedy of Abraham Lincoln (La Muse Venale), Dionysus in The Bacchae (Mad Horse Theater Company), and Hal in Loot (Good Theater), among others. Josh is thrilled to be joining the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company for this summer's production of Comedy of Errors!


Fred Sullivan, Jr.

Fred Sullivan, Jr. (Egeon) played Jaques (Norton award- Outstanding actor) last summer in CSC’s As You Like It and Nick Bottom the summer before in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Fred is a longtime member of Trinity Rep’s resident acting company. Highlights of 25 seasons include Falstaff in both Henry IV and The Merry Wives of Windsor, Charles in Blithe Spirit (Norton award), James Tyrone in A Moon for the Misbegotten and Edmund Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Creon, Antigone, Joe Pitt in Angels in America, Charlie etc. in Stones in his Pockets, Harold Hill, Alfred P. Doolittle, Captain Hook, Peer Gynt, Scrooge, Touchstone, Oberon, Dukes of Buckingham, Venice, York and Exeter, Clown, Ghost/Gravedigger, etc. at Trinity and Malvolio, Pericles, Petruchio, Stephano, Capulet and Pompey at other venues. Mr. Sullivan directed Trinity Rep’s 2007 A Christmas Carol and will direct Shooting Star at Trinity this fall. As a resident director at the Gamm Theatre in RI since 1996, he has staged Hamlet, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, The Dresser, Barrymore, The Birthday Party, The Crucible, One for the Road, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, La Bete and Awake and Sing! (Norton award-Outstanding production). Fred has also played major roles for Actors Theatre of Louisville, Berkeley Rep, Theatre-by-the-Sea, The Bread Loaf Acting Ensemble, American Stage Festival and The New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. Mr. Sullivan teaches acting at RISD, Gamm, and as a Trinity Rep teaching artist.

Samantha Weppelmann

Samantha Weppelmann is so excited to be working with the great people of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Co, having been a great admirer of Shakespeare since her teenage years. Born and raised in Orlando, FL, Samantha first set foot on stage at the tender age of 10, and since then, she’s been hooked. She recently received a Bachelor's degree in Communication with minors in Theatre and Voice from Stetson University in May 2007. Exhausted from the heat of the Florida sun, she moved up north and is currently pursuing a Master's of Music degree in Voice Performance from the New England Conservatory. Recently, she has been seen in NEC’s Side by Side by Sondheim, The Medium (Gian Carlo Menotti), and several opera scenes programs. She is very happy, however, to be finally returning to her roots. Thanks so much to my crazy friends for laughing with me, my parents for believing in me, and Arthur for loving and supporting me.

Rebecca Whitehurst

Rebecca Whitehurst is honored to work with the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. She recently returned from Russia's Moscow Art Theatre School where she played Laura in Pushkin's Little Tragedies. She is currently understudying Sexual Perversity in Chicago with American Repertory Theatre, where she is a second year actor with the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. Prior to that, she toured internationally as a soloist with Diavolo Dance Theater. Regional: Can-Can (Pasadena Playhouse) New York: Savage in Limbo (The Process Group), The Disappearing Man (The Barrow Group Theater), The Street (Emerging Artist Theater), Maahinen Neito (The Flea Theater), Heavy Over Light (Here Arts Center), and her one-woman show Oh, the Places We'll Go (Chashama). Film and Television: The Departed, 16 Blocks, “One Life to Live” (CBS), and “Situation: Comedy” (Bravo). Ms. Whitehurst received her BA in Philosophy/Religious Studies from Stanford University. She is a Choreography Alum from The California Institute of the Arts and a three time member of the U.S. National Gymnastics Team. Check out her theater company, The Process Group! www.theprocessgroup.org

Artistic Staff Bios

 

Yo-el Cassell (choreography) is delighted to be involved with The Commonwealth Shakespeare Company after serving as an Assistant Choreographer for their production of Romeo and Juliet. A graduate of The Boston Conservatory (Magna Cum Laude-1997), he has received his training in dance, mime, viewpoints (SITI) and puppetry. He has performed and worked with The American Mime Theater, Paul Taylor II, Palissimo under the direction of Pavel Zustiak, Spencer/Colton, Julie Taymor, The Virginia Opera, Heidi Latsky, as well as Broadway/Film directors Rob Marshall and Scott Ellis. Mr. Cassell has also appeared in the PBS broadcast of Shining Time Station (debut episode) and the motion pictures, What Alice Found. In the Spring of 2010, he will begin shooting a pilot for the Mr. Rogers’s New Neighborhood as the title character for The PBS Broadcasting Station.
Recently, Mr. Cassell received the Tony Award for Best Performance in a limited run/touring production as the title character in Gepetto and Son, based on Disney’s Pinocchio. Reviewing his performance, Ben Brantly of The New York Times stated, “ Mr. Cassell’s Pinnochio is simply astounding and emotional at the same time. His wonderful dance instincts transports the character to a visceral place and his dramatic intentions are just as transporting. His performance makes me look forward to seeing more of his work in the future”. The Boston Metro, reviewing his performance as Minimeyer in Anthony William’s Urban Nutcracker quoted Mr. Cassell as “One of the most expressive mimes of his generation”. For his performance in the Off-Broadway production of Moonlight Interior, The New York Times cited his dancing as, “A cross between Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire and a beautiful modern dancer, Mr. Cassell moves in an original and holistic way. He conveys that inner spark that just wants to escape...his dancing is simply transporting and engrossing.”
Mr. Cassell is the Artistic Director of YC Movement Theatre, a fusion based dance theatre company that creates work to explore the journey and beauty of the inner soul. Comprised of dancers, actors and musicians, the company aims to create work in a collaborative and image orientated way. A recipient of The Lotte Kaliski Award for Gifted Artists and The Silo Residency Grant, his choreography has been presented at Joyce Soho (NYC) , Dance Theater Workshop (NYC), The Walnut Hill School for The Arts (MA) , St. Mark’s Church (NYC) , Tarrytown Music Hall (NY), The Tappan Zee Dance Group (NY), The Shadowbox Puppetry Childrens’ Theater (Resident choreographer, NYC), The American Repertory Theater (MA), Symphony Space (NYC), and Skidmore College (MA) where he was a Guest Artist in Residence. He also received a choreographic fellowship at Summerstages Dance.In reference to his production of Moonlight Interior (www.moonlightinterior.com) which premiered Off-Broadway, The Upper Room with Joe Kelly reflected with, “Choreographer and dancer Yo-el Cassell has created a phenomenal modern-day dance performance… the audience is in for a real treat. Cassell draws us in with so many different dances and emotions of love, introspection, humor and pure dance talent. Cassell is a force to be reckoned with in the dance world as his "Moonlight Interior" creation is so refreshing in these days of quick- fix entertainment. I found myself driving home that night and the next morning trying to piece together some of the scenes in "Moonlight Interior" and I guess the nice thing is that each theater-goer will have their own interpretation of this choreographer's great art.” Mr. Cassell’s choreography can also be seen in the films, Cultivating Stillness, Sweeney Todd and the upcoming feature, Nine,. He is also the resident choreographer of The Depot Theater in Westport, NY and recently choreographed for the Boston Opera Collaborative’s production of Alcina. He is currently involved in this summer’s Nantucket Dreamland Theater production of The Sound of Music.

As a dance educator, Mr. Cassell has taught modern dance, movement for actors, composition, performance elements, viewpoints, mime and shadow play at various institutions including The School for Film and Television (NYC), Walnut Hill School of the Arts (MA), The Mercer County School of Performing Arts (NJ - from which he is an alumni) (MA), The Shadowbox Theatre (NYC), and Skidmore College (NY) for which he was a guest artist/teacher in residence. He is currently involved in developing and expanding the modern dance program at Boston Ballet (MA). Recently he and his wife co-founded The Horizon Summer Workshop Series in Tarrytown NY which educates students in the fields of dance/movement and theater and in the August of 2010 will develop the first Modern Dance summer program for Boston Ballet.

SCOTT PINKNEY (Lighting Designer) is delighted to collaborating on his first production for Commonwealth Shakespeare. Mr. Pinkney was represented on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein's Tony Award winning Torch Song Trilogy. Off-Broadway credits include The Majestic Kid, Divine Fire, Nymph Errant, and the world premier of Morris West's The World is Made of Glass. His regional credits include Don Juan for the Denver Center (Denver Critic's Circle Award), Living Room in Africa, for Gloucester Stage, My Fair Lady for TheatreVirginia (Phoebe Award), Secret Garden for the Olney Theatre and Larry Gatlin's Texas Flyer for TUTS. At Bristol Riverside Theatre, near Philadelphia, he has designed more than 30 productions since its founding, including The Balkan Women, for which he received a Barrymore Award Nomination, Evita, Chicago, The Robber Bridegroom, Alive and Well, and Dear World, among others. Internationally, he designed ART and Kiss of the Spider Woman for Singapore Rep, and Concerts for The Club Mohamed Ali in Cairo. In Boston, he has recently designed The Merchant of Venice for the Actors Shakespeare Project, The Glass Menagerie and Adrift in Macao for the Lyric Stage, We Won’t Pay, We Won’t Pay, The Sea Horse and Van Gogh in Japan for the Nora Theatre and Grease, and Midsummer Nights Dream at The Cutler Majestic Theatre. He has designed the last four seasons for The Barrington Stage Company, including productions of Carousel, Uncle Vanya, Follies, West Side Story and Ring Round the Moon. His company, Pinkney Associates, LLC counts among its clients, IBM, Este-Lauder, and The Smithsonian Institution. Mr. Pinkney is currently teaches Lighting Design at Emerson College. He lives on Cape Cod with his wife Debra, and their son Spencer.

David Reynoso (costume design, poster design) American Repertory Theater: Trojan Barbie (sets and costumes), Copenhagen (sets and costumes), No Man’s Land (costumes), The Keening (costumes); A.R.T. Institute: Ajax in Iraq (sets), Abigail’s Party (sets and costumes), Other Credits: The Woman in Black (sets and costumes), Gloucester Stage; The Fabulous Invalid, Emerson College; Training Wisteria, Boston Playwright’s Theatre, Kennedy Center for the Arts; This is a Newspaper for CollaborationTown, Little Wing, NYC Fringe Festival; Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, B.U. Opera Institute; The Country Wife, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Boston University; Film Credits: Juan Son’s Mermaid Sashimi (music video art direction), Universal Music; Porter’s Host of a Ghost (music video art direction), Tercer Piso Records. A.R.T.’s Resident Crafts Artisan; (Glimmerglass Opera, Pittsburgh Public, Manhattan Theatre Club, National Actor's Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, Huntington Theatre Company.) Awards and nominations: Princess Grace, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Kahn Award.

David Wilson (Sound Design and Music)
David Wilson has designed lighting or sound for over 300 productions of opera, theater, concert and dance. He is in his 25th year as Artist in Residence in Lighting and Sound at Brandeis University where he heads the graduate program in Sound Design. Selected Brandeis Theater Company credits include Malcolm directed by Edward Albee, A Winter’s Tale directed by Tina Packer, Arcadia directed by Sam Weisman, Sty of the Blind Pig directed by Clinton Turner Davis, In the Blood directed by Trazana Beverly, Polaroid Stories directed by Adrianne Krstansky, Scenes from an Execution directed by Janet Morrison, and King Lear directed by Eric Hill.

Other selected area sound designs include New Rep’s productions of Exits and Entrances, design and music for A House with No Walls (world premiere), The Scarlet Letter (sound and music), Blue Window, Scotland Road, and Jack and Jill; Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s Macbeth (sound and music); Shakespeare and Co / Merrimack Rep co-production of Bad Dates (sound and music); Stoneham Theater’s Picnic, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sweepers, and I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda (sound and music); WHAT’s Gizmo Love; and Nora Theater’s A Dublin Carol (sound and lighting design).

From 1990 to 1995 he served as resident lighting designer at Colorado’s Central City Opera, designing a long list of productions including Cosi Fan Tutti, La Boheme, L’Italiana in Algeri, Carmen, The Magic Flute, The Three Penny Opera, Tosca, La Traviata, Romeo and Juliet, Pique Dame, Manon, and others. Locally he has designed lighting at Stoneham Theater: The Porch, George Gershwin Tonight!; Nora Theater: A Dublin Carol; New Rep: Sylvia; North Shore Music Theater: Romeo and Juliet, and Sleeping Beauty (world premiere).

From 1986 to 1995 as resident lighting designer for New England Conservatory’s Opera program at the Majestic Theater his designs included The Scarf, The Medium, The Rake’s Progress, Susanna, Dialogue of the Carmelites, Suor Angelica, and many others.

From 1994 to the present he has served as resident lighting designer for the Reagle Players Summer Theater, working with longtime Broadway directors, actors, and chorographers designing classic musicals such as Annie with Sally Struthers, No No Nanette with Donna McKechnie, Hello Dolly with Rachael York, Annie Get Your Gun with Andrea McArdle, 42nd Street, Crazy for You, Singing in the Rain, The King and I, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease, Guys and Dolls, Thoroughly Modern Millie, My Fair Lady, Showboat, Brigadoon, Will Roger’s Follies, West Side Story, Anything Goes, and many others.

Concert lighting designs over the years includes performances by such artists as James Brown, Barbara Cook, Steve Forbert, Stephane Grappelli, David Grisman, Leo Kottke, Mike Oldfield, The Roches, and Sly and the Family Stone.

 

Synopsis

Egeon, a merchant of Syracuse, is arrested in Ephesus because of an ongoing feud between Ephesus and Syracuse. Egeon tells Duke Solinus of Ephesus his tale: he was shipwrecked many years ago while traveling with his wife, Emilia, and two pairs of identical twins—their twin sons, both named Antipholus, and twin servants, both named Dromio. In the course of the storm, his wife, one of their sons, and one the servants were lost. When the remaining Antipholus reached adulthood, Egeon allowed the him and the remaining Dromio to leave Syracuse to search for their long-lost twins, at which point both of them disappeared as well. After five years, Egeon had come to Ephesus to find them.

Solinus, moved by the old man’s tale, postpones Egeon’s sentence; Egeon has until nightfall to produce a ransom, or he will be put to death. At the same time, Antipholus of Syracuse arrives in Ephesus. The farce commences as everyone—including the twins themselves—confuses the identities of the twins. Antipholus of Syracuse gets invited to dinner at the home of Antipholus of Ephesus and dines with his twin’s wife, Adriana. Meanwhile, Angelo, a merchant, gives a gold chain commissioned by Antipholus of Ephesus to Antipholus of Syracuse by mistake, telling him he’ll come back later for payment. When Antipholus of Ephesus refuses to pay later on, Angelo has him arrested. All this time, Adriana and her sister, Luciana, are convinced that Antipholus and Dromio (of Ephesus) have gone mad, which leads them to forcibly restrain them and take them to a doctor.

When Adriana later encounters Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse, she thinks they’ve escaped from the doctor. The pair from Syracuse are forced to flee to a nearby abbey for refuge. In the meantime, Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus actually do escape from the doctor, and arrive to petition the Duke as Egeon is being led to his death. In the midst of everyone trying to tell their varying accounts of the day, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse arrive with the abbess—who turns out to be Emilia, Egeon’s long-lost wife. The twins all sort out their stories in the presence of the Duke. In the end, Egeon is released from his death sentence and reunited with his wife and sons, Antipholus of Syracuse is set to marry Luciana, and all has been put right.