John Maclay (Director, Romeo and Juliet)

Pereyra (Juliet) & Klopatek (Romeo)

John Maclay directed the current Shakespeare-in-the-Schools Touring Production of Romeo and Juliet.

Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. I currently live with my wife and kids in Lake Zurich, IL ( a Chicago suburb) though I work predominantly in Wisconsin. I drive a lot.

Have you ever been involved with Romeo and Juliet before? If yes, how many times and in what functions/roles?

Yes and 6 or 7?  Director (twice prior and one upcoming), producer, assistant director, fight choreographer (twice prior and one upcoming), Mercutio, Gregory, Peter, Friar John, understudy for Capulet and Friar Laurence.

Fight Scene - Romeo & Juliet

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour; why did you want to become involved?

Pereyra (Juliet) & Klopatek (Romeo)

I think that the first experience with Shakespeare is potentially the most important. If an audience member’s experience is inspiring and affecting, that person will be a fan for life. If the first experience is negative, it is difficult to get that person to give Shakespeare a second chance. This informs a great responsibility for all of us who contribute to the tour.

Have you ever done a similar tour like this before? Tell us about it.

Yes. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater tour in 2000 as an actor. We did about 90 performances throughout Illinois. Much like this tour we played every type of space- from gorgeous cathedrals of art to “cafetoriums.” You learn to preserve the truth of the story in all manner of architecture. It truly is tremendous training for an actor. But it isn’t for the timid. It is incredibly demanding work and fortunately this tour has exceptional actors who are built to thrive in these ever changing environments.

What do you hope to contribute or give to young audiences during this tour?

The reaffirmation that violence is futile, pointless and always perpetuates more violence. That Shakespeare is incredible, truthful and not in any way beyond them. That greatness can be achieved with the spoken word in greater and more profound measure than it can with a football. And I write this as someone who unapologetically played a lot of football.

Why do you think art in general is important?

There are a hundred reasons that art is important. Most important to me is that the performing arts, and theatre specifically, require that you adopt another’s point of view. As a theatre artist you have to adopt that point of view without judgment. This develops understanding and empathy.

The theatre also offers experiences that of course entertain or educate an audience member or allow an audience to identify with a character or escape from their troubles for a couple of hours.

But perhaps more important is the theatre’s ability to bring communities together and to change people’s minds. A wise mentor of mine once said that the only ways to really change someone’s mind are to give them a book, have a long one on one conversation with them, or take them to a play.

Participating in the arts teaches collaboration, leadership, creative thinking, and discipline while developing empathy and emotional intelligence. What other subject can claim that?

This production of Romeo and Juliet will be touring through April 24. You can find the schedule at http://www.bard.org/education/tourschedule.html.

Photos by Karl Hugh, copyright 2013 Utah Shakespeare Festival

Elyse Edelman- Guest Blogger

New to the Educational Tour, here is Elyse Edelman playing Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet.

Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and lived there until I moved to Minneapolis to study at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. Since graduating, I’ve hopped around from Minneapolis to Iowa City, Milwaukee, Chicago, and now Cedar City!

Have you ever been involved with Romeo and Julietbefore?

I have never been in a production  before, but I have been in love with the play since I first studied it in the 8th grade. I was very lucky to have an English teacher who was incredibly innovative, engaging, and believed that Shakespeare could delight young people.

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour?

Edelman (left) as Benvolio, Klopatek as Romeo and Powell as Mercutio in USF’s  touring production of  Romeo and Juliet.

I love the idea of going into schools and bringing Shakespeare to students who have never experienced him before. I love being part of a company who uniformly adores Shakespeare, but all for unique individual reasons. As a Midwestern girl, I’m excited to travel the great American west and see new places.

What do you hope to contribute or give to young audiences during this tour?

A scene from USF’s touring production of Romeo and Juliet.

The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is the tragedy of youth: its impulsiveness, its substantial immunity to the wisdom and the prejudice of age. The play is incredibly relevant to young people. However, young people are too often introduced to Shakespeare in a scary classroom setting where they succumb to believing Shakespeare is obscure and beyond their understanding; Shakespeare is not meant to only be read. I am honored to be part of something with the potential of turning young people on to Shakespeare. 

What are you hoping to personally learn or achieve?

I am charged about the prospect of playing for a wide range of venues and audiences…from intimate to large, and from small community high school to big city general public. We won’t necessarily understand the space until we actually arrive; this requires learning and adaptability even though the piece remains the same. 

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I LOVE playing board games and hosting “game nights.”  My favorite games are Apples to Apples, Taboo, Scattergories, and Clue. I play the guitar and harmonica and want to pick up the ukulele while we’re on tour. I listen to a lot of folk music such as Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell.

Why do you think art in general is important?

Growing up, theater taught me more about living than any school lesson did. It gave me the curiosity to comprehend what was beyond my immediate world. It gave me confidence to stand on my convictions and articulate my values. I believe that performance art can teach the importance of compassion in a world where “bullying” exists on all sorts of levels. Art in general is a forum for expression, exploration, and understanding. The arts are languages, which connect a world fractured by racial, cultural, social, and economic barriers.

To learn more or see if the Tour is coming to your city, visit this page on our website-http://bard.org/education/tour.html

All photos by Karl Hugh, copy right Utah Shakespeare Festival

2013 Casting Round 2

Ott, Guter The Music Man 2011

Pereya

Robinson

Casting for the 2013 season at the Utah Shakespeare Festival is nearly complete. The casting process is an exciting, but complicated endeavor because roughly 60 performers will be hired in order to fill hundreds of roles in eight plays and the nightly Greenshow. After months of auditions and contract negotiations, Artistic Directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn are confident that these actors represent some of the strongest talent in the industry.

Appearing on the Festival stages this year will be a number of audience favorites from past years, including Matt Zambrano, Rhett Guter, Martin Kildare, Melisa Pereya, Michael Harding, Betsy Mugavero, Max Robinson, and Matt Mueller. A complete casting list is available at www.bard.org.

If audiences enjoyed seeing the Festival debut performance of Matt Zambrano last season in Scapin or The Merry Wives of Windsor, then they will love him as Ted in Peter and the Starcatcher and Don Armado, the fantastical Spaniard in Love’s Labour’s Lost.

“I’m incredibly excited to be back in Cedar City this summer,” said Zambrano. After leaving Utah last summer Zambrano performed Santaland Diaries and Romeo and Julietat the Denver Center Theatre Company. He’s currently working in New York with a youth writing advocacy group, but says, “I can’t wait to get back out to Utah.”

Rhett Guter is a southern Utah native and “is thrilled to be returning home to the Festival.” This season he will play the unforgettable Boy who never grows up in Peter and the Starcatcher. He’ll also be seen dancing and singing in Anything Goes. Guter said, “I’m not sure if I’m more excited about the people I’m working with or the shows I’m working on.”

He last performed at the Festival in 2011 as Tommy in The Music Man and Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the past year he was on a European tour with West Side Story and played Tommy again in The Music Man with the Paramount Theatre in Chicago.

Martin Kildare will take on the thought-provoking Juror #8 in Twelve Angry Men and the power hungry Antonio in The Tempest. Kildare returned to the Festival last year as the wise and loving father, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and Leicester in Mary Stuart. In previous years at the Festival he has been in Othello, Harvey, *Hamlet,*The Imaginary Invalid, and The Glass Menagerie.

After her heart wrenching performance as Lavinia in Titus Andronicus and her hilarious Zerbinette in *Scapin,*Melisa Pereya’s versatility will shine this season as she tackles all three Shakespearean plays; Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Tempest and King John.

“The acting company is truly exceptional, and I can’t wait to start playing alongside some of the finest classical actors in the country,” said Pereya. “I feel very blessed to be playing such diverse and exciting roles this season.” Since last summer, Pereya spent time at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre and played the lead role of Juliet in the Festival’s Shakespeare-in-the-School’s Educational Tour, Romeo and Juliet. 

Michael Harding, associate professor of theatre at Dixie State College, will play the honest but slow-minded Juror #6 in Twelve Angry Men, Sebastian in The Tempest and Duke of Austria in King John.

Harding has performed numerous roles during his tenure with the Festival and was in all three outdoor shows last season. He’s worked at other theatre companies that include, Intiman Theatre, Virginia Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and Pioneer Theatre Company.

Betsy Mugavero is appearing this year as the brave, young heroin Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher and as Jaquenetta, the country wench, in Love’s Labour’s Lost. “I am thrilled to be back in Cedar City working on two stunning pieces of theatre with incredible artists and friends at the Utah Shakespeare Festival,” said Mugavero.

Mugavero was last seen during the 50th anniversary season as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Poppy Norton-Taylor in Noises Off!. Over the past year she’s worked with many artists in theatres and cities from Boise, Idaho to New York City.

Last year if audiences enjoyed Max Robinson as Thenardier, the sleazy thief in Les Miserables and racist Bob Ewell in To Kill A Mockingbird  then they will love to see him as the second-rate gangster, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes and the hot-tempered Juror #3 in Twelve Angry Men.

“There is such a warmth and welcoming spirit at the Festival, and it comes from the audience members who make that journey to the high desert and share the group experience of storytelling,” said Robinson. “They bring an anticipation, a sincere joy. After spending three seasons here, I’ve felt this exhilaration in the theatres, the Festival grounds, and on the streets of Cedar City. It is truly infectious, and I’ve caught the Festival bug again.” 

Matt Mueller is returning to the Festival to play Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost and Mrs. Bumbrake, the proper English governess, in Peter and the Starcatcher. “I am thrilled to be coming back to the Festival for the 2013 season,” said Mueller. 

Mueller spent some time in Berkeley, California last summer, but has mostly been working with the Chicago Shakespeare Festival. In 2011 Mueller was Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Richmond in Richard III.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2013 season at www.bard.org and 1-800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849). The season runs from June 24 to October 19. 

Play photos by Karl Hugh, Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival

Zambrano in Scapin2012

Kildare

Mugavero

Smithey, Sudia, Charles, Mueller, Mugavero Midsummer, 2011

Thomas Novak- Guest Blogger

Thomas Novak (Capulet)

Thomas Novak plays Lord Capulet in our tour production of Romeo and Juliet.

Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in Long Grove, IL located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I still currently live there.

Pereyra (Juliet) and  Novak (Capulet)

Have you ever been involved with Romeo and Juliet before?

I have never been involved in Romeo and Juliet before. I read the play back in high school. In college, I studied Shakespeare and worked on scene work from various plays. Lord Capulet is actually my first role in a Shakespeare play.

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour; why did you want to become involved?

Zientek (left) as Nurse, Pereyra as Juliet, Novak as Capulet, and Telford as Lady Capulet

Being on the road is great so far. There are any reasons why I wanted to be involved. One is to be in a Shakespeare play. Another is the teaching aspect; theatre that drives education is important to me. One of the ways we get people to go to the theater when they’re older is by taking them to a show when they’re younger…especially with Shakespeare. It needs to be a positive experience or they will never go again or, perhaps, dread going. The last reason why I wanted to be involved with this tour is because performing and traveling sounded like a thrilling adventure. I love to travel and act, and it sounded like the best job ever.  

What do you hope to contribute or give to young audiences during this tour?

The overall thing that I hope to give to a young audience is that Shakespeare is fun and really relatable, even though it is over 400 years old. Another thing is that Shakespeare was meant to be seen and heard, and so many people forget that. Although it is very scholarly, it isn’t purely academic. It’s also a lot of fun.   

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I love to dance and sing. When I have nothing to do I usually try to do something creative like paint, draw, build something, write a play, or read a play.

To learn more or see if the Tour is coming to your city, visit this page on our website-  http://bard.org/education/tour.html

Stones in His Pockets Goes to Chicago

Vaughn & Ivers 2012

Festival artistic directors and actors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn are taking Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones to the Northlight Theatre in Chicago, Illinois this March. Directed by J. R. Sullivan, the show first appeared at the Festival in 2005 and was restaged due to popular demand in the fall of 2012. In association with the Northlight Theatre, this production will run from March 8 to April 14 with the original cast and director.

“We are thrilled to be bringing a production from Cedar City to Chicago, where we hope to increase the national profile of the Festival,” said Ivers. This is the first step in a larger initiative of sharing productions with other regional theatres. Northlight artistic direct BJ Jones, who has also directed at the Festival, has helped facilitate the new venture.

“One of the greatest pleasures in my job is the opportunity to bring old friends and colleagues to Chicago. Northlight veteran director J. R. Sullivan, with whom I worked first in 1976, returns to direct Stones in His Pockets with Brian Vaughn and David Ivers—two versatile actors who will play 15 roles in a play that is both hilarious and heartbreaking,” said Jones. “David and Brian are the artistic directors of the Utah Shakespeare Festival and J. R. is the artistic director of the Pearl Theatre in New York. With all this artistic firepower on display I am sure you will be as delighted as I am to welcome them to Northlight.”

Stones in His Pockets tells of a small Irish village where a couple of locals hope to hit it big when hired as extras for an epic American movie filming in their scenic County Kerry. Two actors portray a colorful cast of dozens in this rollicking tale that pits harsh reality against Hollywood endings.

Director J. R. Sullivan talked about the main theme: the struggle for identity: “Jake and Charlie wrestle to find their own identities, in being confident in who they are.” As the underdogs, they represent the rural Irish culture and the search to find distinction and importance in the modern world. “What are the costs of the influence of modernization on the culture and on the individual?” Sullivan said.

Coincidentally, Stones in His Pockets is written by Irish playwright Marie Jones and is set in Ireland—and there is a large Irish population in Chicago. “It will also be great fun to be there over St. Patrick’s Day,” said Vaughn.

For performance information, visit www.northlight.org

Elizabeth Telford- Guest Blogger

Elizabeth Telford (Lady Capulet)

Meet our Lady Capulet, Elizabeth Telford

Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in Duluth, Georgia, not far from Atlanta. Since graduating college, I’ve just flown from contract to contract, so I’m a bit of a nomad. 

Have you ever been involved with Romeo and Juliet before?

I have! I played Juliet in college. I’m thrilled to be part of this production. 

Thomas Novak (left) as Capulet and Elizabeth Telford, Romeo**and Juliet.

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour?

I am looking forward to the opportunity to grow and learn from everyone involved, and I am excited to share Shakespeare with the future generation of theatergoers! 

What do you hope to contribute or give to young audiences during this tour?

Elizabeth Telford as Peter in Romeo and Juliet.

I hope we can give them an experience that they remember, that we can make some kind of positive impact on their life. Perhaps we can even make Shakespeare a little more accessible and a little less scary to a few kids.

What are you hoping to personally learn?

I hope to continue to grow as an actor alongside these incredible performers. 

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I love arts and crafts. I love to paint, draw, and make paper flowers. 

Why do you think art in general is important?

I believe that art is vital to life, and that giving kids a taste of theatre can set them up for success in all kinds of ways. The freedom of expression gives kids confidence and gets them thinking for themselves while still working as a group to achieve a common goal.

To learn more or see if the Tour is coming to your city, visit this page on our website- 

(Photos by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2013.)

Chris Klopatek- Guest Blogger

Chris Klopatek (Romeo)

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo.” Meet the man behind the name…

Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. I just finished my graduate degree in Southern California, and now I’m just roaming around.

Have you ever been involved with Romeo and Juliet before?

Yes. I played Peter in American Players Theater’s production a few years back.

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour; why did you want to become involved?

Romeo is a role I’ve wanted to play for years, so I’m excited to get a chance at it. Also, I’ve had some time to get to know everyone in the cast, and I think getting to know them all better and hanging out with them will be the best part of the job.

Have you ever done a similar tour like this before?

Klopatek as Romeo in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring production of Romeo and Juliet.

Yes. It was the same American Players Theater production of Romeo and Juliet. We played the show on their outdoor stage all summer, then, in the fall we took it on tour around Wisconsin. It was very similar, except we did the full-scale production, not a cut script.

What do you hope to contribute or give to young audiences during this tour?

I hope that I can get them excited about theater and Shakespeare in general. A lot of young students think that Shakespeare is too difficult to understand. If I can get them to see the beauty in his plays, or even just get them to know that it’s there, I’ll think that I’ve done a good job.

What are you hoping to personally learn?

As an actor, I am always learning and getting better at my craft. Doing a show over and over again while on tour is one of the best ways to explore and find new things with acting. We will have to adapt to new and different spaces, acoustics, lighting set-ups, set pieces, etc. Being able to recreate what we’ve already built in rehearsals will be a challenge, but a very rewarding one.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I really love good movies, video games, frisbee golf, and garlic. I also enjoy writing music and playing with my indie-electronica-power pop band, The Right Arms.

Why do you think art in general is important?

Art makes people see things in a different light. It opens up a side of life that we can’t get from only going to a 9-5 job and coming home every day. Live performances allow for a sharing of that experience. The actors can see the audience and feel the audience. They are as big of a part of the show as everything else involved. Going to see a movie is fun, but a live performance is an experience you can’t get anywhere else.

Pereyra as Juliet and Klopatek as Romeo in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring production of Romeo**and Juliet.

To learn more or see if the Tour is coming to your city, visit this page on our website-  http://bard.org/education/tour.html

Live Tweeting Event for 2013 Design Meetings

We want you to join the conversation! Get a glimpse into the design process and learn about the 2013 plays in real time. For the first time in the Festival’s history you can participate this weekend in a live Twitter conversation that will focus on a few designs for this upcoming season.

You’ll see research material, photos from the costume & set designs, and learn about the director’s overall vision for the show. We encourage you to participate in the discussion by asking questions, sharing your thoughts and following what others are saying. Remember that these designs are still a work in progress and might change.

As a teaser, we will be presenting Peter and the Starcatcher, The Tempest and Twelve Angry Men. You’ll have to continue to watch our Twitter feed for more information about the rest of our 52nd season.

When:

Peter and the Starcatcher, Saturday, February 23 from 7 – 8pm MST

Twelve Angry Men, Sunday, February 24 from 3 – 4pm MST

The Tempest, Sunday, February 24 from 4 – 5pm MST

Here’s what you need to do:

· Log on to your Twitter account and follow the Festival - @UtahShakespeare

· Use the designated hashtags to follow the live event…

#peterdesign

#12men

#tempestdesign

#usfdesign

#utahshakes

Our moderator will live tweet during each production presentation with comments, photos and will respond to your questions.

Not sure how Twitter works? Check out this site for all your Twitter questions… https://support.twitter.com.

We look forward to you joining us!

Melisa Pereyra- Juliet in Educational Tour

Melisa Pereyra

Our Education Tour of Romeo and Juliet has hit the road, so now meet our Juliet…

Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live?

I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and have been living in the United States for the past ten years. I follow the work wherever it may be; right now I live in Cedar City, UT.     

Have you ever been involved with Romeo and Juliet before?

Yes, this is my second time in the production. The first time, I played Peter and the Apothecary.

What are you looking forward to the most about this tour; why did you want to become involved?

I love inspiring new generations of theatergoers. Michael Bahr, the Utah Shakespeare Festival Education Director is a great man, and I knew I wanted to work with him from the first time I met him; he cares about the students, he cares about the actors he hires, and he cares about this craft. Who wouldn’t want to work with someone like that? John Maclay, our director***,*** is also a man who has spent most of his life working with children; that’s inspiring to me. I hope to be lucky enough to work with this kind of team countless times.

Have you ever done a similar tour like this before?

Yes, I was part of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Tour while in graduate school. Although on a smaller scale–because we did not travel as much as we are about to–we got the chance to teach a variety of workshops and perform for the students as well. The last year I was in it, my MFA class (8 of us) put together a version of Macbeth in which I got to play Lady Macbeth.

What do you hope to contribute or give to young audiences during this tour?

I want them to see that Shakespeare is really fun, that it’s accessible, and that if someone like me can understand it, so can they. It’s not rocket science, but rather a carefully played chess game in which you have to know most of the rules only to have fun breaking them. As a Latina, I want them to know from a young age that Shakespeare is for EVERYONE. They have a special skill if they speak two languages; it’s not a disadvantage. Embrace it.

What are you hoping to personally learn or achieve?

We have an exceptional team of artists working together from all sorts of different backgrounds. They all possess qualities that I deeply admire; they are gracious, patient, loving, and focused. I know I will learn so much from them.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I love to make cards and bake cakes. Those who have spent enough time with me know to expect a cake and a card on their birthday. Also, making traditional Argentine empanadas, spending time with my fiancé watching Dexter, buying Tiny Buddha statues or anything tiny (because tiny=adorable), sitting in my PJs, and drinking many cups of tea while watching HGTV, and enjoying quiet time, because quiet time is never wasted time.

Why do you think art in general is important?

Creating art—live theatre in particular—is not only a place where we can “hold the mirror up to nature,” but a place where, as Declan Donnellan puts it, “We dream together.” Few things are more important than that; that is why I have chosen to dedicate my life to it.

To learn more or see if the Tour is coming to your city, visit this page on our website- http://bard.org/education/tour.html

(Photos by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2013.)

Melisa Pereyra as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Chris Klopatek (left) as Romeo and Melisa Pereyra as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Preliminary Casting for 2013

Jones

Woronicz

Pfundstein

Ivers

The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced the casting of the first eight actors for the 2013 season. All are familiar faces, having appeared at the Festival in the past. Actors slated to appear thus far are Corey Jones, Melinda Parrett, Henry Woronicz, Roderick Peeples, Melinda Pfundstein, Quinn Mattfeld, David Ivers, and Barbara Bednarczuk. A complete casting list will be available soon at www.bard.org.

“This is a sneak peek at some of the very talented actors we have assembled for our 2013 Company,” said Brian Vaughn, artistic director. “They are extraordinary actors playing some extraordinary roles, and I can’t wait for our audiences to come see them at play.” 

Corey Jones is appearing this year in the first play in the Festival’s history cycle in the title role in King John.  He will also be seen portraying the “poor credulous monster,” Caliban in The Tempest.

Jones first appeared at the Festival last season as Aaron in Titus Andronicus, Reverend Sykes in To Kill a Mockingbird and Count Aubespine in Mary Stuart. He has performed at numerous theatres around the country, some of which include Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts Theatrefest, Chautauqua Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre and St. Louis Shakespeare Festival.

Melinda Parrett will return to the Festival to play the sassy nightclub singer Reno Sweeney in *Anything Goes,*as well as the airy spirit Ariel in The Tempest.

Parrett was last seen at the Festival in 2011 as Belinda Blair in Noises Off!, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juilet, and Emilia in The Winter’s Tale. In previous years she has played such roles as Rosalind in As You Like It (2009), Alice in Henry V (2009), Katharina Minola in The Taming of the Shrew (2008), Yente/Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (2008), Miss Proserpine Garnett in Candida (2007) and Maria Merelli in Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical (2007).

Henry Woronicz will take on the monumental role of Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, in The Tempest.

Woronicz directed the powerful Titus Andronicus last year at the Festival. He has also directed**As You Like It (2009),The Taming of the Shrew *(2008), and*Coriolanus (2007). As an actor he’s portrayed Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Duke in Measure for Measure**and title roles in Henry V, Richard III, and**Macbeth.

Roderick Peeples will appear on the Festival stage this year in the courtroom drama, Twelve Angry Men as Juror #10.

Past roles at the Festival Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Argante in Scapin, and Paulet in Mary Stuart in 2012; Friar Lawence in Romeo and Juliet, The Duke of Buckingham in Richard III, and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2011; and Fluellen in Henry V and Duke Senior in As You Like It in 2009.

Melinda Pfundstein, who has appeared in numerous roles at the Festival, will perform this year as Rosaline in Love’s Labour’s Lost and Constance in King John.

Many Festival-goers will remember her for her acclaimed portrayals last year of Fantine in Les Misérables and Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She has also appeared in such roles as Hermione in The Winter’s Tale (2011) and Margot Wendice in Dial M for Murder (2011), Miss Jane Bennett in Pride and Prejudice (2010), Biddy in Great Expectations (2010), Claire Holmes in The Secret Garden (2009), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (2008), Roxane in Cyrano de Bergerac (2008), Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (2004), Martha Jefferson in 1776 (2003), Gloria Thorpe in Damn Yankees (1999), and many others.

Quinn Mattfeld will be back on the Festival stage as the rogue pirate, Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. He will also appear as King of Navarre in Love’s Labour’s Lost.

In 2011 Mattfeld played Garry Lejeune in Noises Off!, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, and Young Shepard in The Winter’s Tale. In 2010 he was Malcolm in Macbeth, Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, Quinn in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). And in 2009 he was Orlando in As You Like It, Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors, and Duke of Gloucester in Henry V.

David Ivers, a long-time actor at the Festival and now artistic director, will appear in Richard II, the second play in the history cycle and the beginning of the War of the Roses. He will play the sensitive, but flawed King Richard II.

In the previous twenty years he has played nearly forty roles at the Festival, including last season’s Scapin in Scapin and Jake in Stones in His Pockets. In 2011 he was Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale and Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder. A variety of other roles have included Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing, Clown #1 in The 39 Steps, Jaques in *As You Like It,*Homer Bolton in Morning’s at Seven, Truffaldino in The Servant of Two Masters, Caliban in The Tempest, and Garry Lejeune in Noises Off! He has also directed three shows at the Festival: Romeo and Juliet in 2012, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) in 2009, and Cyrano de Bergerac in 2008.

Barbara Jo Bednarczuk will play the fun, flirtatious Cindy Lou in The Marvelous Wonderettes. 

Bednarczuk played the strong-willed Eponine in last year’s Les Misérables.She has also been a Dance Captain/Ensemble Member in The Music Man (2011), Featured Performer in The Greenshow (2011); Kitty Bennett/Georgiana Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (2010), and Featured Performer in The Greenshow (2010).

 “We are thrilled to have these talented actors returning to the Festival for another year,” said R. Scott Phillips, Festival executive director. “They are all consummate professionals who bring life and emotion to our stages and who our audiences recognize and appreciate for their great artistry.”

Tickets are now on sale for the 2013 season at www.bard.org and 1-800-PLAYTIX (800-752-9849). The season runs from June 24 to October 19.

Parrett

Peeples

Mattfeld

Bednarczuk