Welcome
Welcome to Chicago Shakespeare Theater!
As CST celebrates our 40th Anniversary all season long, there is no more fitting way to mark the occasion than with two Shakespeare plays performed in repertory. Fourteen of Chicago’s finest actors take on multiple roles across the productions, showcasing the remarkable depth of talent and artistry in our city. We hope you’ll experience both productions, perhaps even in a single day.
One of Shakespeare’s final works, The Winter’s Tale was classified as a comedy in the First Folio, yet its moving exploration of love, jealousy, and forgiveness defies easy categorization. With an intricate story that leaps forward 16 years in its second act, the play invites us into a world transformed by time, loss, and the enduring possibility of renewal. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written in the earlier part of Shakespeare’s career, also deals with jealousy, magic, angry fathers, and young love—but is written in a very different style. It has been a fascinating and joyful experience rehearsing these two masterpieces side by side. Listening to Shakespeare explore similar themes in such different ways, the plays have felt so different and yet so connected.
We hope that you will take the opportunity of exploring both plays with us whilst celebrating our Chicago Shakespeare Company in all their glory.
Thank you for your support and for being part of the joy that is live theater—
The performance runs 2 hours (including intermission)
Audience Notice: As a courtesy to the artists and your fellow theatergoers, please turn off your cell phones and all other electronic devices. Photography, video, and audio recording are strictly prohibited during the show.
For your safety, we ask that you keep aisles and doorways clear. Please take a moment to check the nearest exit in case of an emergency. If you need to step out while the show is in progress, theater staff may ask you to wait in the lobby before re-entering, and it may not be to your original seat. If we can help accommodate you during your visit, please speak with our House Manager.
Synopsis
It is four days until the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and Hippolyta. Egeus interrupts the preparations, furious that his daughter Hermia favors marriage with Lysander over his chosen suitor Demetrius. Egeus invokes a long-forgotten law that threatens death to disobedient daughters, and Lysander persuades Hermia to elope into the enchanted woods outside Athens. Hermia’s best friend Helena discovers their plan and—desperate to please Demetrius—tells him of Hermia’s flight. Demetrius pursues them and Helena, sick with love for Demetrius, pursues him. A group of workmen led by Quince and Bottom plan to rehearse a play for the wedding.
In the woods, we meet the mischievous sprite Puck, jealous King Oberon’s fairy servant. Oberon is arguing furiously with his Queen Titania, accusing her of having an affair with Theseus, and demands the return of a changeling child. In a jealous fit, Oberon commands Puck to fetch a magic flower to play a vengeful trick on her. Observing Demetrius’ cruel treatment of Helena, Oberon instructs Puck to enchant Demetrius with the flower’s juice so he will fall in love with Helena. Puck mistakenly bespells Lysander, who promptly falls in love with Helena and rejects Hermia. Puck discovers Bottom and his friends rehearsing their play, gleefully turns Bottom into a donkey, and bewitches Titania into falling in love with him. Wracked with guilt, Oberon reverses the spell on Titania and attempts to apologize, while Puck fixes their mistake with the exhausted lovers. We return to Athens for the wedding where Bottom, Quince, and company joyfully perform their play.
ARTISTS
Ronald L. Conner
CST: Henry V, Twelfth Night, Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew. CHICAGO: Court Theatre, Goodman Theatre, TimeLine Theatre Company, UrbanTheater Company. REGIONAL: The Black Rep, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, New Harmony Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Portland Stage. FILM: Chasing the Blues (Apple TV, Prime Video). TV: South Side (HBO Max), The Chi (Showtime), Chicago P.D., Chicago Med (NBC), Justified: City Primeval (FX), Sirens (USA). AWARDS: 2025 Lunt-Fontanne Fellow; three Black Theatre Alliance Awards; two Black Excellence Awards. Represented by Paonessa Talent.
Sean Fortunato
Kevin Gudahl
CST: Much Ado, Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, The King’s Speech, Richard III, The School for Lies, Elizabeth Rex, Julius Caesar, A Little Night Music, Henry IV (Parts 1&2), Pacific Overtures; and the title roles in Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, Troilus and Cressida. CHICAGO: Inherit the Wind, The House of Martin Guerre, King Lear (Goodman Theatre); My Fair Lady, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Proof (Court Theatre); Translations, Minister’s Wife, Twelfth Night (Writers Theatre); and shows with Marriott, Northlight, Remy Bumppo, Drury Lane and Victory Gardens Theater. REGIONAL: The National Theatre, Washington, D.C., Peninsula Players, Notre Dame Shakespeare. INTERNATIONAL: Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Neptune Theatre, Canadian Stage, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Shakespeare Company (CST tour). FILM: While You Were Sleeping, Home Alone III, The Poker House.TV: Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM+); The Shining Girls (Apple TV+); Chicago Fire, Crisis (NBC); Boss (STARZ); Empire, The Chicago Code (FOX); Early Edition (CBS). AWARDS: Mr. Gudahl is a multiple Jeff Award recipient, and winner of CST’s Spirit of Shakespeare award for 2026.
Dan Haller
CST: Debut. CHICAGO: Hornets, Courtney vs. Cancer (Greenhouse Theatre Center), Coriolanus (Athenaeum Center) REGIONAL: St. Louis Shakespeare Festival FILM: BRB, Loafers TV: The Bear (FX), Chicago Med (NBC) EDUCATION: BFA in Acting, DePaul University
Erik Hellman
CST: Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, The Madness of George III, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Edward II. CHICAGO: Holiday, Luna Gale (Goodman Theatre); Leopoldstadt, Translations, Smart People, Marjorie Prime (Writer’s Theatre); Dial M For Murder, Ring of Fire (Drury Lane Theatre); 1776, The Sound of Music (Marriott Theatre); Lindiwe, Familiar, The Burn, The Crucible (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Othello, Mousetrap, One Man Two Gov’nors, The Misanthrope, Proof, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus, Arcadia (Court Theatre); Little Woman, Georgiana and Kitty, Miss Bennet, Lost in Yonkers (Northlight Theatre); Eastland (Lookingglass Theatre Company). REGIONAL: Let The Right One In (Berkeley Repertory Theatre) and shows at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage and Geva Theatre. FILM: The Dark Knight, Walden, The Killer. TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago PD (NBC), Empire (FOX), The Good Fight (Paramount+), Mrs. America (FX), Fargo (FX), 61st Street (AMC/CW).
Chiké Johnson
CST: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Hymn. CHICAGO: Birthday Candles (Northlight Theatre); Galileo’s Daughter (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); Toni Stone (Goodman Theatre); When Harry Met Rehab (Greenhouse Theater Center, World Premiere). BROADWAY: Time to Kill, Wit. OFF BROADWAY: Another Shot. NEW YORK: Ruined (Manhattan Theatre Club); RunBoyRun (New York Theatre Workshop); Lost in the Stars (New York City Center’s Encores). REGIONAL: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, King Lear (American Player’s Theatre). Johnson is a core ensemble member of Remy Bumppo Theatre.
Kieran McCabe
CST: Sunny Afternoon, As You Like It. CHICAGO: Buddy in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Marriott Theatre, Jeff Nom – Performer in a Principal Role); Rock of Ages (Paramount Theatre); As You Like It, Next to Normal (Writer’s Theatre); Verböten (The House Theatre). REGIONAL: Theatre Under the Stars, Ogunquit Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Timber Lake Playhouse. EDUCATION: BA in English Creative Writing, Loyola University of Chicago. Kieran is a licensed street performer and published recording artist (Pinnings, The Oh Boys). kieranpmccabe.com / @kpmcbabe
Felicia Oduh
CST: Much Ado About Nothing, SS! Romeo & Juliet, Measure for Measure. CHICAGO: Covenant, The Nacirema Society (Goodman Theatre); Noises Off (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Alaiyo (Definition Theatre); Hand to God (Paramount Theatre). REGIONAL: Pipeline (TheatreWorks Colorado Springs). TV: Shining Girls (Apple TV+); 4400 (The CW); How to L0ve (OTV). EDUCATION: BA in Theatre, Northwestern University. AWARDS: 2024 Definition Theatre Amplify New Play Commission Winner; 2023 Kilroys Web; 2021 Reva and David Logan Foundation Artist Grant.
Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta
CST: Shakespeare In The Park: The Hero Within. CHICAGO: As You Like It (Writers Theatre), South Pacific (Paramount Theatre), On Your Feet (Drury Lane Theatre). REGIONAL: Seattle Children’s Theatre, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. EDUCATION: BA in theater, Northwestern University.
Issy van Randwyck
CST: The Merry Wives of Windsor, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream. THEATER: A triple Olivier and triple Offie Award nominee, van Randwyck has performed widely in the UK, from the West End and National Theatre to regional theaters, as well as in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and New York. FILM & TV: Blithe Spirit (Sky Cinema), Father Brown, Endeavour, The Nevers, Action Team, The Hippopotamus, Belgravia, The Danish Girl, Partners in Crime, Downton Abbey, Trial and Retribution, Christopher and His Kind, Waiting for God, Music Makers, Numbertime (5 series). RADIO: Dr Who, Star Cops, Adam Adamant, The Paternoster Gang, Survivors, Blake 7, The Man Who Knows, A Change in the Willows, Under the Net, The Hiding Place. SOUNDTRACKS: The Glory of Gershwin with Larry Adler, produced by Sir George Martin, It’s Oh So Issy, Song of Singapore, A Little Night Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Dirty Dancing, Moll Flanders, Blithe Spirit, About Time.
Patty Roache
CST: Debut. CHICAGO: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III (Babes with Blades Theater Company), Clue: A Drag Parody (Steppenwolf Lookout Series), Sweet Charity (Blank Theater Company), Lightning Thief (Madkap Productions) REGIONAL: Fireside Theatre, Detroit Actors Theater Company, Opera MODO, Planet Ant, Titan Theater Company OPERA/DANCE: Company Member/Choreographer (Queer Dance Freakout), Librettist/Director – Dxn Pasquale: A New LGBTQ+ Opera (Opera MODO) EDUCATION: BFA in Theater, Wayne State University. Patty also performs as the Drag King Toby Blunt.
Grace Steckler
CST: Short Shakespeare! Midsummer, Shakes in the City: Midsummer CHICAGO: Octet (Goodman Theatre), Octet (Raven Theatre), As You Like It (Writers Theater), Much Ado About Nothing, Henry VI Part One (The Backroom Shakespeare Project), Drunk Shakespeare (The Lion Theatre); Pericles (Forest Park Theatre). FILM: Block Party (Hiffclanger Productions) OTHER: Hollywood Fringe Festival 2023. EDUCATION: BFA in acting, University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Represented by Gray Talent.
Demetrios Troy
CST: Henry V, Richard III, Julius Caesar, Timon of Athens, King Charles III, Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet. CHICAGO: 2666, The Happiest Song Plays Last, A Christmas Carol, The Seagull, The Good Negro (Goodman Theatre); The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Treasure Island (Lookingglass Theatre Company/Berkeley Repertory Theatre); Inana, Blood and Gifts, Danny Casolaro Died For You (TimeLine Theatre Company); Never the Sinner (Victory Gardens Theater); Welcome Yule, The Soldier’s Tale (Chicago Symphony Orchestra); Working (Broadway Playhouse); Awake and Sing (Northlight Theatre). REGIONAL: Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Door Shakespeare); The Boys Next Door (Syracuse Stage); 12 Angry Men (Indiana Repertory Theatre); Julius Caesar (Utah Shakespeare Festival); King Lear, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Riverside Shakespeare); King Lear, Tartuffe, Junk (Milwaukee Repertory Theater). TV: Chicago PD, Chicago Fire (NBC); Mob Doctor, Empire, The Chosen (5/2); Utopia (Amazon). FILM: Ripple, The Days Are Evil, Rest, Remembering, A Perfect Boyfriend, God is Beautiful. EDUCATION: BA, DePaul University/Barat College; MFA, University of South Carolina. Demetrios is a voice actor and director for Relevant Radios: The Merry Beggars, a foley artist at Unshackled PGM, and an artistic associate at TimeLine Theatre Company.
Jessica Dean Turner
CST: Short Shakespeare! Hamlet, Richard III. CHICAGO: Last Night and the Night Before, 1919 (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Roe, Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre); Tiny Beautiful Things (Victory Gardens Theater); Red Rex (Steep Theatre, Jeff Award Nomination — Best Supporting Actress); United 232, Season on the Line (The House Theatre of Chicago). REGIONAL: Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Riverside Theatre.FILM: Coywolf, The Tensile Strength of Air, You Too, Black Womxn.TV: Dark Matter(AppleTV+); Paper Girls (Amazon); Chicago Fire, CRISIS, Chicago P.D. (NBC); The Chi (Showtime). EDUCATION: BFA in Acting University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. MA in Theatre, New York University. Represented by Paonessa Talent Agency.
Kevin Aoussou
CST: Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, HENRY V. CHICAGO: Por’Knockers (Gwydion Theatre), Superior Donuts (Artistic Home), Baldwin vs. Buckley (TimeLine), Inanimate (Theater Wit); Moby Dick (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Routes (Remy Bumppo). REGIONAL: New Stage Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Theater at Monmouth, The Hedgerow Theatre, The Rogue Tucson, Cardinal Stage, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. EDUCATION: MFA in Acting, Northwestern University; National Theater Institute, MXAT; BA in theatre performance, Winthrop University.
Ian Maryfield
CST: The Lord of the Rings: The Musical; SS! Romeo & Juliet; SS! The Comedy of Errors. CHICAGO: Translations (Writers Theatre); A Lie of the Mind (Raven Theatre); The Taming of the Shrew (Understudy); Photograph 51 (Understudy) (Court Theatre); All Quiet of the Western Front (Red Tape Theatre). REGIONAL: Much Ado About Nothing (Catskill Mountain Shakespeare); Eurydice (River & Rail Theatre); As You Like It (Montana Shakespeare). EDUCATION: BFA in Acting, Oklahoma City University.
Winter Olamina
CST: Debut. CHICAGO: At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen (The Story Theater), 1919 (Steppenwolf Theater Company) She Loves Me (Blank Theater Company), Arthur and Friends (Marriott Theater) REGIONAL: You Are Cordially Invited to The End of The World (Oregon Shakespeare Festival) Little Women (Seattle Repertory Theater) A Christmas Carol, West Side Story, (Milwaukee Rep) EDUCATION: BA in Music Theater and MM in Music Theater pedagogy from Carthage College.
Joshua Razavi
CST: Debut. CHICAGO: The Seagull, The Pilon (Jeff Nominated- Best Ensemble), Vinegar Tom (Red Theater). TV: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago Justice (NBC); Empire (FOX). EDUCATION: BA in Theatre, Illinois State University; Graduate, Second City Chicago Conservatory and iO Chicago.
Zac Richey
CST: Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, SS! Hamlet. CHICAGO: Berger in Hair (Kokandy Theatre), Scotty Moore in Heartbreak Hotel (Marriott Theatre), Johnny Casino/US Kenickie (Drury Lane Theatre). OPERA: Fleance in Verdi’s Macbeth, Argonaut in Medea (Lyric Opera). AWARDS: Richey is a member of the 2024 Barbershop Harmony Chorus Champs, The Westminster Chorus.
Robbyn Taylor Simone
Rachel Thomas
CST: Rome Sweet Rome (workshop). CHICAGO: Frozen (Paramount Theatre); Rock of Ages (Mercury Theater); Cabaret (Porchlight Music Theatre); Children of Eden (Broadway in Chicago). REGIONAL: All’s Well That Ends Well (Helen), Romeo and Juliet (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival); A Musical Christmas Carol (The Round Barn Theatre). INTERNATIONAL: The Macbeth Musical (Lady M). FILM: Pursuit of Freedom. EDUCATION: BA, Saint Mary’s College; Shakespeare Summer School, LAMDA.
Creative Team
Chelsea Strebe
Associate Lighting Designer
Hannah Kwak
Associate Sound Designer
Sylvia Hernandez DiStasi
Aerial Consultant
Chelsea Strebe
Associate Lighting Designer
Hannah Kwak
Associate Sound Designer
Sylvia Hernandez DiStasi
Aerial Consultant
Edward Hall
Acclaimed theater, television, and film director Edward Hall joined CST in October 2023. In February 2024, he directed his debut production as Artistic Director—Richard III starring Tony nominee and Paralympic champion Katy Sullivan. In the 2024/25 season, he is directing Henry V, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sunny Afternoon. He previously directed the Jeff Award-winning Rose Rage trilogy at CST in 2003. Edward has built his love of Shakespeare around original interpretations of the Bard’s plays, staging acclaimed productions in London’s West End and on tour around the globe. He led the UK’s Hampstead Theatre for nearly a decade, transforming it into one of the nation’s most successful theaters for new work development, with over 100 world premieres. He was the founder and Artistic Director of Propeller Shakespeare for twenty years touring across the US, Europe, Asia, and beyond. He has served as an Associate Director at the National Theatre and Old Vic in London. His extensive film and television credits include The Heist Before Christmas starring Timothy Spall, Blithe Spirit starring Dame Judi Dench, multiple HBO and BBC series, and the season 4 finale for Downton Abbey. This season, Hall directs CST’s productions of Henry V, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sunny Afternoon. He is a member of the Arts Club of Chicago and Economic Club of Chicago.
Michael Pavelka
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Richard III, Rose Rage. WEST END: Funny Girl, The Go Between, Macbeth, Holiday, Robin Prince of Sherwood, Leonardo, Twelve Angry Men, Other People’s Money, How the Other Half Loves, Absurd Person Singular, A Few Good Men, The Constant Wife, Blues in the Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rose Rage. OFF BROADWAY: Blues in the Night, Rose Rage, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. OFF WEST END: Two Lips Indifferent Red, Fashion, Cell Mates, I and You, Cost of Living, Bet Noir, Liola!. REGIONAL: Seattle Repertory Theatre, Spoleto Festival, Birmingham Repertory, Leicester Haymarket Theatre, Manchester Library Theatre Company, Watford Palace, Chichester Festival Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Liverpool Playhouse, Nottingham Playhouse, Coventry Belgrade, Nuffield Theatre. INTERNATIONAL: Edmond, The Odyssey, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry V, Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew, Death of a Salesman, Hayfever, The Hanging Gardens, The Last Laugh, Maama Nalukalala Ne’zzadde Lye (Mother Courage), The Flip Side, The African Choir. OPERA: A King’s Ransom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, La Bella Dormente nel Bosco. DANCE: Revelations, Off the Wall. EDUCATION: BA in theatre design Wimbledon School of Art; PGCert University of the Arts London. AWARDS: Best Design Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards (1996), Best Set Design UK Theatre Awards (2009). Pavelka is Director of the Design Program for Rutgers University at Shakespeare’s Globe and External Examiner at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London.
Marcus Doshi
CST: Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, Richard III, The Merry Wives of Windsor. CHICAGO: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Opera Theater, Court Theatre. BROADWAY: Pass Over (August Wilson Theatre), Linda Vista (Second Stage Theater). OFF-BROADWAY: Theatre for a New Audience, The Public Theater, Signature Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop. REGIONAL: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Portland Center Stage. INTERNATIONAL/OPERA: Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, La Monnaie, La Comédie Française, Sydney Festival, Festival Lyric d’Aix-en-Provence, Canadian Opera Company. EDUCATION: MFA Yale School of Drama; BA Wabash College. Mr. Doshi is a Professor of Theatre at Northwestern University and the founder of CollaborationOS Consulting.
Emily Hayman
CST: Henry V, assistant sound designer on Play On!, Brokeback Mountain, Richard III, The Notebook. CHICAGO: LOKI: The End of the World Tour, Kitty and the Beanstalk, and Leaf (Lifeline Theatre); Briefly Breathless (Steppenwolf Lookout); associate sound design for, Iceboy!; Revolution(s), and Bust (Goodman Theatre); assistant sound designer on POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, Describe the Night, Choir Boy, Seagull (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). REGIONAL: Geva Theatre, Montana Shakespeare in the Park; associate sound designer at The Old Globe, McCarter Theatre Center, Hartford Stage. EDUCATION: BFA in sound design, The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Kieran McCabe
CST: Sunny Afternoon, As You Like It. CHICAGO: Buddy in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Marriott Theatre, Jeff Nom – Performer in a Principal Role); Rock of Ages (Paramount Theatre); As You Like It, Next to Normal (Writer’s Theatre); Verböten (The House Theatre). REGIONAL: Theatre Under the Stars, Ogunquit Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Timber Lake Playhouse. EDUCATION: BA in English Creative Writing, Loyola University of Chicago. Kieran is a licensed street performer and published recording artist (Pinnings, The Oh Boys). kieranpmccabe.com / @kpmcbabe
Zev Steinrock
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Debut. CHICAGO: America V2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of the American Negro (Definition Theatre). REGIONAL: South Coast Repertory, Paper Mill Playhouse, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival (Hamlet, Romeo & Zooliet), Illinois Shakespeare Festival (Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Two Gentlemen of Verona), Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), New Jewish Theatre (Baskerville), Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, The Williamston Theatre. FILM/TELEVISION: Mrs. Fletcher (HBO). EDUCATION: MFA in Theatre, Michigan State University; BFA, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. AWARDS: Paddy Crean Award; Darrel Rushton Teaching Award. Certified Teacher, Society of American Fight Directors; Certified Intimacy Director, Intimacy Directors & Coordinators. Steinrock is an Assistant Professor of Acting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Bob Mason
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: 150 plus productions over 24 years, including 35 plays in Shakespeare’s canon under current Artistic Director Edward Hall and Founding Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. Also at CST: nine productions of Stephen Sondheim musicals under the direction of Gary Griffin. CHICAGO: Bounce, Light in the Piazza (Goodman Theatre); REGIONAL: SIX (CST, American Repertory Theater–Artios Award, Ordway Center, The Citadel); Ride the Cyclone (CST, Fifth Avenue Theatre/A Contemporary Theater, Alliance Theatre); OFF-BROADWAY: Ride the Cyclone (MCC); Rose Rage: Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3, directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall (The Duke on 42nd Street); Marionette Macbeth (New Victory); BROADWAY: SIX, The Notebook; INTERNATIONAL: The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale (Auckland, NZ); Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse–Olivier Award, Outstanding Musical); Henry IV, Parts One and Two (RSC). Prior to casting, Mason enjoyed a career as a Joseph Jefferson Award-winning actor and singer and has been a visiting educator at Northwestern University and multiple college programs across the country.
Nicole Ricciardi
CST: Debut. REGIONAL: Shakespeare and Company: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Time Stands Still, Creditors, 4000 Miles, The Taming, The How and The Why, Cassandra Speaks. Third Avenue PlayWorks: Moonlights and Magnolias, The Book Club Play. Berkshire Playwrights Lab: Above Water. The Nora at Central Square Theater: Cassandra Speaks. Samuel French OOB: Happy Anniversary. Ars Nova Out Loud/Bushwick Arts: The Bird and the Two-Ton Weight. Several new plays for Youngblood/Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Bats/Flea Theater. Associate/Assistant Director at Irish Repertory Theatre, Red Bull Theater, and Two River Theater. EDUCATION: MFA, Carnegie Mellon University. Nicole is on the faculty of The Theatre School at DePaul.
Jinni Pike
CST: Much Ado About Nothing, 42 Balloons, Henry V, Judgment Day, Measure for Measure, It Came From Outer Space, The King’s Speech, SIX, Schiller’s Mary Stuart, Ride the Cyclone. CHICAGO: South Pacific, Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, Frozen, Billy Elliot, Little Shop of Horrors, Into the Woods, Sweat, Kinky Boots, Beauty and the Beast, The Producers, The Wizard of Oz, Once, Elf the Musical, Sweeney Todd, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, The Who’s Tommy (Paramount Theatre); Nightwatch (Goodman Theatre); Bakersfield Mist, Danny Casolaro Died for You, The How and the Why, A Raisin in the Sun, Wasteland (TimeLine Theatre Company); Hillary and Clinton (Victory Gardens Theater). REGIONAL: Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Unicorn Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre.
Danny Fender
CST: Brokeback Mountain, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamnet, Rome Sweet Rome, Circus Abyssinia, Sunny Afternoon, Avaaz, Pericles, Henry V, Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks. CHICAGO: Amadeus (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Taming of the Shrew, Two Trains Running, The Lady from the Sea, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, The Mousetrap, Oedipus Rex, King Hedley II (Court Theatre); The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Lookingglass Theatre Company); The Music Man, Ah, Wilderness! (Goodman Theatre); Revolution (A Red Orchid Theatre); author events for Chicago Humanities Festival. NEW YORK: Black Swan (workshop). TOUR: Hamilton (Philip and Angelica Company Tours). EDUCATION: The Theatre School at DePaul University, Interlochen Arts Academy. Fender is one of the owners of The Understudy Coffee and Books, a theatre bookstore and specialty coffee shop located in Andersonville. The Understudy was featured in the New York Times’ 36 Hours in Chicago, voted Chicago Reader’s Best Coffee Shop in 2023 and 2024, and is listed in Louis Vuitton’s Chicago City Guide.
Anna Vu
CST: Short Shakes! Hamlet, Sunny Afternoon, Richard III, The Odyssey with A.B.L.E. CHICAGO: Bonnie’s Last Flight (Rivendell); The Targeted (A Red Orchid Theatre); The Taming of the Shrew (Court Theatre); Love Song, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Galileo’s Daughter (Remy Bumppo); Uncle Vanya, The Shape of the Bones (The New Theatre Project); The Color Purple, Toni Stone (Goodman Theatre). REGIONAL: Murder on the Orient Express, Over the River and Through the Woods (Cortland Repertory Theatre); Pericles, The Comedy of Errors (Utah Shakespeare Festival). EDUCATION: BFA in theatre management, Auburn University. Vu is an Associate Artist with Remy Bumppo Theatre Company. Much love to Kenny the dog. https://vuanna.weebly.com
Milo Bue
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: Henry V, Beauty and the Beast. CHICAGO: Come From Away, An Act of God (Paramount Theatre); Indecent, The Revolutionists (Northwestern University); The Moors (A Red Orchid Theatre); Finding Nemo, The Magic School Bus, James and the Giant Peach, Hello Dolly (The Marriott Theatre); A Tale of Two Cities (Shattered Glove Theater); Cold Town/Hot Line (Raven Theater); Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista); Spamilton (Forbidden Broadway); Pinocchio (Neverbird Project, Chicago Children’s Theatre). TOUR: associate scenic designer on The King’s Speech. INTERNATIONAL: associate scenic designer on The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre London). EDUCATION: BA in theatre design, Columbia College Chicago; MFA in theatre design, Northwestern University.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Full Staff Listing
Edward Hall Artistic Director, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair
Kimberly Motes Executive Director
ARTISTIC & EXECUTIVE
Daniel J. Hess Artistic Administrator
Bob Mason Artistic Associate/Casting Director
Brian Haas Company Manager
Rose Kalef Executive Assistant
EDUCATION
Nora Carroll Director of Lifelong Learning & Education, Ray and Judy McCaskey Education Chair
Manu Alvarez Education Programs Associate
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Brad Boron Chief Marketing Officer
MARKETING
Mackenzie Schleyer Associate Director of Marketing
Allie DiSanto Digital Marketing Manager
Olivia George Graphic Designer
Shelly Binkley Tessitura Administrator
Ali Khan Marketing Associate
COMMUNICATIONS
Hannah Kennedy Director of Communications
Tiffany Mullins Digital Content Specialist
BOX OFFICE
Sonja Pardee Manager of Ticketing Services
Al Duffy Box Office Associate
Jaz Fowlkes Box Office Associate
Micah Hazel Box Office Associate
Aurthur King Box Office Associate
Eric Perrine Box Office Associate
Ash Pierce Box Office Associate
Kir Westrick Box Office Associate
DEVELOPMENT
Stacy Shafer Peterson Chief Development Officer
Jamie Boller Associate Director of Institutional Giving
Claire Fassnacht Associate Director of Major Gifts
Cami Wallace Associate Director of Individual Giving
Finley Jones Manager of Development Operations and Events
Bea Lemaster Donor Services Associate
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
FINANCE
Dan Thomas Director of Finance
Jane Dominowski Controller
Jessica Lotz Accounting Manager
OPERATIONS
Daniel Lopez Facilities Manager
Mike Atkins Custodian
Dwayne Brewer Custodian
Anthony Davis Custodian
Cano Hernandez Custodian
Ferris Robertson Custodian
GUEST SERVICES
Devin Faught Front of House Manager
Julia Ravenscroft Show Supervisor
Erika Wilson Show Supervisor
Will Adams Guest Services Associate
Sam Castillo Guest Services Associate
Madalyn Cruz Guest Services Associate
Jennifer Hinojosa Guest Services Associate
Amanda Farmer Guest Services Associate
Cayla Joy Guest Services Associate
Nat Martinez-White Guest Services Associate
Adiyah Parham Guest Services Associate
Jessica Plummer Guest Services Associate
Jack Porter Guest Services Associate
Nora Rumery Guest Services Associate
Lisa Townes Guest Services Associate
Samantha Waitkus Guest Services Associate
Philip Macaluso Lead Concessioner
Jack Saunders Lead Concessioner
Dani Brown Concessioner
Christian Helem Concessioner
Sophia Jovanovic Concessioner
Zoe Maxwell Concessioner
Robbie Matthew Concessioner
Leaf McCastle Concessioner
Lily Mulcahy Concessioner
Dalton Smith Concessioner
Prenae Thomas Concessioner
HUMAN RESOURCES
Laurel Legler Director of Human Resources
Mohad Zahid HR Generalist
PRODUCTION
Wendy Stark Prey Director of Production
Mac Vaughey Production Manager
SCENERY
Tyler Metoxen Technical Director
Jack Birdwell Stage Rigging Crew Head
Nicolas Cabrera House Technician
Mitchel Statler House Technician
Wrench Steinlage House Technician
Amber Hahn House Technician
Danny Carraher Carpenter
Scott Gerwitz Scenic Painter
Meghan Erxleben Scenic Painter
RUN CREW
Tobi Osibodu Stage Crew Head
Bradley Buri Stage Crew Carpenter Head
Dan Nurczyk Properties Crew Head
COSTUMES
Melissa Perkins Costume Department Manager
Cathy Tantillo Costume Design Assistant
Daniel Carter Costume Design Assistant
Jenn Giangola Wardrobe Supervisor
Tyler Phillips Draper/Workroom Supervisor
Teagan Anderson First Hand
Yas Maple Stitcher
Laura Holt Dresser
LIGHTING AND VIDEO
Alec Thorne Lighting and Video Department Manager
Arianna Brown Assistant Lighting and Video Department Manager
Joan E. Claussen Lighting Crew Head
Avery Spellmeyer Lighting Programmer
Noah Elman Electrician
Ryan Burkle Electrician
Andres Fiz Electrician
SOUND
Nicholas Pope Sound Department Manager
Sarah Ortiz Sound Crew Head/A1
Allison Lourens A1
Sean Moore Sound Crew
HAIR AND MAKE-UP
Ashley Adams Hair and Make-up Department Manager
Anna Gorsuch – Hair and Make-up Attendant
PROPERTIES
Jesse Gaffney Interim Properties Department Manager
Meghan Savagian Assistant Properties Department Manager
Michael George Properties Artisan
Sara Grose Properties Artisan
Katie Novak Properties Artisan
CAST in order of speaking
Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons
Egeus, a courtier
Hermia, his daughter
Demetrius, rival suitor for Hermia
Lysander, rival suitor for Hermia
Helena, in love with Demetrius
Peter Quince, a carpenter
Nick Bottom, a weaver
Francis Flute, a bellows-mender
Robin Starveling, a tailor
Tom Snout, a tinker
Snug, a joiner
Robin Goodfellow, a puck
Oberon, King of the Fairies
Titania, Queen of the Fairies
SEAN FORTUNATO*
JESSICA DEAN TURNER*
KEVIN GUDAHL*
FELICIA ODUH*
ESTEBAN ORTIZ-VILLACORTA
DAN HALLER
GRACE STECKLER*
ERIK HELLMAN*
CHIKÉ JOHNSON*
KIERAN MCCABE*
ISSY VAN RANDWYCK*
RONALD L. CONNER*
DEMETRIOS TROY*
PATTY ROACHE
SEAN FORTUNATO*
JESSICA DEAN TURNER*
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE REPERTORY COMPANY
Pictured (left to right): Back row – Felicia Oduh, Sean Fortunato, Edward Hall, Demetrios Troy, Jessica Dean Turner, Erik Hellman, Kevin Gudahl, Grace Steckler; Front row – Dan Haller, Chiké Johnson, Esteban Ortiz-Villacorta, Patty Roache, Issy van Randwyck, Kieran McCabe, Ronald L. Conner. Photo by Jeff Kurysz.
14 ACTORS. 2 PLAYS. 1 UNFORGETTABLE THEATRICAL EVENT.
CST history is being made as one remarkably talented ensemble of actors perform two Shakespeare plays in repertory as the centerpiece of our 40th Anniversary Season. Inspired by Shakespeare’s acting troupe and our own early roots being known as Shakespeare Repertory, this signature theatrical event brings the Bard’s most beguiling fairy tales—The Winter’s Tale and A Midsummer Night’s Dream—to new life on the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater stage. This cast and creative team boasts more than 300 combined CST credits, encompassing both longtime collaborators and first-time debuts.
WHAT IS REPERTORY?
Repertory theater is a performance style featuring one ensemble of actors performing two or more plays on a rotating basis, thus creating a repertoire of work. The company can perform one play while rehearsing another, and then alternate performances—sometimes even in one day!
SEASON SPONSORS
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is proud to recognize the sustaining partnership of our Season Sponsors,
whose visionary support ensures that we live out our artistic mission for audiences today and for generations to come.
Chicago Shakespeare is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization of non-profit theaters; Shakespeare Theatre Association; Arts Alliance Illinois; the League of Chicago Theatres; and Ingenuity, Inc.
This project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Actors and Stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
The Director of this production are members of the STAGE AND CHOREORAPHERS’ SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.
The set, costume, lighting, sound, and projections designers of this production are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of IATSE.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
For forty years, Chicago Shakespeare Theater has brought people together with performances and programs that captivate minds, spark conversation, and invite new perspectives—again and again.
Mission
To create vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world.
Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare.
Vision
We deliver excellent, powerful, life-changing theater that challenges our preconceptions of everything. We are an open and inspiring destination to meet, talk, and share experience through community and live performance that is available to everyone. We build a better future with those who watch, work, create, and participate.
About Us
Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company and the nation’s largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient engages nearly 175,000 people of all ages and identities each year with dynamic performances and innovative programming.
CST exemplifies theatrical excellence. Shakespeare is at the heart of the artistic work, illuminating the 400-year-old playwright as a modern writer for our modern world. CST also produces compelling stories from fresh artistic voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as a leading producer of North American and world premieres and Chicago’s foremost presenter of international theater. Productions originating from Chicago Shakespeare have gone on to Broadway, national and international tours, garnering three Tony Awards, three Olivier Awards, and two Grammy nominations.
The Theater fosters a lifelong relationship with the arts by providing transformational experiences for multigenerational audiences. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 high school and middle schoolers to attend matinee performances and participate in programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM. Professional development opportunities for teachers include the year-long Bard Core intensive for Chicago Public Schools educators. CST’s initiatives support the development of young people’s crucial skills, including social-emotional competencies, critical literacy, and meaningful collaboration. Learners of all ages deepen their engagement through PreAmble talks and post-show discussions.
CST activates its campus with three best-in-class venues: The Yard, a robust 700-seat space with flexible configurations and expansive proscenium; the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, an intimate 500-seat thrust theater where the audience surrounds the stage on three sides; and the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio, a 200-seat black box theater. Situated along the picturesque shore of Lake Michigan, CST is the cultural anchor of the iconic Navy Pier, one of the top Midwest tourism destinations attracting 9 million visitors annually. Fueled by the vitality of the city of Chicago, CST contributes significantly to the vibrancy and economic impact of the arts and culture ecosystem.
More About Us
Our Team
The thrilling work on our stages would not be possible without our visionary leadership, talented team of theater professionals, and dedicated Board of Directors.
Our Supporters
Chicago Shakespeare gratefully recognizes the gifts and partnerships provided by our hundreds of individual donors and institutions in our digital donor listing.
Our Education Programs
We are committed to providing access to high quality, culturally responsive arts education, and fostering a love for lifelong learning through innovative programming.