Corina Bowler (Widow; Salanio)
Corina was born and raised in John Day, Oregon. She is thrilled to be back for her second year with SBTS. She was seen last year in the Comedy of Errors and Hamlet. She is a graduate of Southern Oregon University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. During the last year she enjoyed acting in the Shakin' it Up with Shakespeare program, and developing an improv group that recently performed at Little Fish Theatre.
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Benjamin 'BJ' Clark (Lucentio; Bassanio)
BJ is greatly honored to be performing in his first season with Shakespeare by the Sea. He is a recent graduate of the three year conservatory program at the Los Angeles Theatre Academy where he performed in such plays as Voir Dire, Fuddy Meers, On Tidy Endings, Take Me Out, The Sandstorm, and the world premiere of the musical The Brain from Planet X. He also directed Hello Out There in their most recent Student Directed One Acts Festival. Outside of the Academy he has been seen in NoHo Cabaret and Wacky Wednesdays, an improv group that he helped to found which performed at the Little Fish Theatre. He spent most of last summer walking from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in hopes to raise awareness to the consequences of the perpetual human war. "I believe it is through the arts that we grant each other permission, if only for a moment, to be our true selves."
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Suzanne Dean (Katherina)
SBTS Productions: Richard III, Twelfth Night, R&J, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Othello, A Midsummer Nights Dream, As You Like It and The Tempest; The Lady's Not For Burning, Blithe Spirit, Peg & Garrick, Laundry & Bourbon, Jesus Come/Jesus Go, The View from Anderson Park at Little Fish Theatre; Elsewhere LA: Macbeth at TheatRevolution; Les Parents Terrible at ART; Hay Fever, Present Laughter at Long Beach Playhouse. NYC credits: The Glass Menagerie, Look Back in Anger, Crimes of the Heart, Fifth of July and 1984. Elsewhere in the US: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Bus Stop, The Dresser, All in the Timing. In the UK: A Couple White Chicks, 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Pinter's Mountain Language, Oxford. Film/TV: Black Dawn, Silk Stalkings, Power Rangers and Another World. Training: BADA- Oxford, Shakespeare & Co., Theatricum Botanicum, The Old Globe, Hofstra University.
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Kevin Gonzales (Hortensio; Gratiano)
Born and raised in southern California, Kevin Gonzales has been acting since he was 6 years old. It was in his late adolescent years that he was given stronger opportunities to explore his acting craft with theater. These opportunities included plays such as Are You Sure, An Evening of Culture, Into the Woods, and The Music Man. He continued his training at California Polytechnic Pomona University. There he performed such roles as John Procter in The Crucible, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, and other independent plays. Among his credits are two independent films. With a passion for the stage, Kevin will be moving and furthering his theatre career in the great city of Chicago.
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Mark Joseph (Petruchio)
For SBTS Mark Joseph acted the role of Hamlet, directed Much Ado About Nothing (Top Ten winner for South Bay) and Richard III. Received MFA in Acting/Directing from CSU, Long Beach, BA from Yale University (sang a world tour as a Whiffenpoof) and graduated from Circle in the Square's acting conservatory in New York. He spent 2005/06 as principal member of Cal Rep (2006 LA Drama Critics Circle’s Polly Warfield Award/Best Season in a small to midsize theatre.) Cal Rep's Love, Bukowski earned 3 LDCC nominations including best ensemble. Mark is Associate Artistic Director for Little Fish Theatre. He created and produces Pick of the Vine, now in its sixth season. His plays, The View From Anderson Park and Inside My Father’s Apple Tree, were produced at Little Fish to great reviews. Other directing credits include West Side Story (Musical Theatre West); The Lady’s Not For Burning; Blithe Spirit (Little Fish); The Rose Tattoo (Long Beach Playhouse); The Spitfire Grill (Torrance Cultural Arts Center). Mark presently teaches acting at The Acting Corps in Los Angeles.
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Andy Kallok (Old Gobo; Vincentio)
This is Andy's sixth season with SBTS. Our audiences have enjoyed his performances in our productions of Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night, Richard III, Two Gentleman of Verona, Othello, Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamlet and Comedy of Errors. He also has acted in several productions at Little Fish Theater, including four consecutive Pick of the Vine one-act programs and the world premiere of Mark Piatelli's Inside My Father’s Apple Tree.
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Brittney Kalmbach (Grumio; Nerissa)
Brittney is excited to be making her debut with Shakespeare by the Sea. Most recently, she appeared as Perdita in The Winter's Tale with Southern California Shakespeare Festival. She has a BA in Theatre from Cal Poly Pomona University, and has also studied Theatre at Oxford University in England. She has appeared as Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew with Prizm Productions, and also appeared in The Full Monty and Beauty and the Beast at Santa Rosa Repertory Theatre. Other favorite stage projects include her own original production titled: The Voice My Mother Gave Me Set Me Free; as well as Othello, Twelfth Night, The Foreigner, The Importance of Being Earnest and Tales of the Lost Formicans.
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Courtney King (Balthasar)
This is Courtney's second run with Shakespeare by the Sea. She first worked with SBTS in 2002, appearing briefly in Macbeth and working as the assistant stage manager. She was also seen in Little Fish Theatre's original musical Tow Yard Dreams. Most recently, Courtney has performed on the Cal State University Dominguez Hills in an effort to complete her Theatre Arts degree.
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Rachel Levy (Tranio)
Rachel originally hails from Seattle and is excited to return to SBTS for yet another season. Rachel was most recently seen onstage in Pick of the Vine at Little Fish Theatre. She was also seen on Comedy Central's sketch show The Hollow Men as the nursing mother. She has a BA in Drama from the University of Washington and has also studied theatre in England. Other recent productions include the 2003 - 2006 SBTS Seasons, The Lady's Not for Burning as Margaret, a featured reader in Grace & Competra's Speaking of Stories in Santa Barbara, and the beglittered "Good Fairy" in the Holiday Panto at the Lobero Theatre for two years. Other favorite stage projects include: Cloud Nine, Sincerity Forever, and Cymbeline.
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Maria Pasquarelli (Jessica)
Maria is a native of Pittsburgh, PA and a graduate of the USC School of Theatre. Since graduating, Maria has worked in the Los Angeles theater world artistically, educationally and administratively. As a member of the International Classical Acting Project in Los Angeles, Maria has had the pleasure of performing as Ampelisca in The Rope and Foible in The Way of the World. Last summer, Maria made her international debut as Woman #3 in Night Breath at the PlayOff ‘06 Theatre Festival in honor of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
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Jaimie Roedel (Baptista; Antonio)
Jaimie is three years into his 3rd career, as an actor, following many years in marketing and as a TV anchor and reporter here in California. You may have recently seen Jaimie in the Untold Stories of the ER television series and the Microkillers series shown on the National Geographic Channel. He also just completed a video project to help promote the USA Network show, The 4400. Yet nothing electrifies like the live theater experience, and Jaimie wishes to thank Lisa Coffi and David Graham for giving him this wonderful opportunity to perform the Bard on the boards once again.
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Betsy Roth (Portia)
Having just completed both stage managing and costume designing The Distance From Here at the Santa Monica Playhouse, Betsy is relieved to be returning to the stage in her first season with Shakespeare by the Sea. A magna cum laude graduate of Southern Methodist University in Acting (BFA) and Psychology (BA), her recent credits include Steel Magnolias (Shelby) and Out of Order (Jane) at the Bellflower Theatre Company, Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Elaine) and The Butler Did It (Charity) at the Long Beach Playhouse, Oliver (Nancy) in Columbus, Ohio, and a season with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, Michigan. Betsy also teaches acting at Westridge School in Pasadena and sings back-up vocals for country singer/songwriter HT Heartache.
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Kenny Seliger (Biondello; Lorenzo)
Kenny was born and raised in Germany. He became interested in wrestling, and began a professional training program--although he had not entertained the idea of acting as a career, character development in wrestling was a springboard for expanding his options as an actor. He's given up wrestling, focused on acting and has recently graduated from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He is looking forward to working with Shakespeare by the Sea and looks to expand himself as an actor.
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Rebecca Sigl (Bianca; Salarino)
Rebecca is thrilled to appear in her first season with Shakespeare by the Sea. Last May, she graduated from Boston University’s School of Theatre with a BFA in Acting where some of her favorite roles included Hannah in Arcadia and Natasha in The Lower Depths. Rebecca also studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Rebecca has worked with the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival (Katharine, Henry V), the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts (Becky/Denise, The Heidi Chronicles) and the National Players in Washington D.C. where she played the entire Fairy Kingdom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In addition to acting, Rebecca has spent the past three summers teaching movement and ensemble based theatre to high school students in Sacramento and in Boston.
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Patrick Vest (Shylock)
Patrick is delighted to be back with SBTS this year. In previous seasons he portrayed Macbeth, Mercutio, and Malvolio. This is Patrick's twenty-fifth production of fourteen Shakespeare plays, and he still hopes to act in the entire Canon. Patrick is also a member of Circus Theatricals where he's been recently seen in Seduced by Sam Shepard. After this summer, he's off to grad school in September to get his MFA at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
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Grady Williams (Gremio; Launcelot)
Grady is a recent Alumni from LACC Theatre Academy. While there, he was in Take Me Out, Rain, Circus Lady, Waiting for Lefty, The Farrell Case, Bus Stop, Fuddy Meers, Indian Wants the Bronx, Loose Ends, Sandstorm, The Brain From Planet X and directed Actors Nightmare. Most recently he was in Very Strange Fruit with the Towne Street Theatre.
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THE PRODUCTION TEAM |
Lisa Coffi - Founder & Producing Artistic Director
Founder and creator of Shakespeare by the Sea, Lisa is happy to be celebrating her 10th Season. She holds an MFA in Theatre Management from CSU, Long Beach and a BFA in Art from CSU, Sacramento. Lauded as "Pedro’s Playmaker" in 2003 by Random Lengths, Lisa is living up to her moniker. Not only does she produce the free festival each summer, but she manages Little Fish Theatre as well. Between year-round demands of SBTS and Little Fish, she works as a graphic designer and splits her time between Redondo Beach and Newcastle (Sacramento) where she resides with her husband, dog, 3 cats, and 5 cows.
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Jodi Krikke (Festival Production Manager)
Jodi is a graphic artist/photographer. She has always had a love for theatre and involves herself whenever she can. She has done lighting, sound and other tasks for various productions in small theatres around Los Angeles. She discovered Shakespeare by the Sea as a volunteer and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She is thrilled to be involved in a more integral way as Festival Production Manager for Shakespeare by the Sea's 10th Anniversary.
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 David Graham (Director - The Merchant of Venice)
David returns to Shakespeare by the Sea for a third season, his first having been as an actor in Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth, after which he directed Romeo and Juliet the following year. This past winter, he wrote, directed and produced an original musical in Silverlake, and is presently working on an original play. He has also authored the first in a series of young adult fantasy novels, which he hopes will be available soon. He is very excited to be returning to Shakespeare, and thrilled to be a part of the historic tenth anniversary of this southern California treasure.
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 Aaron Jackson - Scenic Designer
Aaron is thrilled to be returning for his 3rd Season with SBTS after designing for The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Othello and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Aaron received his MFA in Scenic Design from Rutgers University and has been free-lancing as a Designer and Scenic Artist for the last ten years in theatres across the country as well as television and film. This past year, Aaron accepted a full time position as the Resident Scenic Artist for the University of California at Irvine and has been enjoying the ongoing challenges of their diverse theatre season which included Sunday in the Park with George. Design Credits: New York: Box, (Genesius Theatre Guild) A Leopard Complains of Its Spots, (Amphibian Productions) and The Sex and Love Monologues, (The Riant Theatre). Regional Theatre: I Love a Piano and the upcoming Almost, Maine for the Phoenix Theatre, (Phoenix, AZ). Other Design Highlights include: A Room of One's Own, (Amphibian Productions) Crumbs From the Table of Joy, (Jubilee Theatre) Two Rooms, (Powerhouse Theatre) The Boys Next Door, (Texas Star Theatre) and Guest Designer for several productions at Albright College, (Reading, PA). Aaron has also created Designs for Corporate Projects with The WB Television Network, Splashtacular Inc, and the displays for The OCPAC with Mercedes-Benz & IMAG Productions.
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Valerie Wright - Costume Designer
Valerie Wright has a BFA in fashion design from the Otis Art Institute and This is her 5th season with Shakespeare by the Sea. Valerie specializes in period and fantasy costume, and in addition to the last eight shows with SBTS, she has designed for the Westchester Playhouse, Torrance Theater Company, and The Brethren of the Coast ( of which she is a member and a performing pirate ). Valerie has also designed gowns for the Grammy and Academy Awards and her clients include Cree Summer and Amy Smart.
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Georgina Kester (Sound Designer)
Georgina earned her Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media at CSUDH and is affiliated with The Producers and Engineers Wing of NARAS, the Los Angeles Chapter Board of the Audio Engineering Society as well as the National Association of Record Industry Professionals. Georgina has always had a passion for sound and technology. She launched her professional career with LUX Recordings in 2004. She has worked with many local choirs, musicians and ensembles in the South Bay area and has extensive experience in live recordings. Georgina would like to thank Lisa Coffi and all of the SBTS family for her role in this production.
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Max Wheatley & Bill Ginder (Sound Technicians)
Max has been doing sound since 1980 when he put together his first sound system. Max (along with Bill Ginder) have done sound for many San Pedro venues such as the Taste in San Pedro, the Warner Grand, the Sheraton, Music by the Sea, Janice Hahn's inauguration and LA Wood. Max and Bill are looking forward to being a part of Shakespeare by the Sea's 10th Anniversary.
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Jeremy Sherry (Stage Manager - The Merchant of Venice)
Jeremy is honored to be a part of Shakespeare by the Sea. He is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in theatre. Jeremy spent a year touring the country with Bear in the Big Blue House Live and returned to California to pursue his first love: comedy. He started his own comedy group in 2003 called Evil Monkey Empire Comedy (EME) that started out at Cal Poly Pomona but upon his graduation the group relocated to a theatre in Fullerton called STAGEStheatre. EME Comedy has written and performed original sketch, improv and full-length comedies.
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Jerry Blackburn (Stage Manager - The Taming of the Shrew)
Jerry has worked with such performers as Kathy Najimy, Mo Gaffney, Lypsinka, Varla Jean Merman, Jackie Beat, Kay Sedia, Dennis Hensley, Momma and Uptown Julie Brown. He recently co-produced a new Musical Parody of the 1960’s television show Lost in Space. The show premiered in March to great audience reaction. This is Jerry’s first year with SBTS and hopes it will be the first of many. Jerry would like to thank Lisa and Dave for allowing him this great opportunity. Jerry has also co-produced or exec produced a number of short films in recent years and has hopes to distribute his first feature next year.
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Amber McKenna (Costume Assistant)
Amber has been sewing and creating since she was just a little girl. Taught by her great grandmother, she would help sew curtains, cushion tops & clothing. In high school, Amber was the teacher's assistant in sewing class. In her late teens and early twenties Amber began to construct and sell her handmade / hand beaded underware and started making bridal accessories such as ring pillows and garters. In her early twenties she took up belly dancing and began to make her own dance costumes. She also joined a renaissance gypsy tribe that she continues to call family to this day. She is owner and operator of Faux Finishes by Flame and has been doing faux finishes for nearly two years. Painting is a newly discovered talent but one she greatly enjoys.
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Chris Mylrea (Prop Master)
Chris is from Santa Cruz, California and is currently an undergraduate scenic designer at UC Irvine. He has designed many school shows before and is grateful to have Shakespeare by the Sea be his first professional show(s) to do props and assistant design for. He has won awards for design with sets and lighting from A Streetcar Named Desire, Batboy: The Musical, Proposals, and Cabaret. He has also received acclaimed reviews for scenic designs in college of The Philadelphia Story and What the Rabbi Saw. He is honored to be working with such wonderful people as the youngest part of the crew.
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Terry Hunter (Choreographer - The Taming of the Shrew)
Terry's love of dance began when she saw Rudolph Nureyev dance. Fortunately, the Russian Ballet Master Michael Panyev had opened a school in Los Angeles and Terry began studying ballet at 6. As her studies continued, she added ethnic/folk dance, jazz and modern, lyrical, tap and free form to her repertoire through other instructors including Alex Romero, Madilyn Clark, John Cassesse and Rebecca B. She has choreographed a wide variety of projects from classics such as Carousel, Music Man, and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, to co-writing and choreographing original productions of B.C., The Musical, and Love Rides the Rails or Will the Mail Train Run Tonight, The Musical. Having done more traditional work with repertory companies such as Will Geer Theater, Group Repertory Theater and South Orange County Shakespeare Company, she leapt at the opportunity to be part of such a unique and interesting staging of Shrew.
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