Hamlet
Cast of Characters
(in alphabetical order)
Melissa Booey-Ophelia
Cylan Brown– Ghost/Gravedigger/Player King
Gregory Mason Dodds– Polonius
Tara Donovan– Gertrude
Peter Green-Horatio/Composer of Ophelia’s songs
Trevor Guyton– Rosencrantz
Brendan Robert Kane– Hamlet
Savannah Moffat– Guildenstern
Mateo Mpinduzzi-Mott– Laertes/Player Queen
Melissa Ortiz– Marcellus/Player/Sailor
Patrick Vest– Claudius/Fight Choreographer
Alec Yamartino– Bernardo/Osric/Player
Cast Bios
(in alphabetical order)
Melissa Booey (Ophelia) Melissa is very grateful to be back with SBTS. Previous roles with the company include: Lavinia in Titus Andronicus, Desdemona in Othello, Isabella in Measure for Measure and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She has also performed with sister company, Little Fish Theatre of which she is a member, as well as being a member at Towne Street Theatre in Hollywood. She trains and teaches for 24th Street Theatre, and writes theatrical curriculum for LAUSD and Pasadena Unified. (Cast List)
Cylan Brown (Ghost, Player King, Gravedigger) Cylan Brown is returning to Shakespeare by the Sea for his thirteenth season. Having directed The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew and Cymbeline or SBTS he has also directed Boeing Boeing, The 39 Steps and the ever-popular Pick of the Vine short plays series for Little Fish Theatre. When not directing for stage, Cy can be found acting and SBTS regulars may recognize him from his portrayals of Hamlet, Romeo, Autolycus, Touchstone, Falconbridge and Julius Caesar over the years.Other stage roles include Lt. David Wills in Taking Sides (Rubicon Theatre), Victor Fleming in Moonlight and Magnolias, and Serge in Art. (Civic Light Opera of South Bay). He also teaches students and directs young actors with the Much Ado About Shakespeare educational program.(Cast List)
Gregory Mason Dodds (Polonius- Hamlet) is joining SBTS for a second year after playing Capulet in Romeo and Juliet last summer. This one’s for dad. (Cast List)
Tara Donovan (Gertrude) is an award-winning producer, actor, and director. Most recently she directed Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice for Little Fish Theatre and performed under Stephanie Coltrin’s direction in Almost, Maine at Rubicon Theatre. Tara received her B.A. in both Theatre Performance and Political Science with a summer at Oxford through BADA and recently earned an M.F.A. in Producing at the American Film Institute Conservatory. Tara is delighted to be joining her first SBTS tour after previously performing in the 2020 film stagings of Titus Andronicus (Tamora) and Measure for Measure (Provost). www.TaraDonovan.com(Cast List)
Peter Green (Horatio/Ophelia’s songs composer) is an actor, playwright and teacher based in San Juan Capistrano, California. He is delighted to return to the Shakespeare by the Sea stage after performing in Henry VI, Part 2 as the Earl of Warwick as well as Beatrice and Benvolio in last season’s Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet respectively. When he’s not performing, Peter can be found at Creative Kids Playhouse: Children’s Theatre of South Orange County teaching the next generation of performers how to make fools of themselves. (Cast List)
Trevor Guyton (Rosencrantz) is thrilled to be back with Shakespeare by the Sea for his second summer. Originally from the redwood forests of Northern California, Trevor now calls sunny Southern California his home. Recent stage credits include Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing, Sebastian in The Tempest, Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet, and The Sergeant in Mother Courage and Her Children. Trevor holds a BFA from the University of Evansville.(Cast List)
Brendan Robert Kane (Hamlet) is thrilled to be back with SBTS for another glorious summer! A graduate of Oklahoma City University, Brendan was raised in an Air Force family and is happy to call Los Angeles his home. Some past stage credits include Almost, Maine (Rubicon Theatre); Eurydice (Little Fish Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare by the Sea); Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet (House of Bards); and Lend Me a Tenor (Long Beach Playhouse). He thanks his amazing friends and family for their always constant support. For Dad. BrendanRobertKane.com(Cast List)
Savannah Ruth Moffat (Guildenstern) is thrilled to be returning to the SBTS stage after playing Sister Francis in last summer’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. She received her BFA from the University of Utah Actor Training Program, and some other recent credits include The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Punk Girl) at Camino Real Theatre, Titus Andronicus (Aemelius) with Boomstick Theatre Co., Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberly (Anne DeBourgh) at Pioneer Theatre Co., and Sweeney Todd (Johanna) at Heritage Theatre Co. She is thrilled to be back on stage and be a part of this wonderful show and gives a big thanks to everyone for watching!
Mateo Mpinduzzi Mott ( Laertes/Player Queen) returns to Shakespeare by the Sea for his third summer. Mateo is a Houston born actor now hanging his hat in Echo Park. Since studying theatre at the University of Houston he has gotten to play many parts as well as participate in Shakespeare festivals in Arkansas, Virginia, and right here in San Pedro making him officially tri-coastal. Some previous stage credits include: Love’s Labors Lost -King Ferdinand (SBTS), Romeo & Juliet – Romeo (VSF), Much Ado – Benedick (AST), Merchant of Venice – Lorenzo (HSF), Jesus Hopped the A Train – Angel (4th Wall Theatre), I Carry My Heart – Josh (Bootleg Theatre Co), I and You – Anthony (Stages Rep. Theatre). He’s also been on Fox’s Pivoting as Pete the Barista, and Haikyuu!! as Hayato Ikejiri.
Melissa Ortiz (Marcellus/Player/Sailor) has written, directed, and acted all over Los Angeles in mediums ranging from traditional and immersive theatre, film, and in pandemic times, over Zoom. She received her BFA in Theater Performance from UNR, where she had the opportunity to work alongside renowned linguist David Crystal, actor and author Ben Crystal, and scholar and editor of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works Eric Rasmussen on an Original Pronunciation production of Hamlet. Some of her favorite roles include Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Catherine in The Foreigner, and Anna in Closer. She is thrilled to be making her Shakespeare by the Sea debut! (Cast List)
Patrick Vest (Claudius) has been with the Shakespeare by the Sea family since 2002. With SBTS, he has played Macbeth, Mercutio, Malvolio, Shylock, Marc Antony (in Julius Caesar), Gloucester, Orsino, King John, Bottom, Caliban, Iago, Leontes, Chorus (in Henry V), Titus, and Richard III. He also directed All’s Well that Ends Well, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Measure for Measure. Furthermore he is the resident fight choreographer with SBTS. It has been such an honor and privilege to bring these shows to life for the people at Pt. Fermin Park, and Parks all over the Southland. Elsewhere, he has played such Shakespearian roles as Petruchio, Prince Hal, Lysander, Demetrius, Pericles, Duke Vincentio, and Cloten. Patrick earned his MFA in acting from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and studied acting with Jack Stehlin with New American Theatre. Patrick is thrilled to be back at Shakespeare by the Sea playing two roles he has yet to tackle, and to once again direct the Comedy. (Cast List)
Alec Yamartino (Osric/Bernardo) is thrilled to participate in his first season of Shakespeare By The Sea. He was born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts and studied Electronic Media Production and Theater at High Point University. His past work with The Bard includes Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth in the eponymous play. (Cast List)
Hamlet Production Team
Suzanne Dean- Co-Artistic Director
Stephanie Coltrin-Co-Artistic Director
Jeffrey Schoenberg – Costume Designer
Cinthia Nava – Sound Designer
Alexa Wolfe- Stage Manager
Kira Sherman- Lighting Designer
Patrick Vest– Fight Choreographer
Peter Green-Composer, original songs
Marine Walton– Scenic Artist
Noé Valenzula- Sound Engineer
Tara Donovan- Managing Director
Suzanne Dean (Co-Artistic Director)
is an award-winning Actress, Producer and Director. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Little Fish Theatre and its sister program Shakespeare by the Sea, the Creator of Globetrotting Shakespeare and Pub Shakespeare, Associate Artist with Prague Shakespeare Company, and Owner of Rebelfilm Productions, a film & video company. As an Actress she is known both for dramatic work and comedy with extensive experience in Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, and William Shakespeare – having performed leading roles in 20 of his plays, often with Shakespeare by the Sea since 2000. For LFT she has appeared in: Hedda Gabler, The Lady’s Not for Burning, Veronica’s Room, What the Butler Saw, The Lion in Winter, Betrayal, Blithe Spirit, Blood Poetry and Rapture, Blister, Burn. In the 2019 season, she directed the LA premiere of Operation Ajax. She is a Broadway World and StageSceneLA winner for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Betrayal, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Private Lives, Antony & Cleopatra, and Hedda Gabler. As a Filmmaker, Suzanne has over 35 years as a Producer and Production Manager in Film and Television and is EMMY nominated for her Commercial work. She merges her performing, producing, artistic management, and non-profit work throughout Los Angeles and the Bay Area. suzanne@shakespearebythesea.org (Production Team List)
Stephanie Coltrin (Co-Artistic Director/Director, Hamlet)
Stephanie is an award-winning Producer and Director with over 200 productions to her credit and has been the festival producer for SBTS since 2010. For Shakespeare by the Sea, she has directed Richard III, Henry V, The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, The Tempest, King John, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and the online productions of Richard II and Twelfth Night. She also directed Looking, Panache, The Weir, Bach at Leipzig, and The Love List at Little Fish Theatre (where she is also an Artistic Director). Other favorite directing credits include The Last Five Years, Moonlight and Magnolias, Taking Sides, Miss Saigon (Ovation Award Best Musical) Jesus Christ Superstar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Blithe Spirit, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Quilters and Godspell. She has also received the Stage Scene LA award for Director of the Year, the Broadway World award for Best Director, and a nomination for a Garland Award. She is an Associate Artistic Director, Producer, and Casting Director for Rubicon Theatre, served as the Artistic Director of CLO of South Bay and the Hermosa Beach Playhouse. She has created and taught master classes in audition techniques, taught graduate seminars at UC Irvine, served as an Ovation voter, and for three years served as a judge for L.A.’s Next Great Stage Star. stephaniecoltrin.com She looks forward to SBTS every year and is delighted to be back. Dedicated to Stephen H. Coltrin. Flights of angels, dad. (Production Team List)
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg (Costume Designer)
Jeffrey has been designing costumes for L. A. area theaters for 40 years and is a four-time recipient of the L. A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award. This is his 6th production for Shakespeare by the Sea, having designed last season’s Richard III, and 2020/2021’s Measure For Measure and Titus Andronicus. Other past designs include Candide for the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB; Resolving Hedda for the Victory Theater; and The History of Comedy (abridged) at the Falcon Theater. He designed Cloud 9 for the Antaeus Company, (for which he received an L. A. Drama Critics Circle Award, A Stage Raw Award, and an Ovation nomination,) and where he has designed more than 15 productions including As You Like It. The Wedding Band, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, The Malcontent, King Lear, and Tonight at 8:30. Other recent designs include Kiss Me, Kate, for Cabrillo Music Theater; Always … Patsy Cline for Sierra Madre Playhouse; Hamlet for L. A. Women’s Shakespeare; Elmina’s Kitchen for Lower Depths Theatre; Bach at Leipzig, for the Odyssey Theater; The Dead, The Time of Your Life, and Threepenny Opera for the Open Fist Theater; and the NoHo Arts Center’s Elizabeth Rex. For the Colony Theater, he designed 40 productions, including Dames at Sea, Side Show, The Ladies of the Camellias, and The Laramie Project. He has been the resident designer for Musical Theatre Guild for the past 9 years. Jeffrey is the owner and designer for AJS Costumes, Renaissance Dancewear, and Mr. Alan Jeffries Fine Gentlemen’s Apparel. (Production Team List)
Chris Beyries (Scenic Designer)
Chris has designed shows for LFT including The Love List, Bach at Leipzig, Looking, And the Stones Will Cry Out, Henry IV Part 1, Taking Sides, Chapter Two and Time Stands Still, Hedda Gabler, Pick of the Vine, and The Weir. Other favorite design credits include Taking Sides (Rubicon Theatre), Moonlight and Magnolias (Rubicon Theatre), Barefoot in the Park, The Light in the Piazza, The 1940’s Radio Hour, Beehive, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Spit Like a Big Girl, Wait Until Dark, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Green Room, Bye Bye Birdie, The Nerd, Steel Magnolias, Twice Upon a Time, Art and Godspell. He previously served as the Technical Director and Resident Scenic Designer for Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. His work has been seen coast to coast (and beyond) including NBC, Princess Cruises, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, and Opera San Jose. Chris created the “Behind the Scenes Workshop” at the Santa Monica Playhouse, where he was also the technical director. Chris’ work has taken him to Mexico, Europe, and Japan. (Production Team List)
Cinthia Nava (Sound Designer)
Cinthia began working with SBTS as a sound designer and audio engineer in the summer of 2018. Past productions include Measure for Measure, Titus Andronicus, Henry V, Comedy of Errors, A Winter’s Tale, and Merry Wives of Windsor. They have also done sound work for Cerritos College, Little Fish Theatre, Puttin’ On Productions, Rogue Artists Ensemble, and South Coast Repertory. They are excited to be back outdoors and to see the loving, supportive audience members who return every year. (Production Team List)
Cylan Brown (Fight Choreographer)
Cy is returning to Shakespeare by the Sea for his 12th season. Having directed The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, and Cymbeline for SBTS he has also directed Boeing Boeing, The 39 Steps, and the ever-popular Pick of the Vine short plays series for the Little Fish Theatre. When not directing for the stage, Cy can be found acting and SBTS regulars may recognize him from his portrayals of Hamlet, Romeo, Autolycus, Touchstone, Falconbridge, and Julius Caesar over the years. Other stage roles include Lt. David Wills in Taking Sides (Rubicon Theater), Victor Flemming in Moonlight and Magnolias, and Serge in Art. (Civic Light Opera of South Bay). He also teaches students and directs young actors with the Much Ado About Shakespeare educational program. (Production Team List)
Sean Allinson (Sound Engineer)
Sean (He/Him) is a recent graduate of Pepperdine University, receiving a B.A. in Theatre Production/Design with an emphasis in Lighting and Sound Design. He also earned a B.A. in Political Science in April of 2022. He has done several Shakespeare works, including Co-Lighting Designing the 2022 Spring Production of The Winter’s Tale at Pepperdine with mentor Yelena Babinskaya, and Stage Managing a 2021 virtual Pepperdine production of As You Like It. Other relevant credits include Assistant Sound Designer and Sound Mixer for the 2019 Fall Production of Ragtime and the 2021 Fall Production of Mamma Mia. He is excited for the opportunity to expand his work experience both around and beyond Los Angeles. (Production Team List)
Kira Sherman (Tour Manager)
A recent graduate of Cal State University Fullerton, Kira is thrilled to be back at the theater grindstone. Recent past work includes Little Fish Theatre’s virtual production of Pygmalion and CSUF’s Vinegar Tom. Thank you everyone for coming and enjoy the show. (Production Team List)
Alexa Wolfe (Stage Manager)
Alexa is thrilled to embark on her first season with Shakespeare by the Sea! Originally from San Diego, Alexa is a Los Angeles-based Stage Manager, newly graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Technical Theatre as of May of 2022. Alexa’s most recent works include La Piñata, a TYA musical written by Jerry Garcia and composed by Lucky Diaz, as well as California Repertory Company’s American Distortion, an ensemble-based devised piece. For the past three years, Alexa has Stage and Production Managed for multiple companies throughout Southern California including the Stagehouse Theatre (2019), Theatre Threshold (2020-2022), and Lime Arts Productions (2022). She would like to send a big thank you to her family, friends, and mentors for their endless support. @alexawolfestage (Production Team List)
Sonja Inge (Administrative Assistant)
Sonja is excited to be the Development Director for SBTS. While Sonja is a member of SAG-AFTRA, prior to acting, she spent a decade in the world of fundraising and outreach for non-profits in Washington, D.C., such as The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and The National Youth Employment Coalition. She also was the assistant development manager for The Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. She performed with SBTS during the summer of 2019 playing the role of The Abess/Emilia in The Comedy of Errors. Sonja holds a BA in Journalism from Howard University and a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin (Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.) (Production Team List)
Hannah Hart (LACAC Intern)
has just graduated from Long Beach City College with an associates in Theater Arts. She has a passion for performance and is so excited to work with Shakespeare By The Sea. She would like to thank Yelena Babinskaya for being such an amazing mentor and helping her find opportunities such as this. She would also like to thank the LBCC Theater Faculty, her family, and her girlfriend for supporting her through everything she’s achieved. (Production Team List)
Renata Macfie (Intern)
Renata is delighted to be working for Shakespeare by the Sea as one of the interns. This is her third summer working for the company. She is heading into her second year of college studying criminal psychology and creative writing. She has grown up surrounded by the theater as her mother is an actress who is playing the nurse in Romeo and Juliet. She loves the creativity and the emotional bonds that come with theater companies and has dedicated a big part of her life to the theater as she was a dancer for 13 years. Because of her upbringing, she has a deeper understanding of the technical aspects of a show, and that has made her have a deeper appreciation for every single person involved in the performance. She is very excited to be working with SBTS again this summer. (Production Team List)
