Prague Shakespeare Company Staff
Guy Roberts, Founding Artistic Director
Jessica Boone, Producer
Elissa Levitt, Associate Director & Intensive Coordinator
Josh Morrison, Associate Director & Production Manager
Jeff Smith, Associate Director & Audience Services Director
Michal Matola, Technical Director (CZ) & Building Services
Iva Navrátilová, Assistant to the Artistic Director
Paulina Kostov, Resident Costume Shop Supervisor
Bailey Smith, Communications and Design Specialist
Samantha Bass, Audience Services Manager & Production Associate
Guy Roberts, Founder and Artistic Director
Guy Roberts is the Founder and Artistic Director of Prague Shakespeare Company, the professional English language theatre of the Czech Republic, celebrating its 17th year in 2024. He has produced, directed and acted in over 300 productions and his work has been experienced onstage in the United States, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Qatar, Egypt, and India and he and his productions have been honored with multiple awards and over 100 US theatre award nominations, including many for Best Actor, Director and Production.
In 2020, his PSC solo production of Hamlet at Main Street Theater Company in Houston, TX was honored with the Houston Theatre Award for Best Visiting Production (Best Tour). In 2018, he was honored with the Houston Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance as the Poet in the Prague Shakespeare Company / Main Street Theater Company production of An Iliad (also recipient of Best Production, Costume, Set and Lights Award nominations), co-directed by Roberts and MST Artistic Director Rebecca Greene Udden.
In 2016, under his leadership, PSC became the first theatre company in the world to present the entire newly accepted Shakespearean canon (41 plays including Sir Thomas More, Cardenio and Edward III as well as all of the sonnets and poetical works) in a single year as part of the historic PSC400 Season.
He is a 2015 recipient of the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Medal of Honor from the Masaryk Democratic Movement in recognition for his work promoting arts and artistic freedom. In 2014 Guy received the inaugural Sidney Berger Award from the Shakespeare Theatre Association in recognition of his dedication to the works of William Shakespeare. He was named “Honorary Houstonian” at the 2013 Houston Press Theatre Awards for his PSC touring productions in collaboration with Main Street Theater Company (MST). PSC/MST productions include Hamlet, An Iliad, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Henry V (Houston Press Theatre Award for Best Director) and Richard III.
Notable Shakespeare roles include Macbeth, Henry V, Iago, Richard III, Hamlet, Pericles, Leontes, Jaques, Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Hector, Romeo, Mercutio, Benedick, Cassius, Bottom, Demetrius, Snug, Puck, Dogberry, and Lucio among others for Prague Shakespeare Company with numerous productions in association with the Czech National Theatre at the historic Estates Theater including also Patrick Doyle’s Shakespeare in Concert, Measure for Measure (also Prague Castle), Julius Caesar, his Trojan War trilogy: An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, and The Trojan Women (co-directed with Rebecca Greene Udden), Amadeus as well as Much Ado About Nothing, Venus in Fur, Twelfth Night among numerous others at Divadlo Kolowrat, Main Street Theater Company, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Austin Shakespeare Festival and the Huntington Theatre Company.
Recent stage work as an actor includes the title roles in Richard III on tour to New Delhi and Puducherry, India as part of the Bharat Rang Matosav Festival, Prague performances of Hamlet at the Estates Theater in association with the Czech National Theatre and Iago in Othello at Prague Castle and on tour to Ostrava and Brno with the Czech Summer Shakespeare Festival, Letní Shakespeareovské Slavosti.
Other PSC international tours include An Iliad in New Delhi and Varanassi, India as part of the Bharat Rang Matosav Festival; Hamlet in Houston, Texas with Main Street Theater Company and in Alicante, Spain; Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing at the Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt; Patrick Doyle’s Shakespeare in Concert with Patrick Doyle, James Shearman and Jessica Boone in Doha, Qatar and Orlando, Florida.
As a guest director, his PSC Much Ado served as the basis for a Czech version, which he directed and ran for over six years at Divadlo Bez Zabradli in Prague.
His production of Midsummer for the Bremer Shakespeare Company in Germany recently celebrated its three-year anniversary in the repertory. His new productions of An Iliad starring Karel Heřmánek ml premiered at Divadlo Bez Zabradli in September 2021 and his new production of Macbeth premiered at the Bremer Shakespeare Company in Germany in October 2021. He recently directed a new English-language production of Hamlet at the Bremer Shakespeare Company that opened to rave reviews in October 2023.
Guy can be seen as fan favorite Uno Nomesta in Amazon/SONY’s smash-hit TV Series THE WHEEL OF TIME created by Rafe Judkins. In addition to his role as Uno in THE WHEEL OF TIME, he can also be seen in Amazon’s HANNA among other TV and film appearances including the recently released feature film MEDIEVAL as well as numerous voice overs for Japanese anime and commercials for director Craig Gillespie (I, TONYA). He also staged the Opera sequences for the feature film CHEVALIER.
Guy is a longtime member of the Society of American Fight Directors and has choreographed fight sequences and staged violence for over one hundred theatre productions, ballets and operas in Europe and the United States as well as the First National Tour of big! the musical.
Guy also travels extensively conducting Shakespeare and Leadership workshops training corporate executives and managers in the art of leadership using essential Shakespearean lessons as a model for dealing with modern-day corporate challenges. Click here to view Guy’s TEDxYouth talk To Lead or Not To Lead: Changing the World with Shakespeare
Guy served as Artistic Director of the Austin Shakespeare Festival (USA) from 2001-2007.
He received his BFA from Boston University, and is also proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, The Society of Stage Directors, British Equity, and the Shakespeare Theatre Association.
Guy resides in Prague, Czech Republic with his wife, the actress Jessica Boone, and is the proud father of Isabella, Rohan, and Landon.
Artistic Company
At the heart of the Prague Shakespeare Company are the actors, designers, writers, musicians, technicians, teachers, directors and other theatre artists who, make up the annual season artistic company. The PSC Artistic Company seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we invite artists from across the world – both able-bodied and disabled, without regard to race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender and non-binary individuals, to work with PSC. The Artistic Company, under the guidance of the Artistic Director, work constantly together to explore a cohesive classical style. PSC provides an ensemble atmosphere for extended theatrical exploration wherein company members work as a group to develop skills and to perfect their craft through the continuity of several productions over multiple seasons. The quality of commitment demanded of the company members fosters cohesiveness as well as an intensity of approach to PSC’s repertoire. PSC nurtures and supports the creative endeavors of the artistic company and creates an environment in which all members feel that they are valued participants in a shared undertaking. PSC embraces opportunities for collaborative work and training and a sharing of experiences with other artists and companies, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, as a way of enhancing professional development and expanding personal visions. In these endeavors, the primary focus of the company is the work of William Shakespeare, though the company’s productions are not limited to Shakespeare’s plays.
Associate Artists
The core of the PSC Artistic Company are the PSC Associate Artists. They are the dedicated nucleus of the artistic teams, representing PSC in public functions and serving as a model to other company members. They work closely with the Artistic Director, contributing to the shape of each season and the direction of the company. PSC Associate Artists include Jessica Boone, Gregory Gudgeon, Laura Baranik, Lane Davies, Jared Doreck, Fanette Ronjat, Jonathan Perrien, Lenka Fisherova, David Fisher, John Poston, Bree Welch, Philip Hays, Bob Boudreaux, Marketa Fantová, Abigail Rice, Scott Bellefueille, Eva Bellefueille, Jeff Smith, Vanessa Gendron, Charles Frederick Secrease, Amy Huck, Karel Heřmánek ml., Elissa Levitt, Přemysl Janda, Irwin Appel, Brad Caleb Lee, Diego DiGiovanni, Jan Thompson OBE, Begum Burian, Nikol Heřmánková Kouklová, Taylor Napier, Jim Johnson, Carolyn Johnson, and Peter Hosking, among others. Read about our Associate Artists below.
Associate Artists
Irwin Appel (USA)
PSC (7 seasons): Pandarus – Troilus and Cressida, The Death of Kings, Falstaff – Henry IV, part 1
Irwin is thrilled to return to Prague Shakespeare Company where he taught acting and directed the European premiere of his original adaptation of Shakespeare’s history plays, The Death of Kings: Seize the Crown at 2017’s PSC Summer Shakespeare Intensive. As an actor, director and composer/sound designer, he has worked with Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, the New York, Oregon, Utah, New Jersey and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals, The Acting Company, Theatre For a New Audience, Hartford Stage, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, PCPA, both the National Theatre Conservatory and Colorado New Play Summit at the Denver Center of the Performing Arts, the Bread Load Acting Ensemble, and other prominent regional theaters. Acting roles include: Prospero in The Tempest, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Falstaff in Merry Wives of Windsor, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Kent in King Lear, Macbeth in Kabuki Macbeth, Matt in Talley’s Folly, Stage Manager in Our Town, and the title roles in Richard III, Timon of Athens, and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. He is Professor of Theater and Director of the BFA Actor Training Program at University of California Santa Barbara, where he is also founding artistic director of Naked Shakes, producing award-winning Shakespearean productions in California since 2006. He also has led workshops and lectured about Naked Shakes at the International Festival of Making Theater in Athens, Greece, the International Platform for Performer Training in Zürich, Switzerland, and the Institutes of English and American Studies at the Universities of Gdansk and Warsaw in Poland, as well as the Shakespeare Theatre of Gdansk. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Juilliard School. www.deathofkings.com.
Laura Baranik (Slovakia/Canada)
PSC (16 seasons): Cressida – Troilus and Cressida, Phebe – As You Like It, Conrad – Much Ado About Nothing, Benvolio – Romeo and Juliet, Hermia – A Midsummer Night’s Dream among numerous others
Laura Baranik has performed in over a dozen productions with PSC, including As You Like It, Hamlet, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, and Troilus and Cressida. Off-Broadway: Bedlam’s The Seagull (Wall Street Journal Best Classical Production of the Year) and world premieres of Dracula (Classic Stage Company), Pride and Prejudice (Primary Stages/Cherry Lane), and Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility (Off Broadway Alliance Award; Drama League, Lucille Lortel nominations). Other U.S.: Othello, Henry V, 1 Henry VI (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); As You Like It, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing (Main Street Theater/PSC, Houston); Human Error (Public Theatre, Maine); Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Cape Rep, Massachusetts). TV/Film: “Future Man,” “Crossing Lines,” Solomon Kane. Slovak-Canadian based in New York and Prague. PSC Associate Artist. Proud member of Actors’ Equity. BFA: NYU/Tisch School of Arts
Eva Bellefeuille (Czech Republic)
PSC (12 seasons): Amadeus, Richard III, Othello, An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Masaryk in America, Julius Caesar among numerous others
Eva was born in the Czech Republic and graduated from the Prague Drama Academy (DAMU). Since then she has done work as a stage and costume designer for Divadlo Rokoko in Prague, and worked extensively for oth-er theatres around the Czech Republic including theatres in Hradec Kralove, Cheb, Ostrava and Kar-lovy Vary. Eva has designed costumes and worked on Amadeus, Richard III, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Trojan War cycle at the Es-tates Theater for PSC. In addition to her stage work and work for TV and film, she does graphic design and paints.
Scott Bellefeuille (USA)
PSC (12 seasons): Angelo – Measure for Measure, Count Orsini Rosenberg – Amadeus, Buckingham – Richard III, Lysander – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Masaryk in America among numerous others
Scott trained in theatre and film in the United States and has worked in Europe and the U.S. as an actor, director, and voiceover artist. He worked with some of the earliest English language theater companies in Prague including Black Box and Misery Loves Company, and was a founding member of the inter-national physical theater ensemble Divaldo Miloco. His Prague acting credits include Metamorphosis, The Trial, Translations, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Encyclopedia of the Dead, Richard III directed by Vladimír Morávek, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Measure for Measure. His voice work includes recording the entire cycle of Shakespeare sonnets with Pavel Soukup and Martin Hilsky for Český Rozhlas. In ad-dition to his theater credits, Scott has numerous film and television credits.
Jessica Boone (USA)
PSC (15 seasons): Rosalind – As You Like It, Vanda – Venus in Fur, Lady Macbeth – Macbeth, Athena/Muse – An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Viola – Twelfth Night, Innogen – Cymbeline, Hermione – The Winter’s Tale, Ophelia – Hamlet, Lady Anne – Richard III, Hero – Much Ado About Nothing, Princess/Boy – Henry V among numerous others
Based out of Prague, Czech Republic, Jessica is the Producer and lead actress for Prague Shakespeare Company. Her PSC / Letní Shakespeareovské Slavosti appearances at Prague Castle include Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lady Anne in Richard III and Desdemona in Othello (also on tour to Ostrava Castle and Brno Castle).
For PSC in association with the Czech National Theatre at the Estates Theater in Prague, she has been seen as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Hermione in The Winter’s Tale, Rosalind in As You Like It, Fool in King Lear, Portia in Julius Caesar, Constanza in Amadeus, The Muse in An Iliad, Athena in The Trojan Women, Lady Anne in Richard III as well as in Masaryk in America, and Patrick Doyle’s Music of Shakespeare.
International touring with PSC includes Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing at the historic Library of Alexandria in Egypt, Venus in Fur in Hungary and the US, as well as multiple other US tours including Patrick Doyle’s Music of Shakespeare also in Doha, Qatar as guest of the Queen.
PSC performances in Prague at Divadlo Kolowrat include Vanda in Venus in Fur, Viola in Twelfth Night, Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, Katherine / Boy in Henry V, Innogen in Cymbeline, Ophelia in Hamlet, as well as Fools for Love: Shakespeare’s Sonnets with Martin Hilsky and Daniel Dobias. She spent five consecutive seasons as a company member with the Houston Shakespeare Festival where her appearances included leading roles in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pericles, Cymbeline, Romeo and Juliet, Love’s Labor’s Lost, The Tempest, Julius Caesar and Titus Andronicus.
Her film and TV work includes her regular role as Alwhin in Amazon/SONY’s THE WHEEL OF TIME created by Rafe Judkins, the feature films CHEVALIER, UNLOCKED and Puerto Ricans IN PARIS. Jessica’s TV appearances include A SMALL LIGHT, LAST LIGHT, SHADOWPLAY< CARNIVAL ROW, DS BOOT, CROSSING LINES, and her regular role as Rabia in MISSING starring Ashley Judd and Sean Bean.
She is known throughout by Anime fans throughout the world for her work voicing hundreds of characters in Japanese animated series such as GATE, Akame ga Kill!, Hello Kitty, Angelic Layer, High School of the Dead and Azumanga Daioh. Jessica has also lent her voice to the Spiderwoman web comics and numerous national commercials and campaigns.
Jessica was named a “femme-on-fire” by playboy.com. and is a recognized actor/combatant by the Society of American Fight Directors and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and British Equity. She is married to Director and Actor Guy Roberts and the mother of Rohan and Landon.
Bob Boudreaux (USA)
PSC (15 seasons): Richard III, Man of La Mancha, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, Amadeus, Hamlet, Into the Woods, Complete Works Abridged among numerous others
Bob Boudreaux started his acting career with the Houston Shakespeare Festival while still employed as a TV News Anchorman for the local Disney TV station. Since retiring from TV and tak-ing up acting on a full time basis, Bob met Guy Rob-erts, a fellow Houstonian, and founder of PSC who initially brought him to Prague for roles in two PSC productions. He has been a performing member of the Prague Shakespeare Company for 7 seasons now having played the title role of “Julius Caesar”, and supporting roles in such PSC notable produc-tions as “Richard III”, “ Into the Woods”, “Hamlet”, “ Amadeus”, “ Complete Works of Wm. Shakespeare Abridged”, and the PSC international touring pro-ductions of “ As You Like It”, “ King Lear”, “Twelfth Night”, and “Much Ado About Nothing” among his dozens of PSC credits. Most recently, Bob had the lead role in the European premiere of the dark brute farce, “Supper”, at 21 Divadlo, which he expects to reprise in mid-May. Last season he teamed with PSC to co-produce the popular musical “Man of La Man-cha”, starring Lane Davies, in which he also played the role of Governor/ Innkeeper.. Recent Film/TV /Video appearances include roles in “Borg”, “Gangster Ka, African” and the American TV series “Genius”, “ Crossing Lines”, and “ Banshee”. Bob was also fea-tured in the last international TV commercial for the Xerox corporation and provides the voice character-ization of Capt. Bernard in the Czech produced hit video game : Kingdom Come : Deliverance” . In his previous life Bob spent a quarter century in the TV news business, as an Anchorman/Reporter for ABC Disney in his hometown and was a 2 time recipient of an Emmy Award for Broadcasting and Reporting excellence. After college at the University of Massa-chusetts and prior to his work in TV , Bob spent sev-eral years on active duty as an Officer in the United States Army and was a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam conflict where he received two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze star, the Air Medal for Valor, and a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action as a helicopter pilot. He concluded his military tour as a Flight Instructor at the US Army’s primary helicopter school with the
Begüm Bürian (Turkey)
PSC (13 seasons): Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Richard II among numerous others
Begum Burian, a versatile artist hailing from Turkey and now based in Prague. Her screen credits feature roles in notable productions like “Unlocked” (Michael Apted, Dir.), “The Ottoman Lieutenant” (Joseph Ruben, Dir.), “Prvok, Šampón, Tečka a Karel” (Patrik Hartl, Dir.), and the Canadian/Czech TV series “Clay’s P.O.V.” (2016, 2 episodes). On the theatrical stage, for PSC she has showcased her talent in various roles, including many at the Czech National Estates Theatre, Prague such as Mob Citizen in Julius Caesar, diverse characters in The Trojan War: Troilus and Cressida and The Trojan Women, Witch in Macbeth. Other PSC appearances include Sarah Good in The Crucible, Snout/Fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lisa Wolpe, Dir.), Exton in Richard II (Shakespeare Original Pronunciation). Begum’s contribution to Prague Shakespeare Company extends to memorable performances such as Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors (PSC400), Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, and Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream during her tenure in the PSC Professional Actor Training program.
Kalyan Choudhury (India)
PSC (8 seasons): Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard II
Kalyan is an actor and theatre maker born in Bokaro steel city Jharkhand. He is involved in performing arts from past 12 years. He received prestigious INLAKHS THEATRE AWARD to learn the art of comedy called clowning. He worked with many national and international theatre companies.Such as:Indian Ensemble (Bangalore), Theatre garage (Delhi), Theatreact (Mumbai), Clowns without Borders( USA), Clowns without Borders (Sweden), Prague Shakespeare company (Czech Republic). He has done more than 50 plays, directed 10 children’s plays, and acted in feature length films. Ranveer – the Marshall – 2017 on 10 Nov, Sobat– release in February 2018, TV commercial for Sahara and Hindware mobile app. Worked in several short films and FTII diploma projects. PSC productions include Richard II and The Trojan War trilogy and Much Ado About Nothing at the Estates Theater.
Laura Cole (USA)
PSC (8 seasons): Beatrice in Much Ado, Calpurnia in Julius Caesar, among other numerous productions as actor & director
Laura is very pleased to be returning as an actor and teacher with the Prague Shakespeare Company. She made her PSC Debut in 2018 in Julius Caesar. Atlanta Georgia is her home where she is the Director of Education and Training for the Atlanta Shakespeare Company at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse. She is a professional actor, director, choreographer and teacher of students from four years old to professional actor level. Laura has acted in almost every play written by Shakespeare, only lacking roles in Measure For Measure, Titus Andronicus, Henry V, Richard II, Merchant of Venice, Pericles, The Tempest, Two Gentlemen of Verona and Two Noble Kinsmen. She has choreographed some Much Ado’s and Midsummers, a Pericles, and has directed Merchant, Tempest, R&J, Othello, Loves Labours Lost, Two Gents, McB, and Twelfth Night. Other credits include: International- Prague Shakespeare- Julius Caesar, Off-Broadway- New York Classical Theatre- Twelfth Night. Roles at ASC-Elizabeth in RIII, Cleopatra, Lady Hotspur, Lady Capulet, Mrs. Ford, Lady McB, Hermione, Margaret in RIII and HVI 1,2, Cassandra in T&C, Titania, Kate, Rosalind, Audrey, Beatrice, Viola, Luciana, Adriana, Emelia, Katherine of Aragon, Countess in All’s Well, Ensemble in Timon of Athens, Constance in King John, Regan in Lear, Rosaline and Maria in LLL, and even a 10 minute play of the Dark Lady cycle of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Mephistopheles in a two person Dr. Faustus, Isabella in Edward II. The Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi, (Resurgens) Rapture Blister Burn, (Out of Box), A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Arcadia-US (Alliance Theatre) As Bees In Honey Drown, (Actor’s Express) The Canterbury Tales, (Theatre Gael); God of Vengeance (7 Stages/ Jewish Theatre of the South) Death of A Salesman, Garden of Riki Tiki Tavi, (Theatre In the Square) Power Lunch, Girls Guide to Chaos (Art Attack) She is a proud graduate of Northwestern University, with a degree in acting and a minor in choreography. She loves her husband Joe, her pup Tay, her dear nieces Lili and Lucy and her home and garden in Atlanta.
Lane Davies (USA)
PSC (9 seasons): King Lear – King Lear, Agamemnon – Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Don Quixote/Director – Man of La Mancha, Edward – Richard III among numerous others
On television, he was the original ‘Mason Capwell’ on NBC’s Santa Barbara, an international hit which has now played in over 53 countries worldwide. Other television credits include starring roles in four prime-time series, Good & Evil, The Mommies, Woops!and The Crew. He appeared regularly as the psychopathic time-traveler ‘Tempus’ on Lois & Clark – The New Adventures of Superman, and recurred on 3rd Rock from the Sun as ‘Chancellor Duncan’, on The Practice as ‘Kyle Barrett’, and on Scrubs as ‘Dr. Simon Reid’.
Television credits also include seven pilots and some 50 guest-star appearances, including such shows as Seinfeld, Working, The Nanny, Ellen, Jesse, Coach, Major Dad, Clueless, Married With Children, Just Shoot Me, Good Luck, Charlie, and most recently as ‘Jack the Ripper’ in Season 15 of Supernatural.
Although perhaps best known for sardonic roles in television comedy and drama, during 30 years as a stage actor, Lane has performed such roles as Hamlet, Macbeth (4), Richard III, King Lear, Shylock, Prospero, Petruchio (2), Henry V, Claudius, Marc Antony, Oberon (3), Capulet, Benedick, Orsino, Proteus, Tybalt,and Cyrano de Bergerac(2) in companies from San Diego to Providence, Rhode Island. More recently, he has been active in Europe with PSC, as Edward IV in Richard III, Armado in Love’s Labors Lost, Cervantes/Quizote in Man of La Mancha, and Agamemnon in both Troilus and Cressida and The Trojan Women. Lane has directed a dozen productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as productions of Macbeth, Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, 12th Night, and Henry V, among others.
As Artistic Director for the Santa Susana Repertory Company, a professional resident theater company in Ventura County, Lane produced and/or directed over 40 productions and guided the company from its inception. He also founded and was Co-Artistic Director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival in Thousand Oaks, now in its 24th season, was Artistic Director of the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival from 2008 to 2011, and is currently Artistic Director of the Conasauga Shakespeare Coalition in his home town of Dalton, Georgia. Lane is an Associate Artist with PSC where he has played more than ten productions, including most recently the title role in King Lear directed by Guy Roberts at the Czech National Estates Theatre.
Matthew Radford Davies (UK & USA)
PSC (7 seasons): Actor & Director: Bolinbroke in Richard II, Henry VI, part 1, among numerous others
Matt Davies is an Associate Professor in the MLitt/MFA Shakespeare and Performance program at Mary Baldwin and a professional actor and director of twenty years standing in the UK and the US. An associate director of renowned Shakespeare company Actors From The London Stage, Matt has been touring the States since 1999. He began his graduate studies at UT Austin in 2004 and defended his Ph.D dissertation in the summer of 2012. Earning three fellowships and a graduate teaching award while at UT, Matt also continued working professionally in the city’s vibrant theater community. Alongside UK national acting awards for two new works, Our Boys and Misconceptions, Matt has received numerous B. Iden Payne and Critics Circle awards and nominations for his classical work for Texas theater companies Austin Shakespeare, Hidden Room, and the Chekhov-based Breaking String, of which he is a founding member. Matt has directed both the classics and new works in London, Glasgow, Houston, and Austin. In Prague Matt appeared as Bolingbroke in Richard II as part of the 2018 Summer Shakespeare Intensive.
Suzanne Dean (USA)
PSC (9 seasons): Actor & Director – Mistress Quickly in Henry V, POP Shakespeare, Henry VI, part 1, Measure for Measure, among numerous others
Suzanne Dean is an Actress, Director and Producer. She is the Associate Artistic Director for Los Angeles based Shakespeare by the Sea, Co- Founder of Little Fish Theatre, co- creator of the We Are Shakespeare Digital Video Festival, and is the owner of Rebelfilm Productions LLC – a film & video company. She has been involved in Film and Video for over 25 years and is EMMY nominated for her Commercial work, having managed over 120 spots and produces film budgets ranging from $50k- $10M. As a Theatre Producer & Director, she has overseen more than 175 stage productions including an annual New Works Festival of Short Plays, live events on all scales – from large touring productions, to intimate black box performances, public Pop-Up events, and created Pub Shakespeare. As an Actress, she has extensive experience in Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter, and Shakespeare – having performed leading roles in 20 of his plays, some multiple times. She is an active member of SAG/AFTRA, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Women in Film, Shakespeare Theatre Association, LA Stage Alliance, Theatrical Producers League of Los Angeles, SF FILM, and Theatre Bay Area. She is a recurring Guest Artist/ Director with Prague Shakespeare Company and Arabian Shakespeare Festival.
Diego DiGiovanni (Italy)
PSC (6 seasons): Paris – Troilus and Cressida, Claudio – Measure for Measure, Demetrius – A Midsummer Night’s Dream among numerous others
Prague Shakespeare Company: Midsummer Night’s Dream; Whitefire Theater, Los Angeles: Memorizing Rome by Richard M. Hirsch (World Premiere); Circle Squared Collective: The Laramie Project; Lounge Theater, Los Angeles: Water Under the Bridge; State Playhouse, Los Angeles: The Winter’s Tale, Arcadia, Closer, The Good (World Premiere); Education: M.F.A. Acting and Performance, California State University, Los Angeles (Dean’s Honor List; Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarship recipient). Diego acted in award-winner independent films and U.S. national commercials
Jared Doreck (USA)
PSC (16 seasons): Patroclus – Troilus and Cressida, Richmond – Richard III, Malcolm – Macbeth, Don John – Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo – Romeo and Juliet, Oberon – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Complete Works Abridged, Dracula, the Journal of Jonathan Harker, Henry V, Man of La Mancha among numerous others
Jared made his Prague Shakespeare Company debut as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. In Prague he has been fortunate to play Shakespeare, Čapek and Havel. During PSC400’s celebration of Shakespeare’s death in 2016, Jared played in 20 different PSC productions in a single year. He is an award-winning improviser and has worked in musicals under Jerry Bock and Stuart Ostrow. He has narrated a handful of sci-fi and alternate history audio books. Jared plays Edmund in Alexander Barnett’s film version of King Lear. He has also filmed for a few TV shows, and a couple projects with Česká Televize: Colette and A Bullet for Heydrich. Jared played Dracula at Divadlo Kolowrat, and the Devil in a Budweiser Budvar commercial. He also recently played in the film “Interlude in Prague” and the new Amazon series “Carnival Row”. This past year he also sang Serge Gainsbourg at the Obecní dům in Prague Proms, and played with a dog in a Škoda commercial. He believes world peace is possible. Ahoj Pohadka. Jared is a proud member of the Prague Shakespeare Company.
Patrick Neil Doyle (Scotland)
PSC (8 seasons): A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Masaryk in America, Measure for Measure, An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women among numerous others
Patrick Neil is a composer for film, television, and theatre, who created the score for ‘Nae Pasaran‘; the Creative Scotland documentary and Winner of Best Feature Film at the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2018. Other feature film credits include the 2020 Lionsgate distributed ‘A Christmas Gift from Bob’, ‘The Legend of Longwood’ and ‘Kepler’s Dream’. For television, Patrick Neil composed the music for King Bert Productions’ drama series ‘The Moonstone’ for BBC One.
Short film credits include ‘Angels of Our Past’, nominated for Best UK Short at the East End Film Festival, and ‘Little Monsters’, appearing at the London International Short Film Festival, British Horror Film Festival and Lichtspielklub Short Film Festival.
Patrick Neil was the musical director for Kenneth Branagh’s 2015-16 season of plays at the Garrick Theatre, and previous composition for theatre includes William Boyd’s sell-out run of ‘Longing’ at the Hampstead Theatre, ‘United Queendom’ performed inside Kensington Palace with acclaimed immersive theatre company Les Enfants Terribles, and multiple productions with the Prague Shakespeare Company including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, Measure for Measure, Masaryk in America, The Trojan War: An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida and The Trojan Women.
Patrick Neil composed the music for the audiobook ‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic’, produced by Pottermore.
Markéta Fantová (Czech Republic)
PSC (6 seasons): An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women
Markéta is a scenic, lighting and costume designer for theatre, dance, and performance art. She has worked in theatres, galleries and visually inspiring sites in both the United States and Europe. Marketa led the USITT-USA team as the Artistic Director of the US National and Student exhibits for the 2015 Prague Quadrennial and recently moved to Prague from Philadelphia, where she accepted a position of the Artistic Director of the Prague Quadrennial 2019.
David Fisher (England)
PSC (16 seasons): As You Like It, Measure for Measure, Richard III, Hamlet, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet among numerous others
David Fisher is the Founder and Director of The Bear Educational Theatre, Prague. He has also worked for many years with PSC (and before with PSF) in Hamlet, King Lear, As You Like It, A Midsummer Nights Dream, and Richard III. Film and TV credits include A Knight’s Tale, Hitler -The Rise of Evil, The Prince and I 2, Dune (TV series), and Borg McEnroe among others.
Lenka Fisherová (Czech Republic)
PSC (16 seasons): As You Like It, Hamlet, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet among numerous others
Lenka runs The Bear Educational Theatre with her husband David. For PSC she has appeared as Juliet, Titania, Cordelia, and Audrey. She has numerous Czech TV and film credits and is the proud mother of Ondy.
Brendon Fox (USA)
PSC (6 seasons): Director – The Winter’s Tale, Henry VI, part 3, Love’s Labor’s Lost, among numerous others
BRENDON FOX is a director, teacher, adapter, producer and two-time NEA Panelist whose work has been seen from Los Angeles to Prague. He has worked internationally at a number of theaters and training programs. Directing credits include: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Prague Shakespeare Company, Colorado Shakespeare Festival; Long Day’s Journey into Night, American Stage, an all-women, five-person A Christmas Carol, Delaware Theatre Company; Baskerville, Long Wharf Theatre, and a co-production of Cleveland Playhouse / Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; The Pitmen Painters, American Stage; Peter and the Starcatcher, PlayMakers Repertory Company;Angels in America (Parts One and Two), PlayMakers Repertory Company; Shipwrecked! Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Much Ado About Nothing, Old Globe Theatre; Opus, Portland Center Stage, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Houston Shakespeare Festival; The Lady with All the Answers, Pasadena Playhouse; A Hidden Corner (Theatre J, reading). Brendon has taught at programs such as Juilliard, USD / Old Globe, UNCo, FSU / Asolo Rep, and others. Member, SDC. His article “Directing Long Day’s Journey into Night: Two Crucial Moments” was recently published the in the 2020 Eugene O’Neill Review. His website is www.foxdirector.com.
Vanessa Gendron (Canada)
PSC (17 seasons): Tartuffe, As You Like It, Macbeth, Richard III, Hamlet, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet among numerous others
Vanessa completed her theatrical training at the Theatre Department and B.A in Education at the University of Ottawa, where she worked on a multitude of projects as as an actress with: Theatre 100, La Comedie des deux Rives, and Vox Theatre. Since 1999, Vanessa is based in Prague, Czech Republic where she continues to work with international theatres and film productions. Founder of Azyzah Theatre, she brings the wonders of theatre through workshops, educational theatre & clowning for kids of all ages. She is an Associate Artist for Prague Shakespeare Company and has appeared in As You Like It at the Estates Theatre, Divadlo Kolowrat and on tour to America, Macbeth at Divadlo Kolowrat and on tour to Alexandria, Egypt as well as Divadlo Kolowrat productions of Cymbeline, Hamlet, As You Like It, Macbeth, AmeriKafka, The Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum, and Edward III.
Gregory Gudgeon (England)
PSC (13 seasons): Tartuffe – Tartuffe, Thersites – Troilus and Cressida, Malvolio – Twelfth Night, Amadeus, Camillo – The Winter’s Tale, Richard – Richard II, Smetana – Deaf Empire, Director – AmeriKafka among numerous others
Gregory is a proud Associate Artist of PSC, where he adapted and directed Kafka’s Amerika, and played Gloucester, Osric, Camillo, Thersites, Malvolio, Estragon and Puppet Richard II for directors Guy Roberts, Tina Packer, Rebecca Udden, Lane Davies, and himself. Puppet King Richard II toured to London, Brighton, Edinburgh and Amsterdam to rave reviews. He appears every summer in Petr Forman`s Můž Dvojhvĕzdy at the Revolving Auditorium, South Bohemia, where he now lives.
Gregory grew up and trained in Britain, working for many years in London and the UK and touring the world in productions including Wendy & Peter Pan (Royal Shakespeare Company),The Lion King, London, directed by Julie Taymor, The Merry Wives of Windsor, As You Like It & A New World (Shakespeare’s Globe in London), The Trial & Salome (Steven Berkoff Co.), Cyrano de Bergerac & Dreaming (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Too Clever By Half, The Tutor & A Flea In Her Ear (Old Vic, London), The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (UK Tour), A Madhouse In Goa (Oldham Coliseum), The Trial (Contact, Manchester), Brecht Cabaret (Sphinx Theatre), The Street Of Crocodiles (Complicité, US & Japan), Hamlet & Fiddler On The Roof (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Gulliver´s Travels & 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, (Walk The Plank), The Firework Maker’s Daughter (Told By An Idiot) and Le Morte d`Arthur (Lyric Hammersmith).
On screen Gregory appears in All Quiet On The Western Front, Carnival Row, Bergerac, Genius: Einstein, Das Boot, Interlude In Prague, A Pin For The Butterfly, A Boy Called Christmas, Rumba La Vie, Finding RinTinTin and Esther Kahn, and has just filmed The Crow and A Small Light.
Gregory is a regular teacher on PSC´s Summer and Winter Shakespeare Intensive courses, and is a guest teacher of Shakespeare On Camera at Prague Film School.
Karel Heřmánek (Czech Republic)
PSC (12 seasons): Troilus – Troilus and Cressida, Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, Twelfth Night, Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum among numerous others
Most recently Karel Heřmánek could be seen as Bernard Wooley in Yes, Prime Minister, Much Ado About Nothing (both at Bez zábradlí Theatre) and Prince in Cinderella (Kongresové centrum). This is his forth season with PSC. He stared as Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Florizel in Winter’s Tale, Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing and Troilus in Troilus and Cressida. Other credits include: Ballasted in The Lady from the Sea (The Lee Strasberg Theatre); Oxenby in The Dresser, Indian God in Indian Bank (both Bez zabradli Theatre), Chadwick Meade in Punk Rock (DISK Theatre), Messenger in Twelfth Night (Shakespear Summer Festival at Prague Cas-tle) and Prague Riccardo Soriano in Filumena Mar-turano (Harlekyn Theatre Agency). Karel’s film and TV credits include: Superman in Superman (Short Film); Radek in Ordinace v Ruzove zahrade II (TV Series), Mates in Gympl s (r)učením omezeným (TV Series), Young Milan in Revival (Feature Film) or Leopold Hilsner in Crime in Polna (TV Film). In 2012 he was awarded with the Best Actor Award in “The 48 Hour Film Project” film contest for his per-formance in Superman.
Peter Hosking (Australia)
PSC (13 seasons): Lear – King Lear (2019), Nestor – Troilus and Cressida, Duke – Measure for Measure, Amadeus, Duncan – Macbeth, Don Pedro/Dogberry – Much Ado About Nothing, Titus – Titus Andronicus, Masaryk in America among numerous others
Peter has been performing with PSC since 2012. His greatest challenge and satisfaction was to perform King Lear, both at the Estates Theatre and Divadlo Bez Zabradli. Other PSC productions include The Crucible (Putnam), Othello (Brabantio), Measure for Measure (Duke Vincentio), Titus Andronicus (Titus), Macbeth (Duncan), Amadeus (Von Sweitan), Twelfth Night (Feste), Much Ado about Nothing (Don Pedro/Dogberry) and Hamlet (Polonius). As well as other productions including Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged), As You Like It, Amerikafka, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum, Troilus and Cressida, and Masaryk in America. After thirty years of tv, film, theatre and voice work in Australia, Peter came to Prague in 2008 to perform a one man show at the Prague Fringe Festival. The idea was to stay for a year but he never really left. Since then he has built a career in English language theatre, film and voice work. Since 2014 he has performed regularly with C.E.T. (Cimrman English Theatre) in the English translations of several plays by of one of the Czech Republic’s most loved comic playwrights, Jara Cimrman (www.cimrmanenglishtheatre.cz). For four years, at the Prague Fringe Festival, he directed the plays of the young Australian playwright Stu Mentha, now sadly deceased. As an audiobook narrator he has recorded over 180 full length novels. He has been the presenter in about 40 tv commercials in Australia, and has also worked in New Zealand, Japan, USA, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Egypt, Hungary and the Canary Islands www.peterhosking.com
Amy Huck (USA)
PSC (15 seasons): Andromache – Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Tamora/co-Director – Titus Andronicus, Puck – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Director – Deaf Empire, Maria – Twelfth Night among numerous others
Amy was born and raised in Ohio, USA, where she also earned her BFA in Acting from Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. In the past 20 years, she has bounced between Prague, USA, UK, and Asia. Her various PSC credits include Tamora in Titus Andronicus (which she also co-directed), Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing, Maria in Twelfth Night, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stepmother in Into the Woods, Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi, and Goneril in King Lear. Last year, she directed the world premiere of PSC’s Deaf Empire. She appeared regularly for 2 years on TV Nova’s Ulice, as Justin. Her other film and TV credits include Harrison’s Flowers, The Omen 666, From Hell, Solomon Kane, Crossing Lines, Monopoly, Genius, and the upcoming Carnival Row. She has voiced numerous video game and cartoon characters, including Armed Assault, Alpha Prime, Fish Fingers, and Kingdom Come. She is the head of the acting department at Prague Film School, and has also worked as dialect and acting coaches on numerous international film projects.
Přemysl Janda (Czech Republic)
PSC (12 seasons): Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Measure for Measure, Richard III, The Winter’s Tale, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing among numerous others
Has worked for the Czech Republic National Theatre as a lighting designer since 2005, where he has collaborated with many prominent European directors, set designers and lighting designers. For example, spouses Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann, Hartmut Schörghofer, Joël Lauwers, Etienne Pluss, Michal Docekal, Daniel Tesar, Robert Wilson, AJ Weissbard. Lighting design created for those scenes: Estates Theatre, New Stage, Mahennovo theater, Theater De Munt La Monnaie in Brussels, Théâtre de Caen – Opera House, Opera De Dijon, Les Theatres De La Ville de Luxembourg. His most successful designs are: Richard The Third directed by Michael Dočekal (Prague 2006), La finta Giardiniera directed by Ursel and Karl Ernst Herrmann (Prague 2008, Brussel 2011), Die Entführung aus dem Serail directed by Joël Lauwers (Prague 2011), Don Giovanni directed by duo SKUTR (Prague 2012), Orfeo ed Euridice directed by Hartmut Schörghofer (Prague 2013), L’Olimpide directed by Ursel Hermann (Prague, Théâtre de Caen – Opera House, Opera De Dijon, Les Theatres De La Ville de Luxembourg. 2013), Der Stein directed by Michal Docekal (Prague 2015). For Prague Shakespeare Company at the Estates Theater he has designed lights for Richard III (also Prague Castle), Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, The COmedy of Errors and Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Winter’s Tale and Macbeth as well as Divadlo Kolowrat productions of All is True, The Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum and Edward III. He sees himself as a lighting designer that places emphasis on functionality and dramaturgy of lighting design and perfect technical execution performance.
Carolyn Johnson (USA)
PSC (9 seasons): Nurse – Romeo and Juliet, Don John – Much Ado About Nothing, Director – The Tempest, Emilia – Othello
Carolyn Johnson is an Equity actress, singer, director and dialect, voice & acting coach with more than 30 years of professional experience. She has been the dialect and vocal coach on numerous productions, most recently for the opera, Dead Man Walking, starring Joyce DiDonato, at both The Teatro Real Opera (Madrid, Spain) and The Barbican/BBC Symphony (London). She has coached for Houston Grand Opera, Prague Shakespeare Co., The Alley Theatre, Stages Repertory Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, and Main Street Theater among others. Carolyn directs, both professionally and academically, for the stage; most recently, Mauritius for Lamar University and Panto for Stages Repertory Theatre (Houston Press Best Musical Nomination), and regularly performs with theatres in Houston, Prague, Chicago, LA and Philadelphia. Recent roles include A Midnight Clear for Stages Repertory Theatre, (Sr. Bernadette, world premiere) Much Ado About Nothing for Prague Shakespeare Company (Don John), Trevor for Catastrophic Theatre (Sandra), End of The Rainbow (Judy Garland) and Luna Gale for Stages Repertory Theatre (Caroline), for which she won the 2017 Houston Press Best Actress Award. In Chicago, she was a company member of Noble Fool Theatre and Co-Artistic Director of Bugeater Theatre. Carolyn also privately teaches/coaches accents and acting, and works with the online accent resource, AccentHelp.com. She received her BFA in Acting from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Jim Johnson (USA)
PSC (9 seasons): Demetrius – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar – Julius Caesar, Prospero – The Tempest, Gratiano – Othello
Jim Johnson is in his fourth production with the Prague Shakespeare Company, having played Prospero in The Tempest, Caesar in Julius Caesar, and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jim is a professor at the University of Houston, where he teaches voice, text, and accents to BFA and MFA acting students. He created www.AccentHelp.com, which currently offers materials for learning 47 different accents. Most recently, he coached accents for the live event at SXSW of the final season of Game of Thrones. He coaches regularly at various theatres, including recent productions of Constellations at the Alley, NSFW at Stages Repertory, and West Side Story at Houston Grand Opera. In addition to PSC, he has performed with Houston Shakespeare Festival, First Folio Shakespeare in Chicago, the Houston Symphony, and others.
Ed Kliman (USA)
PSC (16 seasons): Composer & Musician – As You Like It, Hamlet, Murder of Gongzago, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear among numerous others
Nikol Heřmánková Kouklová (Czech Republic)
PSC (8 seasons): Masaryk in America, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Much Ado About Nothing among numerous others
Nikol studied Prague Conservatory and Stella Adler Studio of Acting New York. In 2013 she finished her Master’s degree in acting at the Acadamy of Musical Arts in Prague. She was most recently seen as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing and Brooke Ashton in Noises Off (both at Divadlo Bez zábradlí), Rea in Romulus the Great (ABC) or Secretary in Audition (Rokoko). Other credits include Waitress in Rhinoc-eros (National Theatre) or Vampire in Dracula (Re-volving Theatre Cesky Krumlov). Nikol’s film and TV credits include: Stovlet-Catherine in Royal Affair (dir. Nikolaj Arcel); Adriana Varga in Legends; Maid in 1854 (dir. Ole Bornedal); Ida Reughter in Normal (dir. Julius Sevcik). She was participating on many Czech TV series forex. Barbora Barešová in Ordi-nace v Růžové zahradě 2 (NOVA TV); or Věra Hrubá in Cesty Domů (Prima TV). Nikol’s biggest passions are traveling, dancing and singing. She is a founder of her lifestyle fashion blog femmearmeria.com and also patron of the Nadace Slunce foundation.
Jennifer Le Blanc (USA)
PSC (6 seasons): Bolingbroke in Richard II, The Book of Will, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry VI, part 2, Macbeth, among numerous others
Jennifer Le Blanc (director of Book of Will) is very grateful to be working with Prague Shakespeare Company again, this time as a director. She recently appeared in Prague Shakespeare Company’sRomeo and Juliet as Lady Capulet and has acted, taught, and studied with the company’s Shakespeare Intensives. Previous directing credits include Silent Sky, Sense and Sensibility, and Life is a Cabernetwith SPARC theatre, Twelfth Night with Ross Valley Players, and Lonely Planet with Studio 12 Ensemble, as well as directing many readings. Jennifer is particularly fond of Book of Will since she was fortunate enough to act in the world-premiere at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Jennifer has also acted with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, TheatreWorks, San Jose Stage Company, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Perspective Theatre Company (formerly Arabian Shakespeare Festival), Jewel Theatre Company, Capital Stage, SPARC, Aurora Theatre Company, Shotgun Players, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Take Wing and Soar, and Artists Repertory Theatre. Jennifer received a Theatre Bay Area Award for Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role in 2019. Jennifer is also a produced playwright/adaptor and a teaching artist with Prague Shakespeare Company, SPARC, and Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. She received her BA in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley and her MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory. Jennifer is an Associate Artist with SPARC theatre and Prague Shakespeare Company and she is in Playground’s Writers’ Pool. www.jenniferleblanc.com
Brad Caleb Lee (USA)
PSC (5 seasons): Hamlet, Measure for Measure, Julius Caesar, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Masaryk in America among numerous others
Brad is a production designer and assistant di-rector of theatre, opera, and exhibitions currently working as the Programs Coordinator for The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. His work has been seen in multiple coun-tries and was an official selection to World Stage Design 2017. He holds an MA w/Merit from The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. www. bradcaleblee.com
Elissa Levitt (USA)
PSC (14 seasons): Brutus in Julius Caesar, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Into the Woods, Macbeth, Richard III, Henry V, Mary Stuart among numerous others
Elissa Levitt, now living in New York, is thrilled to be working again with The Prague Shakespeare Company after appearing with PSC in numerous productions including as the Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, Macbeth, and Mary Stuart. She has appeared in the PSC/MST co-productions of Henry V and Richard III (2012) playing on tour in the US and Prague. Previous shows include Main Street Theater: The Coast Of Utopia (Katya, Maria Ogarev, Maria Fomm, Mary Sutherland); The Catastrophic Theatre: Anna Bella Eema (One), The United States of Tamarie (Liberal Land Singer, Company), Bluefinger: The Fall and Rise of Herman Brood (Bombita), Big Death and Little Death (Miss Endor); The Alley Theatre: Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Cyrano de Bergerac; Houston Grand Opera: The Barber of Seville (Widow); Houston Shakespeare Festival: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania/Hippolyta), Pericles (Dionyza); The Fan Factory: The Stronger (Mme. X); Phoenix Inc.: Romeo & Juliet (Mercutio), Hamlet (Gertrude), Songs for a New World (Woman 2); Houston Children’s Theatre Festival: Cinderella (Stepmother), Sleeping Beauty (Vixana/Old Woman); Musical Theater of Houston: Smokey Joe’s Café (Pattie); GTG Productions; Triptych (Wife). She has a BM (Vocal Performance) from the Ithaca College School of Music, and an MFA (Theatre) from the University of Houston.
Josh Morrison (USA)
PSC (3 seasons): Proctor in The Crucible, Titus in Titus Andronicus, Kent in King Lear, among numerous others
JOSH MORRISON is the Associate Artistic Director of Stages, a regional theatre located in Houston, Texas where he has been a staff member since 2001. With an average of 13 shows per season, Stages produces a broad scope of plays, musicals and new work festivals year round. Josh is a member of Stages Management Team, which recently helped lead Stages’ $32 million capital campaign to fund, design and construct Stages’ visionary three-stage venue, The Gordy. Josh has worked as a producer, actor, director, fight choreographer, production manager and technical director for the past 20 years with Houston theaters such as Stages, The Alley Theatre, AD Players, Catastrophic Theatre, Rec Room, Main Street Theater, Unity Theater, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Shakespeare Festival and many others. He has served as a judge and clinician for the University Interscholastic League One-Act Play Contest, as well as UIL Forensics/Speech & Debate Tournaments. Josh works extensively with Stages’ acting and production internship programs and Young Actors Conservatory, and helped create Stages Young Actors Conservatory Technical Theatre Program. He also lectures in workshops for several universities, high schools and junior high schools, including the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, San Jacinto College, The University of St. Thomas and the High School for Performing and Visual Arts. For two decades, Josh has worked closely with Houston’s visual arts community, where he has constructed, collaborated, and presented installations and entries for organizations like Houston Art Car Parade. Josh has received several awards and nominations for his work as an actor and director from the Houston Press, The Houston Chronicle and Broadway World.com., and received nominations from BTVA for his voice acting with Sentai Filmworks.
Taylor Napier (USA)
PSC (6 seasons): Edmund in King Lear, Malcolm – Macbeth, Richmond – Richard III, Cassio – Othello
In addition to his numerous TV and film credits, Taylor is currently starring as the warrior Maksim the Amazon/SONY TV series THE WHEEL OF TIME.
A PSC Associate Artist, he appeared as Edmund in King Lear at the Estates Theatre, Cassio in Othello at Prague Castle, Špilberk Castle in Brno and Ostrava Castle as well as Malcolm in Macbeth and Richmond in Richard III both at the Estates Theatre for PSC.
Also a writer, his award-winning short film Atacama has been seen in Festivals around the world. He has an MA in Acting from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and a BFA in acting from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jonathan Perrien (France)
PSC (15 seasons): Orlando – As You Like It, Diomedes – Troilus and Cressida, Romeo – Romeo and Juliet, Demetrius – A Midsummer Night’s Dream among numerous others
Jonathan, a French and english bilingual actor living In Paris, has been a member of the Prague Shakespeare Company for seven years and has performed Orlando in As You Like It, Demetrius in A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He is delighted to play Diomedes in Trolius and Cressida. He has played lead roles in plays such as Roberto Zucco, Je voudrais pas crever, Fando et Lis and L’arbre. Jonathan also directs Koalako, a theatre and production company based in Paris that teaches English and French through drama and is currently adapting into a play Paws Up from children illustrator book by Katarina Valcks.
Jana Pidrmanová (Czech Republic)
PSC (8 seasons): Vanda – Venus in Fur, Helen – Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women among numerous others
Jana was born 17th March 1985 Františkovy Lázně. Attended DAMU (drama at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts) in Prague under the tutelage of Eva Salzmannová, Alois Švehlík, Daria Ullrichová and Jan Nebeský. While attending the school, she performed at the Studio Damúza, at the Cross Club in Prague (the Teacher in The Silent Girl), etc. She attended practical visit in theater Eigenrech in Berlin (Traum eines Naaren) After completing her studies, she was hosting with Aha Theatre company at Prague’s Gong (Snow qeen), in the South Bohemia Theatre in České Budějovice (Pride and prejudice), Reduta in National theater Brno (Valmont), Švandovo divadlo Prague (Křišťálová noc), A studio Rubín (Krásná z Roissy, Marta Pešek goes to heaven, Killer), theater Karlín (Lucie) and so on. While still a student, she portrayed at the National Theatre in Prague the role of Roxane in Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. After performing several roles as a guest (Mikve, Blackbird, Figarova svatba, Zkrocení zlé ženy) in the 2012/13 season she joined the National Theatre ( Monsineur Poursognack, Eleventh Commendment, Kvartýr, Ze života hmyzu, Blue Bird, Othello, Earthquake in London, V rytmu swingu buší srdce mé, Manon Lescaut and Three sisters) She appierd in Venus in fur by Pragueshakespeare company in 2015.
John Poston (USA)
PSC (16 seasons): Macduff – Macbeth, Masaryk in America, Pompey – Measure for Measure, Edward III, Bottom – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Talthybius – Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Complete Works Abridged, Director – Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum, Edward IV – Margaret (Henry IV, parts 1-3), Hastings – Richard III, Borachio – Much Ado About Nothing, Theseus – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, Edward III, Cymbeline, Hamlet, Twelfth Night among numerous others.
John is an Associate Artist at PSC. With PSC he was recently seen in William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (Abridged) and has also been seen as Macduff in Macbeth (Estates Theater), Lord Hatsings in Richard III (Prague Castle and Estates Theater), Charles and Coryn in As You Like It (Estates Theater, Divadlo Kolowrat and Cesky Krumlov), Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Gravedigger in Hamlet, Antonio in Twelfth Night (also on tour to the US), Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing (also on tour to Egypt), Ludovico in Othello, the Stewart in Into the Woods , Delio in The Duchess of Mal-fi, Belarius in Cymbeline, Robinson in AmeriKAfka and John in The Complete Works of William Shake-speare (Abridged). As part of the PSC400 season he also played Claudius/the Ghost in Drunk Hamlet, multiple roles in Alls Wells That Ends Drunk and Drunk Caesar and York/Warwick in Margaret. He is the adaptor and director of Resolute to Be Dissolute: the Raigne of King Edward the Third and The Or-der of the Blue Chrysanthemum. On television John has appeared on The Musketeers (BBC 1), Borgias (Canal Plus), and Crossing Lines (Netflix). His film work includes appearances on Wanted and the Ger-man feature Schwere Jungs.
Professor Paul Prescott (UK)
PSC (9 Seasons): Two Noble Kinsmen, Shakespeare Consultant: Othello, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III, among numerous others
Professor Paul Prescott is an award-winning teacher and an internationally renowned expert on Shakespeare in performance. He has acted, adapted and taught Shakespeare in a wide range of countries and contexts, from Cuba to Japan and across the US. He is the co-founder of the annual festival ‘Shakespeare in Yosemite’ in Yosemite National Park, California, and has adapted many of Shakespeare’s plays for a range of professional companies, including Macbeth and Othello for the National Theatre of Great Britain. He has also frequently collaborated with (and written about) Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Paul has taught on every one of the Prague Shakespeare Intensives and now relishes the chance to welcome students to Stratford-upon-Avon, his base and hometown for the last twenty-five years.
Debs Ramser (USA)
PSC (14 seasons): Stage Manager – The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, Book of Will, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth, among numerous others
Debs Ramser is a Resident Stage Manager with Prague Shakespeare Company. She has stage managed over 150 US Equity productions including many PSC such as The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, Book of Will, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth, Women of Will, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Complete Works Abridged, and Cymbeline. Debs served as the production stage manager of the Houston Shakespeare Festival for ten years. She is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Abigail Rice (England)
PSC (12 seasons): Masaryk in America, Isabella – Measure for Measure, Cassandra – Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Margaret – Richard III, Margaret (Henry VI, parts 1-3), Aufidius – Coriolanus, Oberon – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Luciana – The Comedy of Errors among numerous others
Abigail has had the pleasure of working with the Prague Shakespeare Company in many roles, includ-ing Isabella (Measure for Measure); Cassandra (Tro-jan Women); Queen Margaret (Richard III); Luciana (The Comedy of Errors); King John (Edward III); Aufidius (Coriolanus); Margaret (Margaret: Shake-speare’s Henry VI parts 1-3); Oberon (A Midsum-mer Night’s Dream); Second Witch (Macbeth); and Audrey Russell (Much Ado About Nothing); the lat-ter two of which toured to Alexandria and Houston respectively. Directorial credits include Ill Met By Moonlight and Baby With The Bathwater. TV credits include Britannia, The Musketeers, Crossing Lines, Legends, The Shamer’s Daughter, Carnival Row, and she can currently be seen in Lore 2 and Haunted. Feature films include Little Kingdom, The Ash Lad ll, Gangster Ka: Afričan, Masaryk, Landgericht, Arthur’s Choice, and The Aftermath. As well as lending her voice to chil-dren’s books, video games, films, commercials and infomercials, Abigail runs Stories Aloud, a storytell-ing app for children, and co-runs Lights Camera English!, a video learning website.
Fanette Ronjat (France)
PSC (15 seasons): Elmire – Tartuffe, Celia – As You Like It, Muse – An Iliad, Polyxena – Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Measure for Measure, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Deaf Empire, Hamlet, M4M, The Winter’s Tale, Coriolanus, Romeo and Juliet among numerous others
Fanette is a French actress and a long time associate with Prague Shakespeare Company. She is thrilled to be continuing this Trojan trilogy after being a Muse in it’s first play, An Iliad. Also with Prague Shakespeare Compagny: Death Empire by S. Delbos, Winter’s Tale, Coriolanus, As You Like It (Celia), Hamlet (A player), Midsummer night’s Dream (Snug), King Lear (Doctor). In Prague she was recently in Alabaster Cat and PSC’s world premiere of The play about a dick by A.Wilton, All in the timing and M4M. In France she was seen in Romeo and Juliet (the Nurse), Clandestinopolis (the Sear) and the TV series Clèm (Eva) among other things. Fanette has worked for several years with the french educational theater company (Koalako). As an actress, violinist and singer, Fanette looks forward to partaking in many more artistic projects in Prague.
Eric Sammons (USA)
PSC (14 seasons): Hamlet, Masaryk in America, An Iliad, Troilus and Cressida, The Trojan Women, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s tale, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Into the Woods, Amadeus, The Santaland Diaries among numerous others
This is Eric’s sixth season as PSC’s Production Stage Manager. He is the PSC Associate Producer and Director of Production. Originally from Denver, Colorado, he earned his BA in theatre from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. He served as a founding board member for Evolution Theatre Company in Denver and is a company member of Woof Theatre Company in Boulder, Colorado. In his five years in Prague, he has been seen onstage in productions at the Prague Playhouse and Blood, Love, and Rhetoric and he served as Production Stage Manager on the Prague premier of the musical RENT. For PSC Eric’s credits include PSM or ASM on Trojan War trilogy, Amadeus, Into the Woods, Fools For Love, Macbeth, As You Like It, Dracula, Much Ado About Nothing, The Complete Wortks of Wil-liam, Shakespeare (Abridged), AmeriKAfka, Murder of Gonzago, Duchess of Malfi, Cymbeline, The Long Christmas Dinner, Julius Caesar, 450th Shakespeare Shakespeare Birthday Party and Venus in Fur. Eric has appeared as an actor with PSC on Macbeth, The Long Christmas Dinner, Into the Woods and The Santaland Diaries.
Kristina Šitková (Czech Republic)
PSC (6 seasons): Measure for Measure, Masaryk in America among numerous others
Kristina had her first professional performance when she was only 3 years old and since then she is in love with the theatre. She studied Acting in the Department of Dramatic Theatre at The Theatre Fac-ulty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU). She is performing in Municipal Theatre in Kladno, Theatre Lampion Kladno and Theatre Bez Zábradlí (Much Ado About Nothing directed by Guy Roberts from PSC). She also performed at National Theatre, Viola Theatre, Theatre Na Zábradlí, DISK and with company Tygr v tísni. You can also know her from the HBO miniseries called Wasteland and some commercials. Her first PSC experience was in the musical Man of La Mancha directed by Lane Davies.
Jeff Smith (USA)
PSC (17 seasons): Macbeth, Measure for Measure, As You Like It, King Lear, Richard III, The Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum, The Murder of Gonzago, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing among numerous others
Jeff is a PSC Associate Artist and trained as an actor in New York (BFA Acting SUNY, Purchase). Some of his recent appearances on stage include: Catesby in Richard III at the Estates Theater and Prague Castle, Banquo in Macbeth (Egypt tour) and Touchstone in As You Like It. Other PSC appearances include The Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum, The Murder of Gonzago He also appeared in the Krumlov Shakespeare Festival inaugural production of As You Like It an event he co-founded with Guy Roberts. Other PSC work includes Macbeth and the Twelfth Night workshop. For Divadlo Miloco he appeared in La Machine which played in repertory at Divadlo Komedie for over a year. In addition to numerous voice-overs for video games his film appearances include: Hellboy, The Illusionist, Rex-Patriates, EuroTrip, Hitler: Rise of Evil, Revelations and The Prince and Me II: Royal Wedding.
Dawn Stern (USA)
PSC (3 seasons): Actor & Director – Cleopatra in Roman Daggers, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, among numerous others
Dawn Stern is a New York City-based AEA/SAG-AFTRA actor, teaching artist, member of the off-Broadway theatre collective The Coop, and COO of the non-profit DE-CRUIT which received the 2020 Aaron Stein award from American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) given to an organization that utilizes creative applications of group therapy to benefit the community, especially in non-psychiatric settings. Dawn has taught The Business of Acting, movement, yoga, breath work and Shakespeare to veterans and students in the US, Canada, Italy, and The Hague. She obtained her B.S. in Theatre Performance from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIU-E) and earned her AFTRA, AEA, and SAG union cards in St Louis and Chicago. Dawn moved to Los Angeles in 1996 where she built a seventeen-year television acting career which includes six pilots, three series regular gigs and over twenty-five guest star appearances. Her highlights include: a series regular on Viper, 413 Hope Street, Starhunter and Nobody -a recurring role on the Young and the Restless and notable guest star appearances including: Star Trek: Enterprise, Ally McBeal, Profiler, Beverly Hills 90210, and True Blood. A few of her favorite guest stars include working with Damon Wayans on My Wife and Kids, Steve Harvey on the SteveHarvey Show, Wanda Sykes on Wanda at Large and Monique on The Parkers. Her film credits include: The Fugitive and Original Gangstas. Dawn moved to NYC in 2013 to develop DE-CRUIT with her husband, Stephan Wolfert. DE-CRUIT treats trauma through Shakespeare & Science. Dawn fell in love with Shakespeare at age 12 and has professionally played Kate, Lady Macbeth, Olivia, Paulina, Goneril, Elizabeth and Margaret. She currently is co-chair of the Inclusion Diversity Equity Accessibility (IDEA) committee for Shakespeare Theater Association (STA)
Jan Thompson OBE (England)
PSC (8 seasons): Elizabeth – Richard III, Beatrice – Much Ado About Nothing, Paulina – The Winter’s Tale, Olivia – Twelfth Night among numerous others
Jan made her Prague and PSC debut as Olivia in Twelfth Night and has most recently starred as Paulina in The Winter’s Tale at the Estates Theater, Elizabeth in Richard III at the Estates Theater and Prague Castle and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing in Prague and on tour to the US and Alexandria, Egypt where she also appeared as a Witch in Macbeth. She joined the FCO in 1990 after two years spent working for the BBC. Postings have included Germany (1992-1994) and the UN Security Council in New York (1997-2000). Jan also led work on the Balkan wars (1994-1997) and headed the UK department on Afghanistan (2002-2005). After the Asian tsunami she flew to Tailand to establish a temporary British office to help the victims. Before her current appointment she was the UK’s Lead Climate Change Negotiator, with a short break in 2011 when she headed the UK department in the Libya conflict. Jan likes mountaineering (she has climbed Kilimanjaro and to Everest Base Camp) and is an avid sports fan. Fluent in French and German, she also now speaks Czech
Václav Vašák (Czech Republic)
PSC (8 seasons): Thomas – Venus in Fur, Patrick Doyle: Shakespeare in Concert among numerous others
Václav Vašák is a well-known Czech actor who plays regularly with Prague Shakespeare Company in Venus in Fur with Jana Pidrmanová. He is also a resident company member of Divadlo Na Zabradli where he appears in Woodcutters, Macbeth – Too Much Blood, Hamlets, Anamnesis, V+W: The Letters. He was also a resident company member of Vinohradska divadlo and appears regularly in Czech TV and film.
Valeria Vasilová (Czech Republic)
PSC (9 seasons): Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, Measure for Measure, Masaryk in America, Edward III, Amadeus, Order of the Blue Chrysanthemum, Coriolanus among numerous others
Valeria studied acting in Prague and Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. During her studies she played Nastenka in Dostoevsky’s White nights, Ardelie in ,,Tři v tom“, Kit Kat Girl in the musical Cabaret and Eva Temple in Orpheus Descending. She performed on Prague stages such as Divadlo Kolowrat, Estates theatre, Divadlo bez zábradlí, Divadlo Komedie, Činoherní klub, Divad-lo Ponec, MeetFactory or Divadlo v Řeznické. As an actress and musician, she performed also in various countries in Europe, New York, Mexico, Texas, Egypt or in Russia. She played in Prague Shakespeare Com-pany’s productions of Macbeth, Amadeus, The Or-der of The Blue Chrysanthemum, Much ado about nothing, Edward III., Coriolanus and Winter’s tale. Valeria also composes music for theatre and sings with her band. She speaks Czech, Slovak, English and French.
Bree Welch (USA)
PSC (11 seasons): Macbeth, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Into the Woods, Frozen, Clue, The Revolutionists, Mary Stuart among numerous others
Bree’s previous PSC productions include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frozen, As You Like It, Mary Stuart Winter 2015, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, Into the Woods, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Shiner, The Murder of Gonzago, (Prague Fringe Fest) The Revolutionists and the U.S. tour of PSC’s Twelfth Night and Macbeth at Main Street Theatre. She is a graduate of the Old Globe Master of Fine Arts Professional Acting Program, where she was directed by former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Adrian Noble in King Lear, Inherit the Wind, The Madness of King George III, and As You Like It. Other Old Globe performances include Taming of the Shrew, (directed by Ron Daniels, Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company) Richard III, The Winter’s Tale, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Country Wife, and Dividing the Estate (directed by Michael Wilson). Houston credits include Alley Theatre: Crimes of the Heart, A Christmas Carol; Stages Repertory Theatre: Who’s Holiday (one woman show), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Who Am I This Time & Other Conundrums of Love, and The Rabbit Hole; Classical Theatre Company: Henry V, Antigone and Triumph of Love; Main Street Theatre: The Revolutionists, The Secretary; Houston Shakespeare Festival: Hamlet, The Tempest, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Cymbeline, Romeo and Juliet, and Measure for Measure; Unity Theatre: Miracle on 34th Street, The Odd Couple, Enchanted April, The Heiress. She also performed with Houston Symphony as a narrator in Very Merry Pops. Bree played Mrs. Elton in a staged reading at Lincoln Center of the musical Emma, A Romantic Comedy, directed by Tony Award Winner, Jeff Calhoun. TV/Film credits include: The Ottoman Lieutenant (with Ben Kingsley), Crossing Lines (Netflix), Dinner with Strangers and Hit Men. She is also a graduate of the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance.
Stephan Wolfert (USA)
PSC (2 seasons): Malvolio in Twelfth Night, She-Wolf among numerous others
US Army, ’86-’93, Medic & Infantry Officer. Stephan left a career in the military for a life in the theatre after seeing Shakespeare’s Richard III. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Trinity Repertory Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island.
As an artistic leader, Stephan co-created the largest touring Shakespeare company in New England, created the first military Veteran Shakespeare company in the country, directed and taught acting Shakespeare at Cornell University and at Antelope Valley College. He has served as an acting/character coach for Cirque de Soliel’s Mystere and worked on Broadway with Twyla Tharp, creating and directing the military segments for the Tony-Award winning production Movin’ Out.
As an actor he has received critical acclaim and multiple awards both nationally and internationally. He was a cast member in Kate Hamill’s long running hit Sense and Sensibility and appeared in the acclaimed production of Saint Joan in New York City.Stephan also won the Syracuse Area Theater Award for best actor in Kate Hamill’s Pride & Prejudice at Syracuse Stage. Combining his own personal story of leaving the Army and pursuing a career in the arts with Shakespeare’s writings on war, he created the solo piece Cry Havoc! which he has performed over 500 times around the country and the world. Cry Havoc! has won awards in Houston, Fort Worth, New York City, Italy and The Berkshire Theatre Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor. Frequently combined with public events for veterans and trauma conferences/symposiums, performances of Cry Havoc have been presented off-Broadway at the New Ohio Theater in NYC, the Access Theater, Brooklyn Historical Society, Columbia University, Folger Theatre in D.C., Psychotherapy Networker in Washington D.C., Syracuse Stage, Syracuse University, NYU, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Research Foundation, Friends of the Semel Institute UCLA, LA County Psychological Association, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Kit Shakespeare Festival Italy, STET theatre Netherlands, Byron Clinic Trauma Conferences Australia, Shakespeare Theater Association in Prague, and many more venues.
As a writer he has written and received awards for four original plays and four adaptations of Shakespeare from a military Veteran’s perspective. He also has ten scientific journals published, has contributed to two book chapters in the scientific field, and is currently completing two books. He frequently writes, lectures and is interviewed for his work known as DE-CRUIT®: a program to reintegrate military Veterans using Shakespeare and science. For his work with Veterans he has multiple awards from the mental health community including The Aaron Stein Award from the American Group Psychotherapy Association and the Max Gabriel Award from the National Alliance for Mental Illness. And as an teaching artist, he has taught Shakespeare in performance at Cornell University, Syracuse University, and Antelope Valley College, California. He has also been a guest teacher of Shakespeare, and theater as medicine at over two-dozen universities world wide.
The organization he runs and the performances of his Shakespeare adaptations combine to share his passion for the idea that while we are very good at recruiting people into the military, we are far less skilled at de-cruiting them back into civilian life. Don Aucoin of the Boston Globe has said “Stephan Wolfert commits himself body and soul to that mission in Cry Havoc!, and the result is riveting.”
Lisa Wolpe (USA)
PSC (9 seasons): Richard in Richard II, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Master Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, among numerous others.
Lisa Wolpe is an international activist working for the empowerment of women, people of color, and trans actors. In 1993 she founded the all- female multicultural Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company (22 seasons), where she worked with over 1000 women and girls, bringing their voices onto the stage and into the world. In London she created the TranShakespeare project. Lisa produced, directed, and performed roles including Hamlet, Richard III, Angelo, Leontes, Romeo, Shylock, and Iago. She is currently touring her solo show Shakespeare & the Alchemy of Gender to venues around the world. She has directed and acted regionally at theaters including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare festival, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Company, Shakespeare & Company, Arizona Theater Company, San Diego Repertory Theater, and more.