SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
BY: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
FEATURING SCENES FROM:
AS YOU LIKE IT | JULIUS CAESAR | HAMLET
DIRECTOR | LEAH CHALET JACOBS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR | BETHNEY JACOBS
Production
VOLUNTEERS
CAST
READINGS PERFORMED BY
NARRATOR .…………..................................................………...................………. STEPHANIE GRIFFIN HAILEY HURST
SCENES FROM AS YOU LIKE IT
ROSALIND/GANYMEDE ... RAELYN NELSON
CELIA/ALIENA ........................ TESS BALZEN
DUKE FREDERICK .... JOHNATHAN WILSON
LE BEAU ….........…….........….. DAISY RUSSELL
ORLANDO ......................... RHETT ALLGOOD
OLIVER .................................. LEVI FREEMAN
TOUCHSTONE …………...... JONAH FLOWERS
AUDREY ................................. LEAH JACOBS
PHOEBE ................................ MAIZE BROWN
SILVIUS .................. TIMOTHY CADENHEAD
JACQUES .......................... CELESTE SUMSKI
DUKE SENIOR .......... JOHNATHAN WILSON
PAGE ……………..…............... ROBBIE NELSON
FIRST PAGE ....................... ROBBIE NELSON
SECOND PAGE .......... JACKSON ETHRIDGE
FIRST LORD …….....….......... KRISHNA GLASS
ADAM ……..………...................… CURTIS PRICE
HYMEN ................................. HAILEY HURST
SCENES FROM JULIUS CAESAR
JULIUS CAESAR …..… JOHNATHAN WILSON
CALPHURNIA ..................... KRISHNA GLASS
BRUTUS ................................. LEVI FREEMAN
PORTIA .............................. CELESTE SUMSKI
SOOTHSAYER …................. KATHY HAGOOD
MARC ANTONY ................. RHETT ALLGOOD
CASCA ………………….. TIMOTHY CADENHEAD
CASSIUS .................................. ISAAC DENEN
DECIUS ........................... SHAWN JOHNSON
PUBLIUS ............................... DAISY RUSSELL
TREBONIUS ........................... MAIZE BROWN
ARTEMIDORUS ................. RAELYN NELSON
CINNA ............................... JONAH FLOWERS
METELLUS ................... JACKSON ETHRIDGE
SCENES FROM HAMLET
HAMLET ................................. LEVI FREEMAN
KING CLAUDIUS ..................... CURTIS PRICE
QUEEN GERTRUDE ........... KATHY HAGOOD
OPHELIA .............................. DAISY RUSSELL
LAERTES .................. TIMOTHY CADENHEAD
POLONIUS ...................... SHAWN JOHNSON
HORATIO ............................. KRISHNA GLASS
MARCELLUS .......................... MAZIE BROWN
BARNARDO ....................... CELESTE SUMSKI
OSRIC ................................. RHETT ALLGOOD
ROSENCRANTZ ....................... TESS BALZEN
GHOST ....................... JOHNATHAN WILSON
FORTINBRAS .................... JONAH FLOWERS
MESSENGER ...................... RAELYN NELSON
GRAVEDIGGER ....................... ISAAC DENEN
DOCTOR ................................... TESS BALZEN
WHO'S WHO
RAELYN NELSON
An avid thespian, Raelyn has been involved in theatre for the past four years. In this year’s Shakespeare in the Park, she is playing several roles including Rosalind, Messenger, and Artemidorus. Her favorite role in her acting career was Juliet from a previous Shakespeare in the Park production, but she has also enjoyed her role as Lise in “Dark Road”, Umberto in “April Fish”, Susan in “Next Victim Please”, Clairee in “Steel Magnolias”, Virginia and Glazed Ham in “Westward Whoa!”, Winnie, Everly Sister, and a flapper in “Charleston”, and card, lily flower, and chef in “Alice and Wonderland” Raelyn plans on continuing theatre as a hobby, likely in the form of community theatre
NATHAN WILSON
An Eastland native with a penchant for "razzle dazzle," Johnathan has been an active enthusiast of acting and theater since he was but a wee lad. Some may remember his breakout performance as Extra #3 in the 2007 production of "Grease" at Tarleton State University. After 15 years away, wandering the land and righting wrongs, he returned back to Eastland with a vengeance in summer of '23, just in time to perform in BCT's first production at the the Lyric Arts Center, "The 39 Steps" In this production, he was given the Herculean task of performing 12 different roles, with a few happening simultaneously within the same scene At this Summer's production of Shakespeare, Johnathan's performance of Julius Caesar is going to cause "All Hail!" to break loose!
FREEMAN
A globetrotting artist, Levi Freeman, has called Eastland, TX, his cherished home amidst a life of adventures With a passion for theatre since kindergarten, Levi's journey led him to graduate with a BA in Theatre from Texas Christian University and complete the Dallas Comedy House improv theatre program His recent acting work includes playing the lead for BCT’s “THE 39 STEPS” as Richard Hannay, playing Macbeth and Tybalt for BCT’s Shakespeare in the Park 2023, and being Michael Cera's stand-in on "Life and Beth".
TT ALLGOOD
Growing up in Eastland County, Rhett has participated in theatrical performances for both Ranger and Eastland High School UIL One Act Play Some of his notable performances include “April Fish”, “The Tell Tale Heart”, and “Crimes of the Heart” as well as working behind the scenes running lights for Eastland High School and volunteering with BCT for their spring production of “Steel Magnolias ”
WHO'S WHO
CURTIS PRICE
Curtis Price has spent the best part of 30 years trodding the civic theatre boards. And while many have tried to discourage his hobby, none have succeeded. Now he bring his questionable talents to BCT to see how many tomatoes one person can get thrown at himself in one performance He claims to own the record but refuses to reveal the exact number Some of his memorable appearances, to him anyway, were “The Odd Couple” as Murray the cop, “Twelve Angry Men” as Juror #2, and “MacBeth” as Duncan Only don't mention that last one while at the show, it's just not polite Plus it'll freak all of the actors out
HY HAGOOD
A Gorman resident and theatre devotee, Kathy is ecstatic to be back on stage after a long hiatus during which she has been an enthusiastic patron of the theatre who enjoys the BCT productions, and in Spring 2019, saw over thirty shows in London while teaching a semester there. Kathy’s acting and production experience began with high school theatre classes and led to involvement in dinner theatre and children’s theatre while majoring in theatre at Cisco College from 1980 – 1982 and continued with a minor in theatre at Tarleton State University during the mid-1990s Kathy has never ventured too far from her first true love re) and even teaches Development of Drama for English credit at rd Payne University
ISY RUSSELL
A Cisco High School graduate, Daisy currently resides in Eastland, TX. Despite her lack of acting experience, she leverages her natural talent for making people laugh and draws from a decade of dancing to make Shakespeare in the Park worth a watch -- or two! Beyond the stage, she passionately embraces life to the fullest; filling her free time with replaying her favorite Zelda games, connecting with new people, and eagerly exploring new experiences, all while embracing her passion for performance and creativity
MOTHY CADENHEAD
2023 Cisco High School graduate, Timothy has four years of acting experience through high school and had a lead role in last summer's Bankhead Community Theatre production of Shakespeare in the Park. He has played a variety of characters including an elderly lady, so needless to say, he will leave it all on the stage.
WHO'S WHO
SHAWN JOHNSON
Shawn's theatrical journey has been marked by memorable performances at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. His roles included the brooding and complex Judd in “Oklahoma!”, the commanding presence of the King in “The King and I”, and a spirited portrayal in “Godspell” Shawn has strong family ties to Cisco and is exited to perform again
AAC DENEN
From Illinois, Isaac has lived in two other states prior to his move to Texas. He has had a life long interest in the arts, making and performing music as well as working with student and independent films. Isaac came to Cisco at the beginning of 2023 to be closer to family.
ISHNA GLASS
Thrilled to be a part of her first theatrical production, Krishna is a native of Arkansas, moving to the state of Texas in 2018 and recently to the city of Eastland in February of 2024. She graduated from the University of Phoenix with her bachelor’s degree in business administration and works professionally in the HR/Payroll field. Additionally, Krishna is a professional make-up artist, whose skills have enhanced numerous productions and events. Her greatest passions are singing and enjoying quality time with her 2 children!
AIZE BROWN
g involved in theatre since 8th grade when she played the lead role in “Wylie and the Hairy Man”, Maize is very excited to be joining BCT’s production of Shakespeare in the Park. She has now participated in UIL One Act Play for 3 years and enjoys everything about the acting world. Maize moved to Cisco when she was 2 and has been here ever since.
WHO'S WHO
LEAH JACOBS
Finding her passion for theatre at a young age in her hometown of Cisco, Leah grew up going to One Act Play rehearsals that her mother, Bethney Jacobs, directed As soon as she was old enough, she took to the stage at Cisco. With 7 years of OAP experience and a couple of wonderful summers at Tal Lostracco Theatre Camp, Leah left Cisco to pursue an education in performance. After studying and performing at San Antonio College and Texas State University, she went to West Texas A&M University and graduated with a BFA in Acting in May 2023. She is a prolific actor with accolades such as San Antonio Alamo Theatre Council’s 2019 Best Actress. Leah is a co-creator and actor in Still Life: A Gallery in Motion that was featured at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. After graduating in 2023, Leah came back to her hometown to take on the role of Artistic Director at Bankhead Community Theatre and has directed and performed in BCT's productions of "Shakespeare in the Park" and "The 39 Steps" and "Steel Magnolias"
ONAH FLOWERS
After graduating from Cooper High School in Abilene, Jonah moved to Cisco in 2020. Alongside his grandfather, Jonah helped the effort to restore and maintain the Old Zoo in Cisco. Jonah is an active participant in the BCT Acting Workshops and utilized his carpentry and tech knowledge for BCT'S production of Steel Magnolias. Jonah is excited for his debut performance as an actor in Shakespeare in the Park.
ESS BALZEN
Tess has been involved in theater at a young age She got her start in A Midsummer’s Night Dream in fifth grade In highschool she was in Grease, Music Man, Oklahoma, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and Alice and Wonderland. She currently resides in Rockhouse of Eastland and is excited to be back on stage again!
CKSON ETHRIDGE
Jackson has always been theatrical and loved to take the stage at a young age. He was a member at Kids Who Care theater group in Fort Worth for 3 years before moving to his family's farm outside of Gorman, TX six months ago
WHO'S WHO
CELESTE SUMSKI
Born and raised in Cisco, Celeste is a freshman at Baylor University. She has been involved in theater since her sophomore year of high school This will be her third production with the Bankhead Community Theater In her free time, Celeste enjoys painting, listening to music, writing, reading, and traveling
BBIE NELSON
A young aspiring actor, Robbie is 11 years old In this year’s Shakespeare in the Park, he is playing the First Page to the Duke Robbie’s favorite memory is making inside jokes with the cast and exploring the different props
STEPHANIE GRIFFIN
As a 2004 graduate of Cisco High School, Stephanie has called Cisco home for many years IT was during her time as a high school student that she discovered the love of theatre that would follow her into her career as a teacher In 2016, Stephanie joined the staff at Cisco ISD as an English teacher, and several years later, as an assistant director for One Act Play It is this experience and the support of her family that encouraged her to dive back into theatre. She currently teaches English and theatre at Cisco High School and looks forward to future adventures with Bankhead Community Theatre.
HAILEY HURST
Hailey grew up in west Texas, performing in Stanton High School One Act Play and earning All-Star Cast awards. She was also involved in Midland Community Theatre productions and was a member of the Pickwick Players youth performance troupe As a student at Cisco Junior College, Hailey was a Wrangler Belle and a CJC Singer and performed in Hilton Dinner Theatre productions In more recent years, Hailey has been working in education, teaching theatre arts and music, and directing students in numerous shows She currently teaches Theatre Arts and directs OAP for Ranger ISD Hailey has also directed the Bankhead Young Thespians summer camp for 2 years. This is Hailey’s second performance with Bankhead Community Theatre, having made her debut as M’Lynn in “Steel Magnolias”.
WHO'S WHO
BETHNEY JACOBS
With 20 years of experience in theatre education, Bethney has spent her career directing award-winning One-Act Plays at the high school and middle school levels Bethney holds an MA in English/History and is an English Professor at Cisco College She is the Vice Chair for the Lyric Art Center Board of Directors and a founding member of Bankhead Community Theatre, assistant directing Bankhead’s first full-length fall production The 39 Steps as well as the spring production Steel Magnolias.
RINA WELLS
Serina joins Bankhead Community Theatre again with this production of “Shakespeare in the Park ” She has been involved with Bankhead as stage manager since the production of “The 39 Steps” in the fall of 2023 She is excited to be a part of an outdoor play involving so many amazing actors She enjoys putting her organizational skills to work to help bring the world of theatre to the community She loves watching everyone’s ideas and creativity come to life on and off stage and is delighted to be a part of it.
NA FORD
As an interdisciplinary artist, Anna’s mission is to visualize the non visible sensations associated with non visible health conditions, like migraines and depression. Using sculpture, video, and immersive installations, Ford is also interested in conveying the livelihood impacts of chronic illness and impacts of navigating the US healthcare system Anna is president of Lyric Art Center and adjunct Art faculty at Cisco College
LEY LITTLE
Born and raised in Eastland, Ashley has been involved in several different areas of theatre both on and off stage during her time at Eastland ISD. She competed in UIL One-Act Plays, went to State twice in UIL Theatrical Design for Costume Design, and also performed in multiple musicals and a murder mystery dinner Nowadays, Ashley enjoys spending her free time finding ways to serve her local community She is a founding Committee Member of BCT and the President of the Eastland Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors
WHO'S WHO
GARY FORD
Gary is an entrepreneur, architecture draftsman, and Treasurer of Lyric Art Center In 1987, he and his wife, Corrie, began Handworks, a small business making home decor out of barbed wire, used lassos, and a variety of metals inspired by American West motifs, such as the paintings inside Eastland’s Majestic Theatre, and Corrie’s Pennsylvania Dutch background Handwork’s portfolio expansively includes sculpting with barbed wire and screen printings with acid onto metal They sold artwork at wholesale trade shows in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Dallas have shipped work nationally and internationally. After Hardworks closed in 1999, Gary worked in construction, then completed his Master in Architecture in 2007 and continues to draw lans today including future designs for the Lyric Art
COLE HANLON
An ‘04 Cisco High School graduate, Cole has put his technical skills and love for music to great use as he volunteered with the Lyric Art Center to help bring their 1st annual Battle of the Bands to life last year Since then, he has become involved with BCT on crew to assist with the technical side of their theatrical productions as the Light Technician for “THE 39 STEPS” and is now acting as the Sound Technician in this year’s production of Shakespeare in the Park.
URCHAM
Candi has a passion for arts and crafts She has a guilty ality TV and, in her free time, enjoys traveling Having ered her love for theater, Candi used her talents as part crew for Shakespeare in the Park this summer and now kills again as Head Seamstress for this production.
WHO'S WHO
BELLA BURCHAM
An enjoyer of reading, playing volleyball, and video games, Bella from Eastland loves finding ways to stay busy and use her various talents. She is an avid animal lover and is actively involved in 4H. Bella enjoyed performing as one of the fairies in BCT'S first annual production of Shakespeare in the Park in 2023 and is now getting to use her creative talents behind the scenes as part of the costume crew.
ARIANA BURCHAM
As a deep lover of all animals, Ariana is an active 4H member from Eastland, TX. She loves all aspects of the theater and gave a lovely performance as one of the fairies this previous summer in BCT’s Shakespeare in the Park 2023. Ariana is now getting to use her love for arts and crafts behind the scenes as part of the costume crew.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | LEAH CHALET JACOBS
YOUNG THESPIANS PROGRAM COORDINATOR | HAILEY HURST
BCT Committee
BETHNEY JACOBS | ASHLEY LITTLE | LEVI FREEMAN
HAILEY HURST | TRACY WELLS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR | ANNA FORD
VICE CHAIR | BETHNEY JACOBS
TREASURER | GARY FORD
SECRETARY | VALERIE DELUCA
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | LEAH CHALET JACOBS
ICHAEL