WRITTEN BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE • DIRECTED BY BRENDON FOX
Photo by Unity Mike Photography. Meri Stypinksi and Michael Underhill, Members of AEA.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright ......................................................................................William Shakespeare
Director Brendon Fox
Associate Director, Dramaturg, Intimacy Choreographer ...... Dr. Kathryn Moncrief
Scenic Designer Jeffrey Petersen+
Props Coordinator + Scenic Builder Patrick Crowe
Costume Designer ................................................................................. Penney Pinette
Lighting Designer Stephen Petrilli
Composer/Sound Designer .................................................................... Scott O’Brien
Fight Choreographer Robert Isaacson
Dance Choreographer Dr. Sarah Lucie
Voice, Speech + Text Coach...................................................................... Livy Scanlon
DEIB Counselor Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham
Production Stage Manager .................................................................... Jane Siebels*
Assistant Stage Manager Jess Brennan*
Production Manager Lisa Hackman
Wardrobe Supervisor ............................................................................. Perri Sylvester
CAST
Dogberry Diego Arciniegas*
Antonio ................................................................................................... Michael Baratta
Leonato Steven Barkhimer*
Conrade ......................................................................................................Alexa Cadete
Hero ........................................................................................................ Stella Chinchilla
Don John Abuzar Farrukh
Sexton ..................................................................................................... Kyle Hargrove^
Borachio................................................................................................ Robert Isaacson
Seacoal Matthew Johnson^
Deacon Frances .................................................................................. Regina Krawiec^
Margaret Kelly Letourneau*
Beatrice Meri Stypinski*
Claudio ................................................................................................... Robert Thorpe II
Benedick Michael Underhill*
Don Pedro Levin Valayil*
Verges ............................................................................................................ Lena Vani^
Oatcake Yaitza Rodriguez^
Seacoal Understudy Ethan Brunelle^
*Member, Actors’ Equity Association +Member, United Scenic Artists ^Student, Worc at Play
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I first encountered Much Ado About Nothing, in middle school. While my friends were struggling with the political machinations of Julius Caesar, Esther Bushell, my English teacher, assigned us this play. Not only was it easier to read due to it having more prose and less dense poetry for us to comprehend, but she had also us read it aloud (which is the best way to follow a Shakespeare text!) Finally, she assigned characters whose personalities matched various students: the class clowns read the comic characters Dogberry and Verges, and the “Most Flirtatious” pair were the teasing lovers Beatrice and Benedick. Thanks to her, we could lock into the humor, humanity and relevance of this story from hundreds of years ago.
Much Ado is surprisingly full of complexities and contradictions. It contains both scintillating wit and opportunities for broad physical comedy. We see smart, sophisticated people who get duped by gossip, manipulated into romance or misogyny. The show highlights strong, complicated women, while also showing the toxic effects of restrictive gender roles and “bro culture.” Capturing these different facets of Much Ado inspired us to evoke a leisure class in a 1950s Mediterranean setting, and I hope your time of our imaginary country of Messina brings delight and food for thought for how we treat each other today.
Brendon Fox
DRAMATURG’S NOTE
THT Rep’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, set in the sun-drenched 1950s Mediterranean, unfolds in a world of glamour, elegance and intrigue. It blends the style of post-war Italy with Shakespeare’s witty exploration of love, lies and the power of community.
As Don Pedro’s company of soldiers is welcomed home to a villa alive with music, aperitivos and a moonlit masquerade, Beatrice and Benedick’s war of words crackles with the energy of classic Hepburn-Tracey movies. Hero and Claudio’s courtship is steeped in the traditions of family honor and reputation. Meanwhile, Dogberry and his neighborhood watch bring a touch of slapstick humor.
Inspired by the optimism and eagerness for change after the end of World War II, the 1950’s were a time of economic prosperity and cultural change, the Baby Boom and the rise of the consumer society. Both the 1950s and Shakespeare’s early modern period were deeply rooted in expectations for men and women. Men were prized for military valor, athletic achievement and as heads of households while women’s virginity and domesticity were idealized. Marriage and childbearing were the ultimate goals. The play both explores and explodes this dichotomy as it questions the value of male honor and female chastity, and the considers the consequences of reputation, gossip and misinformation.
In this world of passion and simmering tensions, the play’s themes of love, deception and redemption continue to resonate. Settle in, sip a limoncello and enjoy an evening of wit, laughter and romance under the Italian sun.
Dr. Kathryn Moncrief
CHARACTER MAP
Dogberry
Diego Arciniegas*
Seacoal
Matthew Johnson^
U/S Seacoal
Ethan Brunelle^
Margaret Kelly Letourneau*
Sexton Kyle Hargrove^
Verges
Lena Vani^
Oatcake
Yaitza Rodriguez^
Leonato Steven Barkhimer*
Antonio Michael Baratta
Beatrice Meri Stypinski*
Hero Stella Chinchilla
Uncles of Governer to
Lieutenant to
Watch”
Father of
Cousin of
Engaged
Lovers
Brother to
Attendant to
Don John Abuzar Farrukh
Don Pedro Levin Valayil*
Deacon Frances Regina Krawiec^
Conrade Alexa Cadete
Borachio Robert Isaacson
Claudio Robert Thorpe II
Benedick Michael Underhill*
to Friend of
Soldier to
Soldier to Half-Brother to
Lovers
Followers of
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Welcome to Messina, Italy, where the Governor, Leonato, learns from Conrade, a low-ranking soldier, that Prince of Aragon Don Pedro, his half-brother Don John, the witty Benedick, and the young Claudio are safely returned from battle. Also present are Leonato’s daughter, Hero, his niece, Beatrice, his assistant, Margaret, and his brother, Antonio.
Claudio quickly falls in love with Hero, winning her affection with the help of Don Pedro. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice, both cynical about love and marriage, are tricked by their friends into believing that each is secretly in love with the other.
Jealous and spiteful, Don John plots to destroy Claudio and Hero’s happiness, enlisting Borachio to woo Margaret at Hero’s window. Hero appears unfaithful, Claudio is deceived and, at their wedding, publicly shames Hero, leaving her to collapse in shock. To preserve her honor, Leonato and Deacon Frances pretend that Hero has died of grief.
Meanwhile, the town constable, Dogberry, and his assistant, Verges, overhear Borachio boasting about the scheme. The truth is revealed, and a remorseful Claudio agrees to marry Leonato’s “niece” to make amends. At the ceremony, the bride is revealed to be Hero, alive and forgiving.
Impacted by the play’s events, Benedick and Beatrice confess their love for each other and decide to marry. The play ends joyfully, with celebrations of love and forgiveness, while Don John is captured and brought to justice.
SPECIAL THANKS
The Huntington Theatre Company
TERRITORY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Land is sacred to all of us. Whether we consciously appreciate it or not, land is the space upon which we play, live, eat, find love and experience life. The land is ever-changing and ever-shifting, giving us and all other creatures and beings on the earth an infinite number of gifts and lessons. Today, we acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Nipmuc Nation on which we are working and performing. We recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. This sort of acknowledgement is essential to human rights work across the world. It is essential to our work of honoring stories that explore the human experience.
Find more information at native-land.ca/.
CAST
DIEGO ARCINIEGAS* (Dogberry)
Galileo in Galileo’s Daughter (WAAM and Central Square Theatres), Vanya in Vanya, Sonya, Masha, and Spike (Gloucester Stage Company), Charles Babbage in Ada and the Engine (Central Square Theatre), Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol (The Hanover Theatre four season). Two Eliot Norton Awards, three Norton Nominations, three IRNE Awards, one IRNE nomination. Artistic Director 2001-2011 (Publick Theatre Boston), Senior Lecturer in Theatre Studies (Wellesley College) His essay, “Retracing Antonio: In Search of the Merchant of Venice,” was published in “Shakespeare’s Sense of Character, On the Page and from the Stage” (2012 Routledge Press). Director: Private Lives (Gloucester Stage Company), From Orchids to Octopi (Central Square Theatre, Cambridge, MA), ten seasons (Publick Theatre Boston.)
MICHAEL BARATTA he/him/his (Antonio)
Michael is thankful to make his debut at The Hanover Theatre Rep! Michael toils by day in the legal department of a large Metrowest employer, and by night pursues this passion. He’s appeared in 15+ shows at the Franklin Performing Arts Company, where favorite credits include August: Osage County, Violet, The Drowsy Chaperone and Tartuffe. He’s also enjoyed playing in local outdoor productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Armory on the Assabet), and Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night (both Enter Stage Left). Many moons ago, Michael trained at The Juilliard School and performed at the Williamstown Theatre Festival; he also studied theatre at Williams College.
STEVEN BARKHIMER* (Leonato)
Steven has appeared with The Hanover Theatre Rep as [old] Tom in The Glass Managerie and Casca in Julius Caesar. Recent work includes The Minutes and Network , both at the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord. Film credits include “The Fighter,” “American Hustle” and “Purge 3.” He composed and performed “Time Was,” a collection of original music available online, as well as music and lyrics for many stage productions. He is the author of the play Windowmen (Elliot Norton Award, Outstanding New Script).
ETHAN BRUNELLE^ (Seacoal Understudy)
Ethan is an actor and musician from Brookfield, MA. He is a student at The Hanover Theatre Conservatory and is delighted to be making his THT Rep debut through the Worc at Play program! He would like to thank everyone involved for this wonderful opportunity, as well as his family for always supporting his dreams.
ALEXA CADETE she/they (Conrade)
The Crucible, Twelfth Night (The Hanover Theatre Rep) The Good John Proctor (Trinity Rep) Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company) The Play That Goes Wrong (Lyric Stage Company of Boston) I Give You My Home (Guerilla Opera) Doubt, A Parable (Studio Theatre Worcester) alexacadete.com
CAST
STELLA CHINCHILLA she/they (Hero)
Stella is thrilled to be making their debut at The Hanover Theatre Rep. A sophomore at Clark University studying Interactive Media (Audio), Music Technology and Technical Theatre, she has always had a passion for the arts and enjoys all aspects of theatre! Their acting experience comes from participating in speech and competitive theater during high school in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Most recently, they have been working as a sound designer in Clark productions and are very excited to return to the stage. She would like to thank Dr. Moncrief for the opportunity and give a shout-out to her partner Matthew, her dearest friends Kurt and Aziliz and MB who have supported her through all of it.
ABUZAR
FARRUKH he/him/his (Don John)
Abuzar is an actor, born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan. Selected Theatre Credits: Big Big Sky (Chester Theatre Company), Guards at the Taj (Chester Theatre Company), Invasion! (Ancram Center for the Arts), Far, Far Better Things (WAM Theatre), The Night Diary (Children’s Theatre of Charlotte), Refugee (Joakim Interfest, Serbia). He holds a BA in Theatre from UMass Amherst where he was the recipient of the Ed Golden Acting Award. Abuzar is thrilled to be making his debut at The Hanover Theatre Rep and would like to thank Livy and Brendon for this opportunity. abuzarfarrukh.com
KYLE HARGROVE^ (Sexton)
Kyle Hargrove is an actor, poet and fiber artist in Worcester, MA. He’s acted and worked as an assistant stage manager on productions throughout Central Mass, including The Translator with Museful Intent Productions, written by Mary Darling, The Monkeybar Mafia with the Gateway Players, written by Ed Humphries and The Cookie Referendum with the Free Soil Arts Collective by Raysam Donkoh-Halm. He’s also performed in Twelfth Night and Macbeth as part of the Worc at Play program, run by Livy Scanlon at the Jean McDonough Arts Center. This is his third year with Worc at Play.
ROBERT ISAACSON he/him/his (Borachio/Fight
Choreographer)
Robert is thrilled to return to The Hanover Theatre Rep, having played Banquo in Macbeth and Fight Directed Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night. Regional acting credits include The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) (Seacoast Repertory), Relatively Speaking and Getting Married (Lyric West Theatre), The Mikado (Huntington Theatre), Racing Demon (Merrimack Repertory). Recent credits as Fight Director include Parade, The House of Ramon Iglesia and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Moonbox Productions), Noises Off (Firehouse Center), The Lion in Winter (Theater Uncorked), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Worcester Polytechnic). Robert is a member of SAG-AFTRA, a second-degree Taekwondo black belt and proud owner of both a 270-year-old house and a 145-pound Leonberger.
CAST
MATTHEW JOHNSON^ he/him/his (Seacoal)
Matthew is happy to be back performing at the BrickBox Theater. His two previous roles and performances at the BrickBox were Second Officer in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Brendan Fox, and Murderer in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, directed by Livy Scanlon. Matthew is also a proud student of the Worc at Play program, taught by Livy Scanlon. For the past five years, Matthew has been a student of The Hanover Theatre Conservatory, where he has been taking numerous classes to help his craft under the guidance of their talented and supportive staff.
REGINA KRAWIEC^ (Deacon Frances)
Regina is an actress and opera singer located in Springfield, MA. She began her relationship with The Hanover Theatre as a student taking acting lessons at The Hanover Theatre Conservatory, and is beyond excited to be making her Shakesperian debut through the Worc at Play program.
KELLY LETOURNEAU* she/her/hers (Margaret)
Kelly is a NYC-based actor, playwright, director and producer who learned how to drive in the “old” Kelley Square. Acting credits include: Three Sisters (Two River Theater), A Valentine For Sondheim (Fiasco Theater), Midsummer (Tiltyard), Ms.Holmes & Ms.Watson — Apt 2B and Pride and Prejudice by Kate Hamill (Playhouse on Park) and The Apple Boys (HERE Arts Center). Directing credits include: A Charles Dickens Christmas (Roxy Regional Theatre) and The Jump Shot (World Premiere Production). Training: Fiasco Theater, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Special thanks to her family, friends, teachers and everyone at THT Rep! kellyletourneau.com @kelletourneau
MERI STYPINSKI* she/her/hers (Beatrice)
With The Hanover Theatre Repertory: The Crucible (Elizabeth Proctor), Macbeth (Lady Macbeth), The Glass Menagerie (Laura Wingfield), Julius Caesar (Cassia/Cassius) and The Marvelous Party (Laura). Other regional credits include: A Christmas Carol (The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts), Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Opera House Arts), The Wild Party (MoonBox Productions) and Dark Room (Bridge Repertory Theatre). Favourite roles include: Maria ( Twelfth Night ), Dora Strang ( Equus ), Lysistrata ( Lysistrata ), Abby ( The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)!) and Liz Morden (Our Country’s Good). Meri earned her BFA from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has been a member of Actors’ Equity Association since 2015. Meri also teaches acting privately and at The Hanover Theatre Conservatory. meristypinski.com
CAST
ROBERT THORPE II he/him/his (Claudio)
Robert is delighted to be making his debut with The Hanover Theatre Rep in one of his favorite shows. Recent credits include: Tartuffe, The Book of Will (Hub Theatre), Othello, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing (Dream Role Players) and Hamlet (Apollinaire Theatre). Other credits include work with Bridge Repertory Theater, Praxis Stage, Theatre@First and the Post-Meridian Radio Players. Many thanks to his friends, family and partner Amelia, as well as his friend Peter who he’s sure reads bios.
MICHAEL UNDERHILL* he/him/his (Benedick)
Michael is thrilled to make his debut at The Hanover Theatre Rep with Much Ado About Nothing . Regional: WITCH, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Man in the Ring (Huntington Theatre) Othello, Richard III, Cymbeline, Much Ado About Nothing (Commonwealth Shakespeare), Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet (CSC2), Henry 6, Twelfth Night, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Age of Innocence, As You Like It (The Old Globe). Education: MFA: The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, BA: Northeastern University. Representation: HCKR and BBR. Big thanks to Emma, Mom, Dad, Meghan and Brian! michaeljunderhill.com
LEVIN VALAYIL* he/him (Don Pedro)
Levin is so excited to be returning to Worcester! Regional Credits: A Christmas Carol (The Hanover Theatre), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Next Act Theatre), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Goodspeed Opera House), Bhangin It (La Jolla Playhouse), The Fantasticks (The Cape Playhouse), The Case of the Missing Jersey Lilly (Alley Theater), Monsoon Wedding (Berkley Rep), Poster Boy (Williamstown Theater Festival), Jungle Book (Pasadena Playhouse, Asolo Repertory Theater), Camelot (Asolo Repertory Theater). You can also catch Levin on Disney Channel and Disney + playing Aladdin in “The Descendants: Rise of Red.” Much Love to my mom and dad always! Follow him @lvalayil and levinvalayil.com.
LENA VANI^ she/her (Verges)
Lena is honored to make her debut performance at The Hanover Theatre Rep as part of the Worc at Play program. Off-Broadway: Etched Glass Decanter (Theater555). Selected Regional Credits: The Dog Days Are Now (Studio Theatre Worcester), P*ssy Sludge (Real Live Theatre), Now You See Me (Cleveland Public Theatre) and REFUGEE (Joakim Interfest). She would like to thank Livy, Brendon and Dr. Kate for the opportunity to grow as a Shakespeare performer by being part of this incredible production.
YAITZA RODRIGUEZ^ she/her (Oatcake)
Yaitza is a student with the Worc at Play program and is very excited to be a part of the cast of Much Ado About Nothing. She is also a student at the conservatory, where she has been studying acting and musical theatre for over a year. Yaitza is very grateful for the opportunity to work with such an amazing team of professionals. She thanks all her teachers, friends and family for the support and hopes you enjoy the show.
Photo by UnityMike. Alexa Cadete in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.
CREATIVE TEAM
BRENDON FOX he/him (Director)
Brendon is the Artistic Director of Peterborough Players in New Hampshire, as well as a director, teacher, author, producer whose work has been seen from Los Angeles to Prague. Directing credits include: The Winter’s Tale (The Hanover Theatre Conservatory), Troilus and Cressida and Much Ado About Nothing (Prague Shakespeare Company), Twelfth Night and Judith (The Hanover Theatre Rep), Judith (Urbanite Theatre), A Hundred Words for Snow (Connecticut Rep, US Premiere), Baskerville (Cape Playhouse), Blithe Spirit (Peninsula Players), Lucy Loves Desi (LA Theatre Works, National Tour), Henry VI Part 3 (Prague Shakespeare Company). Member, SDC. His website is foxdirector.com.
DR. KATHRYN MONCRIEF (Assoc. Director, Dramaturg, Intimacy Choreographer)
Kathryn is Paris Fletcher Distinguished Professor and Head of Humanities and Arts at WPI. She is co-editor of “Shakespeare Expressed: Page, Stage and Classroom in Early Modern Drama”; “Performing Pedagogy in Early Modern England” and “Performing Maternity in Early Modern England.” Dramaturgy/text coaching: Prague Shakespeare Company (Henry VI 1, 2 & 3, The Winter’s Tale, Twelfth Night, Troilus and Cressida); Utah Shakespeare Festival (Twelfth Night, The Book of Will, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat); Colorado Shakespeare Festival (Love’s Labour’s Lost); Chesapeake Shakespeare (Wild Oats, Othello, She Stoops to Conquer, Henry IV 1 & 2, Hamlet ); Nebraska Rep ( Sense and Sensibility ), Elements Theatre Company ( King Lear ); The Hanover Theatre Rep ( Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, The Crucible ). Directing/WPI ( Every Brilliant Thing, Silent Sky, Sense and Sensibility, Nothing is the End of the World, A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Intimacy Choreography: Prague Shakespeare, The Hanover Theatre Rep, The Hanover Theatre Conservatory, WPI, Clark University.
JEFFREY PETERSEN+ (Scenic Designer)
Jeffrey is a New England-based scenic designer who works across multiple mediums. Recent stage credits include work seen at SpeakEasy Stage, Huntington Theatre, Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., Odyssey Opera White Snake Projects, Theatre Calgary, Delaware Theatre Co., Theatre Row NYC and many others. Recently, he was honored with an Art Director‘s guild nomination for his work on Taylor Swift‘s Anti-Hero music video. Jeffery is a proud member of the United Scenic Artist local 829. MFA Boston University.
PATRICK CROWE he/him/his (Props Coordinator + Scenic Builder)
Patrick is thrilled to be part of Much Ado About Nothing . He has previously contributed his scenic and props expertise to productions including The Seagull, crafted stage weapons for Macbeth and worked on scenic elements for Fiddler on the Roof at The Hanover Theatre. Patrick served as the Technical Director and Lecturer for WPI’s theatre program and is currently a Senior Design Engineer at Level 99. He’s delighted to help bring this production to life and hopes you enjoy the show!
CREATIVE TEAM
PENNEY PINETTE (Costume Designer)
Penney grew up in the untamed woods of Maine where she spent hours studying the shapes and colors in nature. Creating clothes for leading ladies, starlets, ingénues and dancers yielded an understanding of how to make flattering forms functional. As a Boston-based designer focusing in dance and theatre, she started her career as a draper for Huntington Theatre Company, and also supervised costume shops at Tufts University, Monmouth theatre and MIT. In addition to designing, she also teaches a costume production class at Boston University where she also graduated with a MFA and is currently the costume shop manager for the School of Fine Arts. Some of her work has been with local puppeteer Bonnie Duncan of They Gotta Be Secret Agents, theater companies like New Repertory theatre, Central Square theatre, Boston Conservatory as Berklee and others in the local dance community, including Prometheus Dance, Contrapose Dance, Cary McKinley, and Fort Point Theater Productions. This will be her first opportunity designing with The Hanover Theatre Rep.
STEPHEN PETRILLI (Lighting Designer)
Stephen previously designed Julius Caesar for The Hanover Theatre Rep and has designed for many years in New York, New England and his hometown of Pittsburgh. Credits include the Pearl Theatre Company, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, Bridge Rep, Arlekin Players Theatre and the Provincetown Theater. In the dance community, Stephen has worked with Anikaya Dance Theatre, Prometheus Dance and Newport Contemporary Ballet. He has a 22 year old son, Liam. stephen-petrilli-lighting.com
SCOTT O’BRIEN (Composer/Sound Designer)
Scott has created for a plethora of off-Broadway productions as well as regional theaters and festivals across the country. He was the Resident Composer/ Sound Designer for American Globe Theatre (2000-2014), the Chautauqua Theater Company (2006-2009), Adirondack Theatre Festival (2013-2015) and the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN (2019 and 2021 seasons). He has lectured on Sound Design for SUNY-Rockland, Pace University, FairleighDickinson University and Montclair State University (heading the sound design program there from 2015-2019). Recent projects include The Crucible for The Hanover Theatre Rep and three productions for the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s upcoming season. His production company Duck & Trout Music is based out of Gardiner, ME.
DR. SARAH LUCIE (Dance Choreographer)
Sarah is thrilled to join The Hanover Theatre Rep for the first time! Sarah is Assistant Teaching Professor of Theater in the Humanities and Arts Department at WPI. Sarah most recently served as associate director and dance choreographer for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and has also choreographed Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell (St. Thomas Playhouse) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (La Brea Barnstormers), as well as for the performance collective The Grace Period in Brooklyn, NY, and the New York Studio of Irish Dance. Sarah also works as a director, dramaturg and theater researcher. Education: PhD in Theater and Performance from The Graduate Center, CUNY and MA in Performance Studies from NYU Tisch.
CREATIVE TEAM
LIVY SCANLON (Voice, Speech + Text Coach)
Livy serves as Artistic Director of The Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep) and Managing Director of the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC). Prior to her arrival in Worcester, Livy founded and helmed Bridge Repertory Theater, where she received an Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director and an IRNE Award for Outstanding Actress. Other regional credits include Urbanite Theatre, Trinity Rep, Asolo Rep, Hartford Stage and Paper Mill Playhouse. Livy teaches acting at WPI and in THT Rep’s Worc at Play program. She has been featured in Worcester Magazine’s Women to Watch and Worcester Business Journal’s Power 50. MFA, Acting, Brown University / Trinity Rep. BA, Theatre and Dance, Amherst College (summa cum laude). Love always to R and R. @_worcplaymaker__ worcplaymaker.com
VALERIE ZOLEZZI-WYNDHAM (DEIB Counselor)
Valerie is thrilled to join The Hanover Theatre Repertory for its production of Much Ado About Nothing. She has served as DEIB Counselor for several productions helping the team practice inclusion and to proactively address challenges that arise in support of the organization’s DEIB commitments. Valerie is founder/CEO of Promoting Good, a Worcester based and national DEIB firm and an inclusive leadership coach. She thanks Livy for inviting her to be a part of the THT Rep team. She loves theatre and this role brings her great joy!
JANE SIEBELS* (Production Stage Manager)
Jane is excited to return to THT Rep, where recent shows include The Crucible, The Edgar Allan Poe Double Header and The Glass Menagerie. Past theaters include The Hanover Theatre for A Christmas Carol , Huntington Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, Stoneham Theatre, Boston Playwrights, American Stage Festival, Florida Studio Theatre, The Asolo and the Vineyard Playhouse. Jane is also Co-Chair of the Shrewsbury Cultural Council and, by day, a Children’s Librarian at Shrewsbury Public Library.
JESS BRENNAN* (Assistant Stage Manager)
Jess, a freelance stage manager, is thrilled to be a back at The Hanover Theatre Rep. Her most recent credits include How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre), The Crucible (THT Rep), Twelfth Night (THT Rep), Alabaster (Brown/Trinity), One Flea Spare (B/T), Macbeth (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company) and Wolf Play (B/T). Jess has also worked with The Longwood Players, Apollinaire Theatre Company, Gloucester Stage Company, Flyleaf Theatre Company and Ghost Light Players. She’s a member of AEA with an MA in Theatre Arts from Middlesex University (London, UK) and a BA in Creative Arts from Siena College (Loudonville, NY). Jess would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support.
LISA HACKMAN (Production Manager)
Lisa is excited to be back with The Hanover Theatre Repertory for this production. Lisa is currently the Vice President of Operations & Production at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory. Since January 1999, Lisa has been with Blue Man Group as a Stage Manager in Chicago & Boston, the Production Stage Manager with the Boston production from 2006-2022 and the PSM representative for the entire company from 2015-2020. Thank you for coming and please enjoy the show!
CREATIVE TEAM
PERRI SYLVESTER (Wardrobe Supervisor)
Perri is the wardrobe manager at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory. She is a Worcester based artist who is happy to be involved in the local theatre scene. She loves teaching costume design classes at the Conservatory. In her free time she enjoys making sterling silver jewelry. Perri has designed costumes for the Youth Acting Company and the Youth Summer Program at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory, as well as assisted on the THT Rep shows Twelfth Night , The Glass Menagerie and The Crucible. She is the wardrobe manager for The Nutcracker and the Youth Ballet Company productions.
SASKIA
MARTINEZ they/them (Scenic Painter )
Saskia is a Boston-based scenic artist and designer. Boston-area credits include: The SpongeBob Musical, Flora and Ulysses, A Year with Frog and Toad, Little Women: The Musical (Wheelock Family Theater), Emma, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Coriolanus (Actors’ Shakespeare Project), Lemons… , Twelfth Night (Brandeis University), HER|alive.un.dead (Guerilla Opera). Regional scenic artist credits include the Huntington Theater and South Coast Repertory. They are a graduate of Boston University. See their work at saskiamartinez.com.
S I M P L Y D E L I C I O U S C A T E R I N G & E V E N T S
C u s t o m i z e d M e n u O p t i o n s
Q u a l i t y E q u i p m e n t , S e r v i c e a n d F o o d
E x p e r i e n c e d C h e f s a n d P r o f e s s i o n a l S t a f f
T r a n s p a r e n c y a n d C l e a r C o m m u n i c a t i o n
A P a s s i o n f o r F o o d & E v e n t P l a n n i n g
S e r v i n g
F a m i l i e s &
B u s i n e s s e s
