The Montana Shakespeare in the Schools Actors & Director - get to know them all! :: WILLIAM Chicago director William Brown returns to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks where he began as an actor in 1980 and most recently directed Heartbreak House. Other MSIP productions include A Winter's Tale, Cymbeline, Shaw's You Never Can Tell, The Country Wife, Much Ado about Nothing,and his one adaptation with original music of She Stoops to Conquer. He directed the world premiere of Brett Neveu's Old Glory at Writers’ Theatre in Chicago, where he has directed productions of As You Like It, Another Part of the Forest, Arms and the Man, Our Town, Rocket to the Moon, Misalliance, The Glass Menagerie, and Arthur Miller’s Incident at Vichy. At American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, he has directed Hay Fever, The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Night of the Iguana, Shaw’s You Never Can Tell, Antony and Cleopatra, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Cherry Orchard, Twelfth Night and Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker. At TimeLine Theatre he directed the Midwest premiere of Tennessee Williams' Not About Nightingales and the Chicago premieres of two Steven Dietz plays, Halcyon Days and Paragon Springs. For the last four years he has directed A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre. Bill received a Jeff Award as Best Actor for his portrayal of Henry Kissinger in Nixon’s Nixon and the Chicago Tribune named him Chicagoan of the Year for Theatre. A member of SDC, his website -- containing slideshows of some of his work -- is at williambrowndirector.com. :: BEN Is currently living and working in Chicago. Credits include: Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Steppenwolf Theater) Much Ado About Nothing (First Folio Shakespeare Festival) The Entrance of Chad Deity (Victory Gardens) Woman in Black, Our Town, (Twin City Stage) Awakening, Rubber Doves, Virtual Reality (MagicMouth Theatre). When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at that time? I began acting my sophomore year of college (2004) and played myself in The Complete History of the United States of America Abridged by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Understanding everything he wrote. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? I try not to separate the two. Life doesn’t cease to be funny when someone dies any more than it ceases to be serious when someone laughs. Who is your favorite Shakespeare character? Why? It’s too hard to pick just one. Edmund, Edgar, Bottom, Hamlet, Malvolio would all be a dream to play. I’ve also always found the Apothecary interesting. Do you have a favorite Shakespearean quote? “These clothes are good enough to drink in.” Sir Toby, Twelfth Night :: CHRISTOPHER Is joining Montana Shakespeare in the Schools after his first summer tour with Shakespeare in the Parks in The Tempest and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Chris attended the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program. Recent Credits include; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry IV pt. 1&2, The Belle’s Stratagem, Romeo and Juliet (American Players Theater), The End (Guthrie Theater), and The Crucible (U. MN). When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at the time? When I was in first grade I played Oliver in a community theater production. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Getting out of the way and letting the words do the work. They’ll tell the story pretty well on their own. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? I would have to say I prefer comedy. I have to be careful though because sometimes I have trouble keeping a straight face when my scene partners are really funny. Who is your favorite Shakespearean character? Why? Prince Hal from Henry IV pts 1&2 and Henry V because we’re given the chance to see him grow and mature through three plays instead of just one. Do you have a favorite Shakespearean quote? I came across this one just recently and it’s stuck with me, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt” ~ Measure for Measure :: TONYA Hails from Little Rock, Arkansas and earned her M.F.A. in acting from the University of Arkansas. Favorite Montana credits include, Hesione (Shaw’s Heartbreak House), Witch One and Fleance (Macbeth), Desdemona (Othello), and Ariel (The Tempest). She spent the last school year teaching acting and movement in Chicago, but is happy to call Montana her home since 2004. When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at the time? My first role was in my senior play in high school. We did Little Women and I played Joe. Joe was my favorite because it was my first. I loved the newness of it all, and will never forget how exciting it was to be on stage for the first time. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Owning the language! The poetry and prose of Shakespeare is so beautiful, that it’s easy to just play with the sounds and imagery of words, but at the end of the day, you have to mean what you say on stage, and I think the challenge is marrying the language with your own heart. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? Drama any day! Give me a death or a fight scene and I am a happy actor! Do you have a favorite Shakespearean character? Why? My favorite role is always the role I am working on at the time, so by the time you read this, it will be the Nurse! As for male roles that I will likely never play, I love Falstaff in the History plays because he is dirty, rowdy, and it would be a kick in the pants! Do you have a favorite Shakespearean quote? Playing Ariel from The Tempest, I fell in love with many lines because of the use of nature images, but my favorite was so simple... " I shall drink the air before me, and return or ere your pulse twice beat." The simple image of drinking the air, becoming one with the elements, connected me to the land of Montana every night. It was simple Montana Shakespeare Magic. :: STEVE A Chicago native, he graduated from North Central College in Naperville, IL with a degree in Musical Theatre. Since then he’s worked with The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, First Folio Theater, Steel Beam Theater, Noble Fool Theatricals, American Eagle Productions and ShawChicago. He recently toured with MSIP this summer with The Tempest and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at that time? I started acting in high school when a guy from my church said he thought I'd be good at it. His name was Roy McCall and had been acting in Chicago for 50 years, so I took him at his word. I had just seen him in a production of The Crucible. It's still my favorite thing I ever saw him do. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Most modern plays include characters that are defined by roles that most young Americans have experience with. They are students, or athletes, or simply brothers. Everything in Shakespeare is heightened or more extreme - a prince or a king, a soldier or a clown. It makes for great story telling, but finding the honesty in those regal or military characters is challenging. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? Actually, I always like it when I get to do both in the same show, even in the same scene. All good comedy should have an element of drama and even the best dramas need a laugh. Who is your favorite Shakespearean character? Why? I had a lot of fun playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night. He shows us that any of us, no matter how stiff or bitter, can be moved at the thought of being loved. Do you have a favorite Shakespeare quote? “O! 'tis excellent to have a giant's strength! But it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.” ~ Measure for Measure :: PETER Previous credits include Speed and Sebastian for MSIP 2009, Benvolio and Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet - Utah Shakespearean Festival (Touring), both Dromios in The Comedy of Errors - Arkansas Repertory Theatre; Man of La Mancha, Othello, 1776, and Twelfth Night - Texas Shakespeare Festival; Mosca in Volpone, 1 Henry IV, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Cats, and Sweeney Todd. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Peter studied acting in Washington and Illinois. When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at that time? In high school, I played Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Putting all the words in the right places. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? Comedy. It’s less stressful. Who is your favorite Shakespeare character? Why? Falstaff, because he says many true and funny things. :: LAURA Back in Chicago she has worked with Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, Infamous Commonwealth Theater, Muse of Fire, Silk Road Theater Project, and MidTangent Productions. She is the Ensemble Director and member of XIII Pocket, a company dedicated to original work focusing on the abandonment of medium. She holds her M.F.A. from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. When did you begin acting: what was your favorite role at that time? I started acting in my parent’s living room when I was around 7 or 8 with my 3 siblings. We would create an entire show singing along to Disney soundtracks filled with costumes, props, and even a marquee made on a Light-Brite. The first one we did was Beauty and the Beast. But I think my favorite had to be when I covered my face in blue eye shadow and played the genie from Aladdin. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Trying to make the language accessible to an everyday audience who has either never heard it before or isn’t used to it. I want to make everyone love it just as much as I do. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? I seem to get cast more often in dramas, so doing a comedy is a fun change of pace. My Aunt Cathy tells me that she hates it when I have to die onstage. Who is your favorite Shakespeare character? Why? I think its Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. It’s not very often that female characters are written with that kind of intelligence, wit, and beauty as opposed to just one of those things. Do you have a favorite Shakespearean quote? As a vegetarian, I’m partial to Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night: “… but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.” :: TYLER Originally from Nelson NH, and now lives in Chicago. He holds a B.A. in Theatre: Acting from Plymouth State University. Some past credits include Measure for Measure(Promethean Ensemble), Design for Living (First Folio), West Side Story, and Seussical (Papermill Theatre) and more. Tyler is also a member of The Society of American Fight Directors. When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at that time? I was 12, and played Big George Cosmopolitan. I had to sing and was not good at that at all! What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? There are a lot of challenges in any show. The language is difficult, but it’s also my favorite to work on. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? I love both. Comedy has drama in it, and drama has its comedy. Who is your favorite Shakespeare character? Why? Edgar from King Lear. He gets to go and be Poor Tom as well! As the actor it creates a big challenge and a lot of fun. Do you have a favorite Shakespearean quote? Just one is hard. His use of language is my favorite. :: ELIZA Most recently appeared in The Quiet Man Tales at the Chicago Theatre, Cyrano de Bergerac at Oak Park Festival Theatre, Lifeline Theatre’s original children’s musical Flight of the Dodo and Jeff-nominated Wit at Gift Theatre. She just wrapped two short films, On Graves Farm and Morgan’s Last Call, and one feature length film, South Loop, all of which are soon to hit the festival circuit. Eliza is a proud graduate of Loyola University Chicago. When did you begin acting? What was your first or favorite role at that time? I began acting in elementary school. I would say my favorite role, then and now, was Maria from The Sound of Music, which my school performed when I was in 4th grade. What do you find most challenging about Shakespeare? Honestly, memorizing Shakespeare is very challenging for me, but once I’ve got it I remember it better than I would standard prose. The poetry and language make it stick in your mind like lyrics to a song. Do you prefer comedy or drama? Why? I find the pieces I enjoy the most (to perform and to watch) are a mix of both. I really like comedy that comes as a result of a dramatic situation. Who is your favorite Shakespearean character? Why? It’s a tie between Iago and Desdemona. They both fight tooth and nail for what they want, and I think the audience can identify with their plights. I really hope to play Iago someday! Do you have a favorite Shakespearean quote? “What’s done, is done.” Lady Macbeth, Macbeth. THE ELISE EVENT Sponsored by Elise Donohue. FRI. NOV.6th, 7:00PM (Doors Open 6:30PM) Presenting an exclusive opportunity for the public to experience firsthand what Montana Shakespeare in the Schools brings to the schools. The evening features a pre-show catered wine reception and a 75-minute performance of Romeo & Juliet, followed by a “talk-back” with the actors and a post show reception with members of the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks company, including the artistic director, actors and designers. Tickets are $25.00 per person Seating is limited Call 994-3310 for reservations Montana Shakespeare in the Schools (SIS), an educational outreach program of Montana State University, begins its 16th season providing high school and middle school students with a live Shakespearean production, a post-show “talk back” session with the actors and a variety of workshops ranging from Stage Combat to Shakespearean Verse. This unique touring company features seven professional actors, traveling to 50 different communities this fall. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been playing summers all over Montana, Wyoming and southern Idaho since 1973. The company has made significant progress in the growth of our educational outreach program, which mounted its first tour in 1993. Since then, SIS grown from a two-actor tour that performed scenes from Shakespeare’s plays with minimal costumes and scenery to a seven-member professional company offering a full Shakespearean production complete with ornate costumes and scenery. The company’s mission is to bring Shakespeare “off the page and on to the stage” with a special emphasis on rural, underserved schools. Of the 49 schools visited in 2007, nearly a third were located in communities with a population of less than 1,000.