Measure for Measure

Adrian Nava (Duke Vicentio [as Friar Lodowick]) made his stage acting debut earlier this year starring in Goat Blood at Theatre Rhinoceros.

A San Francisco Bay Area native, he has spent over fifteen years working both in front of and behind the camera, building a multidisciplinary career as an actor, writer, producer, and director. In 2011, while returning to school to study filmmaking, his school counselor encouraged him to take an acting class to better understand performance from the inside out. That advice proved pivotal. After helping fellow film students record auditions, he was asked to read for a lead role—and booked it—launching his ongoing work as a screen actor.

Adrian’s film credits include roles in short films such as Downfall (2011), Anti‑Hero (2012), and Take Five (2013). He later appeared in A Father’s Journey (2015) and continued expanding his range through independent features, commercials, product launch videos, and voice work for radio.

Recent credits include portraying an immigrant in the Best Picture Oscar winner One Battle After Another and roles as a bouncer and basketball scout in the Lionsgate SF‑based crime drama Splash City. His filmmaking background continues to inform his approach to character, story, and collaboration. Adrian lives in San Francisco and remains committed to developing work that reflects the communities and stories of the Bay Area.

Zach Vaughn-Munck (Angelo) is very pleased and scared to be back on stage with BSC. Having been born at a very young age, Zach has longed for an outlet for his creative “talents.” Zach loves playing a villain role, and it doesn’t get more villainous than Angelo (Thanks Ely!).

On a serious note, this is a scary time for our community, particularly our queer and trans family – Zach is thankful to be part of art that speaks to these timely issues. Zach is humbled to have worked with several amazing local companies as Emile in Cyrano (Los Altos Stage Company), Jack in Art of Murder (Pear Theater Co), Buster in Misery (Palo Alto Players), Eddie in The Rocky Horror Show (City Lights Theater Company), most recently at BSC as Casca in Julius Caesar, and most often, whenever he manages to make it on a stage before being escorted out by security to the chagrin of his talented, patient, and amazingly brilliant husband/director/fellow player.

Katherine Garcia (Isabella) is the proud daughter of Guadalupe y Miguel, Mexican immigrants from la Ciudad de México y Zacatecas. Raised in the City of Richmond, a community rooted in storytelling, dancing, laughter, y mucho amor, she found her way to teatro.

Katherine earned her B.A. in Theater and Chicano Studies from UC Berkeley. Most recently, she appeared in La Casa Azul by Carlos-Manuel Chavarría and Bad Hombres Good Wives by Culture Clash at Contra Costa College.

Katherine dedica esta obra a sus ancestros, su familia, y su comunidad Chingonx. Teatro es Amor. Que Viva La Vida. In Lak’ech.

Elly Grace Hudson (Escalus) is a San Francisco-based theatre, film, and commercial actress last seen in Fallen Angels at Altarena Playhouse. Recent credits include Miranda in Berkeley Shakespeare Company’s The Tempest, Helen of Troy in the premiere reading of Claire Elliot’s original piece Nice Guy, and Pearl in Tricky Ink Productions’ short film How to Eat an Elephant.

She is thrilled to be returning to Berkeley Shakespeare Company as the steady and just Escalus. Thank you for supporting Bay Area theatre arts! | ellygracehudson.com

Rafi Bunal (Claudio) (they) is an Ilonggo-Visayan educator, bodyworker, and theatremaker based in Huichun/Oakland.

Through the mentorship of Maskara Theatre Ensemble, they have performed onstage across the Philippines, and more lately at Bindlestiff Studio (Alex, Roped In; Grifter, Queer Heist; Randy, Once Upon a Time in Tondo; and Imelda Marcos, Miracle at Malacañang). They also enjoy directing (Las Viajeras writ. Joi Barrios; and Sol The Musical writ. Cher Alberto) and working with lights (GAPA Runway 2026: Forces of Nature, Herbst Theatre).

Rafi is elated to be working with Berkeley Shakespeare Company for the first time!
Find them on ig: @raffybun

Helen Kim (Lucio) is excited to join Berkeley Shakespeare Company’s production of Measure for Measure with this amazing ensemble of theatremakers and thrilled to be back on the Live Oak stage where she performed in her first play, The Skin of Our Teeth.

Previous works of the Bard include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Curtain Theatre) and The Taming of the Shrew (Actors Ensemble of Berkeley).

Other credits include Private Lives (Pear Theatre), Alice in Wonderland (AEB), And Then There Were None (Pinole Community Players), Arms and the Man (B8 Theatre), The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon (Plethos/Chanticleers), Tartuffe (Ross Valley Players), Into The Breeches! (Masquers Playhouse), and CLUE (Onstage Rep).

She is grateful to her wonderful husband, amazing friends, and to all of you who support live theatre.

Eshani More (Mariana/Juliet/Francisca) is elated to be doing her first show with Berkeley Shakes. Her recent work includes her theatre roles as Billie Dwyer, in Unnecessary Farce, and Tweedledee in Alice and Wonderland.

Gaining a scholarship for the New York Conservatory for the dramatic arts gave her the push to pursue her passion as an actor. Skilled in improv, scene study, and theatre, More strives to consistently challenge herself with roles, and exploring the vast emotional experience of film and theatre.

Christian Vaughn-Munck (Provost/Friar Peter) holds a BFA in Theatre/Dance from the University of Wyoming, and is experiencing every level of excitement to be onstage again with this company.

Past credits with Berkeley Shakespeare Company include Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick, Seacoal) Twelfth Night (Antonio) and King Lear (Edgar.) Last year, Christian had the privilege of directing Julius Caesar for this amazing company. Additional local credits include Truce, a Christmas Wish from the Great War (City Lights Theatre) The Glass Menagerie, (Los Altos Stage Company) Anon (The Pear Theatre) and The Davinci Code (Palo Alto Players.)

Thank you to this talented cast and crew, thank you to all supporters of the arts- now more than ever (*frogs united!!) On a personal note- it means so much to share the stage again with my talented husband. Good luck everybody else!

Devon La Bar (Pompey) is excited to join this incredible group of artists! They are thrilled to perform in such a compelling show, finding Shakespeare studies and performance one of their all-time passions.

Devon is also a director and an instructor with Tomorrow Youth Repertory in Alameda, enjoying helping cultivate arts and growth in the community. When not performing or participating in some active form of theatre, Devon is most likely playing various tabletop RPGs. Devon is an avid Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast, playing or DMing every chance they get. They also adore spending their afternoons playing a multitude of video games and board games with friends, lounging around with their two pets, Enzo and Navi, and catching up on animes or scary movies.

Devon would like to extend all their love to their friends and family for all the continued support.

Jordan I. Guingao (Elbow/Barnadine/Messenger/Officer/Attendant) is a playwright, actor, and producer. He holds an MFA in Screenwriting from USC and was a 2023 Humanitas New Voices Fellow.

A proud member of the Bindlestiff Studio family, the nation’s only Filipino-American black box theater, he wrote, produced, and acted in The Indios Bravos Trilogy, which premiered there in May 2026 with support from a Theater Bay Area CA$H Grant. He is currently developing At Kalikasan’s Gate, a solo show and new Filipino-American creation myth rooted in Visayan cosmology, through SFBATCo’s Creators Lab. Which will premiere as a staged reading in December.

Jordan is thrilled to make his Berkeley Shakespeare Company debut alongside his fellow Indios Bravos: Seul-Survior, Allen (prez) and Raffybun.

Seul Ki (Mistress Overdone) is thrilled to make her debut with Berkeley Shakespeare Company this year. Based in San Francisco, she is a Korean-born actor, improvisor, and multidisciplinary artist with training from A.C.T., Berkeley Rep, CCSF, and the Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium.

Recent and favorite credits include Macduff in Macbeth (Sweet Thunder Shakespeare), Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible (CCSF), Nena and Sister Mercy in The Indios Bravos Trilogy (Bindlestiff Studio), Terror Vault (Into the Dark), and The Great Dickens Christmas Fair (Red Barn Production).

Seul sends her deepest gratitude to her family, friends, and mentors for their endless support, and a special thank you to the passionate cast, crew, and production team who brought this show to life.

Allen Byron Ocampo (Master Froth/Abhorson/Attendant/Citizen) is an ARTivist, ethnic studies educator, and culinary historian.

With over a decade and a half of educing counter-narratives in classrooms and higher ed administrations throughout the Bay Area, Allen Byron is determined to translate that same passion for humanizing the stories and narratives of our marginalized communities through the performing arts.

He has performed with Bindlestiff Studio, SFBATCO, Plethos Productions, Tri-Valley Theatre Company, More, Más, Marami Arts, and now Berkeley Shakespeare Company!

Allen Byron is thrilled to perform in his first Shakespeare production….please be gentle with him.

Ely Sonny Orquiza (he/him) is a Queer Filipino American multidisciplinary director, dramaturg, and arts educator based in San Francisco Bay Area, creating work at the intersection of Asian diaspora stories and queer politics for the American stage.

A 2023 YBCA 100 Honoree, two-time Theatre Bay Area grant recipient, and inaugural Cali Catalyst awardee, he has developed, directed, and dramaturged work with The Kennedy Center, American Conservatory Theatre, Magic Theatre, Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum, East West Players, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Cal Performances, Studio 52nd (Netherlands), Temper Theatre (United Kingdom), and others.

Follow his works @TheOrquiza on Instagram. For more: elysonnyorquiza.org/about.

Kathleen Rodriguez (Assistant Director) (she/her) is a Bay Area theater and film director and actor. A recent UC Berkeley graduate, this is her first production outside of her undergraduate career and with Berkeley Shakes!

She has just wrapped acting in a production of Romeo and Juliet as the Nurse and directed a piece for the Eco Performance Lab showcasing in November at Shotgun Players in Berkeley. Her very first directing credit is a short film about two lesbian cannibals during the late 1800’s, if you want to chat about this or watch…find her on instagram @peacekath26.

She is very ecstatic for you all to watch this production of Measure for Measure, Shakespeare should be watched and understood by all. She would like to give her biggest thanks to the cast and crew of this production, and especially to Ely for giving her a chance! :’)

Katherine Park grew up eating baek kimchi and drinking hot chocolate for breakfast in the sleepy suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, screaming punk songs at the piano about ice-cream. A graduate of Élite Piano Academy, New England Conservatory Preparatory School, she holds a Bachelor of Music from Hartt. Park works as an independent performance artist across music, film, theatre, photography appearing on radio, stage, television, streaming, from CBGB’s basement, to SF Civic Center, Harvard’s Sanders’ Theatre, KALX-Live, la cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris and Point Montara Lighthouse.

Park composed and recorded the music for Berkeley Shakespeare Company’s upcoming Measure for Measure, including the world premiere of a new choral piece to Shakespeare’s “Take, O take those lips away” at her Alameda studio she shares with her love, Douglas Despres.

She’s thrilled to collaborate again at Berkeley Shakes and would love you to join her newsletter and add her music to your playlist. Katherine Park LLC / katherinepark.com

Galilea Soto (Gali) (Stage Manager) is back stage managing for Berkeley Shakespeare Company!

Galilea holds a BA in Theatre, Film and Digital Productions with a concentration in Directing at the University of California, Riverside. Her other stage managing credits include: Harvey (Pittsburg Theatre Company), Chicago (Pittsburg Theatre Company), Julius Caesar and Cyrano (Berkeley Shakespeare Company) and From Dusk to Dawn (Chikahan Company). She hopes to learn and grow more as a stage manager with an amazing production team, local artists and actors!

She also wants to thank her friends, family, peers, and boyfriend for all the love and support. Outside of stage managing, she also has a passion for drawing and funny animations, check her out on her social media! IG: @galilegend and Tik Tok: @galilegend.

Thank you for supporting local theatre, art, and artists!

Phillip Leyva (Producer) is an actor and educator originally from the San Joaquin Valley.

Recent theatre credits include Gomez in The Addams Family (Tri-Valley Theatre Company), Franz in The Sound of Music (Berkeley Playhouse), Wadsworth in Clue (Onstage Repertory Theatre), Sir Galahad in Spamalot (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble), and Posthumus in Cymbeline (Berkeley Shakespeare Company). Phillip holds a BA in English from UC Berkeley and an MA in Teaching from Saint Mary’s College of California.

He is a founding member of Berkeley Shakespeare Company where he regularly produces shows, and he currently plays bass for Berkeley rock trio Flowers for Angela. IG: @phillleyva

Jennifer Gallagher (Producer)

Ben Prusiner (Dramaturg) (he/him) is excited to be back in the Bay Area and to be working with Berkeley Shakespeare. Previous dramaturgy includes Red Bull Theater in NY (Volpone, The Changeling), Marin Shakespeare (Seeds of Time) and Actors Ensemble of Berkeley (A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

He has presented at an academic conference at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and is on the Advisory Council of The Rose Playhouse, the archaeological site of one of Shakespeare’s theaters. MA Applied Theatre (CUNY), MA Drama Directing (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School).

Sami Maher (Costume Designer) (she/her) enjoys being in the theatre sphere both on and off the stage. She graduated from Santa Ana College in 2021 with a degree in costume design, and has since been the designer for a handful of plays both in the Bay Area and Southern California. She is also a master level cosplayer and a voice actor. Her most recent design credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Raven Theatre) and Caesar (Jacobethan Theatre Workshop).

She thanks Ely and Phillip for the opportunity to let her creativity flow, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Sophie Ruf (Set Designer) (she/her) is an Oakland-based theater fanatic. She is a former MAD Scenic Fellow at Shotgun Players. She has designed for Plethos Productions, and recently for Shotgun Players Fall Show.

In a past life she was installation artist in Seattle and Metro-Detroit, by day she is an architect and origami enthusiast.

Vincent Khiết Châu (Properties) is so excited to join Berkeley Shakespeare Company for the production Measure for Measure! Previously props lead/ designer included: Yerma, Wolf Play, and Thirty Six (Shotgun Players), Crumbs from the Table of Joys, Fallen Angels and The Lifespan of a Fact (Aurora Theatre), Apertures of Love in Times of War (The PlayGround), Waitress and My Home on the Moon (SF Playhouse), Festive of Short Plays: ReOrient (Golden Thread Production), Heritage 《傳承》 (Cal), crew member for Taoli World Dance Competition and the Pan American Multicultural Dance Gala at UC Irvine Barclay Theatre, the scenic and props designer for PONY (Cutting Ball Theater), and The After Party (Cal).

He was also the A2 for multiple productions at Berkeley Playhouse from 2022 to 2025.
Vincent is currently the scenic construction fellow at Berkeley Rep for the 26/27 season. @vincent_house_171

Dallas Andrew Thomas (Movement, Transition Coordinator) is a San Francisco-based choreographer, dance educator, and arts leader with over a decade of experience in dance training, performance, and youth arts education. Specializing in hip-hop, contemporary-jazz, and musical theater, his work blends strong technical foundations, dynamic storytelling, and expressive movement.

Dallas currently serves as Director of Education and Engagement at the African-American Shakespeare Company and is co-founder of Studio 121, a youth dance training program.

His choreography credits include San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Antony and Cleopatra; African-American Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare Reimagined and The Brothers Size; and Shake the Stage youth productions of The Wiz Jr. and Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! Jr.

Through his work, Dallas remains dedicated to creating culturally responsive performance experiences that celebrate movement, storytelling, and artistic expression while inspiring the next generation of performers.

Sara “Edie” Saavedra (Light Designer) is delighted to return to Berkeley Shakespeare Company for a fourth production.

Edie is growing a multidisciplinary artist practice with some recent 2026 projects: Dusk to Dawn (Light Designer) as a part of the San Francisco Playground Fringe Festival, Stardust: The Mile High Jazz Club (Role: Svetlana), Hamlet (Director and Costumer) and A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Role: Lysander) for Your Friend’s Basement Theatre’s Shakespeare in The Trash.

Michael Kelly (Sound Designer) headed the audio department for multiple seasons at Cal Shakes and serves as the sound supervisor at Shotgun Players. Measure For Measure marks his first collaboration with Berkeley Shakespeare Company, and his fifth Shakespeare design of 2026.

Other stages of note this year include designs for Arab Spring (Golden Thread), Fallen Angels (Altarena), La Comedia of Errors (Marin Shakespeare), King Lear and She Se Puede (Oakland Theater Project), Antony & Cleopatra (SF Shakes), Orestes and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (UC Berkeley).

Bessie Zolno (Intimacy Coordinator, Fight Choreographer) is a mental health-informed violence and intimacy choreographer and mental health coordinator for theater and film. She thoughtfully cultivates collaborative and consent-driven environments, an approach deeply rooted in her certification in Mental Health Coordination (Association of Mental Health Coordinators). Her expertise is dedicated to facilitating the safe and impactful execution of heightened moments on stage and screen for performers of all ages, across both professional productions and educational settings.

For more information, please visit: bessiezolno.com

Sara Leyva (Photographer) is delighted to be back with Berkeley Shakes to capture the beauty of Measure for Measure. She specializes in theatre production and promotional photos, and has worked with theatre companies throughout the East Bay and San Francisco. Some of her favorite projects include The Color Purple (Pittsburg Theatre Company), The Tempest and Cyrano (Berkeley Shakespeare Company), Clue (Onstage Repertory Theatre), and The SpongeBob Musical (Tri-Valley Theatre Company). Outside of the theater, Sara enjoys baking, spending time with her cats, Mac and Charlie, and going on coffee walks with her husband, Phil.