Director’s Note
I’ve always been one to say that Shakespeare should be done with “your people.” Much like the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, I believe this art form thrives when a group of passionate artists come together to create out of the pure love of creating.
Every actor, production team member, and friend of the show rallied together to build this production brick by brick. There was never a shortage of knowledge, creativity, or willingness to try.
The Berkeley Shakespeare Company stands for inclusive, empowering, actor-driven art. I believe that our whole team has come together to create exactly that.
Come with your people and support our people. Revel in the art of theatre and celebrate its humanity.
Julianna King, Director
Ruby Songster (Viola) is thrilled to be making her Berkeley Shakes debut amongst such a rollicking group. She grew up in the East Bay, attending Oakland School for the Arts grades 9-12 before heading to France to study acting for 2 years. While there, her favorite credits included Ranyevskaya in The Cherry Orchard, Creon in Antigone, and Lady M in The Scottish Play.
Upon returning she gained her certification in postpartum doula care and spent a month backpacking and sea kayaking southern Alaska. She now owns her own postpartum practice and is seeking Bay Area clients. If she’s not figuring out baby-wearing techniques or in a rehearsal room, ideally she’s cooking without a recipe, hiking a national park with her wonderful boyfriend, playing guitar and singing on her couch, or writing (usually not about herself in the third person).
Elana Swartz (she/her, Olivia) is thrilled to be working with The Berkeley Shakespeare Company again! Before moving to the Bay in 2021, she was an actress and model based in Virginia working all over the Washington D.C. and Maryland area. Some of her favorite roles include Much Ado About Nothing (Hero/Seacoal with Berkeley Shakespeare Company), Picnic (Madge Owens), The Seagull (Nina), and the original production of Stained Glass (Tinkerbelle). She would like to thank her incredible friends and family for their love and support!
Sam Hattersley (Orsino, Sea Captain u/s) is a current theater arts student at San Francisco State University. Sam has appeared in other shows such as Macbeth (with Berkeley Shakes), Romeo and Juliet, and The Revengers Tragedy.
Cara Burgoyne (she/her, Malvolia) is excited to be doing her first show with BSC. Some of her previous performances include Beverly in The Mad Ones (Pacifica Spindrift Players), Ms. Pennywise in Urinetown (6th St. Playhouse), Ma Strong in Urinetown (Landmark Musical Theatre), Maria in Twelfth Night (Novato Shakespeare) and Patsy in Always, Patsy Cline (Foothill Theatre Company). Professionally, Cara is a Speech Language Pathologist for the San Francisco Unified School District, where she keeps her students entertained with Potato Head theatre, and she also teaches singing at the University of San Francisco. Big huge thanks go out to this amazing cast, her family, friends, co-workers, JK! and the people with the yellow shoes.
This performance is dedicated to Mikel Sarah Lambert, who taught me to love this language, and I am forever grateful.
Doug Nolan (Sir Toby Belch) is thrilled to make his Berkeley Shakes debut! Credits include: Cutting Ball Theater (Bald Soprano, Uncle Vanya, Timon of Athens), Stanford Repertory Theater (Hecuba/Helen), American Conservatory Theater (Enrico IV, Threepenny Opera), Shakespeare Santa Cruz (Kean, Love’s Labour’s Lost), Marin Shakespeare Company (Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Magic Theater (Balm in Gilead, Scattering Poems All Through the Night), Shotgun Players (Arrivals/Departures), Half Moon Bay Shakespeare Company (Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It), Coastal Repertory Theatre (August: Osage County, Coney Island Christmas, Every Christmas Story Ever Told).
MFA in acting: American Conservatory Theater. Doug has been juggling and clowning professionally for more than 25 years with his environmental education school assembly programs.
Tom Reilly (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) is delighted to be working with Berkeley Shakespeare for the first time. He recently appeared in Masquers Playhouse’s production of As You Like It, and in Antigone at College of Marin, and Twelfth Night with Curtain Theatre in Mill Valley. Pre-pandemic, he played in The Cherry Orchard, Brooklyn Bridge, and A Civil War Christmas at Town Hall in Lafayette and in numerous productions at Ross Valley Players, the New Conservatory Theatre, and the Douglas Morrisson Theatre. He is very happy to be working with such a talented ensemble.
Lisa Wang (Maria) is delighted to return to Berkeley Shakespeare Company, where she was last seen in their summer production of Much Ado About Nothing, in the role of Don John. In addition to Berkeley Shakespeare, Lisa has performed with various groups including: Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, San Leandro Players, and the Playwrights Center of SF.
Lisa is a company member at BATS Improv in San Francisco, where you can catch her performing improvised theatre regularly. More at improv.org. Thank you for supporting live theater!
Julianna King (Feste) is a San Francisco based actor, designer, and theatre technician. She is thrilled to be returning to theatre in such a creative and collaborative space as Berkeley Shakespeare. Her recent acting credits include Conrade and Friar Francis in Much Ado About Nothing, Tartuffe in Tartuffe, Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, The Witch in Into the Woods, and Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown. Her costume design credits include Tennessee Williams’ Chalky White Substance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, In the Heights, Titus Andronicus, and CATS.
She would like to dedicate this performance in loving memory of her cat. There’s nothing wrong with her, it’s just nice to think of her.
Matthew Reich (Sebastian) is thrilled to make his debut with Berkley Shakespeare Company as Sebastian! Other favorite Shakespeare credits include Macduff in Macbeth with New Canon Theatre Co, the title role in Pericles with Pacific Repertory Theatre, and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet with Monterey Peninsula College. He would like to thank his family and friends for their endless love and support.
Christian Vaughn-Munck (Antonio) holds a BFA in Theatre/Dance from the University of Wyoming. Past shows include The Normal Heart, The Crucible, The Little Dog Laughed, Grey Gardens, Lobby Hero and is grateful to be returning to Berkeley Shakespeare Company after working on their production of Much Ado About Nothing where he played Benedick, Balthasar and Seacoal. In 2015 he was awarded “Denver’s Best Supporting Actor,” by Broadwayworld.com for his work in 11 Minute Theatre’s production of The Pillowman.
Thank you to this talented cast and crew, thank you to all supporters of the arts, and a big thank you to his incredible husband for all the fun and support! Good luck everybody else!
Evan Winet (Valentine, Malvolio u/s) returns to Berkeley Shakespeare Company after performing as Leonato in their summer production of Much Ado About Nothing. He has performed throughout the Bay Area in roles which include Titus Andronicus (Silicon Valley Shakespeare), Arden in the Arden of Faversham (Theatre of Others), Claudius in Hamlet (Actors Ensemble of Berkeley), and Mr. Rooney in All that Fall (Anton’s Well).
Mars Holscher (Fabian, Valentine u/s) feels beyond grateful to be a part of her first production with Berkeley Shakespeare Company! Her past Shakespearean roles include Borachio from Much Ado About Nothing and Titania from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When Mars isn’t acting in plays, she’s writing them. One of her favorite roles was Tox, an evil spirit in her own horror play, Shouldn’t You Be Terrified?
She’s also a medical coder by day and regularly trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Zach Vaughn-Munck (Officer, Maria u/s) always finds himself among the finest when treading the boards with Berkeley Shakes! Zach was recently frolicking the fields of Messina in their summer production of Much Ado About Nothing and the mean streets of New York City in Tabard Theater Company’s Wait Until Dark and most blessedly all 3 with his incredibly talented husband, Christian.
He dedicates his performances as Maria to all of the queer fem actors who blazed trails on stage and screen, and sashayed into our hearts.
Sam Logan (Sea Captain, Priest, Orsino u/s) is thrilled to be performing with Berkeley Shakespeare. A company that values actors and the actors process to bring plays to life.
Most recently, Sam played the role of Borachio in Berkeley Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and Macduff in their winter production of Macbeth. Previously, he’s been Edgar in King Lear at the B8 Theatre Company, Laertes in Actor’s Ensemble of Berkeley production of Hamlet, and Demetrius in theatreCORE’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He’s entering his third production of Twelfth Night. After this production, he is hoping this means he wins a free sandwich.
In this production, Sam is understudying and performing in the Saturday matinees the role of Orsino, a role he played in 2009 with Antioch Classical Theatre.
Sam is truly grateful to his parents and his wife Caitie for their love and encouragement to perform.
Casey Anderson (Viola u/s) is elated to be back with Berkeley Shakespeare Company for their third show together. Casey, a Bay Area native, began pursuing her passion for theatre in 2017 and has consumed every opportunity since, performing all around the bay. Some of her favorite roles include Rosalind in As You Like It (Shakespeare Napa Valley), Shelby Latcherie in Steel Magnolias (Bay Area Stage), and ‘Dancestor’ in The Addams Family Musical (Pittsburg Theatre Company).
Thank you to my family and friends for your constant enthusiasm and support.
Berkeley Shakespeare Company 