Company Bios

Alfred Anderson

Pedant, Doctor

Alfred was for twenty-one years the University of Akron’s Director of Opera Theatre, and is now Professor Emeritus. As a singer/actor, Mr. Anderson has enjoyed a 42-year professional career with a stage repertoire of more than 150 roles. He has performed with such organizations as the New York City Opera, the Glimmerglass Opera, The Pittsburgh Opera, Starlight Musicals, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the San Diego Opera, the Hong Kong Opera, the New Orleans Opera, the Royal Opera of Gent, and the Cincinnati Opera, to name a very few. Locally he has performed with the Akron Symphony, the Porthouse Theater, The Weathervane Theater, Coach House Theater, The Akron Civic Theater, and for the last eight seasons with the Ohio Shakespeare Festival.

Greg Bealer

Curtis, Curan

Greg is happy to be making his first appearance with OSF. He was last seen on stage at Coach House theatre in The Nerd. Other credits include Edward in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing and Bottom in Midsummer Nights Dream.

Henry Bishop

Gremio, Old Man

Henry is returning for a fifth year at OSF. He is happy to be working in the Stan Hywet environment with a lot of friends. Henry has acted and directed around the area for several decades. Married to Karen Wood, they live in Wayne County with several cats. He frequently pretends to work in his woodshop and sometimes goes to school and annoys young people as a substitute teacher.

Amelia Britton

Player Musician

Amelia is thrilled to be returning for her second season with OSF, having played Phebe in last summer’s “As You Like It” and a musician in “Romeo and Juliet.” Her theater credits include Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Lydia Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice,” (both at Weathervane Playhouse) and many other roles while at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. She also has several short film credits, including a video on teen depression which is used internationally in school curriculums. Amelia will be a sophomore this fall at Firestone High School, where she is involved in theater and enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program.

Jasmine Brown

Player Musician, Goneril's Attendant

Jasmine is happy to be making her first appearance with OSF. She is a recent graduate of Vassar College where she received her BA in American Culture and Drama. Her senior thesis in Drama culminated in her playing the role of Joanne in RENT. While at Vassar, Jasmine founded Idlewild Theatre Ensemble--an all-female theatre collective. In addition to acting, she has dabbled a little in directing, sound and set design. She would like to thank the cast, crew, and staff for this wonderful opportunity.

Tess Burgler

Bianca, Cordelia

Tess returns for her billionth summer with OSF. Last year, she played Celia in As You Like it and Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. Tess has also directed the Greenshow for the past several years. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from the College of Wooster in 2009, with a BA in Theatre and a focus on Shakespeare’s original practices. More recently, Tess has been seen on the Coach House and Weathervane stages as Romaine in Witness for the Prosecution and Sunny in Last Night of Ballyhoo. Love to Amanda, Hannah, Mary Beth, and the rest of her friends that never miss a show. Even more love to Joe, who she met in Neverland.

Scott McKenna Campbell

Grumio, Servant 1

Scott is ecstatic to return to Akron for his second season with OSF. A native of Williamsville, NY, Scott owns a BA with departmental honors from The College of Wooster’s Department of English. When not pursuing theatrical opportunities, Scott focuses much of his energy on studying and performing traditional music of the British Isles. He would like to thank his family, friends, and Caitlin for their inexhaustible support and understanding.

Timothy H. Champion

Baptista, Duke of Cornwall

A co-founder of OSF, Tim is delighted to return to Stan Hywet for the 2010 season. Tim has appeared in more than 200 theatrical productions, creating many memorable characters, as well as host of entirely forgettable ones too numerous to list. Tim played Baptista in our inaugural 2002 season. Other OSF performances include: Stephany--The Tempest; Man 2--both Oh, Coward! and Side by Side by Sondheim; Malvolio--Twelfth Night: Peter Quince--Midsummer; Launce--Two Gents; Osric--Hamlet: and Capulet--Romeo & Juliet. Most recently, Tim played Sir Wilfred Robarts--Witness for the Prosecution and Mr. Kirby--You Can't Take It With You at Coach House Theatre. He received a Royal Coach House Award for the 2007 Oh, Coward! revival. Tim has appeared in 37 productions at Weathervane Playhouse, whose audiences have recognized his efforts with seven Chanticleer Awards. By day, he is employed at Champion & Company, LPA in Fairlawnl engaged in resolving client problems and adjusting human relationships in the practice of Trust, Probate, and Estate Law. This is his seventh season.

Andrew Cruse

Petruchio, Edgar

Andrew returns to OSF for the fifth consecutive summer. Previous credits include: Claudio in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, Malcolm in MACBETH, the twin Antipholi in COMEDY OF ERRORS, Cassio in OTHELLO, Proteus in TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, and titular roles in HAMLET and last season's ROMEO AND JULIET. This past year Andrew appeared in HUMBLE BOY at Dobama Theatre, and DEATHTRAP at Coach House. Local audiences may have also seen him in THE BOYS NEXT DOOR, GODSPELL and GUYS AND DOLLS at Porthouse Theatre, and LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT at the Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland. He has worked on stages large and small in New York City and across the country, including Playwrights Horizons, The Kennedy Center, North Shore Music Theatre, The Public Theatre of Maine, and The Cape Playhouse, to name a few. Andrew is a native of Allentown, PA, earned a BFA in Theatre from Boston University, and an MFA from Kent State. A heap of thanks goes to the beautiful wife for her continued support. Proud member of Actors' Equity since 1989.

Geoffrey Darling

Sly, Knight

Geoffrey speaks first in Taming Of The Shrew, then sits back and watches the show with the audience. An excellent gig i'faith, and a merry, thanks to director Terry's decision to start with the rarely-performed prologue. This is Geoffrey's first full season with OSF. Recent parts around north-east Ohio include a police inspector in Witness For The Prosecution (Coach House), a backward Polish immigrant in Tremont (Actor's Summit) and people's fathers in Macbeth (Actor's Summit), Child's Christmas in Wales (Actor's Summit), Tuck Everlasting (Magical Theater) and Equus (Beck Center). Last time he was a mother was in pantomime in New Zealand, from whence he came four years and which bestows a goodly British accent. Geoffrey's day-job is online copy-editing, the result of a misspent middle-age as a journalist.

Joseph Dunn

Second Huntsman, Captain

Joe is a student at Kent State University going into his final year. Past credits include Lone Star, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Russian Comedy, Six Characters in Search of an Author, and The Grapes of Wrath. Thanks to family and friends for their support.

John Estep

Technical Director, Stage Manager for King Lear

John is happy to be working with the OSF again this season, finally able to take the time needed to really enjoy it. Recently he has been seen as Technical Director at Coach House Theatre, This season he designed sets for Doubt, a Parable and Leading Ladies, and co-designed Deathtrap with Artistic Director Terry Burgler. Last season he was a Royal Coach Award winner for Tonight at 8:30 both for scenic design, and for lighting. John would like to sincerely thank his friends and family, especially Terry Burgler and Nancy Cates, and the Coach House Theatre board for giving him the opportunity to work in the field he loves, the theatre. After this season, he will be making another move for his career, moving to New York City to continue to try and learn everything possible about the world of theatre, and contribute in any way possible.

Jim Fippin

Servant 1, Duke of Albany

Jim is returning for his fifth season with OSF. He has appeared on stage at Porthouse Theatre, Weathervane Playhouse, Coach House Theatre, The Players Guild of Canton, Magical Theatre Company, and with Ohio Shakespeare Festival and The Largely Literary Theatre Company. His resume includes, but is not limited to, roles in Witness for the Prosecution, The Rainmaker, Othello, Custer, Macbeth, The Real Thing, Twelfth Night, Another Antigone, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Getting Out and King Lear. Jim also served as the Artistic Director of Coach House Theatre for 7 years (2000-2007). Jim earned his BFA in Theatre Performance from Otterbein College, where he met his wife, Elaine. Together they live in Wadsworth with their daughter, Emelie.

Johnathan Fletcher

Costume Designer

Johnathan is OSF’s resident costume designer, and in recent seasons has created designs for Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, As you Like It, and I Hate Hamlet. Jonathan is also the resident designer for Coach House Theatre.

Benjamin Fortin

Biondello, Albandy's Attendant

Ben is so excited to be returning to OSF for his 3rd season. He was last seen on the Ohio Shakespeare stage in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Hamlet. He has acted in various productions for many years around the area. His favorite roles include Rudy in Over the Tavern, and Jess Aarons in Bridge to Terabithia. Benjamin is a 2010 graduate of Stow-Munroe Falls High school where he was an avid member of the Speech and Debate team. This fall he will be attending Kent State University where he plans to major in Entrepreneurship.

Robert Hawkes

Earl of Gloucester

Robert has been privileged to act in plays by (among others) Hare, Churchill, Anouilh, Shepard, Fugard, Wilder, O’Neill, Mamet, Albee, Brecht, Pinter, Stoppard, Molière, Chekhov, Sophocles, Beckett, and Shakespeare. Most recently he has appeared in Quake at convergence-continuum, Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them and Hum at Cleveland Public Theatre, and Mass Appeal and The Miser at Clague Playhouse. Gloucester is his first role for the Ohio Shakespeare Festival.

Holly Humes

Widow, Goneril

Holly has been seen on several local stages, including Weathervane, CoachHouse and Dobama. Her favorite roles include Becca in Rabbit Hole, and Lizzie in The Rainmaker. Other credits include Romeo and Juliet (Lady Capulet), The Comedy of Errors (Adriana), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Mae), Uncle Vanya (Yelena), The Laramie Project, Song of Survival (Dawn), and V-E Day (Lil). Holly is the office manager at Fairlawn Family Chiropractic Center, and an assistant speech coach at Wooster High School. She would like to thank her husband, Scott Custer, for all of his love and support.

Jeremy Jenkins

Hortensio, King of France

Jeremy is returning for his 2nd season with OSF and is totally stoked about it. Last season he was seen as a variety of characters in As You Like It and as Paris in Romeo & Juliet. More recently, he portrayed Aldo Scalicki at the Weathervane Playhouse production of Italian American Reconciliation, where he also embodied the red-headed jokester Peachy Weil in The Last Night of Ballyhoo. At Coach House Theatre, he has played Leonard Vole in Witness for the Prosecution and Tony Kirby in You Can't Take it With You. Jeremy has also worked with Stow Players and toured with the Illusion Factory. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and English from Cumberland University in Nashville, Tennessee. Favorite university roles include Lysander, The Scarecrow and Oedipus. When he's not seen on stage, you can catch Jeremy sizzling in some fun at the Chili’s Grill & Bar in Macedonia. Jeremy sends many thanks to Terry & Nancy for this wonderful opportunity, to the talented cast for some great laughs, and to all of the friends he has made for making his move from TN to OH a worthwhile one. "Enjoy the show!"

Erika Johnson

Player Musician, Gloucester's Attendant

Erika is excited to be returning for her second season with the OSF company. Last year, she appeared in both As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet in ensemble roles. Most recently, she was the Stage Manager for the one-act How to Succeed in High School Without Really Trying and the Assistant Director and Cast Understudy for Dear Gabby, both of which were presented at Firestone High School. She will be a sophomore at Firestone High School this fall, involved in the Theatre division of the high school's Visual and Performing Arts department.

Kelly Johnson

Wardrobe, Box Office

Kelly is thrilled to be working with OSF for another season assisting with costumes, but she is no stranger to theatre. She was bitten by the theatre bug at a very young age, and totally blames her mother for it, “Thanks Mum for giving me the greatest playground to grow up in, I love you duckie.” Kelly has worked at Goodyear Community Theatre and Coach House, where some of her favorite shows include; Leading Ladies, Peter Pan, Anything Goes, Greetings, Bell Book and Candle, and Last of the Red Hot Lovers, just to name a few. Kelly would like to thank all of her friends for their love and support, you know who you are, xoxox… Now sit back and enjoy the show.

Dede Kline

Regan

Dede returns to OSF after having appeared as Lillian in I Hate Hamlet two seasons ago. She has performed on several area stages including Coach House, Weathervane Playhouse, Beck Center, and Bang & the Clatter. Most recently she appeared as Sister Aloysius in Doubt (Coach House) and Stevie in The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (Weathervane.) Other favorite roles include Eleanor in The Lion in Winter, Judith Bliss in Hay Fever, Hannah Pitt in Angels in America, and Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. When not on stage, Dede builds dollhouses and gives TLC to Bear and Percy!

Lara Knox

Katherine

Lara Knox (formerly Mielcarek) is thrilled to return to her beloved home after receiving her MFA in Acting from Penn State University. Of her exciting past roles at OSF she most fondly remembers Emilia in Othello and Julia in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. While in the MFA program she performed as Cunningham in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She would like to thank Terry Burgler for is continued trust and guidance and her sublime husband (fellow company member) Geoff for his love and support.

Eric Lualdi

Edmund

Eric is thrilled to return to Ohio Shakespeare, where he has appeared in Romeo & Juliet (Mercutio), Midsummer...(Lysander), Macbeth (Banquo), As You Like It (Silvius), Much Ado...(Borachio), The Tempest (Trinculo), and Taming of the Shrew (Tranio). Eric recently wrapped up a season with Magical Theatre Company, appearing in KidScripts, Little House Christmas (Charles Ingalls), Number the Stars (Mr. Johansen), and playing the title role in a world-premier adaptation of Beowulf. Other favorite roles include Austin (True West), Matt (Fantasticks), Tom Sawyer (Big River), The Fool (King Lear), and the title role in Hamlet, in appearances at Porthouse Theatre, Cleveland Play House, and Great Lakes Theatre Festival, as well as six seasons with GLTF's School Residency Program.

Alannah McCarthy

Player Musician, Coredlia's Attendant, Greenshow Coreographer

Alannah is extremely happy to be making her professional debut with The Ohio Shakespeare Festival. An alumna of the Interlochen Arts Academy, London’s British-American Drama Academy, and of Case Western Reserve University, favorite roles include “Alison” in Look Back in Anger, “Muffet DiNicola” in Uncommon Women and Others, and as a member of the Chorus in the London debut of Alcestis. She is currently studying to get her Master’s degree in Community Counseling at The University of Akron, as well as Irish step dancing at The O’Hare School of Irish Dance.

James McGuire

Gentleman

James is happy to be back with the OSF after last season's As You Like It in which he played Old Adam. Jim has been a member of New York’s Riverside Shakespeare Company, Buffalo’s Shakespeare in Delaware Park and the Center for Theatre Research at the State University of New York at Buffalo. You can see him as the Man in the Yellow Suit in the original independent film Tuck Everlasting. Jim has taught at Franciscan University of Steubenville, at Weathervane Playhouse, and teaches in the School of Communication at the University of Akron.

David McKnees

Kent, Baptista (u/s)

David is a veteran of San Francisco, Berkeley Repertory, and Winedale Shakespeare Festivals out on the West Coast; as well as a founding member of Pour Boys Productions in the Bay Area. He's also done some really bad (but amusing) television in his day. Since recently moving to Ohio he has been seen in Macbeth and Medea at Actors' Summit, and has thoroughly enjoyed his time with Ohio Shakespeare in productions of As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet, Witness for the Prosecution and now King Lear.

Brian McNally

Lucentio

Brian returns from a nine-month internship with the Orlando Shakespeare Festival, and upon received a BA in Theater from Cleveland State University, Brian has been seen on various Northeast Ohio stages including but not limited to Beck Center, Cleveland Public Theater, and the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival. Enjoy the show.

Katie Nabors

Player Musician, Regan's Attendant

Katie is thrilled to be making her first appearance at OSF this summer. She recently transplanted from Detroit to Cleveland to teach theatre and dance. In Detroit, she was most recently seen on stage with Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka in the Michigan premier of Kong’s Night Out at Meadow Brook Theatre, where she also was seen in Biloxi Blues. Katie has performed internationally in Greece and Ukraine. She performed throughout Greece in an English production of the anti-war play Lysistrata and while in Ukraine she performed in a Ukrainian/English bi-lingual production of Medea. She holds a BFA in theatre and dance from Oakland University in Michigan.

Alex J. Nine

First Gentleman

Alex is thrilled to return for his fifth season with the Ohio Shakespeare Festival. Since 2006 he's appeared in eight shows with OSF. He is an Akron native and University of Akron graduate. Since last years festival Alex has kept busy directing (Deathtrap at Western Reserve Playhouse and Lie Cheat and Genuflect at Hudson Players) and acting (Foreigner at Aurora Community Theatre and Leading Ladies at Coach House Theatre) Alex is also a member of the Largely Literary Theater Company having performed with them in The Tell-Tale Play, The Mystery of Dashiell Hammett and The Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated. Alex spends his days working for GOJO Industries Inc.

Joe Pine

Tranio, Edmund (alt.)

Joe is very happy to be making his Ohio Shakespeare debut! Joe has recently moved to Akron from central New York where he worked for three years as an actor with a professional touring children's theatre called Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. Most recently he was seen as Father Flynn in Coach House's production of Doubt. Other recent credits include Happy (Death of a Salesman), El Gallo (The Fantasticks), Starky the pirate (Peter Pan), George (All My Sons) and Tom (Glass Menagerie). Joe is very excited to be working with such professional, talented people and hopes to return for many years to come!

Elyse Rameriez

Greenshow Asst. Choreographer

Elyse has appeared recently at Weathervane Playhouse in both Italian American Reconciliation and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge, and at Coach House in Witness for the Prosecution. This is her first season with OSF.

Sarah Scafidi

Player Musician, Regan's Attendant

Sarah is a junior theatre major at Messiah College. There, she has  recently been seen as Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors, a member of the  ensemble piece, The Gospel of Mark, and Irina in Three Sisters. She will be  studying next fall at the National Theatre Institute in Waterford, CT.

Olivia Scicolone

Servant 2

Olivia will be a freshman at Yale University this fall. Training/ performance credits include the Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy and Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory.

Scott Shriner

Lord, Oswald

Scott returns to OSF for a fourth season. In past seasons he appeared in Othello, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and I Hate Hamlet. Other recent roles include Max in Lend Me a Tenor and Howie in Rabbit Hole (Weathervane), Jack in The Herbal Bed (Actors’ Summit), Defendant in Romance (The Bang and the Clatter) and Simon in Hay Fever (Coach House). Scott thanks Nancy & Terry for giving him this great opportunity here at Stan Hywet.

Tom Stephan

Vincentio, First Huntsman, Knight

Tom is happy to be returning for his seventh summer of Shakespeare at Stan Hywet with The Ohio Shakespeare Festival, having appeared in last season’s Othello and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. This past fall he appeared in Greetings! at Stow Players, The Tell-Tale Play with The Largely Literary Theatre Company, and this spring in And The Winner Is at Weathervane. He has been seen in over 75 productions in the area, and performs regularly with “Mysteries by Moushey.” Tom retired from 31 years of teaching English and drama in Stow so he could pursue good theatre, voice-overs, and commercial work.

Mark Stoffer

Tailor, Duke of Burgundy

Although Mark previously appeared in an off-season production of Comedy of Errors, this will be his first summer appearing with OSF at Stan Hywet. He has performed on several area stages, including Coach House Theater, North Canton Playhouse, Weathervane, and Western Reserve Playhouse. Recent performances include Duncan Wooley in Leading Ladies at Coach House Theatre and Sydney Bruhl in Deathtrap at Western Reserve Playhouse. Other credits include Snoopy in both You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and Snoopy!, John Adams in 1776, Stanley Gardiner in Run for Your Wife, Houdini in Ragtime!, and Judas/John in Godspell.

Buddy Taylor

Production Manager, Lighting & Sound Designer

Buddy is starting his eighth season with OSF. Although he now lives in Houston with his wife Michelle, he still makes his way back now and again. This past March, he designed lights for Doubt at the Coach House Theatre in Akron. Most recently, Buddy has gone back to work for Mainstage Theatrical Supply as a Sales Specialist.

Dylan White

Page, Fool

Dylan is thrilled to be back for his second season at OSF. Dylan has appeared in numerous plays including Macbeth at Great Lakes Theater Festival, and Eat as Joey at FPAC Professional Wing. He is currently filming two movies.

Jordan Wolff

Servingman/Messenger, Knight to Lear

Jordan is thrilled to be back for his third season with the company. Missing-in-action for the summer of 2009, you may recall him from prior years' productions, such as Othello, Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, Two Gentleman of Verona, and, of course, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. A Medina native, Jordan graduated from Denison University in 2009 and is now working for Charles Schwab & Co. in Richfield.

Karen Wood

Hostess, Old Woman

Karen is very pleased to return to OSF for a fifth year. Karen recently appeared as Grandma Rosie in The Wedding Singer at Weathervane Community Playhouse. Last summer Karen was a featured soloist with the London National Symphony Orchestra aboard the Queen Mary 2. Karen, a retired educator, currently juggles stage roles with serving as a volunteer music therapist for a local hospice provider. Karen remains married to Henry C. Bishop.

Kim Woodworth

Haberdasher, Regan's Attendant

Kim is happy to be part of Ohio Shakespeare Festival. Favorite credits include Godspell (ORLC), A Shayna Maidel, Three Sisters, Twelfth Night, A Dream Play, Macbeth (University of Akron).

Stinky the Dog

as Himself

Stinky is a man of mystery. He wandered to the White residence from origins unknown. He would like to thank Nancy and Terry, for giving him a direction in life.