Much Ado About Nothing- Cast and Designers
Erika Anselmo (Antonio, Voice and Text Coach)
Erika holds her MFA in acting from the FSU Asolo Conservatory and has served as a voice, text and dialect coach with professional theaters in Philadelphia, New Your City and New Jersey including Walking Fish, Hedgerow, CCTC, The Ritz, Passage Theater, and American Globe Theatre. Erika has worked as a vocal/dialect coach and assistant
director for Drexel University theatre department’s mainstage productions since 2008.
director for Drexel University theatre department’s mainstage productions since 2008.
Griffin Back (Claudio)
Griffin Back is currently Temple University sophomore studying Theater with a concentration in Musical Theater. Greater Philadelphia Area credits include Peter Pan (Walnut Street Theater),Caroline, or Change (Arden Theater Company), and Lost in Yonkers (Broadway Theater of Pitman).
Philip Anthony Wilson (Verges)
Philip Anthony Wilson is happy to be making his debut at Mauckingbird Theater Company in Much Ado. Philip is a Theater Major at Temple University with a concentration in Musical Theater. He would like to thank Peter for this wonderful opportunity, Sam Boese for being the best with such short notice, and his amazing friends and family.
Mitchell Bloom (Borachio)
Mitchell is incredibly excited to make his Mauckingbird Theatre Company debut with the cast, crew, and creative team of Much Ado About Nothing. A graduate of Temple University, he is thrilled to return to the stage under the direction of Peter Reynolds, with whom he previously worked on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and que[e]ry for Temple Theaters. Currently the reigning 2012 Mr. Mauckingbird, Mitchell would like to thank Peter, Brandon, and everyone involved in this production for the wonderful opportunity to explore this unique take on Shakespeare's classic text.
Chancellor Dean (Don Pedro)
Chance Dean, an Orange County, CA native, is thrilled to return to the Philadelphia stage with Mauckingbird Theater. Recent performances include Luke in Next Fall (Actors Theater Phoenix); Johnson in Anna Christie(The Old Globe); Eddie Cochran in Be Bop a Lula (Edinburgh Fringe); and Ethan in Jesus Hates Me (South Coast Repertory); previous Philadelphia apperances include Dennis in Loot (Arden Theater); and Dexter inFour (Azuka Theater Company). He received a BA in Theater from USC and a MFA in Acting from Temple University.
Ben Lyle Lotka (Don John)
Ben, a Philadelphia native, is ecstatic to be apart of a project that is so steeped in brotherly love. He is overjoyed to work, once again, under the guidance of mentors Peter Reynolds and Brandon McShaffrey, and of course honored and awed to continue his exploration of classical text along side his teacher and friend, Cheryl Williams.
Joe Mathew (Ursula)
Joe is extremely excited to make his debut with Mauckingbird Theatre Company! A recent graduate of Drexel University, his past stage credits at Drexel include Bobby Strong in Urinetown and Jesus in Reefer Madness. Regional credits include RENT (11th Hour Theatre Co.), Bluebird (EgoPo Classic Theatre), and understudying in Tulipomania (Arden Theatre Company). Joe would like to thank the cast & crew, as well as his friends, for the unconditional love and support.
LJ Norelli (Balthasar, Sexton, Conrade)
LJ Norelli is delighted to be working with Mauckingbird Theatre Company! Most recently seen in the 2012 Mr. Mauckingbird Pageant, he has also worked with the Walnut Street Theater, Kimmel Center, and EgoPo Classic Theater. Special thanks to Peter and Brandon for this exciting opportunity!
Will Poost (Dogberry)
Will Poost is thrilled to be back working with Mauckingbird Theatre Company after previously appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other credits: Azuka’s The Long Christmas Ride Home, and The Riot Group’s The Poet Laureate of Capitalism (also performed in NYC). At Drexel University: Urinetown, 12th Nite, Noises Off, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Cameron Slusser (Hero)
Cameron Scot Slusser is thrilled to be making his Mauckingbird Theater Company debut! He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Musical Theater from Temple University. His Temple mainstage credits include Bobby Strong in Urinetown, Mike in A Chorus Line, and A Flea in Her Ear. He is a classically trained ballet dancer as well as a ceritifed hip-hop teacher. He would love to thank the talented cast, creative team and everyone behind the scenes for this wonderful and amazing oppurtunity.
Matt Tallman (Benedick)
Matt was seen earlier this year in Mauckingbird’s The Temperamentals. Matt is originally from Madison, WI. His professional credits include work at Azuka Theatre, Quintessence Theatre Group, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center, American Players Theatre, Next Act Theatre, and others. Favorite roles include Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Oswald in Ghosts, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Trinculo in The Tempest, and the titular role in Bullshot Crummond. He also wrote a serialized radio comedy show, and has co-written several plays that have received professional workshops and productions. He received his MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University.
Sean Thompson (Beatrice)
Sean is thrilled to be returning to Mauckingbird after last appearing as 'Titania' in the company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In Washington, DC: critically-praised portrayal of 'Edgar Allan Poe' in the original musical Nevermore with area theatre Creative Cauldron; two productions at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre (Sunset Boulevard and the original And the Curtain Rises). Philadelphia favorites: Flashpoint (The Little Dog Laughed), Arden (Candide, A Year With Frog and Toad), Walnut (The Eclectic Society), Media (Oliver!). Other favorite credits include: The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate King) and The Foreigner (David) directed by Mauckingbird's Peter Reynolds and Brandon McShaffrey, respectively. Education: Temple University, 2008, BA Theater and English, Cum Laude.
Cheryl Williams (Leonato)
Cheryl is delighted to be working, once again, with Mauckingbird in Much Ado about Nothing! Locally: Nurse in Antigone/Quintessence Theatre Group, Grace in Pterodactyls/ New City Stage, Francis (Barrymore Award) in The Breath of Life / Lantern Theatre Co., Dorothy/Narrator in Respect: A Musical Journey of Women /Act II Playhouse/Society Hill Playhouse/Phoenix Tour, Aunt Julia in Hedda Gabler/ Mauckingbird Theatre Co., Amanda in The Glass Menagerie/ Act Out Theare (NJ), Lila/Judy in Expecting Isabel/Temple Theatres and Female Greek Chorus in How I Learned to Drive/ Mayphair Theatre Co. at Walnut Studio 5. Cheryl’s also done several staged readings and workshops with playpenn, PAC, Writing Aloud and InterAct Theatre Co. She’ll also appear in two films to be released this year: Future Weather and The Silver Linings Playbook. Upcoming shows this season: The Exit Interview at InterAct Theatre and It’s My Party: The Women and Comedy Project with 1812 Productions. During the course of an extensive regional career, Cheryl’s worked with Chicago Dramatists, Chicago’s Court and Goodman Theatres, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Detroit area’s Purple Rose, Attic, Jewish Ensemble, and Meadow Brook theatres, as well as with The Human Race (OH), Madison Rep and the Three Rivers (PA), Antioch (OH), New Jersey, Orlando and Illinois Shakespeare Festivals, to name a few. Cheryl is a recipient of The Princess Grace Award and is proud to be an adjunct acting faculty member with the Temple University theatre program. Thanks to Peter, Brandon and Marie. Much love to Eric and Jenny.
Peter Reynolds (Director)
Peter currently serves as the Head of Musical Theater for the Department of Theater at Temple University. In Philadelphia, he has worked at Media Theatre, Act II Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre, Hedgerow Theatre, Villanova Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Philadelphia Young Playwrights and the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in New Jersey. Reynolds spent six years as Artistic Director of the award-winning HealthWorks Theatre in Chicago and has also worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Building Chicago, Apollo Theatre Chicago, St. Louis’ HotCity Theatre, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre and Maples Repertory.
Marie Anne Chiment (Costume Designer)
Marie Anne Chiment has designed sets and costumes for hundreds of theatre, opera, and dance productions across the nation and around the world. Design credits include national tours of GREASE!, CAROUSEL, and the Broadway musical METRO, as well as numerous designs for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Santa Fe Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Actors’ Theatre of Louisville.
Marie’s designs have earned many awards. She recently won a Kevin Kline Award for her costume designs for the new musical ACE. Her set and costume designs for St. Louis Repertory Theatre’s production of I AM MY OWN WIFE won a Kevin Kline Award for Outstanding Production and were nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Design. Her set design for the Black Repertory Theatre’s production of MACBETH won the Judy Award and was a Woodie King Award nominee. For the Lincoln Center Festival, Marie designed the sets and costumes for the GLAMA award winning world premiere of the opera PATIENCE & SARAH. Marie currently serves as Head of Design for Temple University.
Marie’s designs have earned many awards. She recently won a Kevin Kline Award for her costume designs for the new musical ACE. Her set and costume designs for St. Louis Repertory Theatre’s production of I AM MY OWN WIFE won a Kevin Kline Award for Outstanding Production and were nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Design. Her set design for the Black Repertory Theatre’s production of MACBETH won the Judy Award and was a Woodie King Award nominee. For the Lincoln Center Festival, Marie designed the sets and costumes for the GLAMA award winning world premiere of the opera PATIENCE & SARAH. Marie currently serves as Head of Design for Temple University.
Zachery Limbert (Set Designer)
Zachary Limbert is a recent Temple graduate and has been working in the field of scenic design for over four years. His previous scenic design credits include Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (Mauckingbird Theatre), Forever Midnight (Temple Theaters) and most recently The Country (Walnut Street Theater). His previous assistant scenic design credits include Urinetown, A View from the Bridge and A Chorus Line. Other related productions he has worked on include Big Love, A Flea in Her Ear, Sweeney Todd and Rent. Zach wants to thank Mauckingbird for this wonderful opportunity and looks forward to future collaborations!!