The 2023 Company
Laura Axelrod
Beatrice/ Celia
Laura Axelrod is happy to be sharing some outdoor theater magic with you this summer! Favorite roles include: Lydia in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly, Shelby in Steel Magnolias, and Snookie in 110 in the Shade. She assistant teaches at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and studies voice with Katy Pfaffl. The Hartt School BFA Actor Training. “I do love nothing in the world so well as you.” Cheers! IG: @lauraxelrod
Beatrice/ Celia
Laura Axelrod is happy to be sharing some outdoor theater magic with you this summer! Favorite roles include: Lydia in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly, Shelby in Steel Magnolias, and Snookie in 110 in the Shade. She assistant teaches at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and studies voice with Katy Pfaffl. The Hartt School BFA Actor Training. “I do love nothing in the world so well as you.” Cheers! IG: @lauraxelrod
Shelby Barrett-Whitmore
Stage Manager/ Audrey
Shelby Barrett-Whitmore is so grateful to be making her regional acting debut with the CCSFC. She grew up doing Shakespeare in the summers at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and is excited for this full circle moment. Shelby is a current acting major at the Hartt School in the University of Hartford. Her recent experience includes Jackie Noelle in Disaster!, King Claudius in an all female production of Hamlet, Miss Honey in Matilda, and Lilith in She Kills Monsters.
El Bloom
Costume Coordinator / A Lord in the Forest
El is making her regional theater debut and is thrilled to be a part of the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival's second year. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, she is currently an Actor Training major at the University of Hartford. Her roles have included The Serial Killer's Daughter (Daughter), The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolyn), Wonderland (featured dancer), Anything Goes (Angel) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Peaseblossom). She has been designing, making and fitting costumes for 5 years and is excited to work with Alan and Terry as well as the rest of the cast and crew on making this year's shows fabulous.
Todd Cashdollar
Sexton / Martext & a Forester
Although Todd Cashdollar lives in the town of Sandwich, he enjoys performing in Chatham theatres. He played Charles Condomine in "Blithe Spirit" (Chatham Drama Guild, 2021), and Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family Musical" (Chatham Drama Guild, 2019). In 2018, Todd played Big Jule in "Guys & Dolls" (Monomoy Theatre), as well as parts in "Once In A Lifetime" (2017) and "Johnny On A Spot" (2016), also at Monomoy. Todd played Robin
Starvling in A Midsummer Night's Dream in CCSFC's
inaugural season,
Sexton / Martext & a Forester
Although Todd Cashdollar lives in the town of Sandwich, he enjoys performing in Chatham theatres. He played Charles Condomine in "Blithe Spirit" (Chatham Drama Guild, 2021), and Uncle Fester in "The Addams Family Musical" (Chatham Drama Guild, 2019). In 2018, Todd played Big Jule in "Guys & Dolls" (Monomoy Theatre), as well as parts in "Once In A Lifetime" (2017) and "Johnny On A Spot" (2016), also at Monomoy. Todd played Robin
Starvling in A Midsummer Night's Dream in CCSFC's
inaugural season,
Jarrett Cordeiro
Claudio / Orlando
Jarrett is an actor and writer born in small town Rehoboth, MA, and currently based out of NYC. While he enjoys performing in new theatrical works and for film, his first love has always been Shakespeare, and he couldn't be happier to bring that love to Chatham this summer! Past theatrical credits include Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Soothsayer/Cinna the Poet in Julius Caesar, and Abel/Lord in the new short play Husk, as well as a number of short films in the Boston, Providence, and NYC area. While not performing, Jarrett enjoys fencing, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and dodging hexes cast by blood sorcerers. Check him out @jarrettcordado on instagram, or jarrettcordeiro.com
Eddie Cruz, Jr.
Don John / Touchstone
Eddie Cruz, Jr. is an artist, educator, and funny dude based out of Hartford, CT. He is elated to return for another summer performing Shakespeare in Chatham. “Thank you to everyone involved with CCSFC for making this wonderful experience possible! Love always to Mom, Dad, Leo, & Tito.” Cape Cod: Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night’s Dream (CCSFC), You Can’t Take It With You (Monomoy Theatre). Regional: Quixote Nuevo; alongside Emilio Delgado (Hartford Stage), Water by the Spoonful, Sweat (Capital Classics Theatre), The River Bride (PA Shakespeare Festival). Education: BFA Acting, The Hartt School. Instagram: @eddiecruzjr
Website: www.eddiecruzjr.weebly.com "
Bernard Cornwell
Antonio / Jacques
Bernard Cornwell appeared on the Monomoy Theatre stage in Chatham for over a decade, playing kings, servants, gentry and paupers. Born in London, he had a career in British television before a blonde lured him to the States where, to keep the wolfe from the door, he began writing and is now the author of over fifty novels. He performed a cameo role in the the the third season of The Last Kingdom,a Netflix Original series based on his books. He, Judy (the blonde) and their dog Vicky divide their time between homes in Chatham and Charleston, S.C.
Emma DeWitt
Hero / Phoebe
Emma DeWitt is a Boston based actor who is currently studying acting at the Hart School in Connecticut. They are incredibly excited to be making their professional debut at CCFSC this summer! Some previous credits include Viola/Sebastian in The Twelfth Night (Drama Studio London), Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (The Hartt School) Chorus/composer in Trojan Women (Powerhouse Theater) and Emma in People, Places and Things (The Hartt School.) Instagram: @emmaldewitt.
Emma DeWitt
Hero / Phoebe
Emma DeWitt is a Boston based actor who is currently studying acting at the Hart School in Connecticut. They are incredibly excited to be making their professional debut at CCFSC this summer! Some previous credits include Viola/Sebastian in The Twelfth Night (Drama Studio London), Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (The Hartt School) Chorus/composer in Trojan Women (Powerhouse Theater) and Emma in People, Places and Things (The Hartt School.) Instagram: @emmaldewitt.
Tessa Dufrene
Margaret & Second Watch / Hymen & Forester
Making their stage debut from New Orleans is Tessa Dufrene. A dancer of 15 years, Tessa began their career as a visual artist. Since then, Tessa has expanded their scope to include various performing disciplines. A member of YellowBox Circus, Tessa specializes in partner acrobatics, juggling, stilt walking, and clowning. Most recently Tessa was Stage Manager for Treasure Island (THE NOLA PROJECT). Tessa has a history in the film industry as an actor, and behind the scenes work in costuming, props, and set design for short films.
Tessa Dufrene
Margaret & Second Watch / Hymen & Forester
Making their stage debut from New Orleans is Tessa Dufrene. A dancer of 15 years, Tessa began their career as a visual artist. Since then, Tessa has expanded their scope to include various performing disciplines. A member of YellowBox Circus, Tessa specializes in partner acrobatics, juggling, stilt walking, and clowning. Most recently Tessa was Stage Manager for Treasure Island (THE NOLA PROJECT). Tessa has a history in the film industry as an actor, and behind the scenes work in costuming, props, and set design for short films.
Scott Hamilton
Dogberry/ Duke Senior
Scott Hamilton was born and raised in rural Southwest Iowa. He left the cornfields to join The Covenant Players, an international repertory Christian theatre company in 1978 and spent the next 15 years performing on 4 continents while learning his stagecraft and broadening his Midwest Worldview. Since moving to Cape Cod in 1993 with his wife, Kathy, and their young family, Scott has performed with The Chatham Drama Guild, The Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans, Monomoy Theatre, and many special events in and around Chatham and the Lower Cape. Scott hopes to continue performing and directing in and around his washashore home base of Chatham and can be seen appearing daily at Chatham Jewelers where he manages the family business in-between theatrical adventures.
HALLE JACOBSON
Ursula / Rosalind
Originally from Philadelphia, Halle is currently attending The Hartt School where she is pursuing her BFA in Actor Training. She is thrilled to be making her professional debut with CCFSC. Some previous roles for Halle have been Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (The Hartt School), Sir Toby in Twelfth Night (Drama Studio London) and Toria in Blood at the Root (The Hartt School). Big thanks to her mom, dad, Drew, Zander, and Brady.
Instagram: @halle.jacobson
Mark Lawrence
Verges / Adam & William
MARK LAWRENCE Credits: A Christmas Carol, Henry V (Hartford Stage); As You Like It, The Tempest (Monomoy Theatre). Education: The Hartt School at the University of Hartford (BFA); Drama Studio London. My gratitude for Terry, Alan, the CCSF company, and the community of Chatham, MA cannot be overstated. Love to Jacob, my friends, and my family.
Sadie O'Conor
Pre-Show Singer
Originally from Cape Cod, Sadie O’Conor is thrilled to return for the Festival. She currently studies graduate Vocal Performance at the Jacobs School of Music with Michelle DeYoung. Credits include She Loves Me (Amalia Balash), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Into the Woods (Cinderella), Little Women (Beth), as well as scenes from Twelfth Night (Viola), and La Fille du Régiment (Marie, dir. Heidi Grant Murphy). Her performance as Puck was hailed as ”magnetically devilish” and of “ethereal beauty” (North West End UK). Most recently, she led the premiere English production of the revolutionary 18th-century operetta Catherine ou la Belle Fermière in the title role. She received the 2023 IU Innovation Competition grant to produce the show with Unsung Opera, of which she now serves as Executive Director. Sadie is dedicated to using the arts to cultivate community, joy, and hope for a brighter future. Instagram: @sadieoconor
Henry David Silberstein
Musician / Friar Francis / A Lord & Amiens
Henry David Silberstein is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program. After spending many childhood summers on the Cape, he is thrilled to be joining the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival in Chatham for his inaugural season. Regional Credits: Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), A Christmas Carol (Guthrie Theater). Educational Credits: Achilles in Troilus and Cressida, Vershinin in Moscow Moscow Moscow…, Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure, Love in Everybody.
// Instagram:@henrydsilb
Christopher Andrew Rowe
Borachio / Charles & Silvius
Christopher Andrew Rowe is an actor, director, and Company Manager currently based in Hartford, CT. He is honored to return for CCSFC’s second season! Regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night (CCSFC), Sweat, As You Like It (Capital Classics) Director; Water by the Spoonful (Capital Classics). Co-Director; Twelfth Night (CCSFC) Assistant Director; Dishwasher Dreams, Lost in Yonkers (Hartford Stage). Associate Director; Julius Caesar (ACON). Education: BFA Acting, The Hartt School.
Website: www.christopherandrewrowe.com //Instagram:@christopher.rowee
Christopher Andrew Rowe
Borachio / Charles & Silvius
Christopher Andrew Rowe is an actor, director, and Company Manager currently based in Hartford, CT. He is honored to return for CCSFC’s second season! Regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night (CCSFC), Sweat, As You Like It (Capital Classics) Director; Water by the Spoonful (Capital Classics). Co-Director; Twelfth Night (CCSFC) Assistant Director; Dishwasher Dreams, Lost in Yonkers (Hartford Stage). Associate Director; Julius Caesar (ACON). Education: BFA Acting, The Hartt School.
Website: www.christopherandrewrowe.com //Instagram:@christopher.rowee
James Seufzer
Conrade / Duke Fredrick & A lord to Duke Senior
James Seufzer is thrilled to be making his regional theatre debut with the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival. Starting his senior year at The University of Hartford, James is a musical theatre major. Favorite recent credits include Charles Bingley in Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Maraczek in She Loves Me. Raised in Yorktown, Virginia, James found his love for theatre in his junior year of high school and never looked back. Last summer he made his tv debut in "The Marvelous: Mrs. Maisel" as Farmer#3 in Season 5 Episode 3 Minute 5:40 in the bottom left corner.
James Seufzer
Conrade / Duke Fredrick & A lord to Duke Senior
James Seufzer is thrilled to be making his regional theatre debut with the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival. Starting his senior year at The University of Hartford, James is a musical theatre major. Favorite recent credits include Charles Bingley in Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Maraczek in She Loves Me. Raised in Yorktown, Virginia, James found his love for theatre in his junior year of high school and never looked back. Last summer he made his tv debut in "The Marvelous: Mrs. Maisel" as Farmer#3 in Season 5 Episode 3 Minute 5:40 in the bottom left corner.
Matthew Werner
Don Pedro / Le Beau & Corin
Matthew Werner is an actor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. An alumni of The Hartt School of Music, Dance, and Theatre, Matthew is excited to be returning to Cape Cod, where he last performed with the Monomoy Theater. He is excited to be performing two of Shakespeare's funniest plays with some of the funniest people he knows. IG: daysofourmatt
Matthew Werner
Don Pedro / Le Beau & Corin
Matthew Werner is an actor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. An alumni of The Hartt School of Music, Dance, and Theatre, Matthew is excited to be returning to Cape Cod, where he last performed with the Monomoy Theater. He is excited to be performing two of Shakespeare's funniest plays with some of the funniest people he knows. IG: daysofourmatt
Reid Williams
Benedict / Oliver
An actor & circus performer born & raised in New Orleans, Reid is excited to return to Cape Cod for CCSFC’s inaugural season. Credits include: The Tempest, (New Orleans Shakespeare Festival) As You Like It, (Monomoy Theater) Measure for Measure, (NOLA Project) Henry V, (Hartford Stage) He was also featured in the film: The Do-deca-Pentathlon. (Directed by Mark and Jay Duplass) Notable Circus credits include: Steve Gleason’s Game Changer Gala with Chris Tucker, The International Festival. Reid is co-founder of YellowBox Circus, and a BFA Graduate of the Hartt School of Theater. www.yellowboxcircus.com
Skyler Wright
George Seacol / Stage Manger & Jake DeBois
Skyler Wright is excited to be performing in the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festivals second season! Skyler is a freshman BFA Musical Theatre student at the University of Hartford. So far at Hartt, he has stage managed Godspell, Assistant directed a student production of The Beautiful Dark and read stage directions for a reading of the Children's Hour at Hartford Stage. Skyler has also performed in Peter Pan at the Fulton Theatre. He would like to thank his friends and family for their constant support. He hopes to make you laugh! Instagram: skyler._.wright
Skyler Wright
George Seacol / Stage Manger & Jake DeBois
Skyler Wright is excited to be performing in the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festivals second season! Skyler is a freshman BFA Musical Theatre student at the University of Hartford. So far at Hartt, he has stage managed Godspell, Assistant directed a student production of The Beautiful Dark and read stage directions for a reading of the Children's Hour at Hartford Stage. Skyler has also performed in Peter Pan at the Fulton Theatre. He would like to thank his friends and family for their constant support. He hopes to make you laugh! Instagram: skyler._.wright
CREATIVE TEAM
Alan Rust
Artistic Director
Leonato in Much Ado
Alan was artistic director of the Monomoy Theatre in Chatham for 39 years, directing and acting in many of the 300 productions under his leadership. He has appeared at the Hartford Stage, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Stage West, The
Northern Stage Company and The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival. He has directed over one hundred productions in university and professional theatres in the United States as well as Sydney, Australia, Goteborg, Sweden, Birmingham, England and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has been a member of the International Theatre Institute and a panelist at conferences in Istanbul, Turkey and in the former SovietUnion. He served as president of the National Theatre Conference for two terms and has been a member of numerous committees in national and international theatre programs. He was a founding member of the World Theatre Training Institute establish in Vienna Austria. He has held positions at The University of Washington, The State University of New York at Purchase, The University of Detroit, The NorthCarolina School of the Arts, where he served as Dean, The University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where he was the head of the Acting Program and the University of Hartford where he was the Director of the Theatre Division of the Hartt School.
Terry Layman
Managing Director
Director of As You Like It
Terry Layman’s Broadway acting credits include Tony-nominated Twelve Angry Men, Arthur Miller’s Ride Down Mount Morgan with Patrick Stewart and Proof. His many Off-Broadway shows include Shaw’s Widowers’ Houses, the premiere of Regrets Only with Christine Baranski and several comedy revivals at the Manhattan Punchline. He toured the Country in Proof and in The Royal Family with Eva LeGallienne and Sam Levene. Internationally, he directed Other People’s Money in Prague and played London and Birmingham in Continental Divide-Daughters of the Revolution. He has performed at dozens of regional theatres from Florida to Alaska. He has played Ludie in Trip to Bountiful with Ellen Burstyn and Leo in The Little Foxes with Geraldine Page. He was a member of The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) in NYC for many years where he both acted and directed. He played King Lear, Prospero and other classical roles with The Titan Theatre Co. in Queens, NY., where he also directed. He spent 22 summers acting and directing at The Monomoy Theatre on Cape Cod and he has guest directed for many years at the Hartt School and at Marshall University. His TV and film appearances include "The Patriot", "Bored to Death," “Rubicon”, “Ed”, “Law and Order”, and “L&O SVU” and most NY soap operas.
WEBSITE: terrylayman.info
FRANCESCA JAMES
Director of Much Ado About Nothing
FRANCESCA JAMES has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatre as well as many years in daytime television where she acted on One Life to Live and All My Children, later directing or producing All My Children, Santa Barbara, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital before returning to All My Children as Executive Producer and winning her fifth Emmy Award. She served as the head of ABC’s daytime writer development program and as Supervising Producer of NBC’s Starting Over. As part of NYC’s Transport Group Theatre, she has associate directed their critically acclaimed productions of I Remember Mama, Inge in Rep. and Summer and Smoke. She directed eight plays for the Monomoy Theatre and is proud to be on the board of the new CCSFC and directing this summer’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.
FRANCESCA JAMES
Director of Much Ado About Nothing
FRANCESCA JAMES has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatre as well as many years in daytime television where she acted on One Life to Live and All My Children, later directing or producing All My Children, Santa Barbara, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital before returning to All My Children as Executive Producer and winning her fifth Emmy Award. She served as the head of ABC’s daytime writer development program and as Supervising Producer of NBC’s Starting Over. As part of NYC’s Transport Group Theatre, she has associate directed their critically acclaimed productions of I Remember Mama, Inge in Rep. and Summer and Smoke. She directed eight plays for the Monomoy Theatre and is proud to be on the board of the new CCSFC and directing this summer’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.
Rachel Landy
Sound Designer and Engineer
Rachel Landy is thrilled to join the design team of Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival as Sound Designer and Engineer. She works full time as the Audio Engineer for the University of Hartford’s Hartt School. Her previous credits include Sound Designer of Capital Classic’s production of Water by the Spoonful, Sound Designer and Engineer at Derby Dinner Playhouse and Sound Engineer at Cortland Repertory Theater and Indiana Repertory Theater. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Elon University in Audio Engineering. Email: rjlandy18@gmail.com
Sound Designer and Engineer
Rachel Landy is thrilled to join the design team of Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival as Sound Designer and Engineer. She works full time as the Audio Engineer for the University of Hartford’s Hartt School. Her previous credits include Sound Designer of Capital Classic’s production of Water by the Spoonful, Sound Designer and Engineer at Derby Dinner Playhouse and Sound Engineer at Cortland Repertory Theater and Indiana Repertory Theater. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Elon University in Audio Engineering. Email: rjlandy18@gmail.com
Carol Odell
Set Designer/Scenic Artist
Carol Odell has a BFA from Tufts University after studying painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston She has worked as an art teacher, a graphic designer, a textile designer and photographer. Her works are in oil, gouache, monotype and encaustic. She is a member and exhibits regularly with the Provincetown Art Assoc. and Museum, Printmaker’s of Cape Cod, the Monotype Guild of New England, and 21 in Truro. Her works are in private, corporate and museum collections.
Tom Odell
Technical Consultant
Tom Odell has worked as a goldsmith and metal sculptor for over 48 years. He began his career as a metalsmith with a four-year apprenticeship with jeweler Bernard Kelly and subsequently developed his own line of jewelry. He worked alongside Japanese metalworkers in Kyoto where he expanded his techniques for forming and using Japanese alloys, and studied bronze casting at MassArt. His jewelry, and larger steel, bronze and aluminum sculptural pieces are in private and museum collections.
Tom and Carol Odell opened their studio /gallery at 423 Main Street in Chatham in 1975.
They both are represented in Deborah Forman’s 2015 book Cape Cod Contemporary Artists: On Abstraction.
http://www.odellarts.com
