Our American Hamlet

Kelby Akin makes his fifth appearance at CSC.  Other area credits include Death of a Salesman (IRNE award winner, Best Supporting Actor), 33 Variations, The Understudy and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Stage).  Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Paul and The Glass Menagerie (Sandra-Feinstein Gamm Theatre).  Richard III, All The King’s Men and A Christmas Carol (Trinity Rep).  Kelby has also enjoyed featured roles in “Patriots Day”, “Detroit”, “The Heat” and several other major releases.

Jake Broder makes his CSC debut. Broadway/West End theatre credits include: Mozart in Amadeus (The Old Vic, Music Box), director: Sir Peter Hall, When Harry Met Sally (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Ophelia & Juliet in Complete Works of Shakespeare (Reduced Shakespeare Company). Off Broadway: Lord Buckley in His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley (59e59 Theatres). Regional includes: Ira Gershwin in Words By: Ira Gershwin (Colony Theatre), director: David Ellenstein. Jake co-wrote and originated the role of Louis in Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara (Geffen Playhouse), directed by Taylor Hackford, winning three Ovation Awards, LADCC, and LA Weekly awards for Best Actor and Best Production. Television Includes: a multi season recurring role on “Silicon Valley” (HBO), “How I Met Your Mother”(CBS), “Roman Mysteries” (BBC), “Strange” (BBC), “Line of Beauty” (BBC), “Broken News” (BBC), a recurring role on “The Eagle” (Denmark-Winner of a 33rd International Emmy). Film includes: “Bad Milo!,” Kevin Spacey’s “Beyond the Sea”, “In A Day” and “The Barn” (winner 2004 BIFA award), the upcoming thriller “Sleepwalker (2017)”. Writing includes the plays Louis and Keely: Live at the Sahara, His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley and the jazz musical Miravel at Sacred Fools (winner LADCC Best Score 2016). Produced screenplays include, “The Barn”, and “A Car Stopped.” Work in development: “Diz for Prez” and “Typewriter Days” for Revolution Studios. Training: Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. In NY, Saxophone with Lee Konitz and New England Conservatory & Tufts University.

Lucy Davenport makes her CSC debut. Lucy trained at RADA and has since worked on both sides on the Atlantic. Theater includes Yes Prime Minster (Geffen Playhouse); Protection (Soho Theater, London), Orlando Furioso (The Globe, London) and lots of Shakespeare heroines. TV includes “NCIS”, “Doctor Who”. Film includes “Dinner for Schmucks”, “Gangster Squad”, Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” and Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York”. Lucy is represented by Untitled Entertainment and the JKA Agency.

Jacob Fishel was seen at CSC in Our American Hamlet and in the “Theater in the Rough” staged reading of Fool for Love. His Broadway credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Off-Broadway The Common Pursuit (Roundabout Theatre Company), Titus Andronicus (The Public Theater), The Broken Heart, King Lear (TFANA), Women Bew are Women (Red Bull Theater), Macbeth (NYSF). Regional: Sense and Sensibility (Folger Theater), Henry V, As You Like It (Two River Theater), The Real Thing (Intiman Theatre). Television: “Cold Case,” “Medium,” “Without a Trace,” “Numb3rs.” Film: A Night Without Armor, Across the Sea, How I Got Lost. Jacob is a graduate of The Juilliard School’s Drama Division where he received the John Houseman Prize for Excellence in Classical Theatre.

Joe Fria makes his CSC debut. Joe is excited to be back doing theater on the East Coast! He most recently finished shooting Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2” in Atlanta and the horror movie “The Belko Experiment” in Bogota, Colombia. TV credits include “Gilmore Girls”, “Baby Bob”, “Off Centre”, “Community”, and “Legends”. He has been working in Los Angeles theater for 19 years with widely respected 99 seat companies such as Circle X and Boston Court. He has also appeared on many of Southern California’s larger stages including South Coast Rep, Center Theatre Group, The Geffen, Pasadena Playhouse, The LA Philharmonic, and International City Theatre.

Maureen Keiller is happy to be be back at Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, having last appeared in their production of Our American Hamlet. Theatre credits: The Honey Trap, Faithless (Boston Playwrights), Oh God (Israeli Stage), Come Back Little Sheba (Huntington Theatre Company), Into The Woods, 33 Variations, Big River, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Speech and Debate, Epic Proportions (Lyric Stage), The Whale, Nine, The Little Dog Laughed, Almost Maine, The Women (SpeakEasy Stage). Television and film: “Olive Kitteridge”, “Spotlight”, “Fever Pitch”, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Brotherhood”.  Maureen is an Elliot Norton Award winner for Outstanding Actress and a three-time IRNE winner for Best Supporting Actress.

Will Lyman-Boston Stages: King Lear, Ulysses on Bottles, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Windowmen, Operation Epsilon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, All My Sons, Exits and Entrances, The Oil Thief, Nicholas Nickleby, King of the Jews, Prospero, Brutus, Claudius. Off-Broadway: The Novelist, Passion of Dracula, Grinding Machine, The Dwarfs. Television: “Commander-in-Chief”, “Threat Matrix”, “Hull High”, “Crossbow”, “American Meltdown”, “Our Fathers”, soaps. Film: “Little Children”, “A Perfect Murder”, “The Siege”, “Mystic River”, “Welcome to the Dollhouse”, “What Doesn’t Kill You”. Narrator: “Frontline”, “NOVA”, “American Experience” etc. Awards: Norton Outstanding Achievement (4 plays), Norton Sustained Excellence 2013, IRNE, NETC Award for Contribution to American Theatre, Howard Keel, Best of Boston, Imaginaire.

Steven Maler is the Founding Artistic Director of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC). At CSC he has been directing Free Shakespeare on the Boston Common productions since 1996, including Richard III, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear, Twelfth Night, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Coriolanus, All’s Well That Ends Well, Othello, The Comedy Of Errors, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Henry V, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, and Romeo & Juliet. Other CSC works include his critically acclaimed production of Naomi Wallace’s adaptation of William Wharton’s novel Birdy, Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, the world premiere of Jake Broder’s Our American Hamlet, and the world premiere of Robert Brustein’s The Last Will.  In collaboration with Boston Landmarks Orchestra, he directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring the Overture and Incidental Music of Felix Mendelssohn, as well as concert stagings of The Boys from Syracuse and Kiss Me Kate at Boston’s iconic Hatch Shell.  For CSC he has also directed one-night-only readings of iconic plays featuring Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Blair Brown, Tony Shalhoub, Brooke Adams, Leslie Uggams, David Morse, and Jeffrey Donovan among others.  He conceived and directed Shakespeare at Fenway, an evening of Shakespeare scenes performed at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park, featuring Mike O’Malley, Neal McDonough, Maryann Plunkett, Jay O. Sanders, Kerry O’Malley, Seth Gilliam, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Max Von Essen, Christian Coulson, Jason Butler Harner, and many others.

In collaboration with Google, he adapted and directed a first of its kind sixty minute virtual reality film of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, entitled Hamlet 360: Thy Father’s Spirit, starring Jack Cutmore-Scott, Jay O. Sanders, Brooke Adams, and Faran Tahir.  It is currently available for viewing on Boston public media producer GBH’s YouTube channel; for more information, visit www.wgbh.org/hamlet360.

Outside of CSC, he directed Maria, Regina D’Inghilterra for Odyssey Opera, Péter Eötvös’ operatic treatment of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America (U.S. Premiere) and Thomas Adès’ Powder Her Face for Opera Boston, The Turn of the Screw at New Repertory Theatre, Santaland Diaries and Chay Yew’s Porcelain at SpeakEasy Stage Company, Top Girls and Weldon Rising at Coyote Theatre, and The L.A. Plays by Han Ong at A.R.T. His New York City credits include the New York Musical Theatre Festival production of Without You, written by and starring Anthony Rapp. The production has been seen in Boston, Edinburgh, Toronto, London, and Seoul.

He received the prestigious Elliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence, as well as for Best Production for Twelfth Night and All’s Well That Ends Well; Outstanding Director, A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Best Production, SubUrbia; Best Solo Performance, John Kuntz’s Starf***ers (which also won Best Solo Performance Award at New York International Fringe Festival). His feature film “The Autumn Heart,” starring Tyne Daly and Ally Sheedy was in the Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

Jake Broder makes his CSC debut. Broadway/West End theatre credits include: Mozart in Amadeus (The Old Vic, Music Box), director: Sir Peter Hall, When Harry Met Sally (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Ophelia & Juliet in Complete Works of Shakespeare (Reduced Shakespeare Company). Off Broadway: Lord Buckley in His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley (59e59 Theatres). Regional includes: Ira Gershwin in Words By: Ira Gershwin (Colony Theatre), director: David Ellenstein. Jake co-wrote and originated the role of Louis in Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara (Geffen Playhouse), directed by Taylor Hackford, winning three Ovation Awards, LADCC, and LA Weekly awards for Best Actor and Best Production. Television Includes: a multi season recurring role on “Silicon Valley” (HBO), “How I Met Your Mother”(CBS), “Roman Mysteries” (BBC), “Strange” (BBC), “Line of Beauty” (BBC), “Broken News” (BBC), a recurring role on “The Eagle” (Denmark-Winner of a 33rd International Emmy). Film includes: “Bad Milo!,” Kevin Spacey’s “Beyond the Sea”, “In A Day” and “The Barn” (winner 2004 BIFA award), the upcoming thriller “Sleepwalker (2017)”. Writing includes the plays Louis and Keely: Live at the Sahara, His Royal Hipness Lord Buckley and the jazz musical Miravel at Sacred Fools (winner LADCC Best Score 2016). Produced screenplays include, “The Barn”, and “A Car Stopped.” Work in development: “Diz for Prez” and “Typewriter Days” for Revolution Studios. Training: Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. In NY, Saxophone with Lee Konitz and New England Conservatory & Tufts University.

Julia Noulin-Mérat In addition to her work as Associate Producer for Boston Lyric Opera, is Director of Design and Production for Guerilla Opera, and resident set designer for Attic Theater in New York. She has designed over 325 opera, theater, immersive shows, and television productions, including: a 50,000 square feet immersive show Peter Pan in Beijing; a 30,000 square feet immersive vaudeville dining experience in New York; Clemency, In the
Penal Colony and La Traviata at Boston Lyric Opera; Cosi Fan Tutte and Bluebeard’s Castle at Opera Omaha; Sumeida’s Song and 27 at Pittsburgh Opera; Giver of Light, Troubled Water, Pedr Solis, and No Exit at Guerilla Opera; L’Heure Espagnole and Scalia/Ginsburg at Castleton Festival; Transformations and Alcina at Boston Conservatory; These Seven Sicknesses, Restoration Comedy at The Flea Theater; November, The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Hangar Theatre. Her television work includes “Guiding Light” and “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” Her studio has created environments for the New York Aquarium, the Bronx Zoo, The Intrepid, Grand Central and Times Square. She previously designed Our American Hamlet with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. noulinmeratstudio.com

Nancy Leary is a Costume Designer who’s visionary work for Opera and Theater has graced stages across the United States. Experienced in producing both highly conceptual and more traditional models of Opera and Theater costuming, Nancy has successfully applied her expertise to a wide array of theatrical styles and artistic endeavors.  From 2000 to the present Nancy has worked on well-established productions, recently developed pieces, and the premier of new works for such places as; Opéra Royal Château de Versailles, Glimmerglass Festival, The Pittsburg Symphony, Virginia Opera, Utah Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Saratoga, Mannes Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Mobile Opera, Juilliard Opera, Opera Boston, as well as Commonwealth Shakespeare Co.mpany, Westin Playhouse, The Julie Harris Theatre, The Barrow Group Theatre, and New York Live Arts to name a few.

Brian Lilienthal Commonwealth Shakespeare Company: Our American Hamlet. Regional: Over 250 productions at: Huntington Theatre, Arizona Theatre Co, Milwaukee Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville (over 60 productions and 20 world premieres at the Humana Festival of New American Plays), Merrimack Rep, Arden Theatre, Trinity Rep, GEVA Theatre Center, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, among many. Opera: Long Beach Opera, Bard Summerscape, Portland Opera Repertory Theatre. Mr. Lilienthal has won the Los Angeles Ovation Award for lighting design, and has been nominated multiple times for Boston’s IRNE Award. He has spent 9 summers as the resident lighting designer for the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. MFA: California Institute of the Arts. Mr. Lilienthal currently teaches lighting design at Tufts University, and is a member of the Patriots Program at Merrimack Rep in Lowell, MA. He lives in Somerville, MA, and is a drummer with a rockabilly/jump blues quartet that performs throughout the Boston Metro area. www.BrianJLilienthal.com

David Remedios CSC: Romeo and Juliet (2017); Our American Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Twelfth Night (2014, IRNE nom.), The Last Will, Coriolanus, All’s Well That Ends Well, Othello. Recent: Knyum, The Royale, Women in Jeopardy!, The Making of a Great Moment, Merrimack Rep; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Scottsboro Boys (IRNE Award), SpeakEasy Stage; Wild Horses, The Niceties, Contemporary American Theater Festival; The Effect, Gloucester Stage; Faithful Cheaters, Trinity Rep; Finish Line, Boston Theater Company at Shubert Theatre. Other regional and local credits include Geva Theatre, 59E59, Huntington Theatre, Studio Theatre, Portland Stage, Theatre for a New Audience, American Repertory Theatre, Centerstage Baltimore, LaJolla Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, among many others. International: prominent arts festivals in Bogotá, Paris, Hong Kong and Edinburgh. David is Assistant Professor and Program Head of Sound Design at Boston University. remediosssound.com.

Lisa Berg returns to Commonwealth Shakespeare Company after working on Our American Hamlet. New to Massachusetts, and a Michigan native., she has worked as Props Master for Boston Conservatory and Boston Lyric Opera. She had also worked with Stoneham Theatre, and Moonbox Productions.

Nile Hawver is a Boston-based actor, musician, photographer, and fight director. Previous work with CSC includes fight consultation for Birdy, Death and the Maiden, fight direction for Our American Hamlet, fight direction for CSC2’s Romeo and Juliet and playing Sebastian (Twelfth Night) on the Common in 2014. As an actor: Once at Speakeasy Stage. Breath and Imagination; (Lyric Stage) ,Man of La Mancha; (New Repertory Theatre), Edward II; (Actors’ Shakespeare Project); Finish Line, (Boston Theater Company); Violet and Mothers and Sons, (Speakeasy Stage); Etherdome, (Huntington Theatre Company), Central Square Theatre, Greater Boston Stage Company, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Ocean State Theatre Company, and more. MFA: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When he’s offstage, Nile is usually behind a camera, taking photos for actors and theatre companies, including CSC, throughout Boston. Huge thanks to Steve for all of the creative collaborations! www.nilehawver.com | www.nilescottstudios.com 

Jenna Worden is a producer, director, and stage manager with a passion for storytelling, education, and access to the arts. Favorite CSC credits include Birdy, Universe Rushing Apart, and Our American Hamlet. Additional regional credits include New Rep Theatre, Gloucester Stage Company, Phoenix Theatre, and Childsplay AZ. She collaborates often with Brian O’Donovan and is the director and producer of A Christmas Celtic Sojourn. She earned both her BA in Theatre Studies and BSEd in History from Northern Arizona University and is constantly looking for new ways to teach and be in conversation with the past. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Rachel Corning returns to CSC for the Stage2 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Since 2016, she has worked in various technical capacities with companies throughout the Boston and North Shore areas. Select credits include Deal Me Out (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre), A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (WGBH), Trayf, Cardboard Piano (New Repertory Theatre), Romeo & Juliet, Birdy, Blue Kettle/Here We Go, Macbeth, Old Money, Death and the Maiden (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), A Christmas Carol, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Jekyll and Hyde (North Shore Music Theatre). Rachel holds a BA in Communications from Simmons University and is a native of Ipswich, MA, where she first discovered her love for theatre in sixth grade.

Leah Carnow is thrilled to be working with CSC again after performing onstage in The Boys From Syracuse. Leah served as the Assistant Director on Speakeasy Stage’s production of Bad Jews. Directing credits also include The Last Five Years and Elegies, both at Brandeis University. As an actress, regional credits include It’s A Wonderful Life (Wheelock Family Theatre), Ragtime (Fiddlehead Theatre Company), Tales of a Fourth Grade Lesbo (Flat Earth Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Longwood Players), Kiss Me Kate (Longwood Players), God Hates Musicals (Ministry of Theater), Travelogue (Open Theatre Project), and The Bacchae (Tubiforce). Leah also appears as Jenny in the webseries “Staying in Boston.” She received her B.A. in Theater Arts and Creative Writing from Brandeis University. When she is not making theater, Leah teaches yoga and meditation in the greater Boston area.