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Educational Programs

Montana Shakespeare is a collection of 3 programs: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (all audiences), Montana Shakespeare in the Schools (Middle-High School), and Montana SHAKES! (Elementary-Middle School). During the school year, a professional acting company performs in about 50 schools throughout Montana. These productions feature an abridged production of a Shakespearean play, complete with ornate costumes and scenery, followed by a Q&A session between the actors and students and a full complement of workshops.

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is happy to provide educational tools for teachers who wish to make their students’ experience with Shakespeare a more engaging one. Here, you’ll find study guides from past productions along with links to powerful educational tools.

Shakespeare
in the Schools

Thoughtfully tailored to grades 6-12, the Shakespeare in the Schools program engages students with a 75-minute Shakespearean production performed by nine professional actor/educators. It is then followed by a day of educational workshops meant to deepen students’ understanding of the play’s themes, language, and relevance to contemporary issues. 

Montana Shakes!

Montana Shakes! brings an interactive original play featuring scenes from Shakespeare to sixty elementary schools each spring. The play is accompanied by exciting theatrical workshops and introduces Shakespeare to young people in a way that is based on engagement and not apprehension.

Montana Shakes!

Montana Shakes! brings an interactive original play featuring scenes from Shakespeare to sixty elementary schools each spring. The play is accompanied by exciting theatrical workshops and introduces Shakespeare to young people in a way that is based on engagement and not apprehension.

Education Resources

For each season of Shakespeare in the Schools, we provide teachers with a study guide to help prepare the students for the performance and corresponding workshops. The last five years are posted below, as well as press releases from the communities where we have performed.

2015 Merchant of Venice

2016 Hamlet

2017 Twelfth Night

2018 Julius Caesar

2018 Julius Caesar PowerPoint

2019 Romeo & Juliet

2021 Much Ado About Nothing

2022 Macbeth

Link to PBS Website

Much Ado About Nothing Supplemental Material For Asynchronous Learning

Much Ado – Teacher Survey

Much Ado – Student Survey

Request A Performance

Teacher Toolkit 2022

Ekalaka Eagle Article

Educational Outreach PDF

King Lear Character Design

Twelfth Night Bingo

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Melanie Keller

Director

Melanie is very happy to be returning to Montana Shakespeare in the Schools for the second time, having directed Much Ado About Nothing for MSIS in 2021. She is an actor and director based in Chicago, but loves to spend time in Montana, hiking and exploring the National Parks. Melanie was the Associate Artistic Director of First Folio Theatre for 7 years where she directed Little Women, Silent Sky, and Mary’s Wedding, among others, and where she acted in more than 10 productions including The Merchant of Venice, and Blithe Spirit. As a member of Signal Ensemble, she directed the Jeff-nominated The Drowning Girls. Acting credits with Signal include East of Berlin and The Russian Play (Jeff Award for Best Actress), and The Weir (Jeff Nomination for Best Supporting Actress). For Oak Park Festival, she has directed multiple productions and played Lady Macbeth. Other directing credits include projects with Peninsula Players, Shakespeare Project of Chicago, Irish Theatre of Chicago, Fraud and Phony, and Chicago Dramatists. Additional acting credits include productions at Chicago Shakespeare, Waterfront Playhouse of Key West, Peninsula Players, Goodman Theatre, Northlight, and seasons at the Stratford Festival of Canada, Lakeside Shakespeare, and the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. She has appeared on TV’s Chicago Med, Fire, and PD, and in the films UberEx and Sin Eater. 

Samual Cheeseman

SAM CHEESEMAN is an actor/educator based in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Sam is excited to be returning to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, having previously appeared in their adaptations of Two Gentlemen of Verona for the Shakes! tour and Much Ado About Nothing for the Shakespeare in the Schools tour. Sam was one of the founding members of the “Virtual Shakes!” program designed in response to the pandemic. Outside of MSIP, Sam has taught for Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare All-Stars, and Drama in the Driveway, among others. Chicago theater credits include Midsommer Flight, Invictus Theatre, Greatworks, Chicago Theatre Works, and more. This is Sam’s fifth MT Shakes! tour! 

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Matt Foss

Director

MATT FOSS received his M.F.A. in acting from Chicago’s Roosevelt University and Ph.D. in theatre studies and directing from Wayne State University in Detroit.

He toured as an actor with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks from 2003-2006 and wrote and directed 2020’s Faithful Friends, an adaptation of Two Gentlemen of Verona for Montana Shakes!

We worked and lived in Red Lodge, MT as a wildlife biologist before starting his theatre career.

In 2016, his touring production of The Glass Menagerie performed at Russia’s Moscow Art Theatre. He adapted and directed Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle for Oracle Productions in Chicago in 2014. The production received Chicago Jeff Award Nominations for Outstanding Production, Director, Ensemble, and won for best new adaptation. In 2012 his production of Six Characters at Iowa State University received the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival’s National Award for Outstanding Production of a Play and Outstanding Director of a Play.

In 2019, his adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front received the Kennedy Center’s David Mark Cohen Playwriting Award. The play had its professional premiere in Chicago in 2019, winning 6 Jeff Awards-including Best Production, Best Ensemble and Best New Work. Foss was the recipient of the ATHE/KCACTF Prize for Innovative Teaching in 2013 and the 2020 University of Toledo Edith Rathburn Outreach and Engagement Excellence Award.

Gaby Moldovan

GABY MOLDOVAN is thrilled to be making her Montana Shakespeare debut with this production of Bottom’s Dream. She is a Chicago-based actor, a Governing Ensemble Member with The Story Theatre through which she acts as co-artistic director to six other incredibly talented folks, and a personal trainer. She just ended a run of Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play for which she understudied, and other previous credits include Leave Me Alone! (The Story Theatre), Spark (20% Theatre Company), and staged reading Fires, Ohio (The Story Theatre). Shakespeare credits include Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kate in Taming of the Shrew, and Calpurnia in Julius Caesar. She holds a BFA in Acting from Florida State University and loves to climb rock walls and play guitar on her off days.

Stephanie Chavara

Education Manager & Instructor

Stephanie Chavara has worked as an actor-educator for Montana Shakespeare in the School’s Merchant of Venice, and Hamlet, and the Shakes! tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; she has designed curriculum and created learning materials for Julius Caesar, Goodnight Sweet Prince Great King!, The Tempest, and As You Like It: Books in Brooks. In Montana, she has worked as an actor in residence at Lame Deer Schools, taught with the Tate School and the Children’s Shakespeare Society. Elsewhere, she has performed in New York, Connecticut, and in Chicago. In Chicago she was nominated for a Best Actress Award for her work as a basketball player in Charles Ives Take Me Home. She has worked as a theater educator and director at Writers Theatre (Chicago), Adventure Stage Chicago, 2nd Story Chicago, North Carolina Theatre, PBS Kids, Students Motivated by the Arts (Ohio), Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and DePaul University. She holds a BFA from NYU, and and MFA from DePaul University. She also writes and performs stories from her life.

Stephanie Neuerberg

Beatrice

Stephanie Neuerburg is an actor, playwright, and poet based in Chicago IL. Her work has been featured at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC; the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, among others. Her original play Science Night was a national finalist for the John Cauble Outstanding Short Play award. Her poetry has appeared in Dirt Children, Okay Donkey, and Lazy Women literary magazines. She is also the producer and host of The Saddest Case of Celibacy in the West, the ghost town road trip podcast. www.stephanieneuerburg.com

Gerrit Wilford

Benedick

Gerrit Wilford is so excited to join this year’s Montana Shakespeare in the Schools tour and to get to share his love of Shakespeare with so many young students! Gerrit, a South Dakota native, graduated from the University of Idaho with a MFA in Acting. Among his recent credits are the Texas Shakespeare Festival’s productions of Othello and As You Like It. He would like to thank his wonderful family and his amazing girlfriend for their continued love and support.

Ethan Miles Perry

Leonato

Ethan Miles Perry is a Chicago based actor from Detroit, Michigan. For theater, he has been in Illinois Theatre’s productions of Mr. Burns (dir. Lisa Gaye Dixon), Romeo & Juliet (dir. Robert Anderson), Assassins (dir. J.W. Morrissette), Marat/Sade (dir. Laura Hackman), and Hit the Wall (dir. Robert Anderson). Outside of Illinois Theatre, he’s been in She Smashes Screens (dir. Athanasia Giannetos), We Are Proud to Present… (dir. Kevin Woodrow), Kindred (dir. Alexandra Smith), and Gloria (dir. Kevin Woodrow). TV Credits, he was on Empire (FOX) and Pericles (Optimist Theatre). Stay well and stay whole.

Emily Hawkins

Emily is thrilled to be back touring with Montana Shakes! She most recently appeared as Silvia in the Montana Shakes! spring 2020 tour of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. As a resident of Chicago, Emily has worked with Chicago Children’s Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Black Ensemble Theater, Oil Lamp Theater, and others. She has also performed regionally at Great River Shakespeare Festival, CityRep Theatre, and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. Emily has a BFA in Acting from Oklahoma City University.

Andrés Enriquez

Don Pedro

Andrés is honored to be a part of Montana Shakespeare in the Schools for the first time! Originally from California, he currently lives in Chicago, where he’s been lucky enough to be a part of productions such as A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and In The Heights (Porchlight), The Killing Game (A Red Orchid), Middle Passage, Sylvester, and Neverwhere (Lifeline Theatre), Adding Machine (The Hypocrites), as well as several regional shows; Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Scapin, The Fantasticks, and The 39 Steps. He is a proud ensemble member and Casting Director of Lifeline Theatre in Chicago, IL.

Calvin Adams

Calvin Adams is an actor and musician from Minneapolis who is ecstatic to return to MSIP directly after his involvement in the high school tour of Much Ado About Nothing. After performing young in A View From the Bridge at the Guthrie Theater, he returned to study at the theater in the U of M/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. He has since performed with The Playwright’s Center, BARd Shakes Back-Room Shakespeare and Fearless Productions in the Twin Cities, and now continues his adventures in the mountains of the west with Montana Shakespeare.

Brett Garrett

Touchstone

Brett Garrett is thrilled to return to Montana Shakespeare in the Schools. He has been seen in previous productions including Macbeth (Banquo, Seyton, Macduff’s Child), Hamlet (Laertes, Guildenstern, Player King), Merchant of Venice (Lorenzo, Duke), as well as two Shakes! tours. Regional credits include Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Muse of Fire, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Parks and Oklahoma City Children’s Theatre. He is a proud graduate from Oklahoma City University with a BFA in Acting. He would like to thank his friends, family, and beautiful fiancé for all their love and support. 

Rashaud Williams

Edmund / Orsino

Rashaud Williams was born and raised within the soul of Chicago. Currently working for his masters at the professional actors training program, University of Huston. This will be his 1st Tour with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, and he’s proud to be a part of this family and thrilled to share this story with welcomed guest, family, and friends. He recently appeared as Nym in Henry V, Lopahkin in Cherry Orcahrd, Rooftop in Our Lady of 121st, Agamemnon in Oresteia, Ajax in Ajax Sophocles’ Tragedy, and John Proctor in The Crucible.

Nadja Simmonds

Mariana/Mistress Overdone / Madame Bonacieux

Nadja is excited to spend her second summer with MSIP! You may recognize her from last summer as Goneril in King Lear and Olivia in Twelfth Night, or remember her from the Shakes production of Bottom’s Dream and the Schools production of Much Ado About Nothing. After graduating from Marquette University, she has worked at regional theaters in the midwest including Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Forward Theater, Northern Sky Theater, First Stage Children’s Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, CATCO, Florentine Opera Company, and more. Favorite roles include Luciana in The Comedy of Errors, Pilot in Grounded, and The Nina in Airness. You can catch her next as Letitia in Forward Theater’s production of Clyde’s. Lots of love goes to her family and those continuously fighting for justice. Black Lives Matter. www.nadjasimmonds.com 

Gavin Rhys

Albany / Sebastian, Bodyguard

Gavin Rhys is thrilled to be working with MSIP for his first tour. His Chicago credits include Queen C (Trap Door Theatre) and Reality Theatre (Trap Door Theatre). Gavin is a teacher at Black Box Acting and graduated from the ACADEMY at Block Box Acting in 2019. He holds a BA in Musical Theatre from Plymouth State University. Gavin is eternally grateful for his family and friends and is so excited for all the adventures to come this summer.

Jessica Kadish

Regan / Viola / Fight Captain

Jessica Kadish-Hernández is thrilled to be on tour with MSIP for the first time. Recent regional credits include the National New Play Network’s rolling world premiere of Alabaster (16th Street Theatre, Chicago) and I Now Pronounce (New Jewish Theatre, St. Louis, MO). She holds an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where her credits include Twelfth Night, Henry V, lago’s Plot, Travesties, Failure: A Love Story, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, and Kingdom City. She’s an ensemble member with Aguijon Theater, Chicago’s longest-running Spanish-language theatre company, and Chicago’s 2nd Story collective, where she writes, directs, and curates personal narrative performance. Forthcoming screen credits include the independent films Final Summer, Intoxicated Rain, and Midwestern, all in post-production. jessicakadish.com.

Mikey Gray

Lucio / Constance & Others

Mikey Gray is so thrilled to be returning for her third summer season with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks after touring with The Complete Works, King Lear, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, and Midsummer. Highlighted credits: Thicket (Dixon Place NYC); The Wolves (McCarter Theatre) A Woman in Black (A.C.T.); The Book of Joseph (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); and Spirits to Enforce (The Passage Theatre); among some other commercials, TV, and short films. You are truly my favorite audience in the world – thank you! mikeygray.org

Cameron Varner

Kent / Antonio, Valentine

Cameron Varner is elated to be part of his first tour with MSIP. He most recently appeared in First Folio’s production of The Secret Council. Further credits include The Show Must Go On (virtual productions): A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Mountain Repertory: You Can’t Take It With You, Grease, Death Trap and Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Anna Karenina. Recently moving from Colorado, Cameron is a graduate of The University of Colorado, Boulder with a BFA in Performance, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, with an MA in Classical and Contemporary Text.

Brennan Urbi

Cornwall / Sir Toby Belch

Brennan Urbi Is beyond excited to be touring with MSIP for the FIRST TIME! In Chicago, B has recently appeared in: Hundred Days (Kokandy); The Tempest (Oak Park Festival); Belly up (Jackalope Theatre); Fragmented (Our Perspective); Peter and the Starcatcher (Big Noise Theatre); The Rover, Two Gentlewomen (Lakeside Shakespeare); Baby with the Bathwater (Eclipse Theatre); B earned a BFA in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. All the love to my family, friends, and mentors; thanks for your endless support. Proudly represented by Paonessa Talent www.brennanurbi.com.

Erik Pearson

Gloucester / Malvolio / Music Director

Erik Pearson, a Minnesota native, via Chicago, is very happy to be in Bozeman for the Summer season. An MSIP alum since 2014, he’s appeared in As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Comedy of Errors, among others. Favorite performances include Malvolio in Twelfth Night with MSIP, A Doll’s House (BAT), The Explorers Club, Tulsa in Gypsy, West Side Story, Sunday in the Park with George, Falsettos, and Haymarket with Underscore Theater, and Chicago (JEFF Award; Best New Musical). He has also performed with the Guthrie Theater, Aspen Opera Theater, The Children’s Theatre Company, and the Minnesota Orchestra. Erik studied at St. Olaf College and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Riley O'Toole

Duke / Athos

Riley is especially grateful to be celebrating his tenth tour with MSIP.  He appeared last season in the summer as Edgar in King Lear and Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, before touring in the winter with The Complete Works. Other MSIP highlights include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Malcolm in Macbeth, and Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors.  Regional credits include the Guthrie Theater, Jungle Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Arizona Theater Company, and Salt Lake Acting Company.  Originally from Sacramento, Riley is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/ Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. Evermore thanks to the greatest audiences in the world!  rileyotoole.com

Sonia Goldberg

Fool / Feste

Sonia Goldberg is honored to make her Montana Shakes debut, and tickled pink to portray the Fools in both King Lear and Twelfth Night. She is a Chicago-based actor, writer, musician, and teaching artist. Recent credits include Once Upon a Mattress (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre), Songs for Nobodies (U/S Northlight Theatre), Wake Up, Brother Bear! (Chicago Children’s
Theatre), …And I Am Not Afraid (Prop Thtr), The Man Who Was Thursday (Lifeline Theatre), and The Snow Queen (Filament Theatre). Shakespeare credits include Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Corin in As You Like It (Midsommer Flight), and Clarence in Richard III (Muse of Fire). She trained at Butler University, The London
Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), and the Moscow Art Theatre School, and is represented by 10 Talent. soniagoldberg.com.

Avery Vonn

 

Ian Geers

Ian Geers (he/him) is so excited to be working with MSIS on one of his absolute favorite plays! Some recent credits include Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Virginia Stage Company, Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival, National Players, 5 seasons with Michigan Shakespeare Festival, and a proud member of A Crew of Patches theater company, providing Shakespeare to schools in and around Chicago. Film/TV: Yaniv, Chicago PD. He’s also the co-creator/writer/director of the Award-winning Audio Comedy The Vanishing Act and forthcoming Fawx & Stallion with his partner Lauren Grace Thompson. When not acting, he loves cooking and watching movies on his couch with his 2 old cats and amazing partner, Lauren. 

Joshua Williams

Charles / Silvius

Josh is an actor, director, educator, and choreographer based in Washington D.C. Select recent credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Demetrius/Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); Iphigenia (Achilles/We Happy Few); Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio/Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); Macbeth (Macbeth/Hoosier Shakespeare Festival); The Merry Wives of Windsor (Pistol, Dr. Caius/Hoosier Shakespeare Festival); Rhinoceros! (Grocer, Papillon/Pointless Theatre Company); Henry IV Part 1 (Hotspur/Brave Spirits Theatre.

Sam Cheeseman

Gentleman, Froth, Servant, & Juliet / Porthos

Sam is an actor based in Chicago, Illinois. He is very excited to perform with MSIP’S Summer Parks shows after touring with both their Shakespeare in the School and MT Shakes! programs for the past few years. This will be Sam’s 6th time performing with MSIP. He made his company debut in 2020, as one of the founding members of the “Virtual Shakes!” program designed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sam is a proud graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Beyond MSIP, Sam has taught for Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, American Players Theatre, and Compass Creative Dramatics, among others. Chicago theater credits include Midsommer Flight, Invictus Theatre, Greatworks, and Chicago Theatre Works, to name a few.

Lucas Prizant

Orlando

Lucas Prizant (he/him) is a Chicago Actor who grew up in Northbrook, Illinois. He is an alumnus from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he received his BFA in Acting. He most recently played Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream at Oak Park Theatre Festival. He premiered Sons of Hollywood at the Windy City Playhouse and played Fred in A Christmas Carol at Richmond Shakespeare Company. Other Credits: M in Lungs (Liberty Exhibition Hall), Warren in This is our Youth (Unit 14 Theatre Company), William in Punk Rock (CCM) and Oberon in Midsummer Night’s Dream (CCM). He has also worked on TV and Film in Paper Girls (Amazon Prime), Chicago Fire (NBC) and in short film Save/Face (Full Spectrum Features & Haven Theatre). This is his first time working with Montana Shakespeare and he couldn’t be more excited.

Lydia Moss

Celia

Lydia is an actor and writer originally from Indiana. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Florida State University, focusing on performance and playwriting. Since graduating, her theatre interests have broadened to include scene painting, dramaturgy, Shakespeare education, and Theatre for Young Audiences. Recent credits include: Shakespeare Shakedown (Caliban), Anansi the Spider (Anansi the Spider), and Betrayal (Emma). She’s excited to join the cast of As You Like It and further her theatre education experience. 

Ian Maryfield

Oliver / Jacques

Ian Maryfield is thrilled to be working with Montana Shakespeare with such an incredible cast and director! As a resident of Chicago, Ian has worked with Chicago Shakespeare, Court Theatre, Red Theater, Windy City Playhouse, The House Theatre, Red Tape Theatre, First Floor Theatre, Haven Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, and others. Some commercial credits: State Farm, Guinness, Legendary Whitetails, and Avocados From Mexico. Television credits: Chicago Fire (NBC). Ian holds a BFA from Oklahoma City University. He would like to thank his mother and brother for their love and support and Meredith Ernst for being his love, his inspiration, and his partner in crime. To God be the glory. 

Marcus Cunningham

Duke Frederick / Duke Senior

Marcus is very excited to be returning to MSIP for the fourth time!  He’s been seen in the fall productions of Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night as well as the spring production of Henry V. Along with MSIP, Marcus has performed with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Skylight Music Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Door Shakespeare, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival in Romania! Originally from Wisconsin, Marcus received his BFA in Theatre from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Big thanks to everyone who loves and supports the arts! 

Jamie Herb

Adam / Phoebe

Jamie Herb [they/she] is incredibly pleased to be working with this wonderful group of people! Jamie hails from Madison, WI, and is a recent graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Recent credits include: Beth/Laurie in Little Women (First Folio Theatre), Imogen in Cymbeline (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), Cindy in Fefu and Her Friends (The Theatre School), and Nina in The Seagull (The Theatre School). Jamie is represented by Stewart Talent. Love and gratitude to Jamie’s family, partner, roommates, and friends. 

Madison Kiernan

Isabella / Felton, Kitty & Ensemble

Madison is thrilled to be joining MSIP on the summer tour after interning with the company last season. A recent graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts, some of Madison’s favorite credits include Three Sisters, The Wolves, Our Lady of 121st Street, Hir, and Twelfth Night. Madison is greatly honored to perform for you all.

Liam Johnson

Claudio / Duke of Buckingham & Others

Liam is thrilled to be joining the MSIP company on tour this summer. A recent graduate of the University of Houston’s MFA program, Liam received a BFA from the University of Evansville in 2021. Some favorite credits include: Konstantin in The Seagull, Alan in Equus, and Schultz in Circle Mirror Transformation. In addition to acting, Liam is also a singer/songwriter and has written and produced two original musicals with peers. 

Avery Michael Johnson

Provost / D’Artagnan

Avery is an actor and poet from Arlington, VA. Selected stage credits include Jack in The Importance of Being Earnest (VCU Theatre), Photograph 51 (The New Theater), El Eterno Femenino (Firehouse Theatre), At the Full Yum (Signature Theatre, DC), and SHOUT! (TheatreLAB RVA). He is also featured in the short films, “Changes” (VCU Cinema). In May he will graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance. Outside of theater, Avery is a semi-professional Rocket League player and spends his time writing, tinkering with computers, and gaming.  Find him on Instagram and Facebook @AveryMichaelJohnson!

Emily Hawkins

Escalus & Francisca / Milady

Emily is thrilled to tackle her first Summer Parks tour, after previously touring with Montana Shakespeare in the Schools and MT SHakes! For MSIP, she appeared in Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and adaptations Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet. In the summer of 2022, Emily got to spend some more time with Shakespeare performing in Hoosier Shakespeare Festival’s productions of Macbeth and The Merry Wives of Windsor. As a resident of Chicago, she has worked with Chicago Children’s Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, Black Ensemble Theater, Oil Lamp Theater, and others. She has also performed regionally at Great River Shakespeare Festival, CityRep Theatre, and Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. Emily has a BFA in Acting from Oklahoma City University.

Alex Albrecht

Angelo / Cardinal Richelieu & Others

Alex is an Actor located out of Chicago. This is his first time on tour with MSIP and can’t be more excited. He has appeared in productions all throughout his home state of Alaska, where he received his BA in Theatre. He has also appeared in numerous productions in Portland, Oregon where he trained for an additional two years at the Portland Actors Conservatory. He can’t wait to see the mountains again and take in whatever is thrown in front of him!

Jen Klink

Rosalind

Jen Klink is thrilled to be returning to Montana for her second Shakespeare in the Schools tour, playing one of her dream roles no less! She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theatre Actor Training Program, and has appeared in productions with Montana Shakespeare in the Schools, Thunder River Theatre Company, and Nebraska Shakespeare Festival. When not acting, Jen lives in her native Colorado and works as a Ski Patroller on Snowmass Mountain, where she also runs their Safety and Education Department. She strives to share her passion for the arts and the outdoors in all her endeavors. 

Emily Michelle Walton

Elbow& Barnardine / Queen Anne & Others

Emily is thrilled to be making her Montana Shakespeare in the Parks debut! Theater credits include Shaw! Shaw! Shaw!, A Christmas Carol (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (STNJ Shakespeare Live!), Verily Madly Thine (STNJ Shrewd Mechanicals), and The Hunchback of Seville (Know Theatre of Cincinnati). Emily recently returned from a year in France where she trained under legendary master clown, Philippe Gaulier. She holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

Elijah Newman

Pompey & Friar Thomas / Aramis

Elijah (he/him) is a Chicago-bred actor, musician, writer and director — thrilled to make his Montana Shakes debut! Chicago theatre credits include: The Seagull (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Legend of Georgia McBride (Metropolis Performing Arts), As You Like It (Forest Park Theatre), PickleRickicles (Otherworld Theater), and Twelfth Night (The Frontier). TV credits include: Chicago Med (NBC). Elijah earned his BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also creates and hosts Dawescast, a podcast about his favorite band. Elijah would like to thank his family, Madelyn, Stewart Talent, and this incredible company. elijahnewman.com

Katherine Norman

Katherine is so excited to be working on her fifth tour with Montana Shakespeare! Getting to play with the joy and artistry of the Shakes! programs is one of her very favorite things. In addition to work with Montana Shakespeare, Katherine has also recently begun work as the Education Director for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. She is currently completing a PhD in Educational Psychology from the UW-Madison, where she studies what and how people learn through arts practices and pretend play. Recent theatre credits include work with Door Shakespeare (actor, education director), Forward Theatre (playwright, actor), and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (playwright). Other credits include Interlochen, the Children’s Theatre of Madison, Whoopensocker, Four Seasons Theatre, Optimist Shakespeare, Double Edge Theatre, Missoula Children’s Theatre, and more. She holds an MS in EdPsych and an MA in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies from the UW-Madison, and a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Joshua Pennington

Joshua Pennington (they/he) is thrilled to be working with Montana Shakespeare in the Parks for the first time! Theatre (selected): The Malignant Ampersands (A Red Orchid Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Strawdog Theatre), Neither (Lifeline Theatre). A Midsummer Nights Dream and The Tempest (Midsommer Flight). Joshua is an ensemble member of the Shakespeare company, Midsommer Flight, which provides accessible and free Shakespeare to all communities of Chicago. Joshua received training as an actor and a painter from Illinois State University where he received two Irene Ryan nominations for his performances. Joshua is proudly represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent. Instagram @the.prince_joshua

Charlotte Mae Ellison

Charlotte Mae Ellison lives in Chicago, loves Montana, and is so pumped to be a part of the very first winter tour. With MISP she performed in Noises Off! and two summer tours – 2017 (You Never Can Tell, Macbeth) and 2018 (Othello, Love’s Labour’s Lost). She also just wrapped up A Christmas Carol with Montana Theaterworks at the Ellen here in Bozeman. In Chicago, she most recently had the pleasure of working with Matt Foss on his adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, and has previously performed at Red Tape Theatre, First Folio, A Red Orchid, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writer’s Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre, among others.

Calvin Adams

Calvin Adams is an actor and musician from Minneapolis who is ecstatic to return to MSIP directly after his involvement in the high school tour of Much Ado About Nothing. After performing young in A View From the Bridge at the Guthrie Theater, he returned to study at the theater in the U of M/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. He has since performed with The Playwright’s Center, BARd Shakes Back-Room Shakespeare and Fearless Productions in the Twin Cities, and now continues his adventures in the mountains of the west with Montana Shakespeare.

Riley O'Toole

Actor / Tour Manager

Riley O’Toole is grateful to be returning for his ninth tour with MSIP. He most recently appeared as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cloten/Cornelius in Cymbeline as part of MSIP’s 2021 summer tour. Regional credits also include the Guthrie Theater: Lion in Winter, Juno and The Paycock, Blue Stockings (Studio); Milwaukee Repertory Theater: Dreamgirls, A Christmas Carol, Of Mice and Men; Arizona Theater Company: Of Mice and Men; Jungle Theater (MN) and Salt Lake Acting Company: Hand to God. Originally from Sacramento, Riley is a graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program.

Rupert Spraul

Bio Copy

Rupert Spraul

 

Rachel Jones

Rachel J. Jones is ecstatic to join the Montana Shakespeare in the Schools fall tour of Macbeth as Lady Macbeth. Rachel is an actor/creator currently residing in Chicago, Il, recently receiving her BFA in Acting from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in the Spring of 2022. Collegiate credits include: Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan as Rosalie, both Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Puck, and Julius Caesar as Lucius/Messala, Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves as #8, as well as the titular role of Agnes in John Pielmeier’s Agnes of God. In her final year at CCM, she produced the Midwestern premiere of Nick Payne’s Constellations, where she also played Marianne. This is Rachel’s first tour with Montana Shakespeare, and she wants to thank Susan Felder, Kevin Asselin, and the whole team for this life-changing opportunity. She would also like to thank her boyfriend Lucas Prizant for all his love and support. Outside of acting, Rachel enjoys spreading kindness, being an advocate for women’s equality, and spending quality time with her incredibly supportive family in her scenic home state of Michigan. www.racheljjones.actor

John Hosking

King Lear / Captain

John Hosking graduated from
MSU and first toured with MSIP in 1974 (the first full touring summer of Shakespeare in the Parks). He was a member of the Hillberry Graduate Repertory Theater at Wayne State University, and then worked professionally for three years with ACT Seattle. He also performed at the Virginia City Opera House. John co-founded the Vigilante Theatre Co., where he was an actor and director and toured Montana and the region for 33 years. Since then, you may have seen John at the Black Box as Willy Lohman in Death of a Salesman, or at the Ellen Theatre this winter as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, or in many other venues around the state. (“Wide Open Door” is John’s recently released music album.)

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