Moisés Kaufman to Direct Berkeley Rep's PARADISE SQUARE: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, A.J. Shively, Kennedy Caughell, and More Star

Berkeley Repertory Theatre today announced the full cast and creative team for Paradise Square: An American Musical. The world premiere is helmed by acclaimed director Moisés Kaufman, with choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones and a book by Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan. Music by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan, with lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and based on the songs of Stephen Foster.

Paradise Square is produced by special arrangement with Garth H. Drabinsky in association with Peter LeDonne and Teatro Proscenium Limited Partnership.

It's 1863 and in a 20-block area of Manhattan known as the Five Points, Black and Irish Americans live side by side, work together, marry, and for a brief period realize racial harmony. However, the intensifying Civil War soon results in the first-ever Federal draft, leading to riots as whites are called to enlist while blacks are barred from serving. Will the hard-won bonds of friendship, community, and family in the Five Points prevail or be severed forever?

Calling upon a variety of musical and dance traditions including Irish step-dancing and African traditional forms (such as Juba dancing), as well as new ones created from their fusion (tap dance), Paradise Square subverts and reframes some of the most popular music of the 19th century while honoring and celebrating this unique neighborhood's diverse inhabitants, whose passionate, moving, and heartbreaking experiences burn in our imaginations today.

"Paradise Square takes us to a critical moment in the history of the United States, raising questions about American identity that are still at the fore of our public consciousness 150 years later," says Artistic Director Tony Taccone. "Creating a new musical out of that context is a daring and challenging task - and I have full faith that this world-class team, led by director Moisés Kaufman, is up to it. Their honest, politically informed, vivid, and empathetic capturing of that moment in time is tremendously exciting to me."

Previews begin Thursday, December 27, 2018 and the show runs through Sunday, February 17, 2019. Press day will be Thursday, January 10, 2019. Tickets start at $40, and can be purchased online at berkeleyrep.org and by phone at 510 647-2949 (Tue-Sun, noon-7pm).

Creative

Moisés Kaufman (Director) is the founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated director and playwright, and a 2015 recipient of the National Medal of Arts. His play The Laramie Project (which he wrote with the Tectonic Theater Project company) is among the most performed plays in America, and received its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep in 2001. He also directed Master Class, starring Rita Moreno, for Berkeley Rep in 2004. His Broadway directing credits include the revival of Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song, The Heiress with Jessica Chastain, 33 Variations (which he also wrote) starring Jane Fonda (five Tony Award nominations), Rajiv Joseph's Pulitzer Prize finalist Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo with Robin Williams, and Doug Wright's Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play I Am My Own Wife with Jefferson Mays. Moisés also co-wrote and directed the HBO film adaptation of The Laramie Project, which received two Emmy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Writer. He is an Obie Award winner and a Guggenheim Fellow in Playwriting.

Marcus Gardley (Book) is a proud Bay Area-born playwright-poet whom the New Yorker calls "the heir to Garcia Lorca, Pirandello and Tennessee Williams." His play The House that will not Stand was commissioned by and premiered at Berkeley Rep in 2014, won the 2015 Will Glickman Award for best new play to premiere in the region, and opened off Broadway in the summer of 2018 to rave reviews and a sold-out extension. His play X Or The Nation V. Betty Shabazz was a New York Times Critic's Pick and was remounted off Broadway in the spring of 2018. He is a 2019 Library Laureate of San Francisco, the recipient of the 2018 Guiding Light Award presented by California Shakespeare Theater, and won the 2017 Special Citation Theater Award for his play black odyssey, which swept the Theatre Bay Area Awards, garnering six other prizes including Best Production. He is the 2013 USA James Baldwin Fellow and the 2011 PEN Laura Pels Award winner for Mid-Career Playwright. His latest play, A Wonder in My Soul, opened at Baltimore Center Stage in November. Currently, Marcus is writing a film adaptation of Twelve Angry Men for HBO and developing a TV show for the OWN network as well as a TV series based on Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man for Hulu.

Craig Lucas' (Book) previous work at Berkeley Rep includes Amélie, A New Musical; Blue Window; Prelude to a Kiss; Reckless; and Missing Persons. His other plays include God's Heart, The Dying Gaul, Stranger, Prayer for My Enemy, The Singing Forest, The Lying Lesson, and Ode To Joy. His movies include Longtime Companion, The Secret Lives of Dentists, and The Dying Gaul, which he also directed. He wrote the libretti for The Light in the Piazza, An American in Paris, Three Postcards, and the opera Two Boys (Metropolitan Opera). He directed the world premiere of The Light in the Piazza, Harry Kondoleon's Saved or Destroyed and Play Yourself, and the film Birds of America. Craig has received three Tony Award nominations, the New York Film Critics Circle Best Screenplay Award, the Sundance Audience Award, the Excellence in Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Steinberg Award, three Obie Awards (one for direction), and the Laura Pels Mid-Career Achievement Award from PEN, and he has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Larry Kirwan (Conceiver/Co-Composer/Co-Arranger/Book/Supplemental Lyrics) was leader of the political rock band Black 47 for 25 years. He has written 15 plays and musicals, five of which were published in the book, Mad Angels. An early incarnation of Paradise Square, Kirwan's musical Hard Times ran twice off Broadway at the Cell Theatre. Paradise Square continues its evolution with this world premiere at Berkeley Rep. Larry collaborated with novelist Thomas Keneally on Transport, a musical that premiered at the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City. His political drama, Rebel in the Soul, was recently performed at the Irish Rep. He has written three novels, a memoir, Green Suede Shoes, and A History of Irish Music. His latest novel, A Raving Autumn, will be published by Cornell University Press in 2019. He writes a bi-weekly column for the Irish Echo and is host of Celtic Crush on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. He is president of Irish American Writers & Artists.

Bill T. Jones (Choreographer) is the artistic director/co-founder of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and founding artistic director of New York Live Arts. He is the recipient of the 2014 Doris Duke Award; the 2013 Presidential Medal of the Arts, the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors; Tony Awards for Best Choreography for FELA! and Spring Awakening; Obie Award and Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation Callaway Award for his choreography for Spring Awakening; the 2010 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award; the 2007 USA Eileen Harris Norton Fellowship; the 2006 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreography for The Seven; the 2005 Wexner Prize; the 2005 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement; the 2005 Harlem Renaissance Award; the 2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize; and the 1994 MacArthur "Genius" Award. In 2010, Bill T. Jones was recognized as Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government, and in 2000, the Dance Heritage Coalition named Mr. Jones "An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure."

Jason Howland (Co-Composer/Co-Arranger/Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator), an honors graduate of Williams College (1993), is a Grammy Award-winning producer, Emmy Award-winning arranger, and Tony Award-nominated producer. He is the composer of Broadway's 2005 Tony Award-nominated Little Women, the musical. Jason was nominated for a Tony Award in 1999 for co-producing the The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh. and won an Emmy Award in 2007 for creating and composing the Christmas special Handel's Messiah Rocks for the Boston Pops. He is the arranger and music supervisor for the smash hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway, West End, U.S. national tour, Tokyo, Australian national tour, UK national tour), for which he won a Grammy Award; Bonnie & Clyde; Wonderland; Jekyll & Hyde; The Civil War; and The Scarlet Pimpernel, in addition to music directing the mega-hit Les Misérables, Boy George's Taboo, and the Broadway musical sensation Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. International projects as an arranger and orchestrator include Frank Wildhorn's stage adaptation of the Japanese anime sensation Death Note for HoriPro, and two new shows Mata Hari and The Man Who Laughs. Recent theatre projects include composing and orchestrating the original score for Ikiru, a new musical based on the Kurosawa film, that premiered in Tokyo, Oct 2018, and Last Days of Summer (Kansas City Repertory Theatre).

Nathan Tysen (Lyricist) is overjoyed to be back at Berkeley Rep where he most recently collaborated on Amélie, A New Musical with Daniel Messé and Craig Lucas. Broadway credits include Amélie (Drama League Award nomination) and Tuck Everlasting (Outer Critics Circle and Drama League awards nominations). Off-Broadway credits with composer Chris Miller include The Burnt Part Boys (Playwrights Horizons and Vineyard Theatre, Lucille Lortel Award nomination) and Fugitive Songs (Drama Desk Awards nomination). Nathan also contributed songs to the revue Stars of David with both Miller and Messé. Regional credits include Stillwater (Kansas City Repertory Theatre with his band Joe's Pet Project), The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Barrington Stage Company), and two circuses for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey. Television credits include songs for Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Nathan is a writer/director for Lovewell Institute, creating original musicals with young adults. He holds an MFA from New York University and a BFA from Missouri State University. Visit nathantysen.com.

Allen Moyer's (Scenic Designer) Broadway credits include The Lyons, Lysistrata Jones, After Miss Julie, Grey Gardens (Tony/Drama Desk nominations, Henry Hewes Award), Thurgood, The Little Dog Laughed, The Constant Wife, and Twelve Angry Men. Off-Broadway credits include Log Cabin, Far From Heaven, and the premiere of Lobby Hero (Playwrights Horizons); Giant (The Public Theater); the premiere of This Is Our Youth (The New Group); and A Minister's Wife and The New Century (Lincoln Center Theater). Extensive opera credits include Orfeo Ed Euridice for the Metropolitan Opera and productions for New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Canadian Opera Company, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera (including Dolores Claiborne, Il Trittico, The Mother of Us All), Washington National Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Allen also designed Sylvia (San Francisco Ballet), Romeo and Juliet, and On Motifs of Shakespeare (with the Mark Morris Dance Group), choreographed by Mark Morris.

Toni-Leslie James (Costume Designer) is thrilled to return to Berkeley Rep after designing for Spunk in 1991. Broadway credits include Bernhardt/Hamlet; Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Jelly's Last Jam (American Theatre Wing Award, Drama-Logue Award, Tony and Drama Desk nominations); and Chronicle of a Death Foretold. At New York Stage and Film: Dog Opera, East Texas Hot Links, Measure for Measure, Spunk, and Caucasian Chalk Circle (Drama Desk and American Theatre Wing nominations), and Hello Again for Lincoln Center Theater. She has also designed for Circle Rep, Houston Grand Opera, Alvin Ailey, and WNET's "Great Performances," among others.

Donald Holder (Lighting Designer) previously designed Zora Neale Hurston's Spunk, Maurice Sendak's Brundibar, and the world premiere of Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding at Berkeley Rep. His recent work on Broadway includes Anastasia, Oslo, In Transit, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, The Father, The King and I, On the Twentieth Century, The Bridges of Madison County, Golden Boy, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Ragtime, Movin' Out, The Boy from Oz, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and many others. He has designed over 50 Broadway productions, received two Tony Awards (The Lion King and South Pacific) and 13 Tony nominations. Opera credits include Samson et Delilah, Otello, Two Boys, and The Magic Flute (New York Metropolitan Opera), and Porgy and Bess for the English National Opera and the Dutch National Opera. He designed the theatrical lighting for seasons one and two of Smash (NBC DreamWorks) and for the Warner Bros. film Ocean's 8. Donald is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and is a Professor of Lighting Design at Rutgers University.

Jon Weston's (Sound Designer) Broadway credits include Prince of Broadway, She Loves Me, An American in Paris, On the Twentieth Century, You Can't Take It With You, The Bridges of Madison County, Big Fish, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Color Purple, The Glass Menagerie, Nine, On the Town, Bring in da' Noise, Bring in da' Funk, and Company in concert at Lincoln Center. Other theatre: A Little Night Music (L.A. Drama Critics Award) and Blue Man Group.

Matthew B. Armentrout (Hair/Wig Designer) is thrilled to be working with Berkeley Rep for the first time. Broadway hair and wig design credits include Bernhardt/Hamlet. Matthew was the wig supervisor for the recent revival of Angels in America, Come From Away, Cats, and Amazing Grace. Other credits include Othello (Shakespeare in the Park), London Rocks (Busch Gardens Williamsburg), and A Christmas Carol (Busch Gardens Williamsburg).

Thulani Davis' (Dramaturg) plays include Everybody's Ruby: Story of a Murder in Florida, Where the Mississippi Meets the Amazon, Ava & Cat in Mexico, and the musical The Sojourner Washing Society. Her adaptations include Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Du Bois' The Souls of Black Folk: An Oratorio for Five Actors. She wrote the libretti for Anthony Davis' Amistad and X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X, Anne Le Baron's The E & O Line, the in-progress Little Rock Nine, and texts for other composers. She was dramaturg on Fires in the Mirror and Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. Thulani wrote Charles Stone's film, Paid in Full, and Louis Massiah's W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography in Four Voices (1996), and In Ragtime. Her poetry, fiction, and journalism are widely published. She has received a Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writers Award, a Pew National Theatre Artist Residency, and a Grammy, among others.

Hammerstep (Irish Step Choreographers) is an award-winning dance and Production Company based in NYC, founded in 2009 by former principal lead dancer for Riverdance Jason Oremus and two-time World Irish Dance Champion Garrett Coleman. The original Hammerstep dance form fuses formerly rebellious movement disciplines, including Irish dance, tap, hip hop, stepping, and martial arts. The company specializes in live theatrical shows, film and video content, community engagement, and site-specific immersive experiences in a mission to challenge how dance is presented and to create space for different cultures to engage in rhythmic dialogue. Hammerstep has toured worldwide to international acclaim, from community work with orphans in South Africa to one of the top 10 most successful viral flash mobs of all time in Sydney, Australia, to the stages of London's Palace Theatre and NYC's Lincoln Center, to the cameras of NBC's America's Got Talent. Hammerstep's latest endeavor is a sci-fi immersive theatre drama called Indigo Grey, told through a choice-based narrative and a unique blend of live performance and interactive technology. While developing the project, Hammerstep recently completed dual artist-in-residencies at the New Museum and at the Nobel Prize-Winning Nokia Bell Labs, released an award-winning short film Indigo Grey: The Passage, and produced a 2018 sold-out run at Mana Contemporary Museum. For more info, visit hammerstep.com.

CAST

Karen Burthwright (Ensemble) is making her Berkeley Rep debut. Her Broadway/off-Broadway credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 revival), Disenchanted (Westside Theatre), Tango Rose in Storyville (York Theatre Company), and Play Like a Winner (New York Musical Festival 2017). Her national tours and regional and Canada credits include Dirty Dancing, Hairspray, and Mamma Mia (Toronto and first national tours); Gala Celebration 2018 (Transcendence Theatre Company); Rosie in Mamma Mia (Neptune Theatre); Woman 2 in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (George Street Playhouse); Cabaret (Cape Playhouse); Brenda in Smokey Joe's Café (Florida Studio Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar (La Jolla Playhouse/Stratford); Nickie in Sweet Charity (Writers Theatre); Ragtime, Hot Mikado, and Aida (Drury Lane Oakbrook); Sousatzka (Elgin Theatre); Pilar in Legally Blonde (Drayton Entertainment); and Rocky Horror (Canadian Stage/Manitoba Theatre Centre). She'll be playing Shug Avery in The Color Purple at the Neptune Theatre in 2019. Visit karenburthwright.com.

Kennedy Caughell (Janey Foster) is thrilled to be making her Berkeley Rep debut! Kennedy was most recently seen as Betty in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway. Kennedy was also part of the Broadway cast of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. She has been seen in the national tours of Wicked (Elphaba standby) and American Idiot (Heather). Her other NYC credits include Chix6 (Katie) at LaMaMa Theatre and Bernstein's Mass at Lincoln Center. She has performed regionally at the Engeman Theater in White Christmas (Betty) and at New London Barn Playhouse in Guys & Dolls (Sarah Brown). Her film/TV credits include Katya in The Outlier. She is a graduate of Elon University. Insta/Twitter: @KennedyCaughell. Please visit KennedyCaughell.com.

Tiffany Adeline Cole (Swing) is thrilled to making her Berkeley Rep debut in Paradise Square. She recently made her Broadway debut in Escape to Margaritaville as swing, pit singer, and principle understudy. Regionally she performed in Dreamgirls (Theatre Under the Stars) and Rock of Ages (Las Vegas), her first show, as swing, assistant dance captain, and principle understudy. Tiffany was most recently seen in the live televised production of A Capitol Fourth: A 4th of July Spectacular with Jimmy Buffet and the cast Margaritaville at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. A California native, Tiffany received her BA in Theater Arts from California State University, Fullerton in 2010.

Garrett Coleman (Ensemble) is a two-time solo World Champion in Irish dance and has won 17 other national and international titles. Garrett toured professionally with Riverdance, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Cherish the Ladies, The Chieftains, and others. He performed at the Kennedy Center in 2006 as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, is a Young Arts award winner (top 2% of artistic talent in the U.S.), and has twice been named one of the "Top 100 Irish Americans" by Irish America Magazine. He is the co-founder of Hammerstep, a NYC-based dance company fusing Irish step with hip hop, stepping, and martial arts. Garrett has starred in Hammerstep performances worldwide from NYC's Lincoln Center to London's West End Palace Theatre to NBC's America's Got Talent. Garrett is the co-creator of the sci-fi theatre drama Indigo Grey, a narrative universe presented as episodic content including an award-winning film and a sold-out live immersive experience. His work has received critical acclaim from publications such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Huffington Post, and Wired Magazine.

Colin Cunliffe (Ensemble) is beyond thrilled to be making his Berkeley Rep debut. He was seen on Broadway in Cats (revival) as well as the original Broadway companies of Finding Neverland, Pippin (2013 Tony Award, best revival), Evita (revival), The Addams Family, and John Waters' Cry-Baby. National tours include Sweet Charity starring Molly Ringwald, The Boyfriend directed by Julie Andrews, Fame, and Cats. Other favorites include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the Kennedy Center, West Side Story (Philly Award nomination), and I Am Harvey Milk at Avery Fisher Hall. Film credits include Do I Sound Gay?, Tales of Poe, Sensei Do Right, and Folsom Street directed by Aron Kantor. BLM.

Chloé Davis (Ensemble) is excited to make her debut at Berkeley Rep. She is a proud St. Louis native and received her BA from Hampton University and MTHM from Temple University. Her favorite regional credits include Memphis (Theatre Under the Stars), Hello, Dolly! (Riverside Theatre), and All Shook Up and The Wiz (Muny). Her favorite off-Broadway credits include Randy Weiner and Ryan Heffington's immersive show Seeing You (Highline NYC) and Cabin in the Sky (NY City Center Encores). Chloe has also worked with Broadway Dance Lab under the artistic direction of Josh Prince, American Dance Spectacular directed by Daniel Levine, the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco!) under the artistic direction of Joan Myers Brown, and is a current company member of Camille A. Brown & Dancers under the artistic direction/choreography of Camille A. Brown. Chloe's favorite TV/film credits include Jesus Christ Superstar Live (NBC), Tell Me a Story (CBS Demand), and Transmission Jazz Documentary.

Kevin Dennis (Mike Quinlan) is a Toronto-based actor and is honored to be making his American regional theatre debut at Berkeley Rep. He has appeared on stages across Canada, including three seasons at the Shaw Festival. His favorite roles include Frederick in Young Frankenstein (Stage West - Calgary), Zangara in Assassins (Talk Is Free Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre - Toronto/Winnipeg), Pirelli in Sweeney Todd and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (Neptune Theatre - Halifax), Touchstone in As You Like It (Citadel Theatre - Edmonton), Snail in A Year With Frog and Toad (Young People's Theatre - Toronto), Geoffrey in The Beard of Avon (Canadian Stage - Toronto), and Jewell in Floyd Collins (Shaw Festival). Kevin's American screen credits include The Artful Detective (Ovation), 11.22.63 (Hulu), Reign (CW), Orphan Black (BBC America), The Strain (FX), Warehouse 13 (Syfy), Flashpoint (CBS), Air Disasters (Smithsonian), and Queer As Folk (Showtime). Twitter/Insta: @GottaBeKDee

Bernard Dotson (Ensemble, U/S Rev. Cornish) is thrilled to be making his Berkeley Rep debut in Paradise Square. Bernard's Broadway credits include Finian's Rainbow (George/First Gospeleer, original revival cast); Chicago, The Musical (Billy Flynn); Imaginary Friends (Leo, original cast); Sweet Smell of Success (Club Zanzibar Singer, original cast); Jesus Christ Superstar (original revival cast); and the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime (original cast). Some of Bernard's national, international, touring, and regional credits include Elf (Store Manager), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sophisticated Ladies (Gregg Burge role), A Chorus Line (Richie), Five Guys Named Moe (No Moe), Victor/Victoria (Jazz Singer), Kiss Me, Kate (Paul), and Smokey Joe's Cafe. Bernard received a MAC Award nomination for his critically acclaimed one-man show, Unexpected Songs. Bernard can be heard on six cast albums, including the live recording of Dreamgirls for the Actors Fund.

Jamal Christopher Douglas (Ensemble) is thrilled to be making his Berkeley Rep debut. His previous credits include His Girl Friday and A Little More Alive at Barrington Stage Company and A Wall Apart at New York Musical Festival. Thanks to God, my amazing mother, agent, and the Berkeley Rep company. Proud Pace University MT alumnus! @iamlamaj

Sidney Dupont (William Henry Lance) is excited to be on the West Coast at Berkeley Rep. Originally from the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Sidney now resides in New York City. He made his Broadway debut with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical back in 2015, and since then has gone on to join both the first national tour and the Australian company, respectively. Some other favorite national tours include Memphis: The Musical and A Chorus Line. Sidney has also performed in regional productions all around the country including Man of La Mancha (the Shakespeare Theatre Company), In the Heights (Geva Theatre Center), Gypsy (North Carolina Theater), and Hairspray (Crown Uptown Theatre). Sidney is currently represented by BLOC Talent Agency. For more exciting news and updates, look for Sidney on instagram: @SidneyDuPont.

Sam Edgerly (Ensemble, U/S Owen Duignan) is making his Berkeley Rep debut. His New York credits include A Bronx Tale (Broadway) and The Wild Party (Barrow Street Theatre). He toured nationally with the first national tour of Dirty Dancing. His regional credits include Ordinary Days (Round House Theatre, Helen Hayes Award nomination), Saturday Night Fever (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse), My Fair Lady and Orphie and the Book of Heroes (the Kennedy Center), and Gypsy (Signature Theatre). Sam's TV credits include Law & Order: SVU. He is a graduate of American University with a BA in Musical Theatre.

Jacob Fishel (Stephen Foster/Milton Moore) made his Broadway debut in David Leveaux's revival of Fiddler on the Roof. His off-Broadway credits include King Lear and The Broken Heart (Theatre for a New Audience), The Common Pursuit (Roundabout Theatre Company), Titus Andronicus (The Public Theater), Women Beware Women (Red Bull Theater), and Macbeth (New York Shakespeare Festival/Shakespeare in the Park). Regionally, Jacob performed in Henry V and As You Like It (Two River Theater), Our American Hamlet (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), Sense and Sensibility (the Folger Theatre), and The Real Thing (Intiman Theatre). His television appearances include Elementary, Cold Case, Medium, Without a Trace, and Numb3rs. His films include A Night Without Armor, Across the Sea, and How I Got Lost. Jacob is a graduate of The Juilliard School where he received the John Houseman Prize for Excellence in Classical Theatre. In 2013, he received the Linda Gross Playing Shakespeare Award from the New York Shakespeare Society.

Shiloh Goodin (Ensemble) hails from Yosemite, CA. Most recently, she played Cassie in A Chorus Line (Gallery Players). In NYC, she co-starred in The Screwtape Letters (Pearl Theatre) and joined the ensembles of Anthem (Lynn Redgrave Theatre) and Babes in Toyland (Lincoln Center). Shiloh often works on creative teams, and was recently associate choreographer on Twelfth Night (The Public Theater), Chess (the Kennedy Center), and To Wong Foo (American Academy of Dramatic Arts). Other favorites include world premiere of Sousatzka (Elgin Theatre), Rigoletto (Santa Fe Opera), South Pacific (Riverside Theatre), the national tour of Camelot, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Bay Street Theater), Hairspray and Gypsy (Sacramento Music Circus), and Dead End (Ahmanson Theatre). Shiloh is an adjunct faculty member at AMDA, and earned her degree at USC. @shilohlovesyou.

Jacobi Hall (Ensemble) is delighted to be making his debut with Berkeley Rep. Most recently Jacobi appeared as Nick and Billy Ivy Zippers in the world premiere of Pamela's First Musical at Two River Theater. Prior to that Jacobi was a nominee for the Connecticut Critics Circle Award (Trav'lin) and winner of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Musical Theatre Award (Single Girl's Guide). Blessed to be at Berkeley Rep, Jacobi is determined on breaking into show business and leaving a mark on the arts and entertainment industry forever.

Daren A. Herbert (Rev. Samuel E. Cornish) is making his Berkeley Rep debut. He recently appeared as Harold Hill in The Music Man at the Stratford Festival of Canada. He played Stephen in the national tour of If/Then, and selected regional credits include The Wild Party and Hotel C'est L'amour (the Blank Theatre); Onegin (National Arts Centre); The Wild Party and Once on this Island (Musical Stage Co.); The Toxic Avenger Musical (Dancap Productions); St. Joan, Clybourne Park, and Intimate Apparel (Arts Club Theatre); Floyd Collins and The Light in the Piazza (Patrick Street Productions); and Father Comes Home from the Wars I,II,III and an upcoming appearance in The Brothers Size (Soulpepper Theatre). TV credits include Designated Survivor, Baroness Von Sketch, Falling Skies, and Private Eyes, with film roles in This Means War and Dreamgirls. Awards include a Dora Mavor Moore Award, LA Drama Critics Circle Award, and a Toronto Theatre Critics Award. Training: University of California, Irvine, MFA Drama and a BFA from The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

Erin Lamar (Swing) is ecstatic to be working at Berkeley Rep! A University of the Arts 2012 graduate (BFA Theater Arts) and NYC-based actor, Erin has had the privilege of working with some of the industry's most innovative and inspired creators, such as Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire, Graciela Daniele, Ben Vereen, and Christopher d'Amboise. Since graduating he has performed and created in over 26 countries; favorites include Japan, Germany, England, Sweden, and Canada. Some shows include but are not limited to Sousatzka, Bring It On, Songs for a New World, Lippa's The Wild Party, Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet, Shakespeare's R&J, A Free Man of Color, Hairspray, Five Points, Dessa Rose, and many more. Many thanks to the casting, cast, crew, and creatives for their relentless dedication to storytelling and the magic of theatre!

Gabrielle McClinton (Angelina Baker, U/S Nelly Freeman) is making her Berkeley Rep debut. Previous credits include the Broadway productions of Pippin and Chicago. First national Broadway touring credits include the Leading Player in Pippin and Whatsername in Green Day's American Idiot. Regional credits include Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher at South Coast Repertory and numerous productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alliance Theatre, the Muny in St. Louis, and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Gabrielle's TV and film credits include The Mentalist, Won't Back Down, and Fun Size. BFA Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

Ben Michael (Daniel Fernando, U/S Milton Moore/Stephen Foster) is making his Berkeley Rep debut. Last year he played Henri in the first national tour of An American in Paris. Other regional credits include The Beast in Beauty and the Beast at North Carolina Theatre, Jervis in Daddy Long Legs at George Street Playhouse, Cable in South Pacific at Walnut Street Theatre, and Giorgio in Passion with Arden Theatre Company. He is the host of the podcast "So Now What?," which has its first season on iTunes, and is a graduate of Syracuse University.

Jason Oremus (Ensemble) Former lead of Riverdance, co-creator of the award-winning dance company Hammerstep, and five-time solo National Irish Dance Champion, Jason is originally from Sydney, Australia. His choreography and creative work have received critical acclaim from publications such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Huffington Post, and Wired Magazine. Jason toured with Riverdance as principle lead dancer for over eight years, performing in over 40 countries at venues such as London's Hammersmith Apollo, Palais des Congrès de Paris, and the Kremlin State Palace in Moscow, and for notable leaders including the Empress of Japan and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Jason has produced and starred in international Hammerstep appearances at New York City's Lincoln Center and on London's West End. Jason is the co-creator of sci-fi theatre drama Indigo Grey - a fictional universe with episodic content including an award-winning film and sell-out live immersive experiences. He is also a former resident artist at Nokia Bell Labs and New Museum's New Inc.

Bridget Riley (Ensemble) is thrilled to join the company of Paradise Square in her Berkeley Rep debut. She was seen off Broadway in The Scarlet Letter and Freckleface Strawberry. She toured the country with the national tours of West Side Story and Seussical. Her international credits include Nine (Stadsschouwburg Opera, Brugge, Belgium). Regional credits include Camelot (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Pajama Game and Carousel (Arena Stage); 110 in the Shade (Ford's Theatre); West Side Story (Studio Tenn); Peter Pan (LMM Musicals); and Les Misérables, All Shook Up, and The Producers (Maine State Music Theatre); among others. Her film and TV credits include Nurse Jackie, Something Borrowed, and East of Adin. She has also performed at Carnegie Hall and at the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob's Pillow. Bridget received a BFA in Musical Theatre at Pace University and trained at Jacob's Pillow School for Dance. Please visit @missbridgetriley.

Clinton Roane (Ensemble, U/S William Henry Lance) is excited to return to Berkeley Rep after appearing The Last Tiger in Haiti. He made his Broadway debut in The Scottsboro Boys. Clinton originated the role of Roy Wright in the U.K. premiere of the show at the Young Vic Theatre and he received a Barrymore Award nomination for his portrayal at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. Regionally, he's also worked at American Conservatory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, Geva Theatre Center, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage, Cleveland Play House, North Shore Music Theatre & Marriott Lincolnshire, Goodspeed, and Radio City Music Hall. He was also a background vocalist on Jason Mraz's Mr. A-Z. Clinton holds a BFA from Howard University and also trained at CAP21. Twitter/Instagram: @IAmClintonian. Visit ClintonRoane.com.

Celia Mei Rubin (Swing) is making her Berkeley Rep debut! Her Broadway credits include Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and Matilda. West End credits include Parade,Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Candide. She appeared in the national tours of Chicago, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, and Miss Saigon. Her regional credits include Waterfall (5th Avenue Theatre/Pasadena Playhouse) and Dirty Dancing (Flat Rock Playhouse). For Royal Caribbean: Saturday Night Fever. She is on the original Broadway cast recordings of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and Matilda, and she's also on the original London cast recording of Parade. Celia has appeared in numerous Tony Awards and Olivier Awards shows, as well as on Good Morning America and Late Show with David Letterman. She is a recipient of the Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway show for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Proud Actors' Equity Association member. @celia_mei

Christina Sajous (Annabelle "Nelly" Freeman) is honored to be back at Berkeley Rep, where she made her debut as the "aerialist" (Extraordinary Girl) in Green Day's American Idiot. Her Broadway credits include SpongeBob SquarePants (Sandy Cheeks), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (Arachne), American Idiot (Extraordinary Girl), Baby It's You! (Shirley), and Tupac Shakur's: Holler If Ya Hear Me. Regionally she performed in The Prince of Egypt (TheatreWorks), Carmen: An Afro Cuban Jazz Musical (Tectonic Theater Project) directed by Moisés Kaufman, Romeo & Juliet (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), and Disgraced (Denver Center for the Performing Arts). She most recently appeared in this season's Emmy Award-winningJesus Christ Superstar Live (NBC) starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles. Her other TV and film credits include Alpha House (Amazon), One Life to Live (ABC), Broadway Idiot (Netflix), and Brazzaville Teenager directed by Michael Cera. Christina attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and the International Theatre Wing in Amsterdam. @csajous

A.J. Shively (Owen Duignan) is making his Berkeley Rep debut. On Broadway, he originated the roles of Billy in Bright Star, for which he received a Drama Desk nomination, and Jean-Michel in La Cage Aux Folles opposite Kelsey Grammer. Off Broadway he has starred in February House at The Public Theater, Brigadoon at the Irish Repertory Theatre, The Suitcase Under the Bed with Mint Theater Company, Unlock'd with Prospect Theater Company, Things to Ruin at Second Stage Theatre, and Little Airplanes of the Heart at Ensemble Studio Theatre. In the Bay Area, A.J. recently reprised his performance in Bright Star at The Curran, and starred in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's production of Marry Me A Little, for which he received a Theatre Bay Area Award nomination. A.J. has been seen on television and film in Homeland, Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, Younger, From Nowhere, Nobody Walks in LA, and HairBrained. He received his BFA from The University of Michigan.

Erica Spyres (Ensemble, U/S Annie O'Brien) is making her Berkeley Rep debut. She was recently seen in the Broadway production of Carousel. She has performed throughout the U.S. and abroad, appearing in the first national tour of Once, in the Parisian premiere of Sondheim's Passion opposite Natalie Dessay conducted by Andy Einhorn (Théâtre du Châtelet), and on tour as a soloist with the Boston Pops. Regional credits include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Company, Peter and the Starcatcher, Into the Woods, Avenue Q (IRNE Award), Time Stands Still, The Mikado, Big River, and Nicholas Nickleby (Lyric Stage Company of Boston); Tribes (Elliot Norton Award) and The Light in the Piazza (SpeakEasy Stage, IRNE Award);Camelot (IRNE Award), Marry Me a Little, and Master Class (New Repertory Theatre); and Pirates! (Huntington Theatre). Erica is also a singer and fiddler in the foot-stomping bluegrass band The Typsy Spyres. Visit ericaspyres.com.

Madeline Claire Trumble (Annie O'Brien) Born and raised in Berkeley and an alumnus of its public schools, Maddy is so happy to be home! She made her Berkeley Rep debut at the age of 10 in The Life of Galileo. Now a resident of New York City, Maddy has been on Broadway in Newsies and in the national tours of Wicked, The King and I, and as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins. Other theatre credits include Theatre Under the Stars, the Muny, Zach Theatre, and the Sundance Theatre Lab. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan's musical theatre department.

Mark Uhre (Elmer Woods, U/S Foster, Jenkins, Provost/Bounty Hunter) is thrilled to be making his Berkeley Rep debut. Selected theatre credits include Enjolras in the 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables (Broadway), Sky in Mamma Mia! (Mirvish/Toronto), Tom Watson in Parade (Musical Stage Company/Studio 180), Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man, Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Julius Caesar (Stratford Festival of Canada). As a company member with the Shaw Festival of Canada for seven seasons, Mark's credits include The Lady from the Sea, Sweet Charity, Trouble in Tahiti, The Millionairess, My Fair Lady, The Cherry Orchard, Sunday in the Park with George, Star Chamber, A Little Night Music, Follies: In Concert, Overruled, Mack and Mabel, and the world premiere musicals Maria Severa and Tristan. Also a published illustrator, Mark's paintings and illustrations can be found at markuhre.com.

Lael Van Keuren (Ensemble, U/S Janey Foster, Second U/S Annie O'Brien) is delighted to be making her Berkeley Rep debut. She was last seen starring as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies on the first national tour of Finding Neverland. Lael made her Broadway debut in the original cast of Sister Act, and later went on to open the first national tour as Sister Mary Robert. Select regional credits include Mary Poppins and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (North Shore Music Theatre), The Will Rogers Follies (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), True Love (Sharon Playhouse), and Hello, Dolly! and Cinderella (Paper Mill Playhouse).

Brendan Wall (Willie, Provost Marshal, Bounty Hunter) is an actor and musician based in Toronto, Canada and very excited to be making his Berkeley Rep debut. He appeared off Broadway in Spoon River and Of Human Bondage (Signature Theatre/Soulpepper on 42) and performed on London's West End in Warhorse (National Theatre). Back home in Canada, some credits include Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar (Confederation Centre for the Arts) and A Misfortune (world premiere), Once (Mirvish Productions), and River: Joni Mitchell (Grand Theatre), as well as seven seasons with Soulpepper Theatre. A few of Brendan's film and television credits include Boondock Saints II, Chicago, Hairspray, Orphan, Hollywoodland, Suits,Reign, Flashpoint, Murdoch Mysteries, and Degrassi. Brendan trained at York University and was a member of the Soulpepper Academy.

Sir Brock Warren (Ensemble) is making his Berkeley Rep debut. He has performed in the The Radio City Christmas Spectacular for four seasons. His regional credits include The Wiz (the Muny), In The Heights (American Stage Theatre Company), and After Midnight as The Mooche (Norwegian Cruise Lines). He is a Doris Duke Charitable Foundation grant recipient through Project Gen Yes.

Christian Whelan (Patrick Murphy) has appeared in the national tours of Flashdance (C.C.), Mamma Mia (Sam), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Lawrence Jameson), Aida (Zoser), Ragtime(Willie Conklin), and Camelot (Sir. Lionel). Off-Broadway credits include Trolls (Actors Playhouse) and Ministry of Progress (Jane Street Theatre). Regional theatre credits include Rock of Ages (Casa Manana), Mamma Mia (Pittsburgh CLO), The Little Mermaid (Tuacahn Center for the Arts), Oliver (Paper Mill Playhouse), and Little Shop of Horrors (John W. Engeman Theater). Christian has also appeared on The Young and the Restless (CBS, recurring), Guiding Light (CBS, recurring), and All My Children (ABC, guest star).

Hailee Kaleem Wright (Ensemble, U/S Angelina Baker) is making her Berkeley Rep debut. Her regional credits include Hairspray (Jersey Shore Productions), and her international credits include Rent (Sekaikan Theatre, Japan), RnB The Mix, Universal Monsters Live (Universal Studios Japan), Elyria, Land of Make Believe (Celebrity Cruise Line). Her TV/film credits includeTrue Life (MTV) and Don't Forget the Lyrics. Hailee trained with Mary Rodgers (voice) and Jen Waldman Studio (Acting). All my love to my Mother and Joey. @sapphire_hart.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos