January 12 – February 8, 2023

The Tempest (Virtual)

CLASSIC TALE MAGICALLY REIMAGINED

Overview
Cast
Creative Team
Media

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Overview

By William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by Aaron Posner & Teller
Streaming tickets on sale through February 8

Adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller (of Penn & Teller fame), an unforgettable reimagining of Shakespeare’s most enchanting romance features haunting music from the catalog of iconic songwriter Tom Waits and mind-bending moves from Pilobolus, as well as astonishing feats of magic. Arriving just in time for the holiday season, the dazzling production—a smash hit in Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas—“awakens in the audience a sense of pleasurable, almost childlike wonder,” says The New York Times. “Enormously entertaining,” raves the Chicago Tribune.

The Tempest is produced in collaboration with Folger Theatre.

Middle and High School Teachers: Bring The Tempest into your classroom! A Virtual Student Matinee Performance of our production may be viewed on demand in your classroom. Click here for more information.

“Enchanting [and] exhilarating"

-The Washington Post

“A world of wonder … full of sensory richness and delight.”

-The Washington Post

"A feast for the eyes and ears, and more than the sum of its exceptional parts"

-DC Theater Arts

"A spectacle that demands to be seen"

-Talkin' Broadway

"Theatrical powerhouses both on and off the stage.... Riveting"

-Broadway World

The Tempest "dazzles with jaw-dropping magic and seductive music."

-Washington City Paper

"It's hard to imagine a better version of The Tempest than this production that positively vibrates with talent."

-Metro Weekly

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Streaming access expires Sunday, February 12.
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This virtual show runs approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Thank you to our sponsors:
The 2022-2023 Season is sponsored by Linda Ravdin and Don Shapero.
The Tempest is sponsored by The GPS Fund, Judy and Leo Zickler, and Celia and Keith Arnaud.
This project is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Location: …

Run Time: …

Audio Described

Open Captioned

Free Play

Cast

Manny Arciniega

Ro Boddie

Nate Dendy

Megan Graves

Lizzie Hagstedt

Iris/Vocals/Accordion/Bass Understudy

Richard R. Henry

Eric Hissom

Naomi Jacobson

Kevin Mambo

Hassiem Muhammad

Cody Nickell

Antonio / Prospero Understudy

Kate Eastwood Norris

Ian Riggs

KenYatta Rogers

Ryan Sellers

Kanysha Williams

Juno/Vocals/Percussion/Accordion Understudy

Patrick Donoughe

Trinculo Understudy

Jordan Essex

Ferdinand / Sebastian Understudy

Nicholas Gerwitz

Antonio / Stephano Understudy

Joshua Cole Lucas

Caliban Understudy

Ryan Philips

Ariel Understudy

Emma Abigail Wallach

Miranda / Rough Magic Understudy

Jacqueline Youm

Gonzala / Alonso Understudy

Creative Team

Aaron Posner

Co-Director and Co-Adapter

Teller

Co-Director / Co-Adapter

Daniel Conway

Sarah Cubbage

Thom Weaver

Andre Pluess

Liz Filios

Shaina Taub

Original Music Directer and Arranger

Matt Kent

Renée Jaworski

Andrea "Dre" Moore

Nate Dendy

Ryan Phillips

Sarah Cooney

Naysan Mojgani

Helen Aberger

Intimacy Choreographer

Holly Twyford

Associate Director

Andrew R. Cohen

Associate Scenic Designer

Adam W. Johnson

Associate Sound Designer

Manny Arciniega

Associate Music Director

Renea S. Brown

Assistant Director 1

Shana Laski

Assistant Director 2

Che Wernsman

Production Stage Manager

Samantha Wilhelm

Assistant Stage Manager

Manny Arciniega

Vulcan/Percussion

Manny Arciniega (Vulcan/Percussion) is honored to be back at Round House Theatre after performing in and co-music directing We’re Gonna Die. DC credits include A.D. 16, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Miss You Like Hell at Olney Theatre Center; Working: A Musical with Working in DC; Lovesick at Theatre J; On Your Feet, Fame, In the Heights, and La Revoltosa at Gala Hispanic Theatre; Caucasian Chalk Circle, Aida, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Avenue Q at Constellation Theatre; Hands on a Hardbody, Chicago, Big Fish, Next to Normal, and Cabaret at the Keegan Theatre. Manny was a featured extra and provided original music for the Netflix Original Series House of Cards, and has performed with a wide variety of ensembles, including the American Pops Orchestra, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Symphony Orchestra of India.

Ro Boddie

Ferdinand

Ro Boddie (Ferdinand) returns to Round House Theatre, where he previously appeared in A Boy and His Soul, and "Master Harold" ...and the Boys. Off-Broadway credits include Socrates at Public Theater; Seize the King at Classical Theatre of Harlem; Select regional credits include Windfall at Bay Street Theater; A Play is a Poem at Mark Taper Forum; Blueprints to Freedom at La Jolla Playhouse; Skeleton Crew (tour) at The Old Globe; The Mountaintop at Cleveland Playhouse; Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Baltimore Center Stage; Pipeline and No Sisters at Studio Theatre. Television credits include Godfather of Harlem, Run the World, The Good Wife, Elementary, and Person of Interest. Ro is an alum of University of the North Carolina School of the Arts and recipient of the 2016 Actor of the Year Craig Noel Award. Ro is Round House’s newest Resident Artist.

Nate Dendy

Ariel

Nate Dendy (Ariel) is an actor and magician. He is excited to reprise his role as Ariel at Round House Theatre. Previous DC credits include The Fantasticks (Helen Hayes Nomination Best Supporting Actor) at Arena Stage. Off-Broadway credits include Prairie du Chien at Atlantic Theater Company. He’s played Ariel in previous productions of The Tempest at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Jeff Award Nomination Best Actor), American Repertory Theater, South Coast Repertory, and The Smith Center. Other Regional credits include Angels in America at Risk Theater Initiative; Twelfth Night at Dallas Shakespeare Festival; and The Fantasticks at South Coast Repertory / Trinity Repertory Company. Film and television credits include Turtle Hill, and The CW Network’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Nate has created magic for Netflix, Company on Broadway, and various Off-Broadway and regional productions. Instagram: @NateDendy. NateDendy.com

Megan Graves

Miranda

Megan Graves (Miranda) is delighted to be performing at Round House Theatre for the first time. Previous DC credits include The Great Society and The Little Foxes at Arena Stage; Love's Labor's Lost, King John, The Second Shepherd's Play, and A Midsummer Night's Dream at Folger Theatre; Dance Nation, The Thanksgiving Play, and Oil (US premiere) at Olney Theatre Center; Gloria at Woolly Mammoth Theatre; Translations at Studio Theatre; and Marys Seacole at Mosaic Theatre Company. Regional credits include work at Virginia Repertory Theatre and the Virginia Shakespeare Festival. Megan is a proud company member of Only Make Believe, a non-profit arts organization that creates theatre with children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education settings. (She/Her) Instagram: @OnlyMakeBelieveDC

Lizzie Hagstedt

Iris/Vocals/Accordion/Bass Understudy

Lizzie Hagstedt (Iris/Vocals/Accordion/Bass Understudy) is an actor, singer, musician, and composer from Sayville, New York, making her Round House Theatre debut. Credits include the national tour of Sweeney Todd; Southern Comfort at the Public Theater, Barrington Stage Company, and CAP21; playing bass for Sweet Charity, starring Sutton Foster, with The New Group; the world premier musical August Rush at Paramount Theatre Aurora; and The Taming of the Shrew at Virginia Stage Company. She most recently composed a musical educational touring adaptation of The Odyssey entitled Looking for Ithaca for Asolo Repertory Theatre. LizzieHagstedt.com

Richard R. Henry

Trinculo

Richard R. Henry (Trinculo) is making his Round House Theatre debut. Off-Broadway credits include Two Gentlemen of Verona: The Musical at Public Theater; Drift at New World Stages; and The Streets of New York at Irish Repertory Theatre. Regional credits include Assassins at Yale Repertory Theatre; Oliver at Goodspeed Opera House; Ragtime and Pirates of Penzance at Utah Shakespeare Festival; Two Gentlemen of Verona at Old Globe; Cyrano, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Winter’s Tale at Folger Theatre; Guys and Dolls at Milwaukee Repertory Theater; Twelfth Night at Pig Iron Theatre Company; A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at Florida Studio Theater; The Music Man at Guthrie Theater; Kiss My Aztec at Hartford Stage; Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame at La Jolla Play House, Paper Mill Play House and Cast Recording; National Tour credits include Urinetown, Sweet Charity, Man of La Mancha, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Television credits include Search Party, Younger, Girls5Eva, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Eric Hissom

Prospero

Eric Hissom (Prospero) previously appeared at Round House in The Great Leap, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. DC credits include Arcadia at Folger Theatre (Helen Hayes award); Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at Arena Stage; The Diary of Anne Frank at Olney Theatre Center; Born Yesterday at Ford’s Theatre; The Vibrator Play at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Body of an American at Theatre J; The Effect at Studio Theatre, and many others. Regional credits include work at Seattle Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, and many others. He performed in the National Tour of The Thirty-Nine Steps and has appeared in a smattering of television and film, including the feature Out of Time.

Naomi Jacobson

Gonzala

Naomi Jacobson (Gonzala) is an Affiliated Artist at Shakespeare Theatre Company and a Woolly Mammoth Theatre company member. Her Round House Theatre credits include Caroline or Change, The Lyons, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Wintertime, Smell of the Kill, Mere Mortals, and The Sisterhood. Other DC credits include Heroes of the Fourth Turning at Studio Theatre; Cabaret at Signature Theatre, Mary T & Lizzy K at Arena Stage; Awake & Sing at Olney Theatre Center; Aaron Posner’s Life Sucks at Theatre J; and Born Yesterday at Ford’s Theatre. She’s traveled regionally to Guthrie Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse, Indiana Repertory Theatre, and others. Naomi has received Helen Hayes Awards and nominations, the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship, the Anderson-Hopkins Award, and a DC Arts Commission Individual Artist grant. NaomiJacobson.com

Kevin Mambo

Sebastian

Kevin Mambo (Sebastian) is making his Round House Theatre debut. Broadway, Off-Broadway, and tour credits include The History of Empires at La Mama; Fela!, The Color Purple, The Book of Mormon National Tour (Helen Hayes nomination), Fortress of Solitude at Dallas Theatre Center and the Public Theatre (Lortel nomination); Mlima's Tale at the Public Theatre; Ruined at Goodman Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club; The Convert at Kirk Douglas Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and McCarter Theatre Center, Venus and Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek at Signature Theatre; Seven Guitars and Pericles at Two River Theater; The Last Detail at Lucille Lortel Theatre; and Once Around The Sun at Zipper Factory Theater. Film credits include Rustin, Nina, Cadillac Records, Rebel in the Rye, Payback, One of Us Tripped, Firing Squad, Selah and the Spades, The Southside, Henchman of Notre Dame (Best Actor), Trooper, and Man in the Mirror. Television credits include Guiding Light (2 Emmys, 3 nominations), Hit & Run, Luke Cage, Saint X, High Maintenance, The Good Doctor, Blacklist, Happyish, Soul Food, One Life to Live, Law & Order (Original/Deadline/SVU/Trial by Jury/Criminal Intent/Reboot), Spin City, Elementary, Any Day Now, Mistresses, Family Matters, Freshman Dorm, and Great Performances.

Hassiem Muhammad

Caliban/A Mariner

Hassiem Muhammad (Caliban/A Mariner) Regional credits include The Three Musketeers at Cleveland Playhouse; Shoebox Picnic: Route 1 at Alabama Shakespeare Festival; and SWEAT at the Pioneer Theatre Company. Television credits include Madam Secretary, FBI, and Blue Bloods. Hassiem is represented by Red Letter Entertainment, HCKR Agency, and A3 Artists Agency (commercial). Instagram: @HassiemMuhammad. HassiemMuhammad.com

Cody Nickell

Antonio / Prospero Understudy

Cody Nickell (Antonio/Prospero Understudy) is thrilled to return to Round House Theatre, where he was last seen in the world premiere of We declare you a terrorist…, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Oslo. Cody just completed a six-city tour of Michigan with the Theater J production of Tuesdays with Morrie, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the book. Other recent credits include The Merry Wives of Windsor at Folger Theatre; Fairview at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; and Richard III at Shakespeare Theatre. Regional credits include shows at Gulfshore Playhouse (Artistic Associate for 3 seasons), Arden Theatre Company, The Wilma Theatre, Playmakers Repertory Company, Portland Center Stage, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Syracuse Stage, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Studio Theatre, Two River Theater, and Barrington Stage Company, as well as appearances at the Naples Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. Cody’s career also includes film, television, and voice over work. He is the recipient of the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and has been nominated for 4 Helen Hayes Awards. Cody is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.

Kate Eastwood Norris

Stephano

Kate Eastwood Norris (Stephano) is happy to return to Round House Theatre, where she was last seen in A Body of Water. Locally, Kate has acted in over sixteen productions for Folger Theatre, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helen Hayes Award). Kate is also a company member at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, where she has performed in multiple productions such as She Stoops to Comedy (Helen Hayes Award). Other DC credits include plays at The Shakespeare Theatre, Studio Theatre, and Arena Stage. Regional credits include roles at Berkeley Rep, Portland Center Stage, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Syracuse Stage, The Humana Festival, Gulfshore Playhouse, Florida Stage, Two River Theater, PICT Classic Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, and The Wilma Theatre: Rock & Roll (Barrymore Award). Advanced degrees: MA in Humanities and Creativity, MFA in Shakespeare & Performance.

Ian Riggs

Saturn/Bass/Vocals

Ian M. Riggs (Saturn/Bass/Vocals) is delighted to be a part of The Tempest for his debut role at Round House Theatre. Other DC area credits include conducting, and music directing, and performing in No Place to Go at the Signature Theater. Ian was a long-term substitute bass in the Broadway productions of Mean Girls and Paramour (Cirque du Soleil). His Off-Broadway credits include The Outer Space and No Place to Go at the Public Theater, and Baal at The Flea Theater. Ian performed in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel S1E5 on Amazon Prime Video. Other notable performances include playing at the Hollywood Bowl and the Kaloo Bang Festival with Burning Spear, and at Bonnaroo with the Lonesome Trio. Ian received an Obie award for No Place to Go in 2012.

KenYatta Rogers

Alonso

KenYatta Rogers (Alonso) is thrilled to return to Round House Theatre after performing in Gem of the Ocean, Father Comes Home from the Wars, Two Trains Running, Glengarry Glen Ross, Amadeus, A Wrinkle in Time, Eurydice, and A Lesson Before Dying. Regional credits include Our Town at Baltimore Center Stage; Spunk at Signature Theatre; King Hedley II and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Arena Stage; Topdog/Underdog and A Raisin in the Sun at Everyman Theatre; Fever/Dream at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Fences, Death of a Salesman, and Jitney at Ford’s Theatre; Colossal at Olney Theatre Center; Comedy of Errors at Folger Theatre; The Piano Lesson at Trustus Theatre; Coriolanus at Shakespeare & Company; and As You Like It, Spunk, and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at African Continuum Theatre. KenYatta is a faculty member in the University of Maryland’s Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.

Ryan Sellers

Caliban/A Mariner

Ryan Sellers (Caliban/A Mariner) is making his debut at Round House Theatre. DC area credits include The Adventures of Peter Pan, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Taming of the Shrew, The Three Musketeers, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helen Hayes, Best Ensemble), Romeo and Juliet (Helen Hayes, Best Ensemble) at Synetic Theater; West Side Story, The Threepenny Opera, and Miss Saigon at Signature Theatre; The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Second Shepherds' Play at Folger Theater; Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at Studio Theater; Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Kanysha Williams

Juno/Vocals/Percussion/Accordion Understudy

Kanysha Williams (Juno/Vocals/Percussion/Accordion Understudy) is so excited to be making her Round House debut! Favorite credits include American Prophet at Arena Stage; Acoustic Rooster at The Kennedy Center; Little Shop of Horrors at ArtsCentric; Sister Act at the Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock, MO; and The Color Purple at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts. Kanysha also works as a voice and piano instructor, and a recording artist. Her debut single, "ALIVE" is now available on all digital streaming platforms. To God Be The Glory! Instagram: @StrawberrySings

Patrick Donoughe

Trinculo Understudy

Patrick Donoughe (Trinculo Understudy) is a DC-based actor who is grateful and honored to be making his professional debut in The Tempest at Round House Theatre. He recently graduated from American University with a BA in Theatre. His credits at American University include The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Sins of Sor Juana, The Boy Detective Fails, and Miss You Like Hell. (He/Him)

Jordan Essex

Ferdinand / Sebastian Understudy

Jordan Essex (Ferdinand/Sebastian Understudy) is so excited to be joining Round House Theatre for the first time! DC credits include Once on This Island at Constellation Theatre; A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Folger Theatre; The Toxic Avenger at Rorschach Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors at Artscentric; Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds at Maryland Ensemble Theatre; National Tour credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Raisin in the Sun with National Players at Olney Theatre Center. Jordan has a BM in Musical Theatre from Catholic University. Instagram: @JC.Essex

Nicholas Gerwitz

Antonio / Stephano Understudy

Nicholas Gerwitz (Antonio/ Stephano Understudy) is thrilled to be a part of his first production with Round House Theatre. DC credits include The Winter's Tale, Julius Caesar, and The Cherry Orchard at The Academy for Classical Acting. Regional credits include Lýkos Ánthrōpos by Bob Bartlett in a wooded clearing in Central Maryland; and Secret Things at 1st Stage.

Joshua Cole Lucas

Caliban Understudy

Joshua Cole Lucas (Caliban Understudy) is a DC based actor, dancer, teaching artist, and theatrical carpenter, making their debut with Round House Theatre. He has worked primarily with Synetic Theater, which includes productions of The Tempest, Snow Queen (Kai), The Phantom of the Opera (ensemble), “Day 6, Story 4” of The Decameron, Shakespeare Revue, Cinderella (understudy), Servant of Two Masters (understudy), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Snout), and Host and Guest (ensemble). Instagram: @Jok_Lucious

Ryan Philips

Ariel Understudy

Ryan Philips (Ariel Understudy) is delighted to make his Round House Theatre acting debut with The Tempest. Previous Round House credits include Effects Consultant for it’s not a trip, it’s a journey. DC credits include Magic Consultant for The Consul at Washington National Opera. Regional credits include Flavors of Magic at Flea Theatre and The Rose Room NYC. Ryan is also the Resident Magician for The Magic Duel at the Mayflower Hotel. Instagram: @MagicByRyan

Emma Abigail Wallach

Miranda / Rough Magic Understudy

Emma Wallach (Miranda / Rough Magic Understudy) is thrilled to be making her Round House Theatre debut as an understudy for The Tempest. Regional credits include Billy Elliot and Annie at the Maltz Jupiter Theater. Some of her American University credits include Everybody, Into the Woods, The Boy Detective Fails, and The Winter’s Tale. Emma is currently a student at American University (class of 2023), majoring in Musical Theatre and minoring in Literature.

Jacqueline Youm

Gonzala / Alonso Understudy

Jacqueline Youm (Gonzala/Alonso Understudy) is elated to be a part of The Tempest at Round House Theatre, where she was previously seen in Nollywood Dreams. She is a Senegalese actor, lawyer, and teaches French, English, Spanish, Mediation, and Negotiation. DC credits include The Trip and Die, Mr. Darcy, Die at Best Medicine Rep; The Actor’s Nightmare at Laurel Mill Playhouse; A Black and White Cookie at Silver Spring Stage; The Revolutionists at Globe Openstage; An Ideal Husband at Sandy Spring Theatre Group; A Doll’s House Part, 2 at Silver Spring Stage; and Doctor Faustus at The Rude Mechanicals. Other credits include Mary Stuart at Zenith Players and Edward II at The Show Must Go Online. You can find her productions on Youtube: youtube.com/c/CestJackie/videos. Instagram: @jy_artiste

Aaron Posner

Co-Director and Co-Adapter

Aaron Posner (Co-Director / Co-Adapter) is a director, playwright, former Artistic Director, and a theatre professor at American University. Aaron has directed more than 150 productions at major regional theaters including Or, Stage Kiss, and A Murder, a Mystery & A Marriage at Round House Theatre. Plays he has written include JQA, The Heal, Life Sucks, Stupid Fucking Bird, No Sisters, District Merchants, The Chosen, My Name Is Asher Lev, and many more. He has won six Helen Hayes Awards, two Barrymore Awards, an Outer Circle Critics Award, a Jeff Award, an Elliott Norton Award, a Bay Area Theatre Critics Award, The John Gassner Prize, an Off-Broadway Alliance Award, and others.

Teller

Co-Director / Co-Adapter

Teller (Co-Director / Co-Adapter / Magic) has been the smaller, quieter half of Penn & Teller since 1975. With Penn Jillette, he has played Broadway, toured internationally to sold out houses, and is the longest-running headline act in Las Vegas history. Penn & Teller have written and starred in television series and specials, including eight seasons of the Emmy-nominated Showtime series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!; Penn & Teller Tell a Lie on Discovery; Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular on FX; Behind the Scenes, a PBS children’s series on the arts; The Unpleasant World of Penn & Teller, a magic and comedy series on England’s Channel 4; and the current hit series, Penn & Teller: Fool Us on The CW. Teller has written for The Atlantic Monthly, Smithsonian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Esquire, GQ, The New Yorker; as well as three books with Jillette and two on his own. He is a frequent contributor to NPR's All Things Considered. Teller and Aaron Posner co-directed a version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and he co-wrote and directed the acclaimed stage production Play Dead (off-Broadway and Los Angeles). Teller was nominated for an Olivier for co-writing the West End hit Magic Goes Wrong. In 2014, Teller made his feature-length film directorial debut with the Oscar-shortlisted and BAFTA-nominated Tim’s Vermeer.

Daniel Conway

Scenic Designer

Daniel Conway (Scenic Designer) has designed more than a dozen plays for Round House Theatre. Other projects include The Scottsboro Boys at Signature Theatre; Born Yesterday and Sabrina Fair at Ford’s Theatre; MacBeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Penn and Teller on Broadway; the premiere of Queens for a Year at Hartford Stage; The Tempest (directed by Aaron Posner and Teller) for American Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, and South Coast Repertory theatres; At Wit’s End, Love in Afghanistan, Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike at Arena Stage; the premiere of American Song at Milwaukee Rep; The Games Afoot at Cleveland Playhouse; Company, Hairspray, Chess, and Sunset Boulevard, and Jelly’s Last Jam at Signature Theatre; and The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare Theatre Company; Hand to God, Three Sisters, and the premiere of No Sisters at Studio Theatre; District Merchant at South Coast Repertory; At Wit’s End at Cincinnati Playhouse. He is A fourteen-time Helen Hayes nominee for Outstanding Set Design, and received the award in 2000, 2009, and 2015. Most recently in 2017, he won for Stunning at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. In 2019, Mr. Conway was the featured American set designer at The Prague Quadrennial of International Theatre Design and Performance Art.

Sarah Cubbage

Costume Designer

Sarah Cubbage (Costume Designer) previously worked on Spring Awakening and The Heal (co-produced with The Getty Villa) at Round House Theatre. Other DC credits include A Chorus Line at Signature Theatre; King John at Folger Theatre; Kings, The Wolves, and The Hard Problem at Studio Theatre; The Crucible and Labour of Love at Olney Theatre Center; Compulsion and Actually at Theatre J; Sweeney Todd and Dorian’s Closet at Rep Stage; and That Face at Center Stage. New York credits include Crazy for You, directed by Susan Stroman and David Geffen Hall; Triumph of Love and Hippolyte et Aricie at The Juilliard School. Regional Credits include The Lily’s Revenge at American Repertory Theatre; Disgraced and In the Next Room at Syracuse Stage; and Beauty & The Beast with Disney Creative Entertainment. She is a member of USA 829. SarahCubbage.com. Instagram: @SarahCubbageDesign

Thom Weaver

Lighting Designer

Thom Weaver (Lighting Designer) previously worked on The Heal, Or, How I Learned What I Learned, and 26 Miles at Round House Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include Sandra at Vineyard Theatre; The Total Bent at Public Theater; Kingdom Come at Roundabout Theatre Company; Exit Strategy at Primary Stages; King Hedley II, How I Learned What I Learned, and The Liquid Plain at Signature Theatre Company; Teller’s Play Dead at The Players Theater. Regional credits include productions with Alliance Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, The Wilma Theater (Associate Artist), Philadelphia Theatre Company, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Getty Pavilion, Children’s Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Portland Center Stage, Folger Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Hangar Theatre, CenterStage, California Shakespeare Theater, Syracuse Stage, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Lincoln Center Festival, City Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, as well as numerous designs with Pilobolus. He is the recipient of two Jeff Awards, six Barrymore Awards and two Audelco Awards. Education: Carnegie Mellon and Yale University. He is a member of Wingspace Theatrical Design and Co-Founder of Die-Cast. Black Lives Matter. (He/Him)

Andre Pluess

Sound Designer

Andre Pluess (Sound Designer) previously worked on Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Round House Theatre. Other DC-area credits include As You Like It at Folger Theatre. Broadway credits include Good Night Oscar (upcoming) at Belasco Theatre; The Minutes at Cort Theatre/Studio 54; 33 Variations at Eugene O’Neill Theatre; I Am My Own Wife at Lyceum Theatre; and Metamorphoses at Circle in the Square Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include The Clean House at Lincoln Center Theater; and Milk Like Sugar and BFE at Playwrights Horizons. Regional credits include multiple productions with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Center Theatre Group, Yale Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Court Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, The Huntington Theatre, and South Coast Repertory. Awards include multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards, an Ovation Award, Drama Critics Circle Award, Barrymore Award, Helen Hayes Award, Drama Desk, and Lucille Lortel nominations for composition and design. Based in Chicago, Andre is an ensemble member of Lookingglass Theatre Company.

Liz Filios

Music Director

Liz Filios (Music Director) is thrilled to join the Round House Theatre family for the first time with The Tempest. Previous DC credits include The Winter's Tale at Folger Theatre; and Me, Jane at The Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences. Regional credits include The Tempest at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and South Coast Repertory; Twelfth Night O Lo Que Quieras at Delaware Shakespeare; An Iliad at Lantern Theater Company (Barrymore Nomination for Best Original Music); Dance Nation at Temple University; Passion, Candide, and Sunday in the Park with George at Arden Theatre Company; Shakespeare In Love, Hamlet, and The Ice Princess at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; The Winter’s Tale at Quintessence Theatre Group; D-Pad at Theatre Exile; and A Christmas Carol at People’s Light. Liz holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.

Shaina Taub

Original Music Directer and Arranger

Shaina Taub (Original Music Directer and Arranger) is an Emmy-nominated songwriter and performer. She is currently writing lyrics for the upcoming Broadway musical The Devil Wears Prada, with music by Elton John. She created and starred in the new musical, Suffs, at the Public Theater, where she is an artist-in-residence, as well as musical adaptations of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and As You Like It at the Delacorte in Central Park for the Public Works program. Those adaptations have now been produced in London, Seattle, Dallas, and beyond. Songs of the Great Hill, her third full-length album and Atlantic Records debut, was released in April. She is a winner of the Kleban Prize, the Fred Ebb Award, and the Jonathan Larson Grant.

Matt Kent

Choreographer

Pilobolus (Choreographer) has tested the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies since 1971. Artistic Director’s Matt Kent and Renée Jaworski bring the company’s work to the Round House Theatre stage for the first time in this production of The Tempest. Since being selected to lead Pilobolus into its post succession evolution in 2011, Matt and Renée have lead collaborations with WNYC’s Radiolab, Brian Greene’s World Science Festival, Penn & Teller, MTV’s Video Music Awards, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Javier de Frutos, MIT’s Distributed Robotics Lab, Steven Banks, and many more. Pilobolus has been recognized with prestigious honors including a TED Fellowship, a Primetime Emmy Award, several Cannes Lion Awards, a Grammy nomination, and performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II. Matt Kent’s past work on The Tempest, directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, was nominated for Best Choreography by the L.A. Drama Critics Circle. Pilobolus.org

Renée Jaworski

Choreographer

Andrea "Dre" Moore

Props Coordinator

Andrea “Dre” Moore (Properties Coordinator) is a properties and puppet designer, and fabricator in the Maryland/DC area and is excited to be back at Round House. Previous Round House credits include properties for it's not a trip, it's a journey and We declare you a terrorist…, as well as headdresses and puppet fabrication for Quixote Nuevo. Current productions include properties design for Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: A Rock Experience at Imagination Stage, and craft work for Beauty and the Beast at Olney Theatre Center and Into The Woods at Signature Theatre. Recent productions include Dust at the Virginia Theological Seminary, and Witch Wartsmith's Halloween Spooktacular at the Puppet Co. Dre's designs have also graced the stages of Adventure Theatre - MTC, Baltimore CenterStage, Discovery Theatre, Flying V Theatre, Olney Theatre, and Theatre J. Several of Dre's properties and puppet pieces are on rotating display at DoodleHATCH, an immersive art museum. DoodleHatch.com

Nate Dendy

Magic Consultant

Nate Dendy (Magic Consultant) is an actor and magician. He is excited to reprise his role as Ariel at Round House Theatre. Previous DC credits include The Fantasticks (Helen Hayes Nomination Best Supporting Actor) at Arena Stage. Off-Broadway credits include Prairie du Chien at Atlantic Theater Company. He’s played Ariel in previous productions of The Tempest at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Jeff Award Nomination Best Actor), American Repertory Theater, South Coast Repertory, and The Smith Center. Other Regional credits include Angels in America at Risk Theater Initiative; Twelfth Night at Dallas Shakespeare Festival; and The Fantasticks at South Coast Repertory / Trinity Repertory Company. Film and television credits include Turtle Hill, and The CW Network’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Nate has created magic for Netflix, Company on Broadway, and various Off-Broadway and regional productions. Instagram: @NateDendy. NateDendy.com

Ryan Phillips

Magic Coordinator

Ryan Phillips (Magic Coordinator) is delighted to make his Round House Theatre acting debut with The Tempest. Previous Round House credits include Effects Consultant for it’s not a trip, it’s a journey. DC credits include Magic Consultant for The Consul at Washington National Opera. Regional credits include Flavors of Magic at Flea Theatre and The Rose Room NYC. Ryan is also the Resident Magician for The Magic Duel at the Mayflower Hotel. Instagram: @MagicByRyan

Sarah Cooney

Casting Director

Sarah Cooney (Casting Director) is Round House Theatre’s Associate Artist of Casting and Producing, where she serves as Resident Casting Director and Artist Liaison. In the DC area, Sarah has cast for The Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series, Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Studio Theatre. As a Casting Director with NYC’s Binder Casting, Sarah cast for The Lion King Broadway and National Touring productions and the Encores! series at New York City Center. Other Regional casting credits include Hartford Stage, Seattle Rep, Drury Lane Theatre, Weston Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, ACT of Connecticut, and others. Film and TV credits include Crashing (HBO), The Big Sick (Apatow Productions), Kevin Can Wait (CBS), and Clipped (HGTV). Sarah taught at West Virginia University and is a New York University alum.

Naysan Mojgani

Dramaturg

Naysan Mojgani (Dramaturg) is Round House Theatre’s Associate Artist for Literary and New Plays, in which capacity he serves as in-house dramaturg and leads Round House Theatre’s new work program. As a theatre scholar, director, and dramaturg, Naysan has worked on new and classic work with theatres around the country, including Arena Stage (where he served as Literary Manager), La Jolla Playhouse, MOXIE, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Theatre Squared, Malashock Dance, and has taught at UC San Diego and George Mason University. Naysan holds a PhD in Theatre & Drama from UC San Diego, and a BA from Carleton College.

Helen Aberger

Intimacy Choreographer

Helen Aberger (Intimacy Choreographer) makes her Round House Theatre debut with The Tempest. She is an active intimacy professional in the DC metro area whose recent credits include Circle Mirror Transformation and Back of the Throat at Silver Spring Stage; Bright Star at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre; and Shakespeare in Love with Kentlands Community Players. She also specializes in directing operetta, most notably with Victorian Lyric Opera Company. HelenAbergerDirector.com

Holly Twyford

Associate Director

Holly Twyford (Associate Director) is thrilled to be back with Round House Theatre and Folger Theatre for her sixteenth collaboration with Aaron Posner. Prior work includes the Classical Theatre of Harlem/Folger’s King Lear (text coach), AD on Measure for Measure at Folger, and directing the audio version of Romeo and Juliet for the STC’s Academy for Classical Acting. Holly and Aaron (as actor and director, respectively) have previously joined forces at Folger for the productions of Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King John, Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Other roles include “Jessica” in The Merchant of Venice, “Beatrice” in Much Ado About Nothing, “Hamlet” in Hamlet, “Helena” in All’s Well…, “Juliet” in Romeo and Juliet, and dozens more plays not written by Shakespeare. She is proud to be an actor and director in the Washington, DC area.

Andrew R. Cohen

Associate Scenic Designer

Andrew R. Cohen (Associate Scenic Designer) is thrilled to bring The Tempest to the DC area, a production he has been with since its inception, 8 years ago. Select DC credits include Murder Ballad (Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Outstanding Set Design) at Studio Theatre; King John at Folger Theatre; The Crucible at Olney Theater Center; The Wanderers at Theater J; The Till Trilogy and Eureka Day at Mosaic Theater Company; Earthrise at the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences. Mr. Popper’s Penguins at Imagination Stage. Regional credits include Flyin’ West at Everyman Theatre. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play at Studio Tenn; The Piano Lesson at Le Petit Theatre. Andrew received his MFA in Scenic Design from University of Maryland and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. AndrewCohenDesigns.com

Adam W. Johnson

Associate Sound Designer

Adam W. Johnson (Associate Sound Designer) is excited to return to Round House Theatre, where he previously assisted Rick Sims on the world premiere of I’ll Get You Back Again and mixed We’re Gonna Die. Local sound design credits include Laugh (world premiere) and Carrie at Studio Theatre; The Price at Olney Theatre Center; Rhinocéros! at Pointless Theatre Company; and Comedy of Errors at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. Assistant/Associate credits include The Laramie Project, Fly, Necessary Sacrifices, and Sabrina Fair at Ford’s Theatre; and The Love of the Nightingale at Constellation Theatre Company. Mixing highlights include Indecent, The Pajama Game, and the world premiere of Dear Evan Hansen at Arena Stage. AJ is a DC-area-based sound designer and audio/video engineer, and a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Manny Arciniega

Associate Music Director

Manny Arciniega (Associate Music Director) is honored to be back at Round House Theatre after performing in and co-music directing We’re Gonna Die. DC credits include A.D. 16, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Miss You Like Hell at Olney Theatre Center; Working: A Musical with Working in DC; Lovesick at Theatre J; On Your Feet, Fame, In the Heights, and La Revoltosa at Gala Hispanic Theatre; Caucasian Chalk Circle, Aida, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Avenue Q at Constellation Theatre; Hands on a Hardbody, Chicago, Big Fish, Next to Normal, and Cabaret at the Keegan Theatre. Manny was a featured extra and provided original music for the Netflix Original Series House of Cards, and has performed with a wide variety of ensembles, including the American Pops Orchestra, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and The Symphony Orchestra of India.

Renea S. Brown

Assistant Director 1

Renea S. Brown (Assistant Director) is excited to return to Round House after previously performing as Dede in Nollywood Dreams. Other DC performance credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Folger Theatre; Change Agent at Arena Stage; The Tempest and Macbeth at Shakespeare Theatre Company; Love Factually at The Kennedy Center; Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth at Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre Company; and Macbeth and Cymbeline at Theatre Prometheus. Regional Credits include The Wolves at McCarter Theatre; Othello, Sense and Sensibility, and Twelfth Night (first Black woman to perform) at Island Shakespeare Festival. Wedding Band and The Little Princess at Quintessence Theatre; Much Ado About Nothing, A King and No King, and A Chaste Maid in Cheapside at American Shakespeare Center. MFA: Academy of Classical Acting. Instagram: @TheDarkLady

Shana Laski

Assistant Director 2

Shana Laski (Assistant Director 2) is absolutely thrilled to be working on The Tempest as her first Round House Theatre production, while serving as Round House’s 2022-2023 Artistic Apprentice. Her DC directorial credits include Grief Containers at Spooky Action Theater; and assisting Serge Seiden on Birds of North America (2021) at Mosaic Theatre Company; She has been developing new work as a script reader with regional theaters across the country, including The Goodman, Williamstown Theatre Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, and publishing houses such as Dramatists Play Service and Table Work Press. She has also performed locally with Silver Spring Stage and Cogent Theatre company, appearing as the title character in Ada and the Engine and “Alice” in Closer. ShanaLaski.com; Instagram: @Shana.Laski

Che Wernsman

Production Stage Manager

Che Wernsman (Production Stage Manager) Che Wernsman (Production Stage Manager) is elated for her seventh season as Resident SM at Round House! Some of her favorite RHT credits include: Nollywood Dreams; We declare you a terrorist…; A Boy and His Soul; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Handbagged (Off-Broadway - 59E59, Bethesda); Oslo; Gem of the Ocean; Small Mouth Sounds; The Legend of Georgia McBride; The Book of Will; and A Prayer for Owen Meany. Che has worked as an AEA Stage Manager in the DC/Baltimore region for over two decades, with shows at The Kennedy Center, Folger Theatre, Imagination Stage, The National, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Theatre J, Studio, Everyman, Rep Stage, Center Stage, and Olney Theatre Center. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech.

Samantha Wilhelm

Assistant Stage Manager

Samantha Wilhelm (Assistant Stage Manager) is delighted to be back at Round House Theatre. She previously worked as the Production Stage Manager for it’s not a trip, it’s a journey and A Doll’s House: Part 2; the Assistant Stage Manager for Quixote Nuevo, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Gem of the Ocean; and as Production Assistant on The Legend of Georgia McBride, Handbagged,The Book of Will, and Uncle Vanya. Other area credits include work at Everyman Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre (Come from Away - 2017 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical Production), The Kennedy Center, Mosaic Theatre Company, Adventure Theatre, and Signature Theatre. She is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington.

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Production photos

Eric Hissom (Prospero) and Nate Dendy (Ariel) in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Production photos

Ro Boddie (Ferdinand), Eric Hissom (Prospero), and Megan Graves (Miranda) in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Production photos

Kevin Mambo (Sebastian), Cody Nickell (Antonio), Kenyatta Rogers (Alonso), and Naomi Jacobson (Gonzala) in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Production photos

The cast of THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Production photos

Richard R. Henry (Trinculo) and Kate Eastwood Norris (Stephano) in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Production photos

Ryan Sellers and Hassiem Muhammad (Caliban) in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Production photos

Nate Dendy (Ariel), Megan Graves (Miranda), and Eric Hissom (Prospero) in THE TEMPEST. Photo by Scott Suchman

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Behind the scenes with Nate Dendy image — Behind the scenes with Nate Dendy

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