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Dear Rhoda |
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Peter Garino |
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Josh Carpenter Joe Fernandez Jenny Hoppes Dev Kennedy Tim Kough Dina Monk Tom Morin Allison Sokolowski J.G. Smith |
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| Accompanist Shawn Wallace |
Stage Manager Christopher Prentice |
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| Original Music | |||
opening pages - what is title
Dramatis Personae
| Bert | Tim Kough |
| Jack Jones, labor leader | Joe Fernandez |
| Jerry Nedwick, bookstore owner | Tom Morin* |
| Lizzie Davis, left-wing debater | Dina Monk |
| "Red" Martha Biegler | Jenny Hoppes |
| Rhoda Katz | J.G. Smith* |
| Fanny Brice | Allison Sokolowski |
| Carl Sandburg | Josh Carpenter* |
| Clarence Darrow | Dev Kennedy* |
| Nurse | Dina Monk* |
Scene:
Chicago and later Denver
* Member Actors' Equity Association
Cast
Josh Carpenter
Carl Sandburg
Tim Kough
Bert
Joe Fernandez
Jack Jones, labor leader
Jenny Hoppes
"Red" Martha Biegler
Dev Kennedy
Clarence Darrow
Dina Monk
Lizzie Davis/Nurse
Tom Morin
Jerry Nedwick
Alison Sokolowski
Fanny Brice
J.G. Smith
Rhoda Katz
Creative Team
Donna Russell
co-author
David Ranney
co-author
Peter Garino
Director
Christopher Prentice
Stage Manager
Shawn Wallace
Accompanist
Meet the Company
Josh Carpenter
Carl Sandburg
is delighted to return to Shakespeare Project of Chicago, having previously appeared in Moby Dick–Rehearsed and Titus Andronicus and in the title roles of Pericles and Hamlet. Chicago area credits include Romeo and Juliet at Oak Park Festival Theatre and The Winter’s Tale directed by Robert Falls at Goodman Theatre. Regional: Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Arden Theatre Company, American Shakespeare Center, Delaware Theatre Company, Theater at Monmouth, Miami Theatre Center, Montgomery Theatre, The Growing Stage, Gretna Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre Studio, and Quintessence Theatre Group in Philadelphia, where he also directed his adaptation of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and teaches at Pritzker College Prep. Love to Mattie and Ruby. joshcarpenter.net
Tim Kough
Bert
is honored to work with The Shakespeare Project of Chicago again, after appearing in Timon of Athens and The Comedy of Errors earlier this year. He is an actor, musician, songwriter, audiobook narrator and playwright. Favorite roles include Harry Truman in Truman and the Birth of Israel, Snelgrave in One Flea Spare and Zhdanov in Master Class. His albums Blurrr and Dreams and Demons have sold across the globe. Tim is a founding member of Authentic Chicago Ensemble and his play, Safe Landing: How the Owls Saved Me opens in March 2025.
Joe Fernandez
Jack Jones, labor leader
was most recently seen with The Project in The Comedy of Errors and Timon of Athens. He appeared in Shakespeare’s Women at Marquette University where he was awarded the Chris Farley Scholarship. Joe has performed in productions with Northlight Theater, Goodman Theater, Milwaukee Repertory and American Theater Company but has primarily been doing standup comedy over the past ten years. He currently has two full-length specials out, Ugly on Tubi and Demented. Live at the Chicago Laugh Factory out now on YouTube. Has he also beat Hannibal Buress in consecutive games of NBA Jam and improvised yelling at Oliver Platt in an episode of Chicago Med. Yes he has and they’re the credits he’s most proud of.
Jenny Hoppes
"Red" Martha Biegler
is ecstatic to make her debut with Shakespeare Project of Chicago. She is a graduate of Point Park University’s BFA Acting Program, and Milwaukee Rep’s EPR Acting Internship. In her free time, she is usually watching old mysteries or chilling with her adorable cat. Notable theatrical credits: Ursula/Sexton in Much Ado and Vanessa U/S in Nativity Variations (Milwaukee Rep), Anne De Bourgh U/S and Elizabeth Darcy U/S in the Christmas at Pemberley series (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble), Lina U/S in Cry it Out (Oil Lamp Theater), Hedy in Garters (Otherworld Theatre). Overwhelming gratitude to the cast and crew. Thanks to family, friends, and Kenny for their undying support! Jennyhoppes.com
Dev Kennedy
Clarence Darrow
is appearing with The Shakespeare Project of Chicago for the first time. A long time participant in the Chicago Theatre scene, Dev has had the privilege of appearing in Measure for Measure, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra and Hamlet for The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Body Politic, and Center Theatre, along with many other musicals, comedies, and dramas here and in other parts of the country. Also active in front of the camera, Dev appears in the soon to be released feature film The Rhythm and the Blues. Dev was the Regional Vice President for Actors Equity for over twenty years, lives in The ‘Burbs with Phyllis, his incredibly patient wife of 39 years, and is the proud father of their daughter, Claire.
Dina Monk
Lizzie Davis/Nurse
is thrilled to return to The Shakespeare Project of Chicago, after performing in The Comedy of Errors and Timon of Athens this year. Theatrical credits include: A Christmas Carol (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Love Song (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Romeo and Juliet (Back Room Shakespeare Project), Private Lives (Raven Theatre), Jane Austen’s Emma; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (First Folio Theatre), The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe (Oak Park Festival Theatre), Southern Gothic (Windy City Playhouse), Coriolanus (Commission Theatre), Groundswell (Prop Thtr) As You Like It (Montana Shakes!), The Winter’s Tale; Love’s Labour’s Lost (Notre Dame Shakespeare Company). She studied at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and BADA Midsummer in Oxford. Visit dinamonk.com for more info about her past work.
Tom Morin
Jerry Nedwick
is delighted to make his Shakespeare Project of Chicago debut! His credits include Off Broadway/NYC: Vilna (Theatre at St. Clement's), Measure for Measure (NY Classical Theatre), The Rivals (Pearl Theatre Company), Twelfth Night, A Christmas Carol (Titan Theatre Company), That Lady from Maxim's (Robert Moss Theater); Regional: Peter and the Starcatcher (Walnut Street Theatre), The Liar, The Cripple of Inishmaan (Centenary Stage Company), The Winter’s Tale, Marriage of Figaro (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Twelfth Night, Macbeth (Great River Shakespeare Festival); Podcast Series: Murder, We Spoke. Co-founder of Polish Your Passion. Tom holds an MFA in Acting from Ohio University and a BA in Theatre & Political Science from The College of the Holy Cross. @tommorin.actor, www.tom-morin.com.
Alison Sokolowski
Fanny Brice
is thrilled to make her Shakespeare Project of Chicago debut! Recent roles include Leading Player in Pippin (Towle Theatre) and Christopher Robin and Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh: A New Musical (AlphaBet Soup Productions). Others include Eliza in My Fair Lady and Mrs. Daldry from In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play), and she's performed at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, and Annoyance Theatre. Allison is represented by Lori Lins Ltd with a BS in Acting and English Studies from Illinois State University. She loves performing young writers’ creative stories with Playmaker's Laboratory! She’s also the founder and artistic director of the Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble where she and her actors perform true audience stories on the spot! allisonsokolowski.wixsite.com/allisonsokolowski
J.G. Smith
Rhoda Katz
is thrilled to return to The Project, where she's performed in News from Gravesend: The Wonderful Year, Romeo and Juliet, A Baker Street Christmas Caper, Shakeshafte, Pericles, and Love's Labour's Lost. As an ensemble member with American Blues Theater, she is currently performing in the acclaimed Chicago premiere of The Last Wide Open. Other stages: TheTankNYC, Judson Gym, Goodman, Theater Wit, Peninsula Players, Lookingglass, Vision Productions, Prop Thtr, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, City Equity Theatre, Maine’s Theatre Project, and Chicago’s Back Room Shakespeare. Film and TV: Argus (WarnerMedia), Knives and Skin (Hulu, IFCMidnight), Short Comings (MTV), the award-winning indie films The Dancing Monkey, and numerous national commercials. J.G. studied at NYU Tisch and London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She is a proud AEA member and repped by Paonessa Talent. jgsmithactor.com.
Donna Russell
co-author
has managed a number of small businesses including a hair salon and several restaurants. She has been a resident of Washington Island for the past 40 years. In addition to her paid work, she spends her time writing, producing and funding various Island productions. Dear Rhoda is her first play. Many of her productions raise funds for Island organizations and people in need. Caring for her community has always been a top priority. She and her husband of 57 years have two children and three grandchildren.
David Ranney
co-author
is Professor Emeritus at University of Illinois Chicago. He spends much of his time on Washington Island, Wisconsin where he writes books and essays on many different subjects. He is active in community theatre on the Island and has directed and acted in numerous productions there, often collaborating with Donna Russell. Dear Rhoda is the first play they have written. Dave and his wife have a son and two granddaughters. They enjoy the company of their granddaughters each Summer on the Island.
Peter Garino
Director
is a founding member of The Shakespeare Project of Chicago and has served as Artistic Director since June 2010. Recent directing credits for The Project include Celebrating the Holidays in Verse and Song, Shakespeare For My Father, Isabella Andreini: Portrait of a Diva, Toasting the Revolution, Trifles by Susan Glaspell, and News From Gravesend: The Wonderful Year, adapted from the plague pamphlets of Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker. He is co-director (with Helene Augustyniak) of the film By Help of Devils, in which he portrays 14 of Shakespeare's villains. Selected appearances with The Project include the title role in Timon of Athens, Polonius in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the Prince/Peter in Romeo and Juliet, Marcus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus, Helicanus in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, the Duke of Florence in Women Beware Women, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick in As You Like It, Camillo in The Winter's Tale, the title role in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Lord LaFew in All's Well That Ends Well, and the title role in The Merchant of Venice . For The Shakespeare Project he has directed Richard III, The Roaring Girl, A Baker Street Christmas Caper, Much Ado About Nothing, Dream Upon Avon and Rowan Williams' Shakeshafte, among many others. Peter directed the Chicago premier of Tom Stoppard's Darkside (Incorporating The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd). Peter has worked with the Steppenwolf and Organic Theatre companies, the Body Politic, Pegasus Players and with the Oak Park Festival Theatre and Illinois Shakespeare Festival (three seasons). Peter attended the National Shakespeare Conservatory and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from Illinois State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Hofstra University, New York.
Christopher Prentice
Stage Manager
For The Project: creative/technical: stage manager (Timon of Athens), text coach and dramaturg (Midsummer) and assistant director and stage manager (Darkside); as an actor, he was recently seen as Anthipholus of Ephesus: favorite roles include Richard III, Thomas Heywood (Christmas Comes But Once a Year), Sherlock Holmes (A Baker Street Christmas Caper), Starbuck, Touchstone, Edmund Campion (Shakeshafte), Berowne, Alsemero (The Changeling), Philip the Bastard, Leontes, Mark Antony (Julius Caesar), and Vindici (The Revenger’s Tragedy), among others. Other theater: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Stratford Festival (five seasons), Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, and Signal Ensemble Theatre (co-founder). christopher‑prentice.com. Member AEA.
Shawn Wallace
Accompanist
is widely acclaimed as a composer and performer .He has written and arranged musical works for Chicago theatre companies as well as educational touring productions. He was a featured performer in J.R. Sullivan’s annual holiday show Hometown Holiday presented in Rockford, IL since 2002 He has also done sound design for many Chicago theatres including the Greenhouse Theatre. Most recently, he was accompanist for The Shakespeare Project’s production of Songbook Shakespeare.
Photos
Shakespeare For My Father
Articles
Shakespeare Project Of Chicago to Open 30th Anniversary With MEASURE FOR MEASURE
The Shakespeare Project of Chicago will kick off its 30th Anniversary Theatrical Reading Season with free performances of Shakespeare's dark comedy MEASURE FOR MEASURE, running Nov. 16-20 at four Chicagoland venues.
In the 19th century, Lord Acton wrote, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." He could have been writing about what occurs in Shakespeare's MEASURE FOR MEASURE.
Duke Vincentio appoints Angelo to oversee Vienna during his absence; however, the Duke secretly remains to observe his deputy, a strict Puritan. Angelo proceeds to persecute a young man named Claudio for the crime of fornication, sentencing him to death on a technicality, only to fall madly in love with Claudio's sister, a chaste and innocent nun named Isabella, when she comes to plead for her brother's life.
Directed by Erin Sloan, the cast includes Christian Davis Aldridge as Claudio; Josh Carpenter as the Duke; Andie Dae as Isabella; Joe Fernandez as Elbow, Friar Peter, and Gentleman; Bradley Halverson as Mariana, Mistress Overdone, and Justice; Leslie Ann Handelman as Escalus; Benjamin Jouras as Pompey; Tim Kough as the Provost; Joe Lehman as Angelo; Lauren Miller as Francisca, Barnardine, and Servant; Tom Morin as Lucio; and Stephanie Neuerburg as Juliet, Froth, and Messenger;
The production features music and sound design by George Zahora. Christopher Prentice is the stage manager and Derek Matson is the dramaturg.
The Shakespeare Project of Chicago's theatrical readings are fully staged book-in-hand performances.
Admission is free and seating is limited. All performances are preceded by an introduction to the play that commences 15 minutes prior to curtain.
Performance schedule
- Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m., Wilmette Public Library, 1242 Wilmette Ave., Wilmette
- Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m., Niles-Maine District Library, 6960 W. Oakton St., Niles (registration required)
- Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., Mount Prospect Public Library, 10 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect (registration required)
- Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m., Vernon Area Public Library, 300 Olde Half Day Road, Lincolnshire (registration required)
The Shakespeare Project's 30th Anniversary Season, composed solely of works by Shakespeare, continues in February with THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Artistic Director Peter Garino. In April, J.R. Sullivan will return to direct THE TEMPEST. The season will conclude in June with KING LEAR, directed by Associate Artistic Director Michelle Shupe.
For more information, visit shakespeareprojectchicago.org.
