We were honored to continue the tradition of Shakespeare in the Park at the Cedar Grove Meadow in 2022, and dream of making it an annual event again. We’d like to give a special thank you to the community of Chico for coming out and supporting this event. We’d also like to thank the City of Chico City Arts Grant, and our amazing donors for supporting this production. Thank you also to our fantastic stage crew, performers, and volunteers for dedicating your talent, time and energy.
Help make next year’s Shakespeare in the Park production a success by signing up for our mailing list (be the first to know about new productions and auditions), volunteer, or make a donation.
CAST
CREATIVE TEAM & CREW
MEET THE CAST
(ordered alphabetically)
Trevor Adams (Demetrius)
Trevor (he/him/his) has been acting since the 7th grade. He started out with Chico Theater Company with shows like A Christmas Story and Big! The Musical. He then acted 3 out of 4 years at Chico High. He is a 3rd year at Chico State with a major in Theater Arts. This is his first time doing Shakespeare in the Park, and he is so excited to be a part of it!
Marquita Goodman (Hippolyta/Titania)
Marquita (she/her) is beyond thrilled to delve into this dream as the two Queens. Some might say she has been strolling through her life with an air of unexplained royalty… possibly preparing for these roles for years… without even knowing it! Although she has been doing theater nonstop since moving to the area about 6 years ago, this is her first show with Legacy Stage. Some favorite roles you may have seen her in are Alice in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (CTC), Medda Larkin in Newsies (CRT), The Jamaican librarian in Matilda (CRT), Kathy in Company (CRT) and her dream role of Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors (CRT). Marquita also serves on the Board of Directors for Legacy Stage.
Ilana Greenberg (Fairy/Musician)
Ilana (she/her) is a brand new Chico State alumni with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance. She plans to continue her post college theatre career in the Bay Area and work her way up to the Big Apple.
Bill Harrington (Theseus/Oberon)
Bill (he/him) was a theater geek in high school, but stepped away from the limelight to actually make a living and is now an educator. He returned to the stage in 2014 with his son, Christian, and was cast in Big, simply because Bill owned a suit. Bill has gone on to perform in a number of shows locally (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Music Man, Clue – on Stage) and is thrilled to be joining Legacy Stage in this amazing production. Bill has always wanted to perform Shakespeare, and this is a dream role for him. Bill lives in Chico with his wife Christi, and together they will celebrate their 30th anniversary later this month.
Florence Emmanuel Ives (Snug)
Florence Emmanuel (they/she/he) is coming off a long awaited production of As You Like It at Butte College, after adapting the script before the shut down in 2020 and again producing and adapting in 2022. Shakespeare has become second nature to them, and they are deeply excited to be working on an innovative take an old classic with Legacy Stage in Cedar Grove once more.
Olivia Loupe (Peter Quince)
Olivia (she/her/hers) is thrilled to join the Legacy Stage family! It has always been a “Dream” of hers to perform in this wonderfully whimsical comedy as well as to be involved in a Shakespeare in the Park style show. Most recently, she played the role of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet at Chico State, where she has also appeared in the department’s productions of Avenue Q, A Charlie Brown Christmas, She Kills Monsters, and 200 Hz: We All Have a Voice. She also served as assistant director for Beauty and the Beast and last fall’s recorded production of The Wolves. She graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance this May.
Sam Lucas (Lysander)
Sam is thrilled to be playing Lysander and is overly excited to be working with Legacy Stage again after debuting in Macbeth in 2019. A Chico native, Lucas has been actively participating in theatre since the age of four years old. Some previous credits include Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (Inspire School Of The arts & Sciences), Ralph in Lord of The Flies (Blueroom Theatre) and Witch in Macbeth. Sam also recently celebrated the reopening of Blueroom theatre by co-directing, writing, and acting in The Twilight Zone. Sam is currently a sophomore at Butte College and is transferring to California State University Long Beach next semester studying English And Theatre Arts. Sam also is a cohost on the Women On Women podcast, which is available on all platforms.
Tricia McCutchen (Snout)
Tricia (she/her) has been doing local theatre since 2018. She has just finished her roles as Duke Senior and Oliver in Butte College’s musical adaptation of As You Like It, titled All of Us. She has been on a break from college, but plans on furthering her theatre education through a BFA program, next year. When she’s not acting, she loves binge watching shows and going on trips with her best friend.
Michelle Robles Sanchez (Hermia)
Michelle (she/they), playing Hermia in this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is overjoyed to be working with Legacy Stage for the first time. Ms. Robles made her Chico acting debut this spring in a production of Romeo and Juliet at Chico State. Before then she also worked in costumes for a production of Beauty and The Beast as well as The River Bride. She also starred in a 2018 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as Hermia, at Montclair High School. She is from Southern California, where she first began her acting and technical endeavors. Currently attending both Butte College and CSU Chico, she hopes to complete her BA in Theatre Arts and eventually teach Theatre.
Acie Schiff (Fairy/Musician)
Acie (they/them) has been doing theater since summer camp in elementary school and even played Snug the Joiner in a middle school production of Midsummer. After returning to it later in highschool, they decided to pursue a degree at Chico State and starred as Puck in the 2017 production on campus. They quickly fell in love with the community art scene in this beautiful, quirky little town, becoming involved with The Butcher Shop theater festival and multiple shows at The Blue Room Theater. Acie also plays acoustic punk music locally under the artist name, The Human Twitch, along with promoting fellow musicians and artists through their management company Far From Normal Productions.
Samantha Shaner (Bottom)
Samantha (she/her) – “I first set foot onto the Cedar Grove stage, 30 years ago, to play the memorable role of Townsperson #2 in Taming of the Shrew. I’m excited to return, all these years later, to play the role I was born to play…an ass. Some might say I’ve been preparing for this role all my life.”
Kellen Staub (Flute)
Kellen (she/her) – This is Kellen’s first production of Shakespeare’s work and with Legacy Stage. She has most recently appeared in both Godspell and Company at First Street Theater, and in the Winter Wonderettes with Chico Theater Company. Past favorite shows include The Addams Family (Wednesday Addams), A Chorus Line, and Chicago.
Jackson Taitano (Philostrate/Puck)
Jackson (he/him/his) – Theatre has been a constant in Jackson’s life. From doing small shows for Grandma in the living room to pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance at Cal State University Chico. Shakespeare, however, has been an exciting new chapter for Jackson. His love for the Bard started in the 6th grade when his mom, coincidentally also his junior high teacher, first read A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the class. This love of Shakespeare was further instilled when his Grammy and Auntie Sarah got him a picture book of Shakespeare plays and took him to see Macbeth. While Jackson has been in Chico, he has participated in many productions at Chico State such as The Rocky Horror Show as a Phantom, and Romeo & Juliet as Nurse, and virtual productions like the debut of Breathe: Portraits of a Pandemic as Max. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be Jackson’s first production with Legacy Stage. He is elated for audiences to enter the world of Athens and come with him and the company on a magical journey.
Alex Tanner (Starveling)
Alex (he/him) is over the moon about the opportunity to work with the talented folks at Legacy Stage! He’s been an actor for the better part of his life, and recently transferred to CSU Chico after earning his AA in Theatre from MiraCosta College way down in Oceanside. This will be his second production in Chico, the first being the CSU’s production of Romeo and Juliet, where he appeared as Benvolio. Some of his favorite credits from his theatre career include Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, Major General Stanley in Pirates of Penzance, Doug Paunch in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Joe in Waiting for Lefty.
Skylar Wondrusch (Helena)
Skylar (she/her) couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this amazing production. She is a first generation student who is currently a senior at Chico State and pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance. She fell in love with theatre at age 10 and currently feels like she is living the dream. You may have seen her in the most recent Chico State plays portraying “Romeo” in Romeo and Juliet or as “Soccer Mom” in the virtual production of The Wolves this past fall. She is originally from a town called Martinez located in the East Bay but she is quickly falling in love with Chico the more time she spends here. She loves theatre because she feels it is a place where you can truly be free, and even though you are playing someone else, you find yourself being the most authentic and uninhibited version of yourself. She identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community and is honored to be part of a production that is so representative of so many different identities. She hopes to create more and more theatre that creates spaces of empathy and understanding, all while still partaking in the magic of live theatre. She is incredibly grateful for all of the love and support from her friends and loved ones, and she hopes you love the show as much as she does.
MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM
(ordered alphabetically)
Susana Correa Avila-Robb (Assistant Costume Designer)
Avi (she/her/hers) is a queer, Latinx student at Chico State where she studies theatre, anthropology and dance. She started doing theatre in high school and continues her passion in costume making, acting, and directing. Avi has always gravitated toward Shakespeare and had the opportunity to act in works such as Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet. She is thrilled to be the assistant costume designer on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and hopes to continue working on future projects.
Sydney Bates (Assistant Stage Manager)
Sydney (she/her) is headed to her 4th and final year as a theatre arts student at CSU Chico. Originally pursuing acting and performance, she developed a love for technical theatre and the creative process that goes on behind the scenes. Sydney has helped crew for a small handful of shows at Chico State and loved every minute of it. She’s very grateful to work with Legacy Stage for the first time and couldn’t be more overjoyed!
Bruce Dillman (Set Construction)
Bruce (he/him) is a retired science teacher who dabbles in acting and set building. Bruce built sets and acted in SITP’s earlier manifestations Iago in Othello (2002), Macduff in Macbeth (1997), Shannon in Night of the Iguana (2000), player queen in Hamlet (1995) and Tom Joan in Grapes of Wrath (1996).
Melodie Ellison (Audience Experience Manager)
Melodie (she/her/hers) is a Chico State Theatre Arts Alumna. She has a passion for reading, writing, and—of course—theatre. Some of her most recent credits include Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid, Emily Hobbs in Elf, and part of the ensemble of All Together Now. When she’s not on stage or backstage, she can be found in the audience, enthusiastically cheering on her fellow performers.
Delisa Freistadt (Assistant Stage Manager)
Delisa (she/her) has been involved in Chico community theater for at least 15 years in various capacities. She is glad to be working once again with the wonderful people of Legacy Stage.
Erin Horst (Director)
Erin (she/her) is honored to produce and direct Legacy Stage’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Erin cultivated her professional experience in the Kansas City theatre community working at theatres like Starlight, The Unicorn, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Coterie Theatre, Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park, The Barn Players, and Gladstone Theatre in the Park. She is thankful for spending many summers enjoying Shakespeare at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, where she first learned that Shakespeare could be accessible and fun. Since then, she received additional Shakespeare training with Dennis Krausnick (Shakespeare & Co.), Dr. Felicia Hardison Londré (UMKC), Tamiko Washington (Chapman University) and Tom Bradac (Chapman University). Erin is passionately dedicated to Legacy Stage’s mission to create sustainable and professional theatre in Butte County. She believes in the theatre’s ability to transform humanity, to speak to our deeper identities as human beings, and to answer the question: what does it mean to be alive? Erin is a theatre lecturer at CSU Chico and acting teacher at Inspire School of Arts and Sciences. She earned a Master of Arts in Theatre History and Dramaturgy from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from Chapman University in Orange, California. Local credits include Blue Room Theatre, California Regional Theatre, California State University Chico, and Inspire School of Arts and Sciences. Southern California credits include La Jolla Playhouse and The Performing Arts Society at Chapman (PASC). Erin lives in Chico with her spouse, Kyle, and two children, James and Andrew.
Aaron Kennedy (Set Designer)
Aaron (he/him/his) is a scenic designer, technical director, and all around theatre artist hailing from the tiny midwestern town of Madison, Kansas (pop. 850). He received his BFA in theatre from Emporia State University in 2007, and an MFA in scenic design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010. Currently Aaron is employed as an assistant professor of theatre and technical theatre coordinator at Tulsa Community College. Prior to this he has worked at, or designed for; Sterling College, Summer Repertory Theatre in Santa Rosa California, Theatre Tulsa, American Theatre Company (Tulsa OK), The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Emporia State University Summer Stock, The New Court Theatre, Helen Hocker Center for the Performing Arts, Lon Morris College, Madison Repertory Theatre, Neosho County Community College, and Salina Community Theatre. Aaron and his wife Samantha have been married since 2005. They have two children; a daughter, Brittain, and a son, Rocky.
Jami Witt Miller (Intimacy Choreographer)
Jami (she/her) is proud to be a Co-Founder of Legacy Stage. She is a member of Theatrical Intimacy Education’s Educator Advocate pilot program. She is also trained in Best Practices, Intimacy Choreography, Trauma Informed Practices, and Consent in the Acting Classroom by Theatrical Intimacy Education. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Jami has appeared at professional theatres around the country including Triad Stage, The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, and The Southwest Shakespeare Festival. Jami’s favorite credits include Elvira in Blithe Spirit, Laura in The Glass Menagerie, Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, Waverly in Recent Tragic Events, Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. Jami received her BFA from Eastern New Mexico University and her MFA in Acting from University of North Carolina Greensboro. Jami is a theatre lecturer at California State University, Chico and directed their recent production of Romeo and Juliet. She loves her partner Matty, and sweet children Mattingly and Eddie James.
Elizabeth Davis Newhouse (Costume Designer)
Elizabeth Grace (she/her) is a Costume Designer with her MFA in Costume Design from Indiana University and her BA from Ashland University. She has been working at Chico State for two years as their Costume and Makeup Coordinator and is thrilled to be making her debut at Legacy Stage. Elizabeth has a great love for Shakespeare having recently worked on Romeo & Juliet (CSU, Chico), Titus Andronicus (Indiana University), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Richmond Shakespeare Festival).
Alex Piasecki (Sound Designer)
Alex (he/him/his) – Music and theater have been major rhythms in Alex’s life, but this is his first involvement in a stage production in almost 15 years! Alex first fell in love with the violin incidentally during a stage production of Fiddler on the Roof in his hometown of Stockton, CA at the ripe age of 7. Since then, Alex was involved in several theater productions with Claudia Landeen Elementary School, Stockton Civic Theater, and Changing Faces Theater Co, and even got to play Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with CFTC! Around high school, Alex had to decide what to keep doing between drama, music, and sports; sports and music won out. For more than 20 years violin has been a passion for Alex, a powerful pathway for spiritual life and community. Over these years he has been involved in a handful of ensembles including Central Valley Youth Symphony, Seattle Pacific University Symphony, Paradise Community Symphony, Brandon James, The Mad Semantics, The Alex Draper Band, and Surrogate. Alex and his wife Lauren married and moved to Chico in 2015 and are grateful for this community they get to grow and live with!
Gabriella Saxon (Stage Manager)
Gabriella (she/her) is currently heading into her final year of the undergraduate theatre arts program at CSU Chico studying theatre arts with a focus in stage management and directing. She has worked professionally as an assistant stage manager for Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, and on the educational level at Chico State. Her tenacity for technical theatre has allowed her to gain several opportunities in that program including stage management, assistant stage management and directing. This is Gabriella’s first time working with Legacy Stage and she is so unbelievably excited to be here! Gabriella strives to be a positive force in the theatre industry, and makes it a point to ensure the well-being of those she works with. She believes that the best art is made through respect and collaboration, and hopes to implement these practices with every piece she works on. Leading with kindness, equity, inclusion, and social justice, Gabriella hopes to make a positive impact in the theatre industry as she continues in her career.
Lara Tenckhoff (Producer)
Lara (she/her) is a Chico local who has had a passion for theatre making from a young age. Out of high school she spent several years running the the Blue Room Theatre’s Youth Program before deciding to return to school herself at Chico State. During her time as a CSUC student, Lara was blessed to be given opportunities at home and abroad- studying for a summer at a small physical theatre school in Northern Italy, Atelier Teatro Physico. Graduating in 2017 with a degree in Theatre Arts, Lara then spent four summers in Clinton, Iowa as the Associate Artistic Director for the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre. Most recently she served as guest director for Inspire School of Art and Science’s production of These Shining Lives. Some of her favorite directing credits include Bug, The 39 Steps, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.
Laurie Thiede (Harp & Percussion)
Laurie (she/her) is a recent newcomer to Chico and is thrilled to be a part of the local music and theater scene. She studied Education and Music at the University of Missouri – Columbia. As a Harpist, Laurie has played everywhere from the deserts of Kuwait to the International Antarctic Centre in New Zealand. When Laurie is not harping you will find her playing the Irish drum with the Pub Scouts at Duffy’s Tavern on a Friday night, or rollerblading at her favorite skate rink.
SPONSORS & CONTRIBUTORS
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS, SUPPORTERS & VOLUNTEERS
Sydney Bates
Emily Beets
Katrina Boratko
Donald DeSeure
Peggy DeSeure
Stephen Diaz
Bruce Dillman
Ira Ellison
Melodie Ellison
Jake Fender
Delisa Freistadt
Stephanie Gallagher
Marquita Goodman
Jenna & Henry Hansen
Cameron Hoffman
Erin & Kyle Horst
Megan Howard
Kate & Mark Koegel
Bill Kurnizki
Paula Lafferty
Will Langley
The Lewis Family
Amber Miller
Jami & Matthew Miller
Nancy Miller
Addi Morgan
Xue Moua
Kate Ory
Cordell Smith
Paul Steinberg
Sophie Stocks
Matthew Stone
Jax Strausbaugh
Martin & Shenlyn Svec
Emily Swanson
Lara Tenckhoff
Natalie Windt
Hannah Wing