William Shakespeare Playwright Born in <strong>Stratford</strong>-upon-Avon in 1564, William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John Shakespeare, a glover and tanner who rose to become an alderman and bailiff of the town, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but there is a record of his baptism on April 26. Since an interval of two or three days between birth and baptism would have been quite common, tradition has it that he was born on April 23 – the same date as his death fifty-two years later. The young Shakespeare is assumed to have attended what is now the Edward VI Grammar School in <strong>Stratford</strong>, where he would have studied ancient Roman literature in its original Latin. In 1582, when he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, a farmer’s daughter who was eight years his senior. Anne was pregnant at the time, and the couple’s first daughter, Susanna, was born a few months afterwards in 1583. Twins followed two years later: a son, Hamnet, who died at the age of eleven, and a second daughter, Judith. Nothing further is known of Shakespeare’s life until 1592, by which time he was sufficiently established as an actor and writer in London to be the target of a literary attack by a jealous fellow playwright, Robert Greene. Soon afterwards, an outbreak of plague forced the temporary closure of the theatres, and Shakespeare turned his attention instead to his long narrative poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. He also began writing the Sonnets, a series of 154 love poems that many believe to be at least partly autobiographical. By 1594, Shakespeare was back in the theatre, writing and acting for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. His income as one of the country’s most successful dramatists enabled him, in 1597, to buy a mansion back in <strong>Stratford</strong>, and in 1599 he became a shareholder in London’s newly built Globe Theatre. In 1603, Shakespeare’s company was awarded a royal patent, becoming known as the King’s Men. Possibly as early as 1610, the playwright retired to his home in <strong>Stratford</strong>-upon-Avon, living there until his death on April 23, 1616. He is buried in the town’s Holy Trinity Church. William Shakespeare 11
The Company Sean Arbuckle 10th season: Sir William Catesby in Richard III and Saturninus in Titus Andronicus. <strong>Stratford</strong>: Cabaret (Cliff), Three Sisters (Tuzenbach), The Winter’s Tale (Camillo), The Merchant of Venice (Bassanio), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Nick), The Swanne (Leopold/Popple), Twelfth Night (Orsino), London Assurance (Dazzle), Macbeth (Banquo), The Trojan Women (Talthybius), Electra (The Beggar), As You Like It (Oliver), The Tempest (Antonio), Timon of Athens (Alcibiades). Elsewhere: Broadway: The Importance of Being Earnest. National tour: Copenhagen. Regional: The Turn of the Screw (Grand Theatre); Phèdre (ACT); Humble Boy, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Pioneer Theatre Company); The Magnificent Ambersons (Indiana Rep); The Spitfire Grill (George Street Playhouse – world première); King John (Shakespeare Theatre Company); The Triumph of Love (Walnut Street); The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (Dallas Theater Center); Woman in Mind (Berkshire Theatre <strong>Festival</strong>). TV: Law & Order, Sex and the City, Hope and Faith. Training: Juilliard. Talen de St. Croix <strong>Stratford</strong> debut: Young Lucius in Titus Andronicus. Elsewhere: This is Talen’s fourth production. He performed the role of Oliver in Theatre Norfolk’s production of Oliver! this winter. He performed as Chip in Theatre Norfolk’s production of Beauty and the Beast last spring, as well as in Brantford Collegiate Institute’s musical. Talen has a passion for theatre, and loves to act, sing and dance. Et cetera: When Talen is off stage he is involved in many sports, including lacrosse and ski racing. Talen is on the Holimont Ski Team in Ellicottville, N.Y., where he is a competitive downhill ski racer. He lives in Brantford and is very excited to have the opportunity to work with everyone involved with the <strong>Stratford</strong> Shakespeare <strong>Festival</strong> this season. Wayne Best 16th season: Duke of Buckingham in Richard III and appears in Titus Andronicus. <strong>Stratford</strong>: Boatswain (The Tempest), Antonio (The Two Gentlemen of Verona), Caliban (The Tempest), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Leontes (The Winter’s Tale), Fluellen (Henry V), Victor (Private Lives), Horatio (Hamlet), Astrov (Uncle Vanya), Macduff (Macbeth), Gratiano (The Merchant of Venice), Cornwall (King Lear), Grumio (The Taming of the Shrew), Enobarbus (Antony and Cleopatra), Ben (Good Mother), Maurice (In the Ring), Le Bret (Cyrano de Bergerac). Elsewhere: Carl (Heaven), Abbott (Inexpressible Island), Antonio (The Tempest), Brutus (Julius Caesar), Billy (The Collected Works of Billy the Kid), Johnny Regan (Balconville), Captain Keller (The Miracle Worker), Quinn (The Affections of May), Jacob Mercer (Of the Fields, Lately), Jacob Mercer (Salt-Water Moon). Josh Epstein <strong>Stratford</strong> debut: Quintus in Titus Andronicus and appears in The Grapes of Wrath. Elsewhere: Barfee in The 25th Annual ... Spelling Bee (Belfry, Arts Club – Ovation nomination), Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Playhouse – Jessie and Ovation nominations), Studies in Motion (Electric Company – Canadian tour), Leo in The Producers (Arts Club – Ovation Award), three seasons at Bard on the Beach, The Drowsy Chaperone (Citadel, NAC), Death of a Salesman (Aquarius), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (Stage West), The Lord of the Rings (Mirvish) and a recent European tour of his solo show. Film/TV: Hairspray, Breaker High, So Weird, The X-Files. Josh recently formed the film production company Motion 58 (www.motion58.com), whose films include the 2010 NSI Drama Prize, Bravo!FACT and NFB winner Wait for Rain, and two features in development. Training: Studio 58, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Website: www.joshepsteinonline.com. Et cetera: “4mydad.” Skye Brandon Third season: Duke of Norfolk in Richard III and Bassianus in Titus Andronicus. <strong>Stratford</strong>: The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar and Bartholomew Fair. Elsewhere: Reflections/The Little Prince, Mary’s Wedding (Dancing Sky Theatre); The Pillowman, Fat Pig (Wild Side Productions); Henry IV, Part 1, The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan); Chimera (PTE); Julius Caesar, The Shape of Things (Theatre Ecstasis); Twelfth Night (Globe Theatre); The Coronation Voyage, It’s All True (Last Exit Theatre). Directing credits include Pageant (Last Exit) and The Busy World is Hushed (Northern Light Theatre). Radio: Yann Martel’s The Facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios (CBC). Training: Birmingham Conservatory, ACT (San Francisco), U of S (BFA Honours). Awards: SAT Award (Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, Dancing Sky), Sterling nomination (The Credeaux Canvas, Northern Light), Equity Emerging Artist 2005. Itai Erdal <strong>Stratford</strong> debut: Lighting designer of Titus Andronicus. Elsewhere: Sweeney Todd (Citadel Theatre); Where the Blood Mixes, A Christmas Carol, Vincent in Brixton (Vancouver Playhouse); Troilus and Cressida, The Winter’s Tale (Bard on the Beach); Billy Bishop Goes to War, The Life Inside (Belfry Theatre); 16 Up, Dirty Kissing, Time for the Good Looking Boy (Box Clever, London); Crime and Punishment, My Name is Rachel Corrie (Neworld Theatre); The One That Got Away (Electric Company/NAC). Awards: Dora Award and the design award in the Dublin Fringe for The Four Horsemen Project, Volcano Theatre; the ADC’s Jack King Award; Jessie Awards for most promising newcomer and Life Savers, Ruby Slippers. Website: www.itaierdal.com. Et cetera: Itai recently co-wrote and performed in How to Disappear Completely for the Chop Theatre. Linda Cho <strong>Stratford</strong> debut: Costume designer of Titus Andronicus. New York: Manhattan Theatre Club, Theatre for a New Audience, Second Stage Theatre, Juilliard School, Vineyard Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Atlantic Theater Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Classic Stage Company. Regional Theatre: The Guthrie, La Jolla Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, The Goodman Theatre, The Old Globe, Chicago Shakespeare, Baltimore Center Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Goodspeed Musicals, Yale Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Williamstown Theatre <strong>Festival</strong>, Westport Country Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, Dallas Theater Center. Opera: Los Angeles Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis. International: Royal Shakespeare Company; Canadian Stage; Hong Kong Performing Arts Centre; National Theater, Taipei; Repercussion Theatre, Canada. Training: MFA Yale School of Drama. Paul Fauteux Second season: Sir James Tyrrel in Richard III and Lucius in Titus Andronicus. <strong>Stratford</strong>: Cecco in Peter Pan and Stringer in King of Thieves. Birmingham Conservatory. Elsewhere: The Ends of the Earth / Belfry Theatre; The Pillowman, Tillsonburg / Canadian Stage; Scorched / Tarragon Theatre and NAC; That Time / Theatre Centre; Dr. Chekhov: Ward 6 / Factory Theatre; Cringeworthy, Boxhead and The Kabbalistic Psychoanalysis of Adam R. Tzaddik / Theatre Passe Muraille; Kaspar / Go Chicken Go. Film/TV: Committed, Rookie Blue, The Sea Wolf, This Is Wonderland, Missing, Flashpoint, Hustle: The Pete Rose Story, Chasing Cain, Due South, L’Ombre de l’épervier. Radio: Dean Donaldson on CBC radio drama Afghanada. Training: UVic and the National Theatre School of Canada. Awards: Five Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations. One ACTRA Award nomination. Et cetera: Paul lives in Toronto with his wife, Camille, their son, Hanlon, and their daughter, Illia. David Collins Fourth season: Lord Rivers in Richard III and appears in Titus Andronicus. <strong>Stratford</strong>: Recent: Francisco (The Tempest), Host (The Two Gentlemen of Verona), Seyton (Macbeth), Publius (Julius Caesar), Apothecary (Romeo and Juliet), Theodotus (Caesar and Cleopatra). Elsewhere: Shakuntala (Premiere Dance Theatre); The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God (Mirvish); The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, Donut City (Canadian Stage); Pusha Man, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Theatre Passe Muraille); The Taming of the Shrew (ShakespeareWorks); Top Gun the Musical (Factory Theatre/N.Y.C.); El Paso (Factory); Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare in Action); Walls (VECC). He is a founding member of Obsidian Theatre Company. Film/TV: Trojan Horse, 11Cameras, ReGenesis, Owning Mahowny, Shoot ’Em Up, The Incredible Hulk, MVP, Warehouse 13, Nurse.Fighter.Boy, The Listener, Rookie Blue, XIII, Stag, Against the Wall. Training: MFA, York University. Awards: Dora nominations for Twilight Café and The America Play. David Ferry Fifth season: King Edward IV in Richard III and Marcus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus. <strong>Stratford</strong>: Prince Hal in Henry IV, Part 1; Dogberry in Much Ado; Dumaine in Love’s Labour’s Lost; Fair Liberty’s Call; Ahab in Moby Dick. Elsewhere: Most recently he reprised his Dora-nominated performance in Eternal Hydra (Crow’s Theatre) and was praised for his work in Blasted (Buddies in Bad Times). He won a 2009 Dora (best actor) for his work in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and the Critics Choice best-actor award in Victoria for his Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Film/TV: His second season of Dan for Mayor is airing now on CTV. Awards: He has also won a best-director Dora and a best-lighting Dora. Et cetera: David has directed in Canada and in Italy, most recently with the première of Daniel MacIvor’s Inside. Website: www.davidferryactor.com. 12