NEW SWAN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL - Key Persons
Abel Garcia was born and raised in El Paso TX, where he received his B.F.A in Theatre Performance from The University of Texas at El Paso. He moved to California in 2016 and was awarded his M.F.A in Acting from The University of California, Irvine in 2021. Abel is also a part-time acting instructor at The Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA). Recent credits include Ralph D in The Motherf***er with The Hat (Teatro Neplanta, El Paso TX 2023), Smith and Judge Hayes in The Story of Biddy Mason (UCI, 2022), Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errrorrs and Cleon in Pericles, Prince of Tyre (New Swan Shakespeare Festival 2022), Peter Shaw in Silent Sky (Greenbrier Valley Theatre, West Virginia 2022). and Pale in Burn This (UCI 2021). Thank you, Miriam, Mom, Dad and Eric for always believing in me, I love you. https://abeltgarcia1993.wixsite.com/my-site
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Sound Designer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Scenic Designer for "Julius Caesar" & "the Complete Works"
Andrea is currently studying at UCI for her masters in Scenic Design. She received her BA from California State University Northridge where she studied Studio Art and Theater. She is thrilled to make her debut at New Swan designing Julius Caesar and Complete Works. Some of her other design works include, The Diary of Anne Frank (The Main Theater), The Seagull (UCI Theater), Clue (Estancia High School), Orpheus in the Underworld (CSUN Opera), scenic assistant on American Mariachi (South Coast Repertory), and associate scenic designer on Bienvenido's Blancos (Lang Performing Art Center).
Job Titles:
- Director of "Julius Caesar"
As a stage performer, Andrew has appeared in the South Coast Repertory productions of Sight Unseen; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; Dead Man's Cell Phone and Lovers and Executioners. He also was part of a reading of Extraordinary Chambers during South Coast Rep's annual Pacific Playwrights Festival in 2009. Other stage credits include Private Lives, The Constant Wife and It's a Wonderful Life at the Pasadena Playhouse; Pericles and The Countess at The Old Globe; Medea and Dorian Gray at the Theatre @ Boston Court; Uncle Vanya at The Antaeus Company and Chalk Rep.; Noises Off at The Rubicon; The 39 Steps at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts; Tranced at Laguna Playhouse; Closer at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the title role in Richard III at the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. He has spent twelve seasons with The Chautauqua Theatre Company and four seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has also worked with Dallas Theater Center; Portland Stage Company in Maine; Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn.; Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington; Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival; and Hangar Theatre, in Ithaca, N.
Borba's film credits include The Sweet Life (2016); F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton (2015); Taken 3 (2014); Interstellar (2014); Answers to Nothing (2011); Charlie Wilson's War (2007); Nine Lives (2005); Live from Baghdad (2002), Path to War (2002) and A Bright Shining Lie (1998). He also starred in the 2011 short film Dead in the Room.
As a stage performer, Andrew has appeared in the South Coast Repertory productions of Sight Unseen; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; Dead Man's Cell Phone and Lovers and Executioners. He also was part of a reading of Extraordinary Chambers during South Coast Rep's annual Pacific Playwrights Festival in 2009. Other stage credits include Private Lives, The Constant Wife and It's a Wonderful Life at the Pasadena Playhouse; Pericles and The Countess at The Old Globe; Medea and Dorian Gray at the Theatre @ Boston Court; Uncle Vanya at The Antaeus Company and Chalk Rep.; Noises Off at The Rubicon; The 39 Steps at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts; Tranced at Laguna Playhouse; Closer at Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the title role in Richard III at the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. He has spent twelve seasons with The Chautauqua Theatre Company and four seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has also worked with Dallas Theater Center; Portland Stage Company in Maine; Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn.; Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington; Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival; and Hangar Theatre, in Ithaca, N.Y., among others.
Borba's film credits include The Sweet Life (2016); F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton (2015); Taken 3 (2014); Interstellar (2014); Answers to Nothing (2011); Charlie Wilson's War (2007); Nine Lives (2005); Live from Baghdad (2002), Path to War (2002) and A Bright Shining Lie (1998). He also starred in the 2011 short film Dead in the Room.
His TV credits include recurring roles on ABC's Modern Family, CBS's Criminal Minds and Jericho, FX's The Shield, Lifetime's The Client List,, UPN's Star Trek: Enterprise, and guest appearances on more than 30 television series.
As a director, Borba helmed Go West! The Mythology of American Expansion, a multidisciplinary piece with more than 400 performers (dance, opera, theater, visual arts and a full symphony orchestra) presented in the historic 4000-seat Amphitheater at The Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY. He created and directed a multidisciplinary piece around Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (2016) and directed Peter Boyer's Ellis Island (2015) both with Maestro Rossen Milanov and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra; He has directed Hamlet: The First Quarto at Los Angeles' Theatre of Note (multiple awards including Los Angeles Times: Critics Best 2003, 2 Garland awards (5 nominations), Ovation award nominee. Photos of this production, citations and quotes from Mr. Borba appear in the current New Cambridge edition of Hamlet: The First Quarto and referenced in The Arden's most recent edition of Hamlet: The First Quarto; Satisfy Me (Lillian Theatre, Hollywood); A Song of My Own (Hudson Theatre, Hollywood); Evolution, Skins and Bones and Right to Post, all by Ruth McKee (Chalk Repertory Theatre, Los Angeles); The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors; The Philadelphia Story; Macbeth; Twelfth Night; Michael Gaston's Swimming Thru Abu Dhabi; Molly Smith Metzler's Carve and David West Read's Afterlove (Chautauqua Theater Company); Woyzeck (University of California, Irvine); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Juilliard); The Time of Your Life (USC's M.F.A. graduate acting program); Yankee Dawg You Die and Gargoyles (NYU's graduate acting program.)
As a text coach he has coached Shakespeare productions at The New Jersey Shakespeare Theater (Richard III) and The Pasadena Playhouse (As You Like It) and The Chautauqua Theater Company (12 seasons).
He has served on the faculty of University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Irvine; Juilliard; University of Tennessee; and New York University.
Andrew is the Artistic Director of the prestigious Chautauqua Theater Company and is a member of The Antaeus Theater Company. He is a cum laude graduate of Brown University, and received his MFA from New York University.
Anna Marjorie Fitzgerald is an actor and playwright based in Southern California. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Acting from University of California, Irvine and before that she served as the associate director of ISLE Theater Company, based in Deer Isle, ME. She graduated from Harvard University with a BA in English, and when not doing theater, she can be found with her husband Liam, two kitties, or out catching waves on her pineapple surfboard.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Asst. Stage Manager
Job Titles:
- Costume Designer for "the Complete Works"
Ashley Duncan (Costume Designer, Complete Works) is beyond thrilled to be working with New Swan for the first time this season! Ashley is a graduate student at UCI pursuing her MFA in Costume Design. Previous costume design credits included Airness (UCI, Winter 2023), Bonnets (UW-Madison, 2021), and Sonnets for an Old Century (UW-Madison, 2020). Ashley would like to thank her mom, her friend Morgan, and her peers D and Savannah, who always push her to work towards achieving her dreams.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Scenic Designer
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Artistic Leadership Team
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Member of the NEW SWAN ARTISTIC TEAM
- Associate Artistic Director & Casting Coordinator
- Director for "As You Like It"
Beth Lopes (Director As You Like It)is a freelance theater director and educator, based in Los Angeles. Deeply committed to telling stories for the present moment, Beth is intent on fostering original work and making classics relevant for new generations. Recent directing credits include Our Town at South Coast Repertory, House of Desires at Pomona College, and Romeo and Juliet: Hard Way Home, a hybrid of Shakespeare's play and the music of Brandi Carlile, with CalRep. Past shows at New Swan include Pericles Prince of Tyre, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Winter's Tale, Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Comedy of Errors. Beth received a BFA from NYU, a MFA from UCI, and is a proud member of SDC. For more information visit her website at www.bethlopes.com.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Asst. Stage Manager
Job Titles:
- CTSA Scenic Charge Artist
I've been a part of the New Swan team since 2018. I enjoy the creative problem solving and energy generated from this festival. You can find me in the production studio throughout the year working on projects. Aside from my duties as the Scenic Charge Artist, I have also been dubbed the official shop DJ
Connor Sheehan is a second year Drama student at the University of California, Irvine. He is thrilled to be apart of his first season with the New Swan Shakespeare Festival! Recent credits include Gomez Addams in The Addams Family (University of California, Irvine) and Principal Hawkins in The Prom (University of California, Irvine). Outside of the arts, Connor enjoys staying active and studying history and philosophy. All love and thanks to the most high and to my family: Ryan, Kate, Mom and Dad.
Job Titles:
- Sound Designer for Julius Caesar
Costandina J. Daros (Sound Designer, Julius Caesar) is a sound designer originally from Michigan. She made the cross country move to California during the pandemic to pursue her MFA in Sound Design at UC Irvine. In her time at UCI, she has sound designed Rent, The Effect, The Informant, The Happiest Bunch, Dance Visions 2022 and Detroit '67 and assisted on Airness, The Passage, and Into the Woods. She has also been active in various student-led projects including both theatre and short-film work. When she's not designing, she loves relaxing with a good book or by watching Marvel and Disney movies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the NEW SWAN ARTISTIC TEAM
- New Swan Shakespeare Center Assistant Director
Job Titles:
- Assistant Lighting Designer for "As You Like It" & "Julius Caesar" and Lighting Designer for "the Complete Works"
Diana Herrera a lighting designer local to SoCal and also an LA native. She holds a BA in Theatre and Dance from Cal State LA and will be receiving her MFA in Lighting Design at UC Irvine June 2023. You may recognize some of her work in Rent, The Seagull, Physical Graffiti 2022, and Monochromatic Fantasy at UC Irvine. Other extensive works includes immersive and theme park lighting design. She has also worked at Syracuse Stage, East West Players, South Coast Repertory, Utah Shakespeare Company, Discovery Cube, and Universal Studios: Halloween Horror Nights. Herrera enjoys oil painting on her free time and spending time with loved ones. To learn more about Herrera's work please visit her website at diana925herrera.wixsite.com/mysite
Job Titles:
- NEW SWAN ADVISOR
- Department Chair
Job Titles:
- Assistant Stage Manager for "Julius Ceasar" & House Management Assistant for "As You Like It"
Eden began her theatre journey in high school as a costume tech. Since graduating Eden has done professional technical theater work for the Mondavi Center, the Sacramento Theater of Lights, and acted in shows for Santa Monica College and Davis Musical Theater Company. Recently she has found herself as an undergraduate at UCI where she has continued to work in tech while also performing for Brick Theatre Company. Eden can be seen writing and performing with the Neofuturist collective 30 Plays in 60 Minutes and formally with groups such as Improv Revolution and After League. Most recently Eden directed "Mojada" for Brown Bag Theatre Company; UCI's only Latine theatre company.
Job Titles:
- Designer for "As You Like It" Efren Delgadillo
Efren Delgadillo Jr. (Scenic Designer, "As You Like It") Recent projects: I'm not your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Seattle Rep), In the Upper Room (Denver Center), Quixote Nuevo (Denver Center), Scene With Cranes (Cal Arts Center for New Performance). New York: The Three Musketeers (The Acting Company); Mycenaean (BAM,Brooklyn Academy of Music); Notable Regional theatre productions include American Mariachi (South Coast Rep, Arizona Theatre Company) Romeo and Juliet (Oregon Shakespeare Company), BLKS (Woolly Mammoth), Bordertown Now (PasadenaPlayhouse), Smart People and Indecent (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), Othello (Hartford Stage), Mojada, A Medea in Los Angeles (The Getty Villa/Boston Court), Prometheus Bound (The Getty Villa/Center for New Performance). Efren has received Henry award, LA weekly awards for both Production Design and Lighting design and has been nominated for Ovation and Barrymore Awards. Efren is an Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at UC Irvine.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Artistic Leadership Team
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Member of the NEW SWAN ARTISTIC TEAM
- Artistic Director of New Swan Shakespeare
- Director of "the Complete Works of William Shakespeare ( Abridged ) ( Revised ) "
- Producing Artistic Director
- Producing Artistic Director & Founder
Eli Simon is the Artistic Director of New Swan Shakespeare Festival, a professional summer theater that performs on the campus of UC Irvine, with the support of the Drama Department, Office of Research, Claire Trevor School of the Arts and the entire campus community. A Chancellor's Professor of Acting in Drama, this marks Eli's 34th year at UCI. Eli is the author of three books: The Art of Clowning, Masking Unmasked, and Power Speech. He specializes in Shakespearean productions, clowning, and original masked performances. Eli has directed over one hundred productions at Shakespearean festivals, regional theaters, and international theaters across the states and overseas. Critically acclaimed productions include his original clown saga - War of the Clowns and Clown Aliens - produced at the National Theater of Romania in Cluj. Eli's original clown troupe, CLOWNZILLA, received rave reviews (Critic's Choice, LA Times) in California and toured Northern Italy and Korea. His original commedia pieces enjoyed successful tours to international festivals in England, Spain, and Italy. Simon has also written and directed multi-cultural and multilingual plays including Birds in DMZ, which combined American, Korean, and European performers, using traditional Korean music, devised masks and costumes, Bong-San dancing, commedia, and opera. For New Swan Shakespeare Festival, Eli directed The Merchant of Venice, King Lear, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, As You Like It, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Midsummer Night's Zoom. This past summer, Eli produced All the World's a Stage featuring actors from around the world performing Shakespeare in the language of their choice.
Geri-Nikole Love has a BFA in Theatre from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Since graduating, she became a co-founder of The Movement Theatre Company and has performed in various plays in New York City; ‘Carlisle: a different Three Sisters' (La Mama), ‘Black Boy & the War' (Harlem School of the Arts), Regional: ‘Higgin's in Harlem (Playhouse on Park), ‘The Inferior Sex' (Trinity Rep.) and is a proud SAG-AFTRA member. She has starred in multiple Lifetime Movie Network Films and Independent Features (‘Downshift'), New Media; (‘Livin' The Dream') and has been featured on Network TV (Tulsa King, Fantasy Island, Westworld, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Lethal Weapon).
Job Titles:
- Associate Artistic Director
- Member of the Artistic Leadership Team
- Member of the NEW SWAN ARTISTIC TEAM
Greg is thrilled and grateful to work and play with the fabulous community of artists and audiences at New Swan Shakespeare Festival. With the Festival he has played delicious roles, including Gower (Pericles), Prospero (Tempest), Shylock (Merchant), Baptista (Taming), Bottom (Midsummer), Polonius (Hamlet), Dogberry (Much Ado), Macduff (Macbeth), and Friar Laurence (Romeo and Juliet). Other juicy roles at other theaters include Owen (The Foreigner), Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Serge (Art), John (Oleanna), Matt (Tally's Folly), Gratiano (Merchant of Venice), Touchstone (As You Like It), and Cornwall (King Lear). Greg's directing credits include A Bright New Boise, The Thanksgiving Play, Cabaret, I and You, Art, Bad Jews, The Seagull, Not I, Rockaby, Circle Mirror Transformation, and The Proposal. Greg has an MFA and PhD from the University of California, Irvine, and is an associate professor of theatre at the University of Denver. Big love and thanks to Courtney for making It sweet and worthwhile.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Artistic Leadership Team
Heather Lee Echeverria is elated to be back for her second summer in the Swan! Born and raised in Southern California, Heather Lee is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She is also a proud double anteater, having graduated with her MFA in Acting (2023) and BA in Drama (2020) at UCI. Some of her past credits include: Olga/Others in "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter," Portia in "Julius Caesar," Celia in "As You Like It," Mari in "The Sweetheart Deal," Juliet in "Romeo & Juliet," and she has served as Community Engagement Director for GRSF's community engagement project "All The Town's A Stage: A Winona Story." When she's not onstage you can find Heather Lee trying to find any excuse to go to Mexico to visit her family! She wants to thank all of her family and friends for their continuous support. Instagram: @forevverheather
Ian Booth is beyond excited to be working with New Swan for his first time. They have come to SoCal all the way from their home state of Colorado and are currently an undergrad at the University of California Irvine. In his limited free time he enjoys volunteering with local conservation efforts, enjoying time outdoors, and playing various board games.
Job Titles:
- Associate Sound Designer & Rehearsal CueLab Operator
Jayde Farmer is a third year undergraduate student at UCI, and this is their second year joining the New Swan team. Jayde has a passion for all things experimental design and will take any challenge you can throw at them. Jayde is super excited to work with an amazing team this summer!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- CTSA Costume Shop Manager
- Hair & Makeup Designer
Jenn is the Costume Shop Manager at UC Irvine, having recently moved here from Upstate NY. Her background includes shop management, wardrobe supervising, draping, stitching, and more. She loves being a part of an education platform to mentor students into professional careers. Jenn specializes in craft and dye work as well as hair and makeup design. Hobbies include painting, beach walks, seeing shows and trivia nights.
Job Titles:
- Production Stage Manager for "the Complete Works"
Jessie Bender graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Theater Arts and is currently pursuing her M.F.A in Stage Management at UC Irvine. After several years of acting, she made her stage managing debut in 2019 with the UCSC Barnstorm Theater Company as the Stage Manager for a new play development The Fifth Dimension: Inspired by the Twilight Zone. Since then she has stage managed several shows including: A Chorus Line (Assistant Stage Manager), Romeo and Juliet (Assistant Stage Manager), New Slate 2022 (Production Stage Manager), Cherry Wine in Paper Cups (Production Stage Manager). This is Jessie's first time with New Swan and is so excited to be a part of this incredible and funny show!
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Artistic Leadership Team
- Member of the NEW SWAN ARTISTIC TEAM
- Outreach Director
- Producer
- Production Coordinator
- Festival Production Coordinator
Jesús López Vargas (he/they) is a producer, director and visual artist for the performing and visual arts. They graduated with a MFA in Stage Management from UCI in 2021. While at UCI Jesús was honored as a Chancellor's Club Fellow, as a Public Impact Fellow, an Inclusive Excellence Ambassador Fellow, and has received multiple other fellowships that supported their research to heighten the representation of native voices from Latin America. Jesús continues to work freelance as a visual artist and photographer, collaborating with various artists and organizations.
Jesús López Vargas (he/they) is a producer, director and visual artist for the performing and visual arts. They graduated with a MFA in Stage Management from UCI in 2021. While at UCI Jesús was honored as a Chancellor's Club Fellow, as a Public Impact Fellow, an Inclusive Excellence Ambassador Fellow, and has received multiple other fellowships that supported their research to heighten the representation of native voices from Latin America. For the past 8 years, he has co-led MOON Collective producing culture-conscious media and performative works that challenge the public while providing training opportunities for young BIPOC practitioners of the visual and performing arts.
Jesús has worked closely with Eli Simon & the New Swan Shakespeare Festival as a manager and media coordinator since 2019. Most recently, Jesús has designed lights at the Dinant Creative Factory in Belgium, the University of Amsterdam, and Theatre Silco and also managed projects at the Lake Dillon Theater in Colorado and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in Maryland. To see more of their work, one can visit jelopez-stage.com
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
Job Titles:
- CTSA Electrics Supervisor
Joe is a husband and dad with a son, a daughter and 3 cats. Joe has 37 years of experience in Technical Theater, having worked for or with Manhattanville College Dance and Theater Department, Diavolo- Architecture in Motion , A Noise Within, California Stage and Lighting, Laguna Beach High School, and, for the last 16 years, UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Joe's primary off duty activities involve yardwork, but, when his muse inspires, has been known to create passable meals for his family. He has recently begun a new hobby involving plucking and strumming the strings of various acoustic instruments which has so far remained undefined.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Member of the NEW SWAN ARTISTIC TEAM
- Resident Dramaturge & Seminar Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Lighting Designer for "As You Like It" & "Julius Caesar"
Karyn D. Lawrence is an award-winning lighting designer based in Los Angeles. She is thrilled to be returning to her alma mater for her eighth season as the resident lighting designer for The New Swan Shakespeare Festival! Selected regional/local theater credits include South Coast Repertory, La Mirada Theatre, Center Theatre Group, East West Players, Boston Court Pasadena, Antaeus Theatre Company, Ebony Repertory Theatre, International City Theatre, and Arizona Broadway Theatre. In addition to theater, she is Radiance Lightworks' lead lighting designer for Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights each year. She currently teaches lighting design at California State University Los Angeles. Her work has also been seen in Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Stage Manager for "As You Like It"
I am a recent transfer student to UC Irvine and am working towards my B.A. in Drama. I love working backstage and am super interested in Stage Management. I also have danced for many years and I am still taking classes for fun!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Costume Designer
Job Titles:
- Costume Designer for "As You Like It"
Kathryn Poppen is a Los Angeles-based costume designer. She is an Associate Artist with theatre dybbuk. Credits include work with Center Theatre Group, South Coast Repertory, Atlantic Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Echo Theater Company, Bootleg Theater, Pasadena Playhouse and the Garry Marshall Theatre. She is the resident costume designer for the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. She holds a BFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Southern California.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Costume Designer / Production Team & Crew
Job Titles:
- Costume Designer for "Julius Caesar"
Kaylynn is a costume and makeup designer working throughout Orange county. She is delighted to be returning to New Swan Shakespeare Festival as Costume designer for Julius Caesar after acting as wardrobe supervisor during their 2019 festival. Her recent works include designing costumes for the University of California, Irvine's Department of Dance (New Slate, Dance Escape) and Department of Music (The Impresario) and Chapman University's Department of Drama (Freaky Friday: The Musical). She graduated from the California State University of Fullerton's Theatre Design and Production program with an MFA in Costume Design in 2019. She teaches Theatrical Makeup at Fullerton College and designs hair/wigs and makeup for their productions. Kaylynn also designs costumes and mentors student designers at Santa Ana College.
Job Titles:
- Production Stage Manager for "As You Like It" & Assistant Stage Manager for "Julius Caesar"
Logan Brubaker is a second-year grad student at UCI studying for an MFA in Stage Management. His true passion is working with kids and teens in theater. For the past ten years, Logan worked with Poison Apple Productions, a non-profit children's theater company in the Bay Area, as an actor, stage manager, and production coordinator. His goal is to one day work with iTheatrics to plan and run Junior Theater Festivals across the globe. His crowning achievement so far has been stage managing The West Coast Premier of Aaron Sorkin's Adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird at Azusa Pacific University. He would like to thank his mother, his fiancée, and all his closest friends for all their support for his theatrical aspirations. Beat the cat!
Job Titles:
- Production Stage Manager for "Julius Caesar" & Assistant Stage Manager for "As You Like It"
Lyla Rose Flashman is an alumni of the University of California Irvine MFA Stage Management program. This is their second season with the New Swan Shakespeare Festival and will be the PSM of Julius Caesar / ASM of AS You Like It. They are thrilled to continue collaborating with fellow artists at The Swan. Before show time you can find them running into the waves with their pal Sammie (AD of Complete Works).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
Job Titles:
- House Manager and Lighting Board Operator for "the Complete Works"
Maia is a current undergraduate drama major at UCI. She discovered her love of theatre in middle school, and has been involved in the arts ever since. Originally an actor, she now works within multiple tech disciplines, as well as acting, and is excited to see where a degree and career in the arts takes her! At UCI, she is in leadership for Brown Bag Theatre Company, UCI's Latinx student-run theatre company, and has worked with Brick Theatre Company, UCI's LGBTQ+ student-run theatre company. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, making music, video-editing, and cross-stitching.
Job Titles:
- NEW SWAN ADVISOR
- CTSA Drama Dept. Manager
- Drama Department Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
Michael K. Hooker (Composer) is honored to return to NSSF having previously composed for Comedy of Errors and Merchant of Venice along with many other shows directed by Eli Simon. On Broadway he designed Looped as well as the national tour. Regional sound design/composing credits include Oregon Shakespeare Festival, South Coast Rep, Arena Stage, Rep. Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pasadena Playhouse and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. He also works extensively in themed entertainment, having produced sound and music for many attractions around the world including six years as Senior Media Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering. Currently, he serves as UCI Drama Dept. faculty and head of the Sound Design MFA program.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Festival Fight Choreographer
- Fight Director
Michael Polak has been choreographing for NSSF since 2013. He has choreographed stage violence for South Coast Repertory, La Mirada Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, 3D-Theatricals, CSUF, Concordia University, UNLV, CSUB, and others as well. As an actor he has worked in New York Off-Broadway at the Mint Theatre and taught at the Shakespeare Lab at the Public Theatre. Regional Credits include: Pioneer Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare, A.C.T., Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Shakespeare Theatre, Playmaker's Rep, Ensemble Theatre Company, and Hartford Stage to name a few. His film and television credits include : BEL-AIR, 86 MELROSE AVENUE, THE CHRONICLES OF JESSICA WU, THE 5TH QUARTER, YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, ALL MY CHILDREN, GUIDING LIGHT, and most recently MID-CENTURY. He received his M.F.A. from Penn State University and B.A. from California State University, Fullerton. www.michaelpolakactorfd.com
Job Titles:
- Member of the Artistic Leadership Team
Miriam Mendoza is an El Paso, Texas native who graduated from UTEP with her BFA in Stage Management (2016). Miriam then moved to Southern California where she received her MFA in Stage Management from University of California, Irvine. She continues to work as an educator and stage manager in the greater Los Angeles area. She is also a Guest Talent Coordinator for Disney's Imagination Campus at the Disneyland Resort. Miriam has spent the last three seasons at New Swan as a Festival administrator, stage manager and box office manager. She is so excited to be back at the Swan for this tenth anniversary season!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Lighting Designer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- CTSA Prop Shop Supervisor
- Festival Props Master
- Props Master
Pam Marsden has been working in props for 20 years, freelance until finding a home as Props Supervisor for CTSA in 2013. The New Swan is always a highlight of the year. I fell in love with theater in the late1980s as an audience member and unexpectedly found a way to make it a career. The creative, collaborative, exciting, and challenging world of theater makes my heart sing!
Job Titles:
- CTSA Production Office Coordinator
Job Titles:
- NEW SWAN ADVISOR
- Emeritus Professor of Acting
Rojin Bolandbakht is a scenic design MFA at UC Irvine with a background in architecture from Iran and glad to be working here with everyone!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Design & Artistic Team
- Assistant Director for "the Complete Works" & Production Assistant, "As You Like It"
Sammie is thrilled to be back at New Swan this season as an AD! Most days, you will probably find Sammie palling around with Lyla (PSM) at the beach before it's time to set up the show. Sammie enjoys crocheting, making music, splashing around in beach waves, and finding delicious vegan food! If you have any recommendations, send them her way: @_samammie29_
Sarajane Bradford is a Los Angeles local and graduate of UC Irvine. This is her second year with New Swan Shakespeare festival and she is so happy to be back. Some of her past work includes: Julius Caesar, Silent Sky, Much Ado About Nothing, Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, and more. When she's not on the stage, she is teaching salsa, bachata, swing and wedding dances. Outside of work you can find her nose deep in a fantasy novel, exploring the beautiful outdoors, or hosting community events. She is so excited to be back and bring these exciting and important tales to life.
Job Titles:
- NEW SWAN ADVISOR
- CTSA Dean
Job Titles:
- Assistant Pre Production Coordinator
With her great interest in performing arts, Yae Eun Yoon has been involved with multiple educational and community theater productions since 2016. She joined New Swan for their 10th anniversary in 2022 season as a house manager assistant and is excited to be back for 2023 season as an assistant pre production coordinator. Outside of New Swan, she loves to shop for books, watch musical theater, and work on jigsaw puzzles.
Yvonne DiGirolamo is a recent graduate of Drama at UCI with a minor in creative writing and honors in music theater. She is thrilled to be an apart of New Swan this summer! Yvonne has studied drama in a variety of different places from New York City to Mazzano, Italy. From new work concerts, devised theater, and Shakespeare Yvonne has been in over 40 musicals and straight plays, and cannot wait to continue making art as she moves to New York City at the end of this summer. @dj.rolamo
Job Titles:
- Sir Andrew & Sea Captain / Duke Vincentio & Angelo
Zach is an actor, writer, and director based out of Los Angeles. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 2023 with a BFA in acting and a minor in dance, and he currently studies at Crash Acting. His most recent credits include Chris/Inspector Carter in The Play That Goes Wrong, Caliban in The Tempest, and Scratch in Witch, by Jen Silverman. Zach is also co-founder of Sonneteer Productions, a burgeoning new production company set on creating interesting new narrative films for the next generation. Zach would like to thank New Swan for the opportunity to collaborate on such fun and challenging projects.
Job Titles:
- Music Director for "As You Like It"
Zachary Dietz is an award-winning music director, conductor, and keyboardist. Broadway: Mrs. Doubtfire, Moulin Rouge, School of Rock, In the Heights, Beetlejuice, Wicked, The Lion King, Rock of Ages and others. Regional: In the Heights (Kennedy Center), Hands on a Hardbody (La Jolla Playhouse), Clueless: The Musical (Dodger Theatricals). New work: The Outsiders (Goodman Theatre), Dogfight (Lincoln Center), Children of Salt (NYMF Festival), Finn & Friends (Barrington Stage), Artist in Residence: NYU, Yale School of Drama, University of Cincinnati (CCM), and Troy University. He currently heads the MFA program in music direction at the University of California Irvine. Education: University of Cincinnati, University of Oregon. Love to E, A, L, and C.