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Much Ado About Nothing
Written By William Shakespeare
Directed by Art Suskin and Karen O’Baker Porter
All good things must come to an end.
As the curtain closes on Much Ado About Nothing, GCA
would like to thank everyone involved behind the scenes!
Directors: Art Suskin and Karen O'Baker Porter
Stage Manager: Brittany Bizub
Costumer: Anne Grey
Musicians: Winn Douglass and Emily Polcyn
Choreographer: Sarah Durham
Production Photographer: Chloe Porter
Videographer: Lace Williamson
Crew: Ryan Davis and Maddy Dingeldein
Props: Erik Katko
And a special thanks to the Geauga Park District
for the use of their beautiful performance spaces!
Photo Gallery
Meet the Cast
Winn Douglass (Sexton) - Winn has been seen in 7 plays at Geauga Lyric Theater Guild. The most recent productions there were Mousetrap, Deathtrap and Sweeney Todd. This is his second production with Geauga Center for the Arts. He is excited to be working “Live on Stage” again after 2 ½ years. It is such a challenge to memorize Shakespeare's lines and make them understandable to modern audiences. Hope this goes well and we don’t get rained out!
Katelyn Coddington (Borachio & Messengers) - Katelyn would like to thank the directors, stage managers, and cast for this fun-filled first foray into the world of theater. Extremely special thanks to Beatrice, Leonato, Benedick, Don Pedro, and especially her beloved Antonio for all of the support in this adventure. Enjoy the show!
Sarah Durham (Don John & Seacoal) - Sarah is a graduate of The University of Kentucky and Wright State University with a Master's degree in Arts Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Theater, Sarah has been directing, choreographing, and performing for more than twenty years. Her favorite performance credits include Eva Peron in Evita, Louise in Gypsy, Martha in The Secret Garden, Bianca in Kiss Me Kate, and Gloria, in Damn Yankees. Her absolute favorite credit is her five years of being the drama director for Brecksville Broadview Heights Middle School.
Maria Guardino Schreiner (Hero) - Maria is an actor from Cleveland, OH, who is currently based in New York. She has worked with Great Lakes Theatre, the Stratford Theatre Festival, and Dobama Theatre as an actor, instructor, and administrative assistant. In 2019, Maria won first-place in the ESU’s National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center. She trained at the British American Drama Academy and is currently pursuing a BA in Theatre Performance at Sarah Lawrence College. www.mariaguardino.com
Jocelyn Kilpatrick (Dogberry) - Jocelyn is returning to the stage after a 17-year hiatus. During that time, she has been teaching and directing at Madison High School where she works as an English teacher. Past credits not only include acting, but also stage managing, assistant directing, and working on backstage crew. Some of her favorite roles are Josephine in Little Women and Nurse Foster in Out of Order. She would like to thank Geauga Center for the Arts for giving her a chance to “tread the boards” again!
Josh Hewitt (Antonio) - Usually found in the booth behind a sound board, this is Josh’s first time on the stage since the third grade. Josh is a technical support engineer who enjoys hiking, crafting, and gaming of all kinds with his friends and fiancée who conspired to convince him to join them in this production. Josh thanks them dearly.
Katherine Kimes (Don Pedro) - Katherine is delighted to be working with the Geauga Center for the Arts in her first Shakespeare performance! Her past shows include Shrek The Musical and The Great Gatsby. She would like to thank the cast and crew of Much Ado for being an absolute joy to work with, and her theater family for being kind, supportive, and entirely bonkers.
Lauren Koleszar (Margaret) - Lauren was last seen on stage as Louise in The Underpants (Western Reserve Playhouse), and performs at the Alice Bar in Downtown Cleveland. She acted as Viola in Twelfth Night (Geauga Center for the Arts), and feels excited and nostalgic to now be performing as Margaret again, which was her first Shakespeare role back in high school— at the same park, too! Favorite past stage credits include Shelby in Steel Magnolias (Fine Arts Association), Nina in The Seagull (Western Reserve Playhouse), and Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (Brecksville Theater). She has her B.A. in English Literature and Film and wants to thank the cast and crew for their energy and positivity.
Celine Kowall (Conrade & Ursula) - This is Celine's first show with GCA; she previously appeared with Geauga Lyric Theater Guild as Fred Narracott in And Then There Were None in 2014, and as Miss Casewell in The Mousetrap in 2019. She recently appeared in a murder mystery comedy show at Pickwick & Frolic and she'll be appearing in another again in fall, 2022! She hopes everyone enjoys this wonderful Shakespeare show in the great outdoors!!
Alex Maxwell (Leonato) - Alex has been attached at the hip to the Geauga theater community since 2016. You may have nightmares about his appearance as Victor the Dressmaker in Diana The Musical or as a cross-dressing prisoner in a birthday revue of Cell Block Tango. You may have also seen him in the company of his wife during numerous productions and events in and around the greater Geauga County area. Paroled for moderate behavior by the Fowl Overlords of Existence Syndicate, he is appreciative of this opportunity to escape the egg fields.
Hannah Maxwell (Beatrice) - Hannah has deeply enjoyed being a part of this fantastic cast. Beatrice is a long-held dream, and Hannah would like to thank the directors for casting her and giving her the opportunity to inhabit her favorite Shakespeare character. Thank you to her husband Alex for tolerating all this Shakespeare, Lace for all the glorious banter, and to the rest of the cast, old friends and new. It was an absolute pleasure. Enjoy the show, and may it be "as merry as the day is long"!
Emily Polcyn (Claudio) - Emily is a senior BFA Acting major at Baldwin Wallace University. Recent BW credits include Twelfth Night (Viola), Everybody (Love), and Men on Boats (John Sumner u/s). This summer, she can also be seen as Hamlet in Frantic Theatre Company’s production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, running July 7-10. Special thanks to her family and her classmates for their support.
Jules Ringler (Friar Francis & Verges) - Jules Ringler (she/her) is excited to make her return to the stage as Verges/Friar Francis. She is currently studying Acting and Directing at Baldwin Wallace University. Here, Jules has the opportunity to work on productions including Maestra: the Musical (Director), Achilles and Patroclus (Director), and Radium Girls (Assistant Director). Jules is excited for her next big project coming this fall, Boeing Boeing (Director). She hopes you enjoy the show!
Lace Williamson (Benedick) - Lace is excited to be portraying Benedick in GCA's production of Much Ado About Nothing! He most recently portrayed George Wilson in GLTG's production of The Great Gatsby, as well as Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me! and Pinocchio in Shrek. He would like to thank the cast, crew, friends, and family for making his time in theater an overwhelmingly positive experience. Enjoy the show!
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