Riverside Shakespeare Theatre Co.
Click any name to view individual Bio.
Maggie Murphy is excited to participate in this production of Much Ado. She began with Shakespearean productions in her hometown of Jefferson City and graduated from Lindenwood University. Since then, she's worked with Six Flags, The Rep, WEPG, and St. Louis Shakespeare, among other companies. Because she works for the State of MO full time, she would like to express sincere gratitude to her family and friends who have understood how busy she is, yet still encourage and love her (specifically, her parents, siblings, Anthony and George). She’s blessed with an incredible support network. Many thanks and much love.
Betsy has a BFA in Acting from Lindenwood University and made her debut into St. Louis theatre this past year as Miranda in St. Louis Shakespeare's "The Tempest," which earned her an outstanding supporting actress Kevin Kline nomination. She would like to thank her amazing family for always loving and supporting her dreams, no matter how far fetched they are and to the many people who touched her life at LU, you know who you are. Also a huge thank you her to amazing HUSBAND Aaron - your faith in me keeps me believing in big dreams. Es tevi milu.
Christina is thrilled to be back for her 2nd summer of Shakespeare in the Park with Riverside Shakespeare and now she gets to share the stage with her incredibly wonderful, talented husband, Mark!
Ms. Rios would like to thank: YOU, the audience - for supporting live theatre (the original 3-D entertainment), Suki - for believing that she could play a not-so-nice girl, Mark - for his unwavering love and support, and her amazing daughter, Sophia - for giving her blessing to Momma and Papa to audition for the show, but mostly, for being the best part of every day. Momma loves you, Monkey.
Laura Singleton is overjoyed to make her debut with Riverside Shakespeare with such an amazing cast and crew! Laura has a degree in theater from Missouri State University and has done two shows for First Run Theatre in the past two years. You may remember her as a 10-year-old tomboy in John Wolbers' "The Playing Ground," also directed by Suki Peters. Laura also has a small role in the film "Walther," set for release this fall. She gives thanks and glory to God for getting to do what she loves!
Keith Parker is a graduate of Lindenwood University with degrees in Music Performance and French. He's really thrilled to be in his first Riverside Shakespeare production, and to be associated with such a talented and able group of people! He also wishes he could articulate that in a less cliché manner. Favorite past productions include RENT (Angel, Mark), The Wild Party (Black), Scotland Road (John J. Astor), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas). Thanks, as always, go to Grandma for being my first agent. Mom, I likewise give most humble thanks.
Joshua Nash Payne is a senior at Lindenwood University pursuing two degrees, one in Dramaturgy, another in Theatre and a minor in Creative Writing. He works for the Jewish Community Center as an arts camp counselor. Originally from the west coast of Missouri, he has been doing shows here in St. Louis with St. Louis Shakespeare and Magic Smoking Monkey for the past three years. Some recent shows he has been in are The Laramie Project, Cyrano de Bergerac, A Christmas Carol, and The One Hour Star Wars: Live!.
Ethan is delighted to be making his debut with Riverside Shakespeare. His diverse repertoire includes: Walter Younger in A Raisin in the Sun, Elwood Dowd in Harvey, Prince Escalus in Romeo and Juliet, Don Baker in Butterflies are Free, Duke Solinus in The Comedy of Errors, Ed Anderson in Come Back Little Sheba, and many others. He has appeared locally in productions by Act II Theatre, Soundstage Productions, The Alpha Players, Center Stage Theatre, First Run Theatre, Mustard Seed Theatre, Floodstage Productions, Leavenworth Players, and St. Louis Shakespeare. He is overjoyed and honored to be a part this great ensemble. Ethan would like to thank Suki for choosing him to play this noble character, his wife Jackie for her love and support, and God for blessing him with these opportunities to perform. And thank you, the audience, for supporting live theatre.
Mark is happy to be making his debut with Riverside Shakespeare of St. Charles and to be doing another show with his amazing wife. He has had the pleasure of working with Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, Shadowbox Cabaret, Utah Musical Theatre, the Tibbits Opera House, and locally with St. Louis Shakespeare, the Black Cat Theatre, RS Theatrics, and the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. Eternal thanks to his family, his daughter Sophia, and last but always first, his Christina.
After What The Butler Saw finished its hilarious run, Brennan Eller was happy to jump into his third production under Suki's direction. This role is bittersweet in that it may well be his last in St. Louis for quite some time. The more notable roles from his high school theater career include Caldwell B. Cladwell in Urinetown: The Musical in his senior year at WGHS and Cinderella's fairy godfather in a Shrewsbury Community Theater production of Cinderella set in the 1950's. The past three years the St. Louis theater community have been thoroughly rewarding for Brennan, and he feels an enormous gratitude for the rare privilege that has been afforded him by working with the all of these fine seasoned professionals.
Paul Devine is very happy to be making his debut with Riverside. He was recently seen with St. Louis Shakespeare in The Taming of the Shrew, Treasure Island and Twelfth Night. Prior to a 20 year hiatus from the stage (to do the whole career thing), some of his favorite acting roles were with the Goldenrod Showboat, the Repertory Theater of St. Louis, The La Jolla Stage Company, The Lamb’s Player’s Theater of San Diego and Copper Mountain Summer Stage. But his all time favorite role is that of dad and grandpa to an amazing family! Thanks to Suki for letting him come out and play with his friends.
Summary of performance experience:
live stage, model and entertainer with Catwalk Fashion Entertainment, street performer at Lewis and Clark Heritage Days (Town Crier), St. Charles Christmas Traditions (Pere Noel, Magi), murder mystery dinner theatre with Main Course Productions, Murder on the Move, The Theatre Lab of Columbus, Ohio, The Royal Dumpe Dinner Theatre on Laclede's Landing, Christmas Season dinner shows at The Mother-in-Law House, St. Charles, training videos for the healthcare profession, special events Master of Ceremonies, Teaching Associate and Standard Patient with Saint Louis University and Washington University Medical Schools.
Skills:
public speaking, accordion player, singer (bass-tenor), dance, modeling.
Tom Lehmann (Borachio) is thrilled to be performing in his 5th Riverside Shakespeare performance. He recently played Marc in Art, and last summer played Demetrius in A Midsummer's Night Dream. Favorite roles include Vladimir in Waiting for Godot, Adam in The Shape Of Things, and Michael in Corleone: The Shakespearean Godfather. He will be appearing in a variety of roles in the NonProphet theater's production of Debbie Does Dallas The Musical this July. He would like to thank his friends, family, and cast and crew for supporting him and making this show great. Enjoy the show!
John Wolbers is delighted to work with Riverside Shakespeare for the first time. He holds a B.F.A in theatre from Southwestern University and is the Youth Theatre Coordinator for the JCC. In addition to acting and backstage work he has written or adapted shows for various companies including Macbeth for SATE, The Playing Ground for First Run and to date his favorite production The One Hour Lord of the Rings for Magic Smoking Monkey, co-written with his elven wife Elizabeth Henning. He works part time for the educational department of the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, and sends a big thank you to the cast, crew and the always fabulous Suki Peters. Much love and gratitude, Liza, for your unending faith and patience.
Ben Ritchie is pleased to be appearing for the first time with Riverside Shakespeare alongside so many talented people that he is fortunate enough to count among his close friends. Ben has been regularly appearing in theatrical productions all over St. Louis since his professional debut with the Shakespeare Festival in Forest Park in 2003's MacBeth. Other notable Shakespearean roles include Hortensio (The Taming of the Shrew), Cassio (Othello), Ross (MacBeth), Aeneas (Troilus & Cressida), Lysander (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Clown (A Winter's Tale), Octavius (Julius Caesar), and Richmond (Richard III). Personal highlights also include Le Bret (Cyrano de Bergerac), Serge (Art), Clifford Anderson (Deathtrap), Odysseus (Mary Zimmerman's The Odyssey), and achieving his lifelong dream of portraying Han Solo in Magic Smoking Monkey's One-Hour Star Wars Trilogy!! He would like to extend a special thanks to his mother for being all kinds of awesome, to Nicole for putting up with him, and to his director, Suki, whom he hopes he doesn't let down...because he has to appear with her soon after this closes in St. Louis Shakespeare's production of The Merry Wives of Windsor as her husband! Pray for him.
Jimmy will be entering is Senior year at Lindenwood University. He’s double majoring in Secondary Speech Education, while attaining his BFA in Stage Performance. He is more than excited to work with Riverside Shakespeare for the first time, and has had a blast with the cast and crew! Some of his most memorable roles at Lindenwood include Adam Trainsmith in Comic Potential, Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops To Conquer, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Martini in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and finally Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. However he has also dabbled in city productions like Magic Smoking Monkey’s One-Hour Star Wars Trilogy: LIVE!, and St. Louis Shakespeares Edward III. He’d like to thank everyone for coming out and enjoying themselves this evening for a night of theatrical revelry! Til next time!
Andrew made his St. Louis/St. Charles stage debut last year in Riverside Theatre Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His notable roles include Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd, and Charlie Davenport in Annie Get Your Gun. If you remember last year’s play bill, you will know that Andrew is a man of many faces and many, many, many words. This year in the interest of brevity, Andrew would just like to say that he truly enjoys the opportunity to work once again with so many fine people in providing a work of art that so many can enjoy.
Much Ado About Nothing Marks D Conrad's 4th production with Riverside Shakespeare. Whereas in previous shows D Conrad has acted exclusively, this year he is also working behind the scenes as one of the company's Festival Managers along with his esteemed colleague Dan "Mandingo" Allder. D Conrad is a graduate of Lindenwood University, earning his Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Acting in 2007.
Chuck Brinkley is very excited to be working with Suki Peters again and with all of the talented cast & crew gathered for this production. It has been many years since he performed Shakespeare in the park. Thanks to Suki, he has become active again in the St Louis Area and has enjoyed getting back out on the boards. He would like to thank his boys for their encouragement and especially the love of his life, Meg for taking a chance on an actor for a husband.
Suki Peters attended Lindenwood University for graduate studies in pursuit of her MFA (emphasis in directing). Having directed for numerous companies in both Los Angeles and St. Louis, some of her favorite projects include; A WINTER’S TALE/Los Angeles MET, THE PLAYING GROUND/First Run Theatre, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD/Over Due Theatre Company, and most recently, WHAT THE BUTLER SAW/Forest Park Community College. No stranger to the stage herself, this summer she will return to St. Louis Shakespeare to play Mistress Ford in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. You may have also seen Suki recently as Katherine in St. Louis Shakespeare’s TAMING OF THE SHREW, Legolas in Magic Smoking Monkey’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY-LIVE!, and Charlene for the 48-Hour Film Festival’s, BRICK FLICK (for which she won Best Leading Actress). Suki would like to thank an amazing Artistic Staff & Cast, Brian, Mom & Dad, the ‘Ado Crew’ and Monkeys for all of their talent, assistance and dedication that made this production possible.
Maggy Bort is pleased to be working with Riverside Shakespeare Theatre Company. She graduated from Webster University in 2007 and has worked with several companies in the St. Louis Metro area in a variety of different technical capacities. Some of which are: St. Louis Shakespeare, Echo Theatre, Citilites, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, St. Louis Actor’s Studio, Muddy Waters and The Orange Girls. She would like to thank, her parents, her loving partner Derik, and James for their love and support.
Beth Ashby is enjoying her second production as Costume Designer at Riverside Shakespeare. She graduated from Saint Louis University in 2008 as has been exploring costuming in St. Louis and St. Charles ever since. Her favorite productions include Lady in the Dark and A Year with Frog and Toad at Over Due Theatre, as well as her first show at Riverside, last year’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She would like to thank all the friends and family who have helped make this show possible, especially Lisa Drewel, and looks forward to meeting her first-ever niece sometime around opening night!
