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February 27 - March 9, 2013 , The Helen

CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program

Identity Theft

Seven Lives Filtered Through the Ideas of August Strindberg

Written and assembled by Anders Cato and The Graduate Ensemble of 2014
Texts by August Strindberg
Translated by Anders Cato
Directed by Anders Cato

Run time: approx. 90 minutes, no intermission

“Who am I?” The question every person examines at least once in their lives. Director Anders Cato (Red, Crime and Punishment) returns to Cleveland Play House to work for the first time with the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program Graduate Ensemble as they explore this universal uncertainty. Using the works of daring playwright August Strindberg as inspiration, these seven young actors examine their own contemporary life experiences in this original piece and break open our preconceived notions of who we are.

Photos & Videos Download Hi Res Photos

From left: Therese Anderberg, Stephen Spencer, Drew Derek, TJ Gainley, Sarah Kinsey, Bernard Bygott and Christa Hinckley in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: TJ Gainley, Christa Hinckley, Sarah Kinsey, Stephen Spencer, Bernard Bygott and Therese Anderberg in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: TJ Gainley, Christa Hinckley, Therese Anderberg and Sarah Kinsey in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Stephen Spencer and TJ Gainley in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Sarah Kinsey and Christa Hinckley in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Stephen Spencer, Bernard Bygott, Therese Anderberg, TJ Gainley and Christa Hinckley in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Sarah Kinsey, Bernard Bygott and TJ Gainley in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Christa Hinckley, Stephen Spencer and Sarah Kinsey in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Therese Anderberg, Stephen Spencer, Sarah Kinsey, TJ Gainley, Christa Hinckley, Bernard Bygott and Drew Derek in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

From left: Therese Anderberg, Stephen Spencer, Sarah Kinsey, TJ Gainley, Christa Hinckley, Bernard Bygott and Drew Derek in the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program production of Identity Theft directed by Anders Cato, in The Helen at PlayhouseSquare, February 27

Artists

Therese Anderberg

Therese Anderberg

(Ensemble) Therese appeared at Cleveland Play House as Hadass in Yentl and Sally in the world premiere production of Eric Coble’s A Carol for Cleveland. She also performed in CPH’s Roe Green Award-winning reading of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Daphne’s Dive. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, she appeared in more(Ensemble) Therese appeared at Cleveland Play House as Hadass in Yentl and Sally in the world premiere production of Eric Coble’s A Carol for Cleveland. She also performed in CPH’s Roe Green Award-winning reading of Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Daphne’s Dive. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, she appeared in Twelfth Night (Viola), The Misanthrope (Célimène), In Arabia We’d All Be Kings (DeMaris) and the ensemble-created Identity Theft. Other credits include a special performance of So Far from God at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Good Death, created in collaboration with Tectonic Theatre Project at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Anderberg received her BA in Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University, where credits include As You Like It and See What I Wanna See. She is the co-recipient of the 2012 Oldenburg MFA Scholarship.

Bernard Bygott

Bernard Bygott

(Ensemble) recently portrayed both Antipholus twins in The Comedy of Errors and Posthumus in Cymbeline for Ohio Shakespeare Festival. His performances at Cleveland Play House include Clybourne Park, Yentl, A Carol for Cleveland, Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, and The Fagin Effect (reading). He has appeared in CWRU/CPH MFA more(Ensemble) recently portrayed both Antipholus twins in The Comedy of Errors and Posthumus in Cymbeline for Ohio Shakespeare Festival. His performances at Cleveland Play House include Clybourne Park, Yentl, A Carol for Cleveland, Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, and The Fagin Effect (reading). He has appeared in CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program productions of Twelfth Night, Identity Theft, The Misanthrope and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings. Bygott originated the role of Calandrino in the opera Decameron at Prince Music Theater. Additional credits include American Shakespeare Center ('Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Comedy of Errors, All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and others); Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival; Theater For The New City; Northern New England Repertory Theater Company; Quintessence Theatre Group; Storybook Musical Theatre; Ko Festival of Performance; Mum Puppettheatre; Glimmerglass Opera; International Opera Theater (Italy and U.S.); and The Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center. His Bachelor of Arts is from Amherst College, and he is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Anders Cato

Anders Cato

(Director/Playwright/Translator) directed Red,Crime and Punishment and I am My Own Wife for Cleveland Play House and is excited to work with the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program for the first time. He has directed extensively in New York and at many leading regional theatres in the United States. His work more(Director/Playwright/Translator) directed Red,Crime and Punishment and I am My Own Wife for Cleveland Play House and is excited to work with the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program for the first time. He has directed extensively in New York and at many leading regional theatres in the United States. His work has been seen at the Alley Theatre, American Repertory Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Magic Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, La MaMa E.T.C, 7 Stages Theatre, George Street Playhouse and A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle. He directed Beckett’s Text for Nothing at The Royal Court Theatre in London and When the World was Green at Moscow Art Theatre. He has translated, adapted and directed plays by Strindberg and Ibsen. At Berkshire Theatre Festival he has directed 16 productions, including plays by Moliere, Williams, Mamet and Shaw. He collaborated with Joseph Chaikin for over ten years and worked closely with some of America’s finest playwrights: Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Sam Shepard, Maria Irene Fornes, Craig Lucas, Beth Henley and Doug Wright. He is a proud member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Presently, he is working on a film called Three Months.

Drew Derek

Drew Derek

(Ensemble) Drew recently appeared in Cleveland Play House’s Production of Yentl as Zelig , and the CPH/CWRU Acting Program productions of Twelfth Night as Duke Orsino; Identity Theft as a member of the ensemble; The Misanthrope as Acaste and Dubois; and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings as Charlie, more(Ensemble) Drew recently appeared in Cleveland Play House’s Production of Yentl as Zelig , and the CPH/CWRU Acting Program productions of Twelfth Night as Duke Orsino; Identity Theft as a member of the ensemble; The Misanthrope as Acaste and Dubois; and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings as Charlie, Man #2, and a Holy Roller. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from The State University of New York at Buffalo. Along with a number of acting credits in Buffalo — including Irish Classical Theatre Company, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, and The Jewish Repertory Theatre— and New York City, he also performed at the International Theatre Institute in Romania. He has worked with the New World Performance Laboratory in Chieti, Italy, and in Amelia, Italy at the famous Cienci Laboratory. He has written and directed at Manhattan Repertory Theatre on West 42nd and 8th.

TJ Gainley

TJ Gainley

(Ensemble) recently appeared in Cleveland Play House’s production of Yentl as well as the New Ground Theatre Festival’s Becoming Liv Ullmann. His CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include Twelfth Night as Malvolio, Identity Theft, The Misanthrope as Oronte, In Arabia We’d All Be Kingsas Sammy and Vic, Present Laughter more(Ensemble) recently appeared in Cleveland Play House’s production of Yentl as well as the New Ground Theatre Festival’s Becoming Liv Ullmann. His CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include Twelfth Night as Malvolio, Identity Theft, The Misanthrope as Oronte, In Arabia We’d All Be Kingsas Sammy and Vic, Present Laughter as Fred, An Orchard as The Stranger, and As You Like It as Adam and Silvius. This year he also appeared as Jason in scenes from Wit, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Margaret Edson, at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner College of Medicine. Previous credits in the region include Tartuffe as Tartuffe, Much Ado About Nothing as Benedick, The Philadelphia Story and The Cure at Troy, as well as Heracles in Alcestis at the British American Dramatic Academy in London. He also performs improvisational comedy.

Sarah Kinsey

Sarah Kinsey

(Ensemble) has performed at Cleveland Play House in Yentl (Pesha), in a staged reading of Dustin Lance Black’s 8, readings of Informed Consent and The Fagin Effect, as well as understudying and performing the role Mother in A Christmas Story. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include Twelfth Night, Identity more(Ensemble) has performed at Cleveland Play House in Yentl (Pesha), in a staged reading of Dustin Lance Black’s 8, readings of Informed Consent and The Fagin Effect, as well as understudying and performing the role Mother in A Christmas Story. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include Twelfth Night, Identity Theft, The Misanthrope and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings. In Chicago area she has performed at Theatre at the Center, Theatre Wit, Collaboraction, Metropolis, Noble Fool, Timeline Theatre Company, and as actor/co-producer in Tallgrass Gothic and The Typographer's Dream with her company 5th Floor Productions. Part of Actors Theatre of Louisville's apprentice company, Kinsey appeared in The Ruby Sunrise and Fast and Loose (Humana Festival), and apprentice productions of Balm in Gilead (Darlene), and 22 Stories High(created with Bronx-based Universes). Kinsey received her Bachelor of Music in Voice Theatre, University of CO-Boulder. A proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA, she recently appeared in the feature film Jenny's Wedding.

Christa Meyers

Christa Meyers

(Ensemble) Christa most recently appeared in the Cleveland Play House’s production of Yentl, shortly after taking the stage as Vanda in the understudy performance of CPH’s Venus in Fur. Other recent productions include the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program’s production of Twelfth Night (Olivia) and Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival’s Light more(Ensemble) Christa most recently appeared in the Cleveland Play House’s production of Yentl, shortly after taking the stage as Vanda in the understudy performance of CPH’s Venus in Fur. Other recent productions include the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program’s production of Twelfth Night (Olivia) and Oberlin Summer Theatre Festival’s Light up the Sky (Irene). Also at Cleveland Play House, Christa went on — with only four hours of rehearsal — for the lead role of Gillian in last season’s production of Bell, Book and Candle to great acclaim. Further CWRU/CPH MFA production appearances include Identity Theft (Tekla/herself), The Misanthrope (Arsinoe) and In Arabia We’d All Be Kings (Chickie). Raised in Dallas, Christa received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, English, and Linguistics from Dartmouth College. Additional theatre studies include conservatory training at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center’s National Theater Institute and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Favorite regional theatre roles are Catherine in Proof, Sheila in Hair, and Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. Other professional acting work includes New York Musical Theatre Festival, New York Theatre Workshop, and Disney's Theater of the Stars.

Stephen Michael Spencer

Stephen Michael Spencer

(Ensemble) Regional credits: Yentl, A Carol for Cleveland, and Every Good Boy Deserves Favor at Cleveland Play House, Tartuffe at Triad Stage and The Tempest at NC Shakespeare Festival. Stephen spent the past two summers as a conservatory member at Chautauqua Theatre Company appearing in Clybourne Park, Comedy of more(Ensemble) Regional credits: Yentl, A Carol for Cleveland, and Every Good Boy Deserves Favor at Cleveland Play House, Tartuffe at Triad Stage and The Tempest at NC Shakespeare Festival. Stephen spent the past two summers as a conservatory member at Chautauqua Theatre Company appearing in Clybourne Park, Comedy of Errors and As You Like It. CPH’s New Ground Theatre Festival credits include readings of Marjorie Prime (by 2013 Roe Green Award winner Jordan Harrison) and The Fagin Effect. CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program credits include Twelfth Night(Feste), The Misanthrope (Alceste), In Arabia We'd All Be Kings(Skank) and Identity Theft. He’s a North Carolina native and toured the East Coast with NC Theatre for Young People as MC Dog in Go, Dog, Go! Spencer received his B.F.A in Acting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a proud co-recipient of the 2012 Oldenburg MFA scholarship.

Michael Boll

(Lighting Designer) is a Cleveland-based Lighting Designer. His Cleveland Play House designs include Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Pipeline, Native Gardens, An Iliad, The Invisible Hand, The Good Peaches, The Little Foxes, Venus in Fur, Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, In the Next Room or the more(Lighting Designer) is a Cleveland-based Lighting Designer. His Cleveland Play House designs include Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, Pipeline, Native Gardens, An Iliad, The Invisible Hand, The Good Peaches, The Little Foxes, Venus in Fur, Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, In the Next Room or the vibrator play, and Stew and the Negro Problem. Productions with the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program include Macbeth, Metamorphoses, The Winter's Tale, An Orchard, and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. Other Cleveland lighting design work includes Cleveland Public Theatre, Karamu House, Cain Park, Cleveland Museum of Art, Dobama Theatre and Beck Center for the Arts. Off-Broadway credits include The Moliere Cycle (Classic Stage Company), Songs for a New World (George Street Playhouse), Dog Sees God (SoHo Playhouse) and The Moonlight Room (Associate Lighting Designer, Beckett Theatre). His work has also been seen at the N.Y. Fringe Festival, La MaMa E.T.C., HERE Arts Center, and Yale Cabaret.

Jill Davis

(Scenic Designer) Scenic Designer) Professional set design: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chautauqua Theater Company); Chez Feydeau (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London); Marjorie Prime, The Mystery of Love and Sex, Belleville, Time Stands Still, and Grizzly Mama (Dobama Theater); and A Doll’s House (The American Stage Theater more(Scenic Designer) Scenic Designer) Professional set design: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chautauqua Theater Company); Chez Feydeau (The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London); Marjorie Prime, The Mystery of Love and Sex, Belleville, Time Stands Still, and Grizzly Mama (Dobama Theater); and A Doll’s House (The American Stage Theater Company). Set designs for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program include The Seagull, Macbeth, Clybourne Park, Too True to Be Good, Identity Theft, Present Laughter, An Orchard, and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. Set designs for CWRU undergraduate productions include Uncle Vanya; Urinetown; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jill is an Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University and Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer for the Department of Theater. As the Charge Scenic Artist at Cleveland Play House 2001-2011, she was in charge of painting the sets for over 100 productions. Jilldavisscenicdesign.com.

Carolyn Dickey

(Costume Designer) is currently in her twenty-third season at Cleveland Play House where she is the assistant costume shop manager. Dickey recently designed costumes for CPH’s New Ground Theatre Festival production with The Cleveland Orchestra of Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, having also designed for many productions in CPH’s more(Costume Designer) is currently in her twenty-third season at Cleveland Play House where she is the assistant costume shop manager. Dickey recently designed costumes for CPH’s New Ground Theatre Festival production with The Cleveland Orchestra of Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, having also designed for many productions in CPH’s Theatre for Children series including The Little Mermaid, Huck Finn, A Jewel of a Tale, The Emperor’s Groovy New Clothes, Bunnicula, Wind in the Willows, Balto, and John Henry. Other credits include Dobama Theatre, Cleveland School of the Arts, Cleveland SignStage Theatre, Ohio Light Opera, Cleveland’s Lyric Opera Company, Shakespeare & Company, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, Cleveland-San Jose Ballet, and The Bang and The Clatter.

R.J. Hetman

(Sound Designer) previously worked at Cleveland Play House as a sound technician on The Whipping Man. Hetman’s sound designs includeRagtime, Oklahoma, Legally Blonde, Our Town, Hair, and The Mousetrap at the New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire. Audio Engineering credits include Annie at Beck Center for the Arts more(Sound Designer) previously worked at Cleveland Play House as a sound technician on The Whipping Man. Hetman’s sound designs includeRagtime, Oklahoma, Legally Blonde, Our Town, Hair, and The Mousetrap at the New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire. Audio Engineering credits include Annie at Beck Center for the Arts and Pippin at Cain Park.

Brittany Lanahan

(Stage Manager) was most recently production assistant forThe Whipping Man at Cleveland Play House, where she also assisted with My Name is Asher Lev, The Little Mermaid, This Wonderful Life, The Kite Runnerand The 39 Steps. Lanahan has worked at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights as assistant stage manager more(Stage Manager) was most recently production assistant forThe Whipping Man at Cleveland Play House, where she also assisted with My Name is Asher Lev, The Little Mermaid, This Wonderful Life, The Kite Runnerand The 39 Steps. Lanahan has worked at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights as assistant stage manager for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetand run crew member for Avenue Q. A lover of travel, she spent seven months at sea in 2011 – 2012, working in the theatre onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas. Lanahan stage managed The Pillowmanand You Can’t Take It with You at her alma mater Allegheny College, from which she has a Bachelor of Arts in French. Other credits include productions at Solon Center for the Arts from 2003 to 2006. In the spring, she will be production assistant for Rich Girl at CPH.

Amanda Piccirillo

(Production Assistant) has worked for Cleveland Play House off and on as a crew member since 2007. Her many CPH credits includeA Carol for Cleveland (world premiere), Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot (world premiere), Around the World in 80 Days, A Christmas Story, A Raisin in the Sun,Heaven's My more(Production Assistant) has worked for Cleveland Play House off and on as a crew member since 2007. Her many CPH credits includeA Carol for Cleveland (world premiere), Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot (world premiere), Around the World in 80 Days, A Christmas Story, A Raisin in the Sun,Heaven's My Destination (world premiere), The Glass Menagerie and Arcadia. She also serves as an Artist in Residence at Cleveland School of the Arts.

Cyrus C. Taylor

(Dean of CWRU College of Arts and Sciences) is the Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics at Case Western Reserve University. He joined the CWRU faculty in 1988. He has been a member of the Faculty Senate and served as chair of the Senate's Budget Committee, as well as more(Dean of CWRU College of Arts and Sciences) is the Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics at Case Western Reserve University. He joined the CWRU faculty in 1988. He has been a member of the Faculty Senate and served as chair of the Senate's Budget Committee, as well as a member of the SAGES Implementation Task Force. He was a member of the Steering Committee of the Academic Careers in Engineering & Science (ACES) program at CWRU, the first private university to be funded by the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program to promote full participation of women at all levels of faculty and academic leadership. Dr. Taylor earned his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A former Truman Scholar, Lilly Foundation Teaching Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow, he has published more than 60 papers and given more than 70 invited talks. Taylor has worked in theoretical and experimental high-energy physics, serving as co-spokesman of the MiniMax collaboration (FNAL T-864) at Fermilab and as co-spokesperson of the FELIX collaboration at CERN. He created and directed the Physics Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), which he helped expand into the now internationally known Science Technology and Entrepreneurship Program (STEP) at CWRU. In 2002 he was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society for providing a new paradigm for graduate education in physics through creation of a Physics Entrepreneurship Master's Program and in 2003 was awarded the Price Institute Innovative Entrepreneurship Educators Award.

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