Alex Brightwell

(Kostya) was born in West Virginia and raised in North Carolina. He earned his BFA from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. He was a Conservatory member for the 2018 and 2019 seasons at the Chautauqua Theater Company, where he played Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; more(Kostya) was born in West Virginia and raised in North Carolina. He earned his BFA from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. He was a Conservatory member for the 2018 and 2019 seasons at the Chautauqua Theater Company, where he played Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Alfie in One Man, Two Guvnors; Silvius in As You Like It; and Br’er Rabbit/Ratts in An Octoroon. Cleveland credits include the New Ground Theater Festival reading of Tiny Houses and the CWRU/CPH MFA productions of The Merchant of Venice, Hay Fever, The Seagull, and Fifth of July. He has also been seen at Yellow Tree Theater, Minnesota Jewish Theatre, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Public Theater of Minnesota, and the Guthrie Theater.

Conor Canning

(Medvedenko) was born and raised in Alford, Massachusetts. He is a 2016 graduate of Georgetown University where he majored in Political Economy and minored in Theater and Performance Studies. During his time in the CWRU/CPH MFA program, Conor has played Simon Bliss in Hay Fever, Medvenko in The Seagull, and more(Medvedenko) was born and raised in Alford, Massachusetts. He is a 2016 graduate of Georgetown University where he majored in Political Economy and minored in Theater and Performance Studies. During his time in the CWRU/CPH MFA program, Conor has played Simon Bliss in Hay Fever, Medvenko in The Seagull, and Jed Jenkins in Fifth of July. Other notable credits include playing Joe Cooper in Killer Joe, Stacey Kinsella in The Metal Children, and Angelo in Measure for Measure. Conor would like to thank his family for all their love and support as well as all members of the CWRU/CPH community who have offered their guidance, wisdom, and encouragement over the last three years.

Kasey Connolly

(Arkadina) came to the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program from New York City where she attended the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. While there, she focused primarily on classical texts and performed in Hamlet; Mother Courage; and an all-female, democratically directed production of Julius Caesar. Cleveland credits include understudy more(Arkadina) came to the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program from New York City where she attended the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. While there, she focused primarily on classical texts and performed in Hamlet; Mother Courage; and an all-female, democratically directed production of Julius Caesar. Cleveland credits include understudy for Maggie Dalton in Into the Breeches! and the New Ground Theatre Festival readings of Christina, Tiny Houses, and Cicada. Film credits include the upcoming independent shorts Apprehending Edmund Montrell and A Way Home. kaseyconnolly.com

Comfort Dolo

(Sorin) can't believe she's nearing the end of her CWRU/CPH adventure! She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and raised in friendly Fridley, Minnesota. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN with double majors in Honors Theatre and Communication Studies. Favorite credits include: To Kill a Mockingbird (The more(Sorin) can't believe she's nearing the end of her CWRU/CPH adventure! She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and raised in friendly Fridley, Minnesota. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN with double majors in Honors Theatre and Communication Studies. Favorite credits include: To Kill a Mockingbird (The Guthrie Theater), TOUCH, a remake of the 1984 Emmy Award winning film (Illusion Theater), and various commercials ranging from the Minnesota State Lottery to hand modeling for KeyBank. She recently made her Cleveland Play House debut in Into the Breeches! (Ida Green) while also understudying the role of Jasmine in Pipeline. CWRU/CPH Credits include: Sorel Bliss in Hay Fever, Sorin in The Seagull, and Shirley in Fifth of July. Naomi in Sugar (Phoenix Theater), Carlos Sirah’s The Utterances (The Playwright’s Center). She is a big fan of theatre for social justice, the German language, and gummy bears!

Gregory James

(Trigorin) is a Buffalo, NY native who received his B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from SUNY at Buffalo. Upon graduating he spent six years working in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Cleveland sketch comedy duo Flamingo City and is a sketch writing student of Michael Busch. Stage credits more(Trigorin) is a Buffalo, NY native who received his B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from SUNY at Buffalo. Upon graduating he spent six years working in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Cleveland sketch comedy duo Flamingo City and is a sketch writing student of Michael Busch. Stage credits include Lucio in Measure for Measure, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and Brooke in Little Women (Oberlin Summer Theater Festival); Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, David in Hay Fever, Trigorin in The Seagull, and John in Fifth of July (CWRU/CPH). LA theatre credits include Summer and Smoke, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Lend Me a Tenor (Actors Co-Op Theatre Hollywood), and Some Girl(s) (LA Fringe). Gregory was a founding member of the Whitefire Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Film credits include Jilted for Glamour Magazine, Slow Clap Comedy, and the Actors Co-Op Series, The Fur is Gone. GregoryJamesActing.com @GregoryJamesActing

Abdul Seidu

(Dorn) graduated summa cum laude from Kent State with a BA in Theatre Arts. He has recently been seen in the CRSHD world premiere in the Tribeca Film Festival and the CWRU/CPH MFA productions of Hay Fever, The Seagull, and Fifth of July.
more(Dorn) graduated summa cum laude from Kent State with a BA in Theatre Arts. He has recently been seen in the CRSHD world premiere in the Tribeca Film Festival and the CWRU/CPH MFA productions of Hay Fever, The Seagull, and Fifth of July.

Courtney Stennett

(Masha) is a native of Eagle, Idaho. She graduated with her BFA in Performance from Baylor University. Prior to making the move to Cleveland, Courtney enjoyed living and performing in Chicago. She most recently appeared onstage at Cleveland Play House in Into the Breeches! She spent the summer at more(Masha) is a native of Eagle, Idaho. She graduated with her BFA in Performance from Baylor University. Prior to making the move to Cleveland, Courtney enjoyed living and performing in Chicago. She most recently appeared onstage at Cleveland Play House in Into the Breeches! She spent the summer at Chautauqua Theatre Company in One Man, Two Guvnors; A Midsummer Night's Dream; and in the New Play Workshop production of Agent 355. She has been seen in the CWRU/CPH productions of Hay Fever as Judith Bliss, The Seagull as Masha, and Fifth of July as Sally Friedman. Summer of 2018 she appeared internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Call of the Void. Additional recent professional credits include Agnes of God (Aleatoric Theatre), A Little Princess (Windy City Music Theatre), and Seminar (Spartan Theatre Company). Courtney is delighted and humbled to be working toward her MFA in the CWRU/CPH Acting program and thrilled to be part of this ensemble!

Elisabeth Yancey

(Nina)

recently made her Cleveland Play House debut as Grace Richards in Into the Breeches!. Other credits with CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program include The Merchant of Venice, Hay Fever, The Seagull, and Fifth of July. Internationally, Elisabeth performed at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the world premiere of Call

Donald Carrier

(Interim Director of CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, T) recently directed Fifth of July, Clybourne Park, The Misanthrope, Shaw’s Too True to Be Good, and The Violins of Hope for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program; as well as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Seminar and Really Really (Beck Center for the more(Interim Director of CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, T) recently directed Fifth of July, Clybourne Park, The Misanthrope, Shaw’s Too True to Be Good, and The Violins of Hope for the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program; as well as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Seminar and Really Really (Beck Center for the Arts), and Becky Shaw (Dobama Theatre). Selected directing credits include: The Crucible, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Alms, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Habeas Corpus, The Pirates of Penzance, and Oh! What a Lovely War. He has appeared at Cleveland Play House in Shakespeare in Love; All the Way; Luna Gale; The Crucible; The Little Foxes; Yentl; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; Ten Chimneys; Noises Off; andLincolnesque. Regional credits include: The Old Globe, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater, The Studio Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Wilma Theater, The Huntington Theatre, The Intiman Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He spent nine seasons at the Stratford Festival and two seasons at the Shaw Festival. Television/film: Guns, The Time Traveler’s Wife, The Passion of Ayn Rand, and Dead by Monday. Don is a proud Lunt/Fontanne Fellow. Upcoming- Directing As You Like It for the CWRU Department of Theatre's Eldred Season and Othello at the Texas Shakespeare Festival.

Laura Kepley

(Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House) became Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House in 2013 and has directed numerous CPH mainstage productions including Every Brilliant Thing; Into the Breeches!; Tiny Houses (world premiere, also at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Sweat; The Diary of Anne Frank; Shakespeare in Love; The more(Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House) became Artistic Director of Cleveland Play House in 2013 and has directed numerous CPH mainstage productions including Every Brilliant Thing; Into the Breeches!; Tiny Houses (world premiere, also at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Sweat; The Diary of Anne Frank; Shakespeare in Love; The Crucible; Steel Magnolias; The Good Peaches (world premiere); Fairfield (world premiere); How I Learned to Drive (also at Syracuse Stage); The Little Foxes; Venus in Fur; Good People (also at Syracuse Stage); A Carol for Cleveland (world premiere); In the Next Room, or the vibrator play; My Name is Asher Lev and CPH readings of Roe Green Award-winning plays Tiny Houses; The Chinese Lady; Soups, Stews and Casseroles: 1976; Marjorie Prime and Daphne’s Dive. She joined CPH in 2010, having arrived from Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island where she was Resident Director and Artistic Associate for four seasons and Interim Director of the Brown/Trinity Rep M.F.A. in Directing Program for one. She has also directed for The Alliance Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Chautauqua Theater Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, among others. A native Ohioan, Laura received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her Master of Fine Arts from Brown University/Trinity Rep. She is a Drama League Fellow and a recipient of the 2009-2011 National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communications Group Career Development Program for Directors.

Jerrold Scott

(Chair of CWRU Department of Theater) is Katharine Bakeless Nason Professor of Theater at Case Western Reserve University where he teaches directing, classical acting, and speech and dialects, and also serves as Artistic Director of the Eldred Theater. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, he has directed She Stoops to more(Chair of CWRU Department of Theater) is Katharine Bakeless Nason Professor of Theater at Case Western Reserve University where he teaches directing, classical acting, and speech and dialects, and also serves as Artistic Director of the Eldred Theater. For the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program, he has directed She Stoops to Conquer, The Philadelphia Story, Present Laughter, Heartbreak House, The Real Thing, and performed in As You Like It. Jerrold has directed 15 productions at Eldred Theater including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other local directing credits include A Doll’s House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Polish Joke (Beck Center for the Arts); As You Like It (Cleveland Shakespeare Festival); and A Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Weathervane Playhouse in Akron). Prior to his CWRU appointment, he worked as a director, actor, and educator in Washington, DC. He has taught at George Mason University, The Catholic University of America, and served a visiting lectureship at The Ohio State University. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from the University of South Carolina/The Shakespeare Theatre, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh, and pursued further study in classical performance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Jerrold is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and an associate member of SDC.