George Brant

(Playwright) locally produced plays include Grounded (CPH, Dobama), Marie and Rosetta (CPH), Grizzly Mama (Dobama), Salvage (none too fragile), and Elephant’s Graveyard (Parma Senior High School). Other plays include Tender Age, The Mourners’ Bench, Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile, One Hand Clapping, Any Other Name, Night of the more(Playwright) locally produced plays include Grounded (CPH, Dobama), Marie and Rosetta (CPH), Grizzly Mama (Dobama), Salvage (none too fragile), and Elephant’s Graveyard (Parma Senior High School). Other plays include Tender Age, The Mourners’ Bench, Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile, One Hand Clapping, Any Other Name, Night of the Mime, and Dark Room. His work has been produced internationally by such companies as the Public Theater, the Atlantic Theater Company, Trinity Repertory Company, Alley Theatre, City Theatre, London’s Gate Theatre, Page 73, Studio Theatre, and the Traverse Theatre, among others. His scripts have been awarded a Lucille Lortel Award, an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, the Smith Prize, the Keene Prize for Literature, an NNPN Rolling World Premiere, a Scotsman Fringe First Award, an Off-West End Theatre Award, three Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards, a Creative Workforce Fellowship and the Theatre Netto Festival Grand Prize. Brant has received writing fellowships from the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, the McCarter Theatre Center, the MacDowell Colony, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program and the Blue Mountain Center, as well as commissions from the Metropolitan Opera, Trinity Repertory and Dobama Theatre. George received his MFA in Writing from the James A. Michener Center for Writers at UT-Austin and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and is published by Samuel French, Oberon Books, and Smith & Kraus. He is proud to call Cleveland home.

Alex Brightwell

(Understudy: Stuart Lasker) 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 more(Understudy: Stuart Lasker) 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.

Kasey Connolly

(Understudy: Maggie Dalton) 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 more(Understudy: Maggie Dalton) 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

(Ida Green) 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 more(Ida Green) 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!

Peggy Roeder

(Winifred Snow) earned her Equity Union Card at the Cleveland Play House four decades ago. She appeared at CPH in Butterflies Are Free, The Removalists, Hamlet, In Fashion, and other shows. Since then, she has worked at Steppenwolf (The Dresser), Goodman (Landscape of the Body), Mark Taper Forum (The Cider more(Winifred Snow) earned her Equity Union Card at the Cleveland Play House four decades ago. She appeared at CPH in Butterflies Are Free, The Removalists, Hamlet, In Fashion, and other shows. Since then, she has worked at Steppenwolf (The Dresser), Goodman (Landscape of the Body), Mark Taper Forum (The Cider House Rules), Asolo Rep (Grapes of Wrath), Atlantic Theatre Co. (The Cider House Rules), Milwaukee Rep (Clean House), Chicago Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet), The Muny of St Louis (Wizard of Oz), Peninsula Players (Outside Mullingar), Marriott Lincolnshire (Gypsy), and many other theatres. Film and TV credits include Groundhog Day, Road To Perdition, Were the World Mine, Stranger Than Fiction, Star Trek:DS9, and Law & Order. Her work has garnered five Jeff Awards, three Artisan Awards, and two After Dark Awards.

Brian Sills

(Stuart Lasker) previous Cleveland Play House credits include Eric Coble’s Fairfield and Around The World In 80 Days. Brian also hosted the Copacabana, the annual CPH gala this year. Off-Broadway credits include: The Machine (Park Avenue Armory), Prurience (The Guggenheim), The First Annual Trump Family Special (Triad Theatre). London: The more(Stuart Lasker) previous Cleveland Play House credits include Eric Coble’s Fairfield and Around The World In 80 Days. Brian also hosted the Copacabana, the annual CPH gala this year. Off-Broadway credits include: The Machine (Park Avenue Armory), Prurience (The Guggenheim), The First Annual Trump Family Special (Triad Theatre). London: The Machine (Donmar Warehouse). National US Tour: The Lion King (original cast). Select Regional Theatre credits include: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Bay Street Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre. Television credits include: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Elementary, Blue Bloods, Crashing, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mr. Robot, and the upcoming Lifetime holiday TV movie Twinkle All The Way. Film credits include: Bikini Moon, Baby On Board, Nothing Like The Holidays, Rocky Marciano. A graduate of The Ryerson Theatre School at Ryerson University in Toronto, Brian currently resides in New York City.

Tina Stafford

(Celeste Fielding) is thrilled to be back at CPH! She was last seen as Queen Elizabeth and the Nurse in Shakespeare in Love, toured through Cleveland with Once First National Tour, and Jolson, and appeared at Willoughby Fine Arts with Liz Swados’ Missionaries. She has played leading roles at Arena more(Celeste Fielding) is thrilled to be back at CPH! She was last seen as Queen Elizabeth and the Nurse in Shakespeare in Love, toured through Cleveland with Once First National Tour, and Jolson, and appeared at Willoughby Fine Arts with Liz Swados’ Missionaries. She has played leading roles at Arena Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Milwaukee Rep, Paper Mill Playhouse, Kansas City Rep, Goodspeed Musicals, La Jolla Playhouse, Denver Center, Westport Country Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, the Maine, Texas and Utah Shakespeare Festivals, and she’s done many interesting Off-Broadway shows you’ve never heard of. All My Children fans may remember Ms. Stafford as Erica Kane’s gruff but loveable prison guard, Slim. Proud Equity member.

Courtney Stennett

(June Bennett) 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 more(June Bennett) 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!

Nisi Sturgis

(Maggie Dalton) is delighted to be back in Cleveland! CPH first welcomed her as Mrs. Giving in In the Next Room, or the vibrator play. In 2017, she returned to play 14 characters in Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Her extensive regional credits include, Doubt, Pride more(Maggie Dalton) is delighted to be back in Cleveland! CPH first welcomed her as Mrs. Giving in In the Next Room, or the vibrator play. In 2017, she returned to play 14 characters in Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Her extensive regional credits include, Doubt, Pride and Prejudice, You Can’t Take It With You, Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Denver Center); A Doll’s House, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Life of Riley, Pentecost, Much Ado About Nothing, Pericles (The Old Globe); A Streetcar Named Desire, Arms and the Man, Our Town, Trelawny of the Wells (Shakespeare Theatre NJ); Failure: A Love Story, Macbeth, Cymbeline, As You Like It, Ceasar, (ISF); Disgraced tour at the Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Rep., and Seattle Rep. (BATA award). On Broadway, she appeared as The Woman in 39 Steps. Some Off-Broadway credits include Intimate Apparel and The Pretty Trap. She loves Shakespeare, roles across the country include: Hermione, Titania, Lady Macbeth, Viola, the Nurse, Mark Antony and Jaques. MFA from The Old Globe Theatre. Recurring role as June Thompson for five seasons in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. She is an Assistant Professor of Acting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jeff Talbott

(Ellsworth Snow) is full of Christmas cheer and happy to be back sharing it with his family at CPH after opening the season in Into the Breeches! He has been on Broadway (Sly Fox, Fortune’s Fool); Off-Broadway (Abundance, Such Good Friends, Home of the Brave); and has extensive regional credits, more(Ellsworth Snow) is full of Christmas cheer and happy to be back sharing it with his family at CPH after opening the season in Into the Breeches! He has been on Broadway (Sly Fox, Fortune’s Fool); Off-Broadway (Abundance, Such Good Friends, Home of the Brave); and has extensive regional credits, including his most recent: the regional premiere of Oslo. Other regional credits: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Odd Couple, Race, circle mirror transformation, Frost/Nixon, and Doubt at theatres including Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Pioneer Theatre Company, Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, and Yale Repertory Theatre, among many others. He has been on film (Julie & Julia) and TV (The Blacklist, Orange is the New Black, Unforgettable, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, all the Law & Orders, One Life to Live, and As the World Turns). As a writer, his plays include The Submission (Laurents/Hatcher Award, Outer Critics Circle’s John Gassner Award; off-Broadway at MCC Theater); The Gravedigger’s Lullaby (Off-Broadway at TACT); i (Pioneer Theatre Company) and Civics and Humanities for Non-Majors (commissioned and produced by Montclair State University). He writes musicals with composer Will Van Dyke. They have written Imagine Harry, Wintersong, Seven Broken Hearts, and The Circle and the Wheel. They have also released an EP of their songs called A View of the River (available on iTunes). Jeff is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. jefftalbott.com

Elisabeth Yancey

(Grace Richards)

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

Laura Kepley

(Director) 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 more(Director) 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.