With a name that conjures impressions of brawny strength and epic heroism, Lashs Beowulf subtly introduces us to a different sort of hero, locked in a different sort of battle. The title character, Beowulf, is a military doctor who has returned home from his time in the war. However, he is still plagued by agonizing choices made on the battlefield. Now as he is tasked with caring for his aging mother, Beowulfs past bleeds into his present. We see that an absence of conflict does not equal peace, and witness the result of the crushing burdens we place on our heroes. With a compassionate eye, Lash gently invites us to look at the struggle that many of our modern day heroes may face, be they teachers, military service members, or healthcare providers.After all, long after the fight is over, our heroes have to perpetually battle the monster within. Beowulf will be performed with a chamber ensemble at The Edge Off Broadway at 1133 W. Catalpa Ave from September 2nd through September 11th, 2022. Tickets will be available on our website in August.[CONTENT WARNING: This production uses flashing lights and references themes of war trauma, medical trauma, death, dying and mental health. Please reach out for a more detailed explanation.]
Cast and Creative team for Beowulf at The Edge Off Broadway
Cast
Michael Stewart Allen
Rogers
Is delighted to make his Florida Rep debut. Some recent credits from the last year include: Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing at The Shakespeare Theater on New Jersey, Tommy in Ironbound at Shaker Bridge Theater, Tydur in Child’s Christmas in Wales also at STNJ, Macbeth in Macbeth at Oklahoma Shakespeare and The Duke of Cornwall in King Lear at NY Classical. Other Credits include: The first National and International Broadway tour of War Horse with The National Theater of Great Britain. The past 20 seasons and multiple shows as a company member at The Shakespeare Theater of NJ. Two seasons as a company member at the Old Globe: King Lear, Madness of King George, Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, Amadeus, and Much Ado About Nothing. He has performed in theaters all across the country including Syracuse Stage, Indiana Rep. Oklahoma Shakespeare The Acting Company, Arkansas Rep, Delaware Rep, The Folger Theater, Playmakers Rep, Florida Studio Theater, Palm Beach Dramaworks and the PA and NC Shakespeare Festivals. He is a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill.
Jason Blackwater
Dr. Armstrong
hails from Brighton, England, and graduated from London’s acclaimed E15 Acting School, and is delighted to appear in back to back Florida Rep productions for the first time! He recently appeared as Larry in Closer (New Gen Theatrical) and earlier in 2022 appeared as Sammy in Blood Brothers and Sam Byck in Assassins (both for FTA). Other notable credits include the Golden Globe winning, and Academy Award Nominated, film, The Florida Project, The Waiter in First Date (The Abbey), Pastor Greg in Hand to God (Dr Philips), The Big Bopper in The Buddy Holly Story (UK Tour), Mr. Greenway in Elf and Mean Mr. Mustard in Beat Bugs (both Orlando Rep), Caleb Thorpe in Spitfire Grill (dir. David Lee) Dominic in Qualia (dir. Sara Oliva) and Big Davey in Billy Elliot (Garden Theatre). He could not be where he is today, literally or figuratively, without his ever supportive, and fiercely talented, Megan. @jblackwater.
Dana Brooke
Mrs. Rogers
is an actor and playwright based in NYC. She starred in the award-winning feature film Laura Gets A Cat (streamable on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Tubi), for which she won Best Actress at the 2017 Reno Tahoe International Film Festival. In New York, she has been featured in productions opposite Chita Rivera, Mike Birbiglia, Reed Birney, has worked multiple times with Arthur Laurents, and has performed with The Journey Company, Cardinal Group, The Lark, New Circle Theatre Company, and NYCFringe. Dana is a company member at B Street Theatre (co-founded by Timothy Busfield), where she has played lead roles in Constellations, Ironbound, Venus in Fur, Other Desert Cities, Last Train to Nibroc (Trilogy), The Realistic Joneses, Outside Mullingar, among others. Additional regional credits include George Street Playhouse, New Jersey Repertory Company, Cincinnati Playhouse, Florida Repertory Theatre, Playhouse on Park, Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and NNPN’s National Showcase of New Plays. Her television credits include FX’s Damages, NBC’s Ed, and Fox’s Canterbury’s Law.
Sam Crabtree
Fred Narracott
is a recent acting graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno making his Florida Rep debut. His recent productions include The Birds and The Village Postmaster (Thunder Bay Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival), and Into the Woods (SSPA). This season he will also appear in Florida Rep’s touring education shows Elephant and Piggie’s: We’re in a Play, Ella Enchanted, and Macbeth.
Ellyn Heald
Vera Claythorne
Previous: Sheila Birling An Inspector Calls (Florida Rep), Lady MacBeth Macbeth (Stairwell Theater, NYC), Titus Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare Forum, NYC) Phocion Triumph of Love (Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey), bass player in onstage rock band for Passing Strange (The Wilma, PA). Producer at Kernoforto Productions, occasional musician. More info at ellynheald.com
V Craig Heidenreich
General Mackenzie
Appeared at Florida Rep as Actor in The Woman in Black, Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls, Frank Butley in Native Gardens, Adolph Freitag in The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Juror Eight in Twelve Angry Men, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, and recently directed Damascus, Disgraced, Best of Enemies, and, for the PlayLab Festival, Echo Location. He also appeared in The Pitmen Painters for American Stage in St. Petersburg and directed Freak for the Urbanite in Sarasota. He has produced, directed, and/or performed in more than 250 professional productions throughout the country including: 15 seasons and more than 80 productions with Actors Theatre of Louisville, three seasons with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, two seasons with the Asolo in Florida, five with Shakespeare Santa Cruz in California, and three years as artistic director of the Complete Theatre Alliance and Infinite Space, as well as the first three seasons of the Banyan Theater in Sarasota—of which he is a founder.
William McNulty
William Blore
was last seen at Florida Rep as Arthur in An Inspector Calls. The bulk of his career has been with Actors Theatre of Louisville, dating back to 1976. With that company he has directed over 30 productions and acted in more than 150. He has also performed with other major theaters such as the Public Theatre in New York, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Arena Stage, and Milwaukee Rep. Representative roles include Jamie in Moon for the Misbegotten, Alceste in The Misanthrope, Charlie in The Foreigner, Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra, and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He is a 2009 recipient of the prestigious Theatre Communications Group Distinguished Artist Grant.
Sara Morsey
Emily Brent
last appeared at Florida Repertory Theatre as “Bib” in the world premiere of Audrey Cefaly’s Alabaster and then virtually as “Mrs. White” in Clue. Needless to say, she is overjoyed to appear again in person as “Daisy.” Other Florida Rep credits include Shear Madness, Dividing The Estate, The Little Foxes, The Year of Magical Thinking, The Last Romance, August: Osage County, Collected Stories, and her first show at Florida Rep, The Glass Menagerie. Sara has spent a lifetime in the regional theatre of America and has appeared at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and The National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Master of Fine Arts from The University of Louisville; Member, Actors’ Equity Association and SAG/ AFTRA www.saramorsey.com.
Seth Robert Patterson
Anthony Marston
Joining Florida Repertory Theatre for the first time, Seth is a recent Central Michigan University graduate where he studied musical theatre under the tutelage of Dr. Eric Tucker. Recent collegiate credits; The Last Five Years, Punk Rock, Fool For Love, and Little Shop of Horrors (Central Michigan Uni.). Recent regional credits include; Xanadu (Emerald Coast Theatre Company), Aida (Glow Lyric Theatre), and Classic Broadway (Glow Lyric Theatre). This season, Seth will appear in Elephant and Piggie’s: We’re in a Play, Ella Enchanted, and Macbeth with Florida Rep’s Education Department. To my people, I am forever grateful.
Peter Thomasson
Wargrave
is very happy to return to the Rep after a long absence. He last appeared as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Captain Keller in The Miracle Worker, and Judge Taylor in To Kill A Mockingbird. Recent appearances in his home of Asheville were as P.G. Wodehouse’s iconic butler, Jeeves, in Jeeves Intervenes & Jeeves Saves The Day at the North Carolina Stage Company. He also appeared at Flat Rock Playhouse in Separate Beds and Catch Me If You Can.
Seasn-Michael Wilkinson
Philip Lombard
is thrilled to be joining the cast and crew of And Then There Were None at Florida Repertory Theatre this season. He is originally from Southeastern Virginia, but has spent most of his adult life hustling around New York City as a student and actor and this is his first trip to Fort Myers. Previous theatre credits include: Fringe Deaths (Off-Broadway), Inherit the Wind (The Old Globe), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Old Globe), and The Merchant of Venice (The Old Globe) among others. Recent television credits include appearances on Blue Bloods (CBS), FBI (CBS), and Bull (CBS). Sean-Michael is a proud graduate of The Old Globe / University of San Diego M.F.A. Acting Program. A special thanks to the whole family back in Virginia for their undying support and Christopher Silveri of Center Stage Management for all of his hard work.
Creative Team
Eleanor Holdridge
Director
returns to Florida Rep after directing Into the Breeches! last season. Off-Broadway productions include world premieres of Selma ’65 (LaMaMa), Steve & Idi (Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre), and Cycling Past the Matterhorn (Clurman Theatre). Regional credits include World Premieres of Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Soprano (Alley Theatre), David Grimm’s adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, Meg Miroshnik’s FiCKLE: A Fancy French Farce, Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists (Cincinnati Playhouse), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Roundhouse Theatre) and I and You (Olney and Geva Theaters); Caleen Sinnette Jennings’ Queens Girl in the World (Theatre J) and Darius & Twig (Kennedy Center TYA), and Zorro(Constellaton Stage), which she co-wrote. She has directed twenty-four of Shakespeare’s plays. She is head of Directing and Chair of the Drama Department at the Catholic University of America.
Dennis Maulden
Scenic Designer
is delighted to be working with Florida Repertory Theatre again after having designed Into the Breeches! (2022) and Let’s Fall in Love (2021) and An Inspector Calls (2019). He has served since 1985 as the Resident Scene Designer at Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina where he also serves as Apprentice Administrator. He has headed design programs at the University of Florida and the University of South Carolina, where he also was Departmental Director of Graduate Studies. Maulden, a scene designer since 1970, has designed in other university, community, and regional theatres as well as in New York. In addition to a long list of theatre classics, he considers himself privileged to have designed many premiere productions of straight plays, musicals, and operas. He received his MFA in Design from UNC-Greensboro in 1977 and is a member of USA, NY Local #829.
Charlene Gross
Costume Designer
is thrilled to return to Florida Rep. Her costume designs for theatre, dance and opera have been seen on and off-Broadway in New York City, across the country, and on the West End of London. Theatre credits include the Ohio Light Opera, Cleveland Play House, Rattlestick Theatre, NYC Fringe Festival, The Flea, Eastman Opera Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, The Public Theatre (NYC), The Ingenuity Festival, Cleveland Museum of Art, and Centre Stage. Designs for dance include GroundWorks, Joyce SoHo, The Yard, The Juilliard School, Dance Space, and Kunningham Studios. She is an Assistant Professor of Costume Design at Penn State and proud member of USA Local 829.
Todd O. Wren
Lighting Design
Todd is delighted to participate in Florida Rep’s continued growth as an ensemble member. A special thanks goes to you, the audience, for your support. Todd’s theatrical credits include: Good Speed Musicals, Cleveland Playhouse, People’s Light and Opera Company, The Royal Manitoba Theatre Center, Merrimack Repertory, Barter Theatre, Tennessee Repertory, John F. Kennedy Center, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Charlotte Repertory, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Town and Gown Theatre, Casa Manana, and Flat Rock Playhouse. Todd is a member of United Scenic Artists, New York Local #829.
Katie Lowe
Sound Design
is happy to return as Resident Sound Designer for the 25th season! Previous credits include: Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Matilda, Spring Awakening, Disney’s Newsies (Sound Engineer, Florida Repertory Theatre), Maytag Virgin, Bulletproof Backpack, Every Brilliant Thing, Barefoot in the Park, Alabaster, An Inspector Calls, A Fox on the Fairway, Always…Patsy Cline, Romeo and Juliet, August Wilson’s Fences, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, Damascus, Steel Magnolias, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Refugee, (Sound Designer, Florida Repertory Theatre), Cabaret (Florida Repertory Theatre, A2), Million Dollar Quartet (Endstation Theatre Company, A2), Sense and Sensibility (University of Kentucky, Sound Designer). Katie would like to thank her parents and fiancé, Ben, for their endless support and love!
Janine Wochna
Stage Manager
is an ensemble member having most previously stage-managed Maytag Virgin, Morning After Grace, The Woman in Black, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, A Fox on the Fairway, Hay Fever, A Christmas Carol: The Tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Cabaret, and many others since 2005. Regional theatre credits include The Man of La Mancha and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Triad Stage, four seasons as Resident Stage Manager at the Geva Theatre, and 14 seasons at the Cleveland Play House. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.
Mary Ruth Knackstedt
Asst. Stage Manager
is excited to be working with Florida Rep for the first time! They grew up in Dallas, TX and started their stage management career at Dallas Theater Center (DTC) in 2019. She is most drawn to stories that connect communities and stimulate discussions. SM credits include: Big Scary Animals (Theatre Three), If Pretty Hurts (Jubilee Theatre), 10 Seconds (Dallas Children’s Theater). ASM credits: Trouble In Mind (DTC). PA credits: Our Town/Nuestro Pueblo, Cake Ladies, and As You Like It (DTC). She wants to thank her parents for their trust and faith in her, and Ruth E. Kramer for her guidance and mentorship.
SUBMIT UPDATES
Videos
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The Little Mermaid
Drury Lane Theatre (11/6 - 1/12) | |
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Disney's Frozen the Broadway Musical
Paramount Theatre (10/30 - 1/19) | |
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The King in Concert
Raue Center For The Arts (1/11 - 1/11) | |
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Harana
The Center at Governors State University (1/26 - 1/26) | |
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Minkowski Conducts
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (1/26 - 1/26) | |
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Teatro La Plaza's Hamlet
Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier (3/13 - 3/23) | |
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
James M. Nederlander Theatre (9/10 - 2/1) | |
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Women of the Night (Of a Certain Age)
The Lincoln Lodge (1/29 - 1/29) | |
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Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Cadillac Palace Theatre (4/2 - 4/20) | |
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The Wedding Singer
Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center (5/3 - 5/18) | |
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