"ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE...
"William Shakespeare - As You Like It
It may be true that all the world is a stage and that we are all merely playing our parts, but for two brief weekends each summer, we like to think of our world being here on Curtain Call's version of the Globe Theatre Stage.
It's hard to believe that it has been 23 years since we began presenting our annual outdoor program. We've been out here every summer. - including the summer of 2020 when, while we couldn't do a full-scale production due to pandemic restrictions, we still put together a program of Shakespearean scenes, monologues and songs from musicals inspired by the works of the Bard.
Many of you here tonight have been with us since the beginning, so thank you for your loyal support. Hundreds of actors, crew members, and other volunteers have contributed to making this program the success that it has been. Huge thanks to our sponsors, most importantly, Garden Homes Foundation.
For those of you who are wondering why our massive and beautiful 24-foot-tall set modeled after the Globe Theatre stage is missing, a freak wind event the morning of June 26, 2025 destroyed our 21-year-old home. We're still assessing options for the future: ideally, a permanent pavilion to house the stage would be amazing, but the costs are unknown at this time.
If you know of a business or foundation (or individual) that could contribute to our rebuilding fund...naming rights are available at $100,000. Please reach out to me at Lou@curtaincallinc.com.
I hope to see you here again soon and I really hope you'll consider becoming (or re-joining) us as Flex Pass subscribers. (Check out our 36th season listing in this program.)
Thanks so much and enjoy the show.
William Shakespeare's
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM!
Director
KYLE RUNESTAD
Set Design
PETER BARBIERI, JR.
Lighting Design
JAMIE LAJOIE
Costume Design
ROBIN MAZZOLA
Production Stage Manager
JAN URSONE
Producer
Lou Ursone
Theseus
Dan Murphy
Attendant
Rob Nichols
Philostrate
John Lazzara
Hippolyta
Allison Ziegler
Egeus
Jim Chiles
Demetrius
Josh Pickel
Lysander
Brian Lombardi
Hermia
Kate Clark
Helena
Angelica Bisagni
Peter Quince
Kat Burkard
Snug / Lion
Miranda Falk
Nick Bottom
Allon Borenshtein
Francis Flute / Thisbie
Riley Thomas
Snout / Wall
Em Pisarra
Robin Starvaling / Moonshine
Karina Brea
Oberon
David Tate
Titania
Olivia Lapine
Puck
Kristin Katz
Fairy
Laura Garafano
Fairy
Ashley Marcinek
Fairy
Megan Gorman
Fairy
Sadie Walker
Angelica Bisagni (Helena) Angelica is making her Shakespeare on the Green debut and first performance with Curtain Call. This is her second time doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, reprising the role of Helena. Her previous works include: Three Sisters, Annie, Twelfth Night, Oklahoma!, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Macbeth, Fiddler on the Roof, The Seagull, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Into the Woods.
Allon Borenshtein (Nick Bottom/Pyramus) Allon is excited to be returning to Curtain Call after making his debut in The Lion in Winter and is overjoyed to be performing in his favorite Shakespeare play as his dream role. He would like to thank his family, friends, and wife for all their support and inspiration. Notable acting credits from SUNY Purchase Rep Theatre include Bibles and Candy, Exit Strategy, Metamorphoses, and Bacchae of Euripides. Notable directing credits from Acton-Boxborough Regional High School include The Kentucky Cycle, The Foreigner, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Karina Brea (Robin Starveling/Moonshine) Karina is excited to brush off her inner English student and debut in her first Shakespeare summer on the Green. You may have seen her in various local companies as Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar (Fairfield Center Stage), a featured dancer in The SpongeBob Musical (Curtain Call), Kat in Mystic Pizza (Curtain Call), Carla (Nina u/s) in In the Heights (Downtown Cabaret Theater), and Crissy in Hair (Fairfield Center Stage) to name a few! Big thanks to all hands who made this happen, including Ms. Moon for shining on this beautiful night. Enjoy the show!
Kat Buckard (Peter Quince) Kat has been involved in theatre since she was a mere babe. In high school and college, she performed in both musicals and straight drama, including productions of As You Like It and A Comedy of Errors. She has also worked backstage and in the light booth at Curtain Call, ASMing Stephen King's Misery and spotlighting Mystic Pizza and Anastasia. Last summer, she made her Curtain Call debut as Curren in Shakespeare's King Lear. She is excited to be a Shakespearean once again!
Jim Chiles (Egeus) Jim is delighted to join the cast and crew of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has performed locally at Curtain Call, The Town Players of New Canaan and the Crystal Theater, Norwalk. At Curtain Call: The Tempest, Stephano; As You Like It, Duke Senior; The Taming of the Shrew, Pedant; Julius Caesar, Publius, Titinius; Romeo and Juliet, Peter, Apothocary; Much Ado About Nothing, Verges; The Diary of Ann Frank, Mr. Dussel; The Viewing Room, Chester Dumbrosky; Big River, Pap Finn; Scrooge the Musical, Mr. Fezziwig; Sweet Charity, Herman; 1776 Caesar Rodney; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Deputy. At TPNC: The Shawshank Redemption, Junior; Moonlight and Magnolias, Victor Fleming; The Cinderella Panto, Major Domo; The Beaux Stratagem, Gloss; At CTN: Requiem for a Heavyweight. Fighter #3/Ensemble
Kate Clark (Hermia) Kate is a New York native with a degree from Georgetown University in Theater and Performance Studies. Recently, she played Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest in New Canaan. Her favorite past times include various hobbies from the 19th century and annoying her beloved cat, Bolt. This is her second summer with the Shakespeare team at Curtain Call, following her much – beloved star turn as The First Messenger in King Lear last year. She is very grateful to have the opportunity to be both little and fierce with the best team imaginable.
Miranda Falk (Snug) This is Miranda’s fourth Shakespeare on the Green, and fifth show with Curtain Call, and she is very excited to be Snug! Previously, she has performed in The Tempest, The Mousetrap, The Taming of the Shrew, and King Lear. Many, many thanks to the cast and crew for another wonderful summer!
Lauren Garafano (Moth) Lauren is thrilled to make her Shakespeare on the Green debut! Most recently, she performed in the Norwalk Performing Art Lab’s The Vagina Monologues, Curtain Call’s Urinetown, Downtown Cabaret’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and Musicals At Richter’s The Little Mermaid and Evita. Other past performances include Mystic Pizza at Curtain Call plus Rent and Grease at the Wilton Playshop. During the day, she works as a pop culture editor at BuzzFeed and can most likely be found making quizzes, fangirling over her favorite TV shows, or interviewing famous people. She’s thankful for the support of her amazing friends and family because without them, none of this would be possible.
Megan Gorman (Mustardseed) Megan is thrilled to play Mustardseed in Midsummer Night’s Dream at Curtain Call. She made her theater debut last summer as a Servant in King Lear at Curtain Call.
Kristin Katz (Puck) Kristin is thrilled to be in her first Curtain Call production as Puck! Past theatre credits include Cuckoo (Dee) at Theatre Lab and The Tank, as well as Mr. Burns (Coleen/Lisa Simpson), Metamorphosis (Psyche), at Purchase Rep. She would love to thank her husband, friends, family, and the whole Curtain Call community for all of their love and support! @phoenixashphoenix
Olivia Lapine (Titania) Olivia has previously performed in Shakespeare on the Green’s King Lear as Regan, Romeo & Juliet as Juliet, and Julius Caesar as Lucius. She is very excited to be a part of this production and grateful to her family for their support.
John Lazzara (Philostrate) John is enchanted to join up as Philostrate in A Midsummer Night's Dream, his first Shakespeare production. In prior seasons, he has played a sailor in Anything Goes, ensemble in Fiddler on the Roof, and Peter in the Diary of Anne Frank. He thanks his Director Kyle, Jan, and the familiar faces and new friends in the cast. Welcome to the Violet-Crowned City!
Brian Lombardi (Lysander) Brian is thrilled to be back for his second Curtain Call show. He is a rising senior at Ball State University pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. He was last seen at Curtain Call as Jack in Into the Woods. Other performance credits include Once Upon a Mattress, Shrek, The Brementown Musicians, Kinky Boots, and Blood Wedding. Instagram: @its.really.brian
Ashley Marcinek (Cobweb) Ashley is excited to return to SOTG as Cobweb! Before this show, she has been in King Lear (Goneril), The Importance of Being Earnest (Jack), Taming of the Shrew (Tranio), George Washington Slept Here (Madge), The Diary of Anne Frank (Margot), and The Tempest (Spirit). Before that, Ashley was a prominent member of Marist Theatre at Marist College, working on multiple shows each season, both onstage and off. Some of her prominent credits from Marist range from Complete Works of William Shakespeare, How To Succeed In Business, Alice @ Wonderland, and Director of Marist Monologues: Stories Under the Stars.
Dan Murphy (Theseus) Previously seen at Curtain Call’s Shakespeare on the Green in King Lear (Edmund). Previous acting credits include: Terra Nova (Town Players New Canaan), Vintage Hitchcock: A Radio Play (WSHU 91.1 FM), Moon Over Buffalo (Town Players Newtown), Macbeth, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Avenue Q, No Sex Please We’re British, The Fantasticks, (SHU Theatre Arts). Offstage, Dan is an English teacher and writer. His plays have been staged in collegiate and local theater, as well as off-broadway new works festivals. Working with students, he is the director of “Joyful Noise!”, a high school improv comedy troupe.
Rob Nichols (Attendant) Rob is excited to be returning for his 17th year on the lawn. Rob's other Shakespeare roles include Gentleman in King Lear, Capulet in Romeo & Juliet, Casca in Julius Caesar, Stephano & Sebastian in The Tempest (not at the same time), Nym in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Vincentio in The Taming of the Shrew, Conrade in Much Ado About Nothing, Adam in The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) and many more. Rob would like to thank his lovely castmates, production team, and people born in July.
Josh Pickel (Demetrius) Josh is thrilled to be portraying Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Curtain Call. Previous theatrical and film credits include Abe (Young Artist Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film and an official 2019 Sundance Film Festival selection), The Wizard of Oz (Hunk/Scarecrow), The Mousetrap (Detective Sgt. Trotter), Hair (Claude), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), and The Taming of the Shrew (Grumio). Josh has studied acting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. Outside of acting, he enjoys writing and directing award-winning films, including Bonecrusher and Pagliacci, which earned him Young Artist Awards for Best Writer and Best Producer while still in high school. He hopes to continue building a career across both theatre and film and one day work with A24. Josh would like to thank his parents, friends, and everyone who has supported him through every step of his artistic journey.
Em Pisarra (Snout/Wall) Em is delighted to be doing their first Shakespeare since graduating from Baldwin Wallace with a BA in Theater with a focus in classical Acting. They made their triumphant return Curtain Call this season playing Penelope Penny wise in Urinetown. Last summer Em could be seen belting face as the female swing in Decades: 80’s Edition after completing their second season as part of the Theater for Young Audiences Company at the Downtown Cabaret. Favorite roles include Mother (Ragtime), Belladonna (Sleeping Beauty), Dragon (Shrek), Phoebe (As You Like It) and Joy (Santa Story 3). Emily is also a theater educator and producer working with schools throughout CT. Thank you to Lou, and the entire Curtain Call team. Love to the subjects of Pride Palace for their endless support.
David Michael Tate (Oberon) David is thrilled to rejoin the Shakespeare on the Green family. He most recently appeared at the DRT as Johnny in the New England premiere of A Jukebox For The Algonquin. Previous credits include a wide-range of comedic and dramatic performances such as Clue (Colonel Mustard), The Shawshank Redemption (Red), Of Mice And Men (Lenny), and Big River (Jim). David is particularly known for an acclaimed performance as Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy, and a number of other Shakespearean performances, including the title role in Othello. David dedicates this performance to his family, friends, fellow theater fans and everyone who supports Community Theater.
Riley Thomas (Francis Flute/Thisbee) Riley is an east coast writer/composer who occasionally dabbles in performing. His movie musical Stuck starring Giancarlo Esposito, Amy Madigan, and Ashanti played in theaters nationwide. He was the composer for the MS Phoenix Rising podcast with Playwrights Horizons. His musicals accumulated 7 accolades at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) including recognitions for book, music, and lyrics. His short films Trigger and Beast or Raven have played in festivals all over the world, with each earning at least one Audience Choice or Best Short Film award. Member of ASCAP and Dramatists Guild. www.rileythomaswriter.com
Sadie Walker (Peaseblossom) Sadie is beyond excited to make her Shakespeare on the Green debut in A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Some of her favorite past roles include: Fun Home (Helen), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Julia), Captain Darling (Wendy), The Pragmatists (Masculette), Rocky Horror (Janet), and Pride & Prejudice (Charlotte Lucas). When not on stage, she loves thrifting, creative writing, reading, and petting her cats, Milo and Pepper. She would love to thank her family and friends for believing in her. Thank you to everyone at Curtain Call for letting her be in this wonderful production! Break legs everyone - we got this!
Allison Ziegler (Hippolyta) Allie is so excited to be part of her first production at Curtain Call! A rising senior at Connecticut College, Allie is double majoring in Theater and Educational Studies with a personal focus in acting, directing, and producing. She recently returned home from studying physical theater at the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. Recent acting credits include Angie (The Prom), Anne Page (The Merry Wives of Windsor), and Human (Human + Robot). Allie would like to thank the cast and crew for all their hard work and dedication. Enjoy the show!
Producer
Lou Ursone
Director
Kyle Runestad
Set Design
Peter Barbieri, Jr.
Lighting Design
Jamie LaJoie
Costume Design
Robin Mazzola
Production Stage Manager
Jan Ursone
Technical Director
Meghan Connolly
Stage Mamagers
Martha Dombroski, John Zimmerman
Sound Effects
John Zimmerman
Line Coaches
Ruth Chiles, Martha Kramer
Production Assts
Olivia LaPine,Charly Peter, Chet Salit, Mark Silence
Peter Barbieri, Jr. (Set Design) Peter has been a theatre professional since 1979. He is our Associate Artistic Director and was the founding director of our outdoor, summer Shakespeare on the Green. Peter’s work has been seen both here and abroad. Broadway credits include technical direction of the Tony Award-winning revivals of Cabaret and A View From The Bridge. Overseas, his work was seen as far as Shanghai, China and he designed the sets for the Danish production of Cats. Peter directed our productions of Titanic, Twelve Angry Men, To Kill A Mockingbird, Macbeth, The Producers, A View From The Bridge and Romeo & Juliet. For many years, he was a member of Rehabilitation Through the Arts, a non-profit organization that works in the prison system of the State of NY. He directed their productions of Macbeth, Twelve Angry Men and their first musical, West Side Story in Sing Sing Prison. Peter and his wife, Julia, live in Fairfield with their son, Peter III.
Meghan Connolly (Technical Director) Meghan is thrilled to be starting her fifth year at Curtain Call! Graduate of AMDA with a concentration in Musical Theatre, has worked for Hudson Warehouse, Bucks County Playhouse, and numerous community theatres in multiple positions including Production Stage Manager, Scenic Designer, Scenic Carpenter, and Scenic Painter. Much love to her husband Jamie and daughter Savannah for all of their support and encouragement!
Martha Dombroski (Stage Manager) Martha is ecstatic to be back for another Summer on The Green. June marks her 10th anniversary with Curtain Call (9th SOG). Martha has performed onstage in City of Angels, Disney's Beauty and The Beast and Sister Act, Fiddler on the Roof and A Merry Mulberry Street Musical. In addition to performing on stage she has held served in various crew capacities; Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager and Props Mistress for the DRT, Kweskin, and Shakespeare on the Green productions. Many thanks to Lou, Kyle, Jan, John, Martha K, Robin, Meghan and Peter.
Martha Kramer (Assistant Stage Manager) Martha is thrilled to be back with the Shakespeare on the Green cast and crew. It may look easy, but they work hard to make the archaic language come alive every summer. Special thanks to Kyle, Jan, John, and Martha D. for this opportunity and to Sara, Julia, and John for their encouragement to get involved. Thank you to Lou Ursone for making Curtain Call both a leader in theater and a warm and welcoming community. Support local theater!
Jamie LaJoie (Light & Sound Design) Jamie started working in theatre in 2006 as a sound designer for The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope PA. After working with numerous different regional and equity theatres he was able to expand his skill sets to include master carpenter and lighting designer. Some of his favorite sound designs are Miss Saigon, Sweeney Todd, Tommy and Jekyll and Hyde (which he received a nomination for best Sound Designer for a musical). Some of his favorite lighting designs are Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Suessical the Musical, Jekyll and Hyde (Which he received a NEPTA award for best lighting design for a musical). All this knowledge has allowed him to be the Technical Director here at Curtain Call and couldn’t be happier to be here with such a wonderful group of people. As always a special thank you to my wife Meghan and my beautiful little girl Savannah. Daddy loves you.
Robin L. Mazzola (Costume Designer, Professional Creative. Amateur Fairy Godmother) Robin is excited to return to Shakespeare on the Green. She is a Professor/Costume Shop Manager for Wesleyan University, Middletown CT. She designs and builds costumes and clothing for theaters and individual clients by commission. Visit @RobinMazzolaCostumes on Instagram or robinmazzola.com for her latest creations.
Kyle Runestad (Director) Kyle is very excited to be back outside directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has been directing Shakespeare on the Green since 2015, and there is no better way to spend a summer! In addition to his summers on the Green, Kyle has also been known to show up elsewhere at Curtain Call during the year, most recently as King Henry II in The Lion in Winter. You may also have seen him as The Great and Powerful OZ in The Wizard of Oz, or as The Monster in Young Frankenstein,The Musical, as well as in several Shakespeare on the Green productions. Dedicated, as always, to Gwendolyn, Gabriel, and Zachary.
Jan Ursone (Production Stage Manager) Over the past several years, Jan has stage managed Guys and Dolls, Anastasia, White Christmas, Lion In Winter, Come From Away, King Lear, Anything Goes, Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Beautiful, It’s A Wonderful Life, and many more. Special thanks to John, Martha D, Martha K and Ruth - we make a great team!! Thank you to Louie for letting me have so much fun.
John Zimmerman (Stage Manager) John is once again thrilled to be working with Kyle, Jan, Jamie and the Marthas on the latest Shakespeare on the Green production. It is always an amazing experience, this year made more so by all the new members of our family. Thank you to the talented cast and fantastic production team for making this another memorable summer and to my wife, Martha (the first of the Marthas for me), for actively helping and indulging my obsession.
