BJ Angstadt (Leonora) is delighted to once again have the chance to perform one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies in the beautiful Goodell Gardens. You may remember her as Puck in a previous MCT/Goodell Gardens adventure – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. BJ would like to thank our fearless leaders, Sylvia and Brian Cagle, dramaturg Jim Bulman, and the entire super talented cast for such an amazing experience.

Janie Cassady (Beatrice) is thrilled to be a part of this production. She graduated from Penn State University in 2018 and works as a publication director for Newman Springs Publishing. Some of her favorite previous roles include Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Ernest, Kristine Linde in A Doll’s House, Beatrice Carbone in A View from the Bridge, and Veronica Novak in God of Carnage. She would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support.

Traci Andrews (Antonia) is excited and grateful to once again be part of a Shakespeare production at Goodell Gardens-one of her favorite places-with this incredibly talented cast and crew. You may have seen her in other plays such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Small Jokes About Monsters, The Dinner Party, Anne of Green Gables, and Woody Guthrie’s American Song.

Ahmaya Andrews (Margaret) is delighted to be playing Margaret, a character whose sarcasm was sooo difficult for them to truly capture. You may recognize them from previous roles such as Avery Vanderheit in Goldengrove, Charlie in Chaos At The Wedding, or as one of the co-creators/actors in Light In Odd Spaces. When not acting, they are studying English at Allegheny College, playing piano, or pulling weeds and planting flowers at Goodell Gardens. Ahmaya is especially happy to be in this show with friends old and new, as well as their mother, and their girlfriend, Anna.

Alix Hilburn (Ursula) After having participated in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Alix was eager to be once again cast by Sylvia as Ursula in Much Ado About Nothing. She is 20 years old and hopes to continue to pursue community theater as a hobby.

Greg Adsit (Don Pedro) is delighted to be back at Goodell Gardens for Much Ado About Nothing, having performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream a couple years ago in these picturesque gardens. Greg has been performing locally for over a decade in the Meadville area. Earlier favorite performances include Spamalot, Woody Guthrie’s American Song, and Pride and Prejudice. He is grateful to be sharing this beautiful “stage” and working with such a talented and dedicated cast and crew.

Chole A. Loose (Claudio) has been playing on the Meadville Community Theatre stage since he was only 8 years old. In the 14 years since, MCT has become his second home. You may recognize him from his roles in Heathers, Small Jokes About Monsters, or maybe you don’t recognize him at all. Regardless, he is thankful for all the opportunities this organization has given him to learn and hone his skill across all disciplines of the stage. With Meadville Community Theatre’s move from the Odd Fellows building to the Penny Smith Theater in Cussewago Square, Chole looks forward to the new opportunities this transition presents, and hopes that anyone who may be considering beginning or returning to their theatrical journey jumps in head first and never looks back.

Caleb McCarthy (Benedick) is delighted to join this cast and bring to life either the dumbest smart person or smartest dumb person that is Benedick. As a first time Shakespeare performer, Caleb would like to thank all of his cast mates who put so much effort into the show to realize the beautiful language of Much Ado. Their fearless leader, Sylvia, who painted a beautiful picture of this world and its characters. And their wonderful dramaturg, Jim, who spent countless hours breaking down the language barriers and deeper meanings and subtext of this beautifully crafted show. Caleb‘s prior experience includes several shows at the Franklin in Barrow Civic Theatre: Pride and Prejudice, Mousetrap, Black Coffee, and Crucible. They would love to invite the entire audience to sit back, enjoy the show, and remember in all things Shakespeare “There’s a double meaning in that.”

Michael Reed (Balthasar) Begrudgingly pulled into a play by his wife and type cast as the sarcastic minstrel, Michael makes his triumphant return to the MCT stage after an 8 year hiatus he used to focus on his family and business endeavors. He quickly became excited to play the role of Balthasar once he was introduced to his extremely supportive cast mates! Sigh no more for Michael is here!

Aaron Stine (Don John) is ecstatic to be back on stage with Meadville Community Theatre! After captivating audiences in high school and college performances, Aaron took a hiatus from the stage to focus on family, occasionally lending his talents to historical documentaries. Recent roles with MCT include the thought-provoking Small Jokes About Monsters and the delightful An Evening with Carol Burnett. This marks Aaron’s debut in performing Shakespeare, and he is eagerly embracing the challenge. He is profoundly grateful for the opportunity that MCT provides to pursue his passion and share his love for the stage.

Alex Cameron (Borachia) is new to the MCT theater and is very excited for the show. And cannot wait to see what they’ll do next!

Tonya Reed (Constance/Abbess) is excited to be back on stage with MCT, bringing two characters to life! You might have recently seen her as a protester in the MCT production Goldengrove, as well as in the Academy production of The Rocky Horror Show (Transylvanian). Tonya also did the costumes for the MCT’s play, Chaos at the Wedding, and made her very first introduction into theater with, A Doll’s House, in which she shared the experience with her daughter.

Eric Brockman (Dogberry) He is so right even when he is wrong! My character, Dogberry, is an irascible bloviate complicated by an inordinate number of malapropisms. Thus making him even more difficult to portray. So I am attempting to delight in what I couldn’t quite fully comprehend. Enjoy! Support your local theatres.

Anna Hyde (Verges) is anxious but excited to speak in front of a crowd in this production of Much Ado About Nothing. Previously, Anna has had limited experience in MTC, having a small background part in the play Goldengrove. Anna is happy to have worked with such a wonderful cast and crew to bring this production to fruition.

Vidal Mangal (Seacoal) is eager to embody Seacoal in MCT’s Much Ado About Nothing at Goodell Gardens! No stranger to the stage, they’ve performed in countless (at least 16) plays and musicals at both MCT and the Academy Theatre. They’ve even had the pleasuring of choreographing for MCT. When not at rehearsal, they can be found painting at Hatch Hollow or heard singing around town. Vidal invites you all to sit close, stir not, and enjoy the show!