Festival Actors

Joe Atack

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Joe Atack is the Educational Director for the Nevada Shakespeare Company and has been the workshop leader for the InterACT program in partnership with the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Atack trained as an actor at the Arden School of Theatre in the UK and since graduating has worked most extensively in theatre performing in several shows around the UK for the internationally acclaimed Artizani Street Theatre Company.

Ian Bedford

Richard III

Regional credits include the title role in Macbeth at Orlando Shakespeare, The Beaux Stratagem and Richard III at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, Our Town at La Jolla Playhouse, Richard III and As You Like It at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the title role in Henry V at both Pennsylvania and Marin Shakespeare, and three seasons with the Utah Shakespearean Festival. New York credits include Flags at 59E59 Theaters, among others. On television, Ian recurs on Law & Order: S.V.U. Bedford earned his M.F.A. from UC San Diego and his B.A. from Yale.

Jodi Bluestein

CAMBIO, Richard III

Jodi could not be more thrilled to be a part of this amazing company! Theatre first entered her life at about six-years-old, when she realized the acoustics in the shower made for a great performance space. Favorite credits include Evita (Eva Peron), Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), Urinetown (Pennywise), Hair (Sheila), and Pippin (Fastrada). HUGE thanks to Mommy and Dad, all friends and family for their undying support, especially Feef (my awesome best friend/YouTube salsa lesson partner), Stefanie, Jan, and everyone else at LTSF for this unbelievable opportunity.

Carter Nelson Brown

CAMBIO, Richard III

This is 12-year-old Carter's professional acting debut! Carter has been a regular active participant in the wonderful drama program at Sage Ridge School in Reno. He just completed 7th Grade, is a school ambassador, and consistently achieves the Headmaster's List for academics. His favorite subjects are math, science and Latin. Carter also plays guitar and is especially fond of 70's classic rock music.

Diane Ciesla

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Diane Ciesla has performed off-broadway and regionally: Great Expectations (Lucille Lortel), The Bird Sanctuary (Alabama Shakespeare, Pittsburgh Public), String of Pearls (Playmakers), Mount Allegro (GeVa), Doubt (Riverside), Lost in Yonkers (Tour), Macbeth, Importance of Being Earnest to name a few. Television and Film: All My Children, Guiding Light, Law & Order, Under New Management. 

Steve Coniglio

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Steve Coniglio is a graduate of theater arts from Foothill College in California and continued his studies at the Herbert Berghof Studios in New York City. He also has produced several Tahoe-Truckee High School productions. In 2000, Steve was proclaimed Truckee's Official Town Bard by the Truckee Town Council.

Rayme Cornell

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Rayme has recently joined the Performance Faculty at UNLV. Rayme received her B.A. from UNLV and her MFA in Acting from the University of Missouri Kansas City in association with the Missouri Repertory Theatre. She is the host of the national award winning PBS show Real Moms, Real Stories, Real Savvy. She has worked in film television, Off Broadway and with some of the nations most prestigious Regional Theatres.

Kevin Craig

CAMBIO, Richard III

Kevin Craig, originally from Buffalo New York, received his BFA in Theater Studies from Niagara University this May. Performance credits include Angels of the Half Moon (Ed), Colloquial Theater's Buffalo premiere of subUrbia (Buff), and many more. He was Buddy Fidler in City of Angels at the Lancaster Opera House in New York.

Patrick DeSantis

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Patrick DeSantis has done numerous roles in regional theatres and Shakespeare Festivals around the country including Malcolm in Macbeth, Maximillian in Candide, and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. DeSantis has also appeared frequently on concert stages nationwide and has over 50 TV commercials to his credit. His Film/TV appearances include Payback, Nitti, Frasier, Cheers, General Hospital and many more.

Karen Donathan

CAMBIO

Karen began performing with TMCC in 2003 where she was given the wonderful opportunity to begin choreographing for Children's Theater. In 2005 she began studying choreography and dance with Diane Rugg, who has inspired her to follow her creative spirit. Karen is so excited and thankful to be a part of LTSF for the first time!

Ariel Estrada

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Ariel Estrada's performance credits include Engineer, Miss Saigon; John, Taking a Chance on America (Ellis Island Museum Theatre); Minik, 90 North, (Kennedy Center); Speed, Two Gentleman of Verona, (CO Shakespeare Festival) and much more. His television and film credits include One Life to Live and Another World.

Blake Feldman

Richard III

Blake Feldman is an actor and singer, and student at Pine Middle School in Reno. He appeared in Tahoe Player's Seussical and has appeared in several Missoula Children's Theater plays and more. His first taste of "Broadway" came with an appearance as a guest speller in The Twenty-fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Circle in the Square in New York.

John Frederick

CAMBIO

A Lake Tahoe native, John Frederick's began acting with Tahoe Mountain Musicals before moving onto Chico State University. After, he moved to Seattle where he performed in a local rock band, modeled and acted. Frederick then moved to Reno and has been performing in musicals, modeling and acting in local commercials.

Bernadette Garcia

CAMBIO

Bernadette has performed in numerous theatrical productions in Reno and the L.A. area. Favorite roles include Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (Nevada Repertory Company) and Carol in Weird Romance (TMCC Performing Arts). Classically-trained in ballet and piano, you may recognize her from Southwest Airlines commercials or as a spokes model for Dove Hair Care in Cosmopolitan, Marie-Claire and Harper's Bazaar. With loving family and friends, she truly believes that she is the luckiest girl in the world!

Michael Garland

A Midsummer Night's Dream, CAMBIO

Michael Garland is a native of Reno and Sparks. He attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York City where he graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Theater Performance. He toured nationally with National Theater for Arts and Education doing many shows, including The Outsiders where he played Johnny.

Floyd Harden

CAMBIO, Richard III

Floyd Harden has worked at numerous theatres in Southern California and in the greater Sacramento area. Most recently, he performed in The King and I at Sierra Repertory Theatre in Sonora. While in Los Angeles, Floyd acted in independent films, studied improvisation with The Second City and was head writer for Tilted Television, a sketch comedy pilot.

Jillian Lindig

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Jillian Lindig's lifelong love of The Bard was instilled by renowned director-Shakespeare scholar Ben Iden Payne, who encouraged Lindig to learn 154 sonnets for her work in As You Like It and Othello.A veteran of Broadway, national tours and resident theaters from The Asolo Repertory to the Long Wharf , in roles spanning Chekov to Coward, Lindig's filmography includes Little Children, and a music video for The Strokes.

Heber lopez

Sergio lopez

Sergio knew he wanted to be an actor since the age of five, when he watched a play at his kindergarten. This event, coupled with his older brother’s developing acting career, single-handedly stimulated Sergio’s interest in the performing arts. He really began to grow as a performer when he began attending Sage Ridge School in the fall 2007. He joined the theater program right away, appearing in his first role as Dr. William R. Chumley in the play Harvey, by Mary Chase. He continued to act throughout the year, and has already made plans to star in three productions next year,

Fletcher McTaggart

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Fletcher McTaggart's recent credits include Major Hamilton Pike Jr. in Rocket City at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Macbeth In Macbeth and Petruchio in The Taming of The Shrew at the Utah Shakespeare festival and much more. TV credits include Law & Order, Sex and the City and more. McTaggart has a BFA from Ithaca Collage and MFA from George Washington University.

Alexander Paul Nifong

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III, CAMBIO

Alexander Paul Nifong is an alumni of the Tisch Undergraduate Program, and was last seen as The Dane with NYU's Classical Studio, and Bernardo with Hotel Savante's The Cenci. He was also seen drumming for the Neo Classical's production of Twelfth Night

Lori Prince

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Lori Prince made her Off Broadway debut in Sarah, Sarah (MTC). Her other theatre credits include Rocket City (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Pride and Prejudice (Denver Center), Pirandello's Henry IV (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), The Front Page (Playmakers Repertory), Hamlet (Geva Theatre), Lobby Hero (Wellfleet), and many more. Her film credits include: Johnny Montana, 212, Coming Soon. Her television credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU. Prince has a BFA in Acting from Syracuse University.

Angela Sonner

CAMBIO, Richard III

Sonner has been involved in the Nevada Repertory Company since she was a freshman at UNR. Sonner is a member of the National Honorary Theatre Fraternity Alpha Psi Omega and an active member of The Dragons of Thespis, a touring Children's Theatre Company. Sonner has had such roles as Hecuba in Trojan Women, Sandra in Beautiful Thing, and more.

Sandy Simona

A Midsummer Night's Dream, CAMBIO

Sandy Simona hails from the "Concrete Jungle" of New York City. This is her Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival debut. Regional Musical Theatre credits include: Zorba, Steel Pier, Sweet Charity, Anything Goes (Fair Lawn Theatre Company) The Vagina Monologues, Closer, Dealt (Cabaret Theatre Company) New York Theatre credits: The Colors of Autumn, W.M.D, Happy Hour. FILM: The Gauntlet, Remembrance, Alphabet City. TV: As the World Turns, Rescue Me, Law & Order, Control Freak (Pilot), Alphabet city (Pilot). Hosting: TRL/MTV, The Big Ten/MTV, Diggy Dish (Nickelodeon/Disney pilot), Arithmetickles Game Show (Children's Theatre of NJ). TRAINING: The William Esper Studio Summer Conservatory, Upright Citizens Brigade Improv/Sketch Program, Rutgers University Bachelor of Arts.

Brad Standley

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Brad Standley is excited to be returning to Lake Tahoe where he spent many a childhood summer. This marks his return to Shakespeare from the slightly less tragic world of musical theatre. Some of his favorite productions include HAIR (Claude, European Tour), Trouble in Shameland (Michael, Fringe NYC), Into The Woods (Jack), Kismet (Bangle Man, Reprise!). He studied musical theater at Cal State Fullerton and acting in New York under Terry Schreiber. He is also an accomplished singer/songwriter planning to release his new acoustic album in the coming months www.bradstandley.com, www.myspace.com/circusfunk. He would like to thank his Mom, his Dad, Kevin, Jenny, JMC and Anaiis for given him the appropriate nudges in the right direction.

Tracy Thomas

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

21 years into her Equity theatre career, Tracy Thomas' credits include Twelfth Night, Henry V, The Seagull, Caesar and Cleopatra, Merrily We Roll Along, West Side Story, The Secret Garden, Love's Labors Lost, Dreams of Anne Frank, and Hamlet. Onscreen credits include Whitecoats with Dan Aykroyd, and Canadian hit series, Corner Gas.

Raphael Nash Thompson

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Raphael Nash Thompson has appeared in a variety of Shakespeare productions across America, including Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest and the title role in the Pearl Theatre Company's production of Othello. His film and television credits include Ed, Third Watch, Soul Food and Spike Lee's Clockers. Thompson is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Actors' Equity Association.

Donal Thoms-Cappello

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richard III

Donal Thoms-Cappello studied at Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London and the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. He holds a BFA in Acting from Rutgers University. Notable theatre credits include AR Gurney's Big Bill at Lincoln Center and many more. He can also be seen on-screen in the films Universal Remote, The Red Machine and Ghandi at the Bat (short).

Phoenix Tolliver

[bio coming soon!]

Lorenzo Valoy

CAMBIO

Lorenzo Valoy completed his BFA acting degree at Brooklyn College, where he appeared as Davey Battles in Take Me Out this spring. He received his AA at Kingsborough College, where he was featured in the college's print and broadcast campaign, which is currently in rotation. Valoy has performed in the NYC Fringe and Samuel French play festivals. He is a founding member of the Experience Vocal Dance Company (NYC). He thanks LTSF for such a wonderful opportunity.