Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Hires First In-House Cast to Play in Season's Three Productions

Jun 15, 2008

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INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (Summer 2008) - As the summer sun sets at Lake Tahoe, Sand Harbor comes to life with drama, action, comedy and a touch of song as the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and its national and international ensemble take over the evenings starting July 10 through Aug. 17.  The troupe, comprised of both equity and non-equity actors along with local talent, was hand-picked by the Festival's Artistic Director Jan Powell to appear in two Shakespeare plays, Richard III and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the new original musical CAMBIO. 

Ian Bedford**, playing Richard III, recently returned from playing the title role in Macbeth at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater.  His other credits include three seasons with the Utah Shakespearean Festival and roles in Our Town and The Cosmonaut's Last Message at La Jolla Playhouse.  In New York, he has appeared in off-Broadway productions and has also held a recurring role as Officer Bamford on TV's Law & Order SVU as well as roles on Guiding Light, One Life to Live and Nash Bridges.  Bedford earned his Master of Fine Arts from University of California in San Diego and his Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude from Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Diane Ciesla** plays Queen Elizabeth in Richard III and the Second Fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Off-Broadway Ciesla has performed in Great Expectations, Mamillius, No Time for Comedy and Macbeth.  She has also appeared in numerous regional theatre productions including Importance of Being Earnest, The Bird Sanctuary, String of Pearls, Gigi, Carousel, Christmas Carol, Oliver!, Taming of the Shrew and others. On TV and in film she has appeared on All My Children, Guiding Light, Law & Order and Under New Management.

Patrick DeSantis** is a veteran stage performer, having taken on roles at the Colorado, Marin and Oregon Shakespeare festivals, and plays the role of Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Clarence in Richard III.  He has played Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice, Malcolm in Macbeth, Antonio in The Tempest and Ratcliffe in Richard III, to name a few.  He has more than 50 commercials to his credit and has appeared in numerous films and television programs including Payback, Without Evidence, General Hospital, Frasier, Cheers and L.A. Law. 

Fletcher McTaggart**, cast as both Oberon and Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Buckingham in Richard III, McTaggart has extensive experience performing in Shakespeare theatre companies.  He has acted with the New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and the Utah Shakespearean Festival, as well as showcasing his talent at The Pearl Theatre  and the Acting Company in New York City and the Virginia Stage Company at the Wells Theatre.  His TV credits include appearances on Law & Order, Sex and the City, Six Degrees, As the World Turns and Guiding Light.  McTaggart has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., and a Master of Fine Arts from George Washington University in Washington D.C.

Tracy Thomas** has been performing in Equity theatre for 21 years and has taken on the roles of Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Lady Anne in Richard III.  Her credits include Twelfth Night, Henry V and The Seagull at The Stratford Festival, Caesar and Cleopatra and Merrily We Roll Along at The Shaw Festival, West Side Story, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown at Stage Polaris and many others.  Thomas starred alongside Dan Aykroyd and Dave Foley in the feature Whitecoats and guest starred on Canadian series Corner Gas and Mentors. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Alberta in Canada.

The company is comprised of 31 actors locally, regionally and nationally. 

Annually, the Festival draws more than 30,000 attendees from the across the country to its specially built Warren Edward Trepp Stage at Sand Harbor State Park.  The plays are complemented by gourmet food and drink from Shakespeare's Kitchen, the fresh Sierra Nevada air and the crystal blue waters of Lake Tahoe, making the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival a one-of-a-kind theatre experience.

Tickets for the 2008 season are now available online at http://www.laketahoeshakespeare.com/ with reduced handling fees for all online purchases, or by calling 888-32-SHOWS (888-327-4697).  Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier reserved seating section from $67.  Information about the 2008 season, membership, volunteer opportunities and sponsorships is available online.

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe and Reno.  Annually drawing more than 30,000 attendees from across the country to the specially built Warren Edward Trepp Stage along the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Festival is a regional advocate for producing the finest cultural events in the region.  Through its in-house artistic direction, the Festival produces three plays each summer, creating original costuming, set design and choreography, and attracting a team of national and international stage talent.  The Festival's community outreach includes and annual program, InterACT, designed to educate future generations on the importance of the arts, theatre and music.

** MEMBER OF THE ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, THE UNION OF PROFESSIONAL ACTORS AND STAGE MANAGERS IN THE UNITED STATES.

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