CREATIVE TEAM

Brooke is happy to return to the MV Playhouse amphitheater after directing last year's production of Julius Caesar. Other MV Playhouse credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick), Two Rooms, and Henry IV parts 1 & 2, and many performances as a member of Shakespeare for the Masses. A Resident Acting Company Member and Associate Director at Boston’s Actors’ Shakespeare Project, her credits there include: Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice/Music Director), As You Like It (Rosalind), Cymbeline (Imogen), Othello(Desdemona), Pericles (Associate Director), and both Tina Packer’s Troilus and Cressida (Cressida) and Henry VIII (Associate Director/Music Director). Other acting credits include appearances with Huntington Theatre Company, New Repertory Theatre, Steppenwolf, Court Theatre, Writer’s Theatre, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Brooke is the Co-Founder/Producer of New Writers/New Plays at Vineyard Arts Project where such plays as Disgraced (2012 Pulitzer Prize for drama), Witness Uganda, Appropriate, Small Mouth Sounds and PigPen Theatre Company’s Mountain Song and The Old Man and the Old Moon were developed. She currently runs the theatre department at MVRHS, where she has directed Into The Woods, Twelfth Night, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, and West Side Story. She holds a BFA in acting from Boston University and has trained at Shakespeare & Co. and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. She is the proud mother of Isla and Owen Ditchfield. Thanks to MJ, Brian, Scott, this incredibly talented company, and especially Chelsea.

Chelsea McCarthy is thrilled to be back in the amphitheater after appearing in last summer's Julius Caesar as Cassius. She has previously directed Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night and along with Nicole Galland, Chelsea is co-creator/co-writer/co-director of the MV Playhouse's immensely popular, award-winning Shakespeare For The Masses. Favorite roles include: Henry IV (Henry IV), Hattie (Laundry and Bourbon), Nurse (Romeo and Juliet), Kate (Taming of the Shrew), Celia (As You Like It), Trinculo (The Tempest), Emilia (The Othello Project), Mom (My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life), Louise/Eve (Ruthless! The Musical!), Louise/Gypsy (Gypsy). Chelsea is a 2003 graduate of Dell 'Arte International School of Physical Theater & is a veteran Saturday morning Fabulist. Love & gratitide to amazing Brooke, tremendous Scott & our truly astounding cast & crew!! Love & thanks forever to my husband Patrick, Paige, Mom, Dad, Kate & Jim.

A proud Playhouse Artistic Associate, Scott is excited to once again perform in the theatre where his professional career began. Scott has worked here as a fight choreographer, director and writer, as a frequent FABULIST and SHAKESPEARE FOR THE MASSES member and as an actor where favorite productions include: Much Ado, Proof, 12th Night, Compleat Works Abridged, Whaleship Essex, Our Town and The Retreat From Moscow. Scott has worked at Commonwealth Shakespeare (Caesar and Shrew), New Rep (King Lear), New Jersey Shakespeare, Portland Stage, Arkansas Rep, The Ahmamson, Cincinati Playhouse, The Olney, The Geva, and in New York at The Mint, The Sheen, The Acorn, and New York Theatre Workshop. Elsewhere, Scott is a long standing Tectonic Theatre Project Company Member where he is an author on the company’s Moment Work devising book, a n actor and collaborator on the Tony award winning 33 Variations, and recently Uncommon Sense. Much much thanks to MJ, Brooke, Chelsea, Amy and Emmett for making this happen.

Ellie is thrilled to be back in the Amphitheater for her third summer! Ellie has been seen performing in the Amphitheater in Julius Caesar (Portia/Octavius Caesar), Much Ado About Nothing (Hero) New York credits include: Or, What You Will (Maria) with New York Stage and Film, Seawife (Show host) with Naked Angels theater in New York City, The Seagull (Ensemble), Privileged Life of Cats (Ensemble) at Powerhouse Theater. Boston credits include Here and There with Central Square theater, Circle UP! With Central Square Theater, Present Midnight at the Boston Theatre Marathon, Reflections of a Rock Lobster with Boston Children’s Theatre. Ellie received her BFA from Emerson College. Many thanks to Brooke, Chelsey, MJ, and the entire Hamlet team!

Toby is excited to perform in his first show with the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. This is Toby’s first time on the island and he has had the great pleasure of working as a camp counselor for the Summer Stars Theatre Arts Camp. He has enjoyed his time on the island greatly and looks forward to what the summer may continue to offer.

Shelagh Hackett is very happy to once again join her friends on the amphitheater stage. She first performed Shakespeare on this stage in 1995 when she played Emilia in Othello. Last year she was Julius Caesar in the all female production of Julius Caesar. She has performed in many Vineyard Playhouse productions over the years. Shelagh graduated from NYU Tisch Program, Stella Adler studios and the National Shakespeare Conservatory, lived and performed in NYC though the 80s and early 90s. She lives on the Vineyard year round with her husband and 3 kids in Chilmark.

Liz is honored to perform in the amphitheater with this dream team! Playhouse credits include JULIUS CAESAR (Cinna), THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Sabine), ROMEO & JULIET (Mercutio), TWELFTH NIGHT (Maria), COMEDY OF ERRORS (Adriana), and TAMING OF THE SHREW.l (Grumio). She is also a player with The Fabulists and Shakespeare for the Masses. Liz recently trained with Shakespeare & Co in their month long intensive, and off season, she performs, teaches and clowns around Boston. She is an original American company member of the hit show, S*!t-faced Shakespeare. You can see her later this summer in CHILMARK on the mainstage! A huge thank you to Brooke, Chelsea, MJ, family and friends! www.lizmichaelhartford.com

Emily is a recent graduate of the Regional High School. This is her second show in the amphitheater after her performance as Lucius in last year's "Julius Caesar." She's been involved with Martha's Vineyard Playhouse for many years and will now be performing with cast members who have known her since her childhood. She couldn't be happier to work with such a wonderful and welcoming cast.

Jonah Lipsky has appeared in productions at the Tisbury Amphitheater multiple times, including as: Hal in Henry IV Part 1; Flute/Thisbe and Demetrius in separate productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream; and Balthasar in Romeo and Juliet. He studied Drama at Bennington College where, among other roles, he played Louis in Angels in America, Part One: Millenium Approaches and Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, which ran in repertory. He is excited to return to the amphitheater stage after a 5-year hiatus. He recently published a two-volume collection of his late father Jon Lipsky’s plays with Smith & Kraus Publishers.

Paul Padua has performed on Martha's Vineyard since 1987. Recent roles include Falstaff, Cardinal Richelieu, FDR, and the King of Siam.

Xavier has performed in numerous Playhouse shows over the years, most recently as the Head Hobgoblin and the Robber Mother in last December’s production of the “The Snow Queen .” He has acted in most of the Amphitheater Shakespeare plays for the past twelve years. Other than the playhouse, he has performed in many ITW shows, as well as regional theater in Brattleboro, VT. He is very excited to work with such a fantastic group of people in this show.”

John grew up in Edgartown and has appeared in Playhouse productions from childhood. Those experiences inspired formal study, and John completed a BFA from NYU in 2009 and has lived in NYC ever since. In that time he’s been fortunate to have worked creative projects of all sorts and in a range of capacities. He’s even popped up and supported the work in this space over the years. John is grateful to be here in this place again and to be sharing this work with such a remarkable creative team and with each of you.

Born in Swansea, Wales, and trained at The Central School Of Speech & Drama, London. Martha's Vineyard Playhouse: The Whaleship Essex, Two Rooms, Much Ado About Nothing and numerous readings for Robert Brustein, Carol Rocomora and more. Theatre includes Arcadia (Folger Theatre, DC) Julius Caesar, Anthony & Cleopatra (Shakespeare Theatre, DC), Comedy Of Errors (Rosemary Branch, London), The Hobbit (National U.K. tour). Film and Tv includes “Lost”, “Deadly Honeymoon”, “Mystery Of Matter”, “Viking Siege”. Screenwriter: “Created Sleep Transmissions”, “Solstice”, “Altum Ratio”, “Secludio”. Peter made his feature film debut as a writer-director with the award-winning “Canaries” (featuring Scott Barrow and Chelsea McCarthy) - follow it at @CanariesMovie for updates.

Mac Young is a Boston-based actor and scenic designer. Born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, he received an early apprenticeship in the arts of Shakespeare, carpentry, swashbuckling, and post-hole-digging. After continuing his studies at Bennington College, he accidentally moved to Boston, where he has since performed, built, or designed (though rarely all at once) for such Boston companies as Imaginary Beasts, Whistler in the Dark, ArtsEmerson, Huntington Theatre, Actor's Shakespeare Project, Lyric Stage, Wheelock Family Theatre, and Magnificent Bastard Productions, with whom he produces and performs a little show called Sh!t-faced Shakespeare, in Boston, Atlanta and Austin. macyoungdesign.com