An Upgraded Revival of our 2019 Production for our Fifth Summer of Free Shakespeare in the Park in Bergen County!
August-September 2022
Performances Outdoors at The Englewood Public Library:
Wednesday 8/10 at 8pm
Wednesday 8/17 at 8pm
Wednesday 8/24 at 8pm
Wednesday 8/31 at 8pm
Wednesday 9/7 at 8pm
Wednesday 9/14 at 8pm
Performances Indoors at Black Box PAC:
Thursday-Sunday 8/18- 8/21 at 8pm
Thursday-Sunday 8/25-8/28 at 8pm
Limited seating: first-come first-serve!
Masks required indoors.
Englewood Public Library:
Black Box PAC:
Please email BlackBoxPAC@gmail.com for Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsors receive visibility June through September
Shakespeare in the Park is made possible by the support of:
This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Bergen County Division of Historic & Cultural Affairs from funds granted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Othello: Kentrell Loftin
Iago: Michael Gardiner
Desdemona: Cassandra Guglielmo
Emilia: Danielle MacMath
Roderigo: Tristan Strasser
Michael Cassio: Sean Buckley
Brabantio/Lodovico: Victoria Pero
Duke/Montano: Arthur Gregory Pugh
Bianca: Ilana Schimmel
Senator/Gratiano: Temima Hyman
Director: Matt Okin
Stage Manager: Eva Burke
ASM: Sofia Maravillas
Costume Intern: Estella Burke
Production Assistant: Joey Liberti
Scenes/Setting
Venice HQ: Office
Limos on Venice streets
Steam Room
Cyprus HQ: Main Office
Tennis Court
[Intermission]
Elevator
Men's Restroom
Othello's Office
Lounge
Main Office
Othello's Office
Although intended for general audiences, Shakespeare's tragedy contains intense violence and mature themes.
Sean Buckley (Cassio) is excited and honored to be working with such a talented cast and crew for The Black Box Performing Arts Center production of Othello. Sean's love of acting began in 2019 with Shakespeare's work, and he has since performed in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Oberon), Romeo & Juliet (Mercutio), Cymbeline (Posthumus & Cloten), The Comedy of Errors (Aegeon), and As You Like It (Oliver). Outside of Shakespeare he has also played Tony Wendice in Dial M for Murder, Teddie Deakin in The Ghost Train, and Richard the Lionheart in The Lion in Winter, which won the 2020 NJACT Perry Away for Best Play. He made his Off-Off-Broadway debut in December 2021 playing William Gillette in Gina Russel Tracy's Wm & Jas - A Ghost Story at the Theatre for the New City.
Michael Gardiner (Iago) is an actor, director, writer, teaching artist, as well as Co-Managing Director of Black Box PAC. Select Black Box credits include: Paul Schrader’s Cleopatra Club, Beth Henley's Exposed (Original Cast), Hamlet (Hamlet), The Pillowman (Katurian), Othello (Iago), …Viriginia Woolf? (George), …Cuckoo’s Nest (RP McMurphy), Fat Men In Skirts (Bishop), Buried Child (Dodge), Fuddy Meers (Limping Man), As You Like It (Director), Romeo & Juliet (Director)--BWW 2019 Award Winner Best Touring Production. NYC: Eric Bogosian's 1+1 (The Chain Theatre and BBPAC),…Rise of the Goatman at TNC, Pygmalion (Higgins) at Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Regional: Importance of Being Earnest (Algernon) at Phillipstown Depot Theatre, Desire Under the Elms and Hamlet at Hudson Theatre Works. He holds a BA in Theatre/Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University. michael-gardiner.com IG: @gardinlord1
Cassandra Guglielmo (Desdemona) is an NYC based actor/teaching artist and yogi who is beyond delighted and full of gratitude to be revisiting a show and role so close to her heart and during this stage of life. Select stage credits include: As You Like It (Rosalind), The Tempest (Miranda), Significant Other (Grandma Helene), Junie B. Jones: The Musical (Junie B. Jones) Once Upon a Snowflake (Suzi The Snowgirl). All her love to lulu and squeaky and every teacher she’s given a parental title to. If you feel so inclined, check out her photography on Instagram @casgugphotography !
Temima Hyman (Gratiano/Ens./ASM) is so excited to be involved in Shakespeare in the Park Bergen County 2022. Past Black Box PAC credits: Romeo & Juliet and Othello (Tech Intern). Hamlet and As You Like It (Ensemble/ASM). Other credits: Approaching Zanzibar (Fletcher and Amy) and Fuddy Meers (Gertie), Up the Down Staircase (Jane), Wait Until Dark (Susy), Flowers For Algernon, Julius Caesar (Cassius), Romeo & Juliet (The Prince— Best Supporting Actress.) Sally Cotter and the Censored Stone (Harmonica). She is currently studying English at John Jay College for Criminal Justice.
Kentrell Loftin (Othello) went to Franklin and Marshall College where he studied theatre and got to play roles such as Hud in Hair: The Musical and Belize in Angels in America. Black Box PAC has become an amazing family that has given him many chances to perform on stage since; Chris in Sweat, Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet, Othello in Othello, Freddy Eynsford-Hill in Pygmalion, Angelo in Measure for Measure, Ferdinand in The Tempest, Fortinbras in Hamlet, Orlando in As You Like It, and most recently Billy in the World Premiere Production of Exposed by Beth Henley.
Danielle MacMath (Emilia) is a NY/NJ-based actor, singer, and educator. BBPAC credits include Spring Awakening (Wendla), Significant Other (Laura), Hair (Jeanie), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woof (Honey), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily), Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio), Measure for Measure (Isabella), and most recently Adele in Ode to Joy by Craig Lucas (NJ Premiere) and Jane in Exposed by Beth Henley (Premiere Production). Other credits include: Cornelius in Cymbeline (Powerhouse Theater Apprentice Company), a Baker on the Polar Express Train Ride (Event Energizers), Sara in Soul Searching (Nuyorican Poets Cafe), Melinda/Mandy in ...Rise of the Goatman (Theater for the New City), Mary Warren in The Crucible (FDU) and Louisa May Alcott in HERstory, an educational touring show in NJ. Danielle holds a BA in Theatre and Literature, and MA in Teaching from Fairleigh Dickinson University. @DanielleMacMath www.DanielleMacMath.com
Victoria Pero (Brabantio/Lodovico) Delighted to be working with Black Box for the first time! ACTOR: Claudius and Friar Lawrence for Spokehouse and Rogue. Marina and Linda for Columbia U. DIRECTOR: Amas, Signature Theatre, The York, Women’s Project, The Royal National Theatre, The Guthrie, Cleveland Playhouse, The York, Pearl, Expanded Arts NYC. PRODUCER: The Spoleto Festival, The Drama League, Circle In The Square. GRADUATE: Northwestern University, Ohio University, LAMDA. TEACHER: BCA in NJ. Devised/directed/designed over 40 productions. VOICE ARTIST: Time Warner, Intrepid Museum, Nickelodeon, Columbia University – audio books, corporate narration, e-learning, promos, radio, TTS. Victoria co-hosts the podcast Coaching Shakespeare with Amanda Whiteley. Pero.victoria@gmail.com
Arthur Gregory Pugh (Duke/Montano) is an ACE member of the New Jersey Creative Arts Collaborative, and a voice-over talent who has done commercials for the NY Red Bulls and the FDNY. The Englewood resident took improv classes with John Swist of QuickThinking Improv in NYC to enhance his VO skills, but they steered him more into the field in acting, landing him a role as Mr. Irving in the independent film Downshift, which can be found on Amazon Prime along with his other film credits April Again (Marvin) and VORTEX: A Film Anthology (Derek). He’s appeared in the music videos Ain’t Nothin’ New by Jadakiss and That Chicken by Dyme-A-Duzin, as well as an episode of Investigation Discovery’s True Crime with Aphrodite Jones. This is his eight production with BBPAC, with previous credits including Prospero in The Tempest, Lord Capulet in Romeo & Juliet, and Brucie & Evan in Sweat. Other theatre credits include the recent Off-Broadway production of Edgar Chisholm’s The Savage Queen (King), Fences (Troy Maxson), A Soldier’s Story (Sgt. Waters), and as The Homeless Man in the 2019 NJACT Perry Award Original Play Shakespeare's Lost Masterpiece. Catch Arthur in The Chef of Romagical Realism, Feb 17-26, and as Becker in August Wilson’s Jitney, June 2-11, 2023, both at the Middletown Arts Center. www.ArthurGregoryPugh.biz / IG: @teamagp
Ilana Schimmel (Bianca) is an NJ/NY based Actor, Tech Designer, and Teaching Artist. She graduated from Montclair State University with a B.A in Theater Studies. BBPAC credits include: World Premier of Beth Henley’s EXPOSED (Reb), Craig Lucas’ Ode to Joy (Mala), Fat Men in Skirts (Pam/Popo Martin), The Pillowman (Ariel), Pygmalion (Clara Eynsford-Hill). Shakespeare Credits include: Hamlet (Rosencrantz), As You Like It (Phebe), The Tempest (Sebastian), Measure for Measure (Mistress Overdone/Mariana). Readings: Back Bog Beast Bait (Gris Gris), The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolyn), Miss Julie (Miss Julie), John Guare’s Satori (A), Caridad Svitch’s 3 Days Work (IZ), Macbeth (Lady Macbeth). Selected musical works: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive), In the Heights (Vanessa), Legally Blonde (Elle Woods). These performances continue to be dedicated to my mom, Joy. Thank you for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams and for being my biggest fan. www.Ilanaschimmel.com
Tristan Strasser (Roderigo) Tristan is proud to be a part of this Black Box production! He recently performed at two different new-plays festivals: Be Scene at Schenectady Civic players, and at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre. Other credits include The Count of Monte Cristo (Willy) at Hudson Classical Theatre Company, Romeo and Juliet (Sampson/Peter) at Powerhouse Theatre, An Ideal Husband (Goring) at Classic Theatre Guild, and Urinetown (Officer Lockstock) and Urinetown (Lockstock) at SUNY Geneseo. Tristan is the Founding Artistic Director of Ursa Fountain Productions, most recently directing [Title of Show] and Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People. He has 15 years of piano experience and loves singing various showtunes around his apartment. BA in Musical Theatre/Psychology from SUNY Geneseo.
Matt Okin (Director; BBS/BBPAC Artistic Director) formed Bergen County's Black Box Studios in 2007 and founded The Black Box Performing Arts Center in November 2015, now reopened in Englewood, NJ. Select directing credits include the world premiere of Beth Henley's Exposed, the NJ premiere of Paul Schrader's The Cleopatra Club, Craig Lucas' Ode To Joy, the regional workshop premieres of Eric Bogosian's 1+1 and Neil LaBute's ten x ten (both now in ongoing development for NYC); Nicky Silver's Fat Men In Skirts; The Pillowman; Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Pygmalion; Hair; Talk Radio & Griller in rep; Buried Child; Hand To God; Disgraced; Cloud 9; The Goat, Or Who Is Sylvia?; Evil Dead The Musical; Bad Jews; and Passing Strange. His original plays, produced in New York and on national tours, include: Beltsville/Rockville, Part One: Rise Of The Goatman; #OneInnocentWoman; Twist Of Faith (currently being redeveloped for film); Walter Liked To Sit In His Big Backyard, and Cherry Hill. Matt's musicals include Soul Searching (45th Street Theater, DR2 Theater, and NYMF) and the long-running NYC hit A Match Made In Manhattan: The Interactive Jewish Wedding Experience. Matt received a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University's Tisch School of The Arts; he is a long-time Teaching Artist for select high school drama programs in Bergen County; and his first work for the screen in almost a quarter of a century is the comedy Issues, currently 'making the rounds' in Hollywood.
Sofia Maravillas (ASM) is a senior in high school and has been interning with Black Box PAC for a couple months now. She started stage managing plays in middle school and has continued on with productions in and out of high school. She has enjoyed her time working with BBPAC, especially this summer’s production of Othello. With them she has been able to work as an assistant stage manager on this play as well as designing the set. She is excited to continue working with Black Box PAC on more shows!