2023 SEASON SPONSORS

THE CAST
(In Order Of Appearance)

Sarah Bernhardt 
ALI BERNHARDT

Constantine Stanislavski 
ARIC CALABRESE

William Shakespeare
KILLIAN MEEHAN

Ensemble Characters
TIM PHILLIPS

SPECIAL THANKS

Sierra Ridge Media Arts
Kaso Dezine, LLC
Black Hog Brewing

BEHIND THE SCENES

Director 
Ed Bassett

Stage Manager
Teresa Alexandru

Fight Director
Rob Richnavsky

Deck Crew
​Matthew Diedrich
    
Costumes
Ed Bassett 

Props
Ed Bassett & Teresa Alexandru

Voice Overs
Teresa Alexandru & Ed Bassett

Set Design
Ed Bassett

Lighting Design
Al Hathway 

Sound Design
Ed Bassett 

Booth Pirates
Ed Bassett & Teresa Alexandru
Executive Producer - Ed Bassett
Production Manager - Lori Poulin
Facilities Manager - Tim Phillips
Playbill/Website -
​Sharon W. Houk
Social Media Coordinator -
Agnes M. Dann
Social Media Content Manager -
Shanelle Dupre​
Medical Advisor - 
Marilyn Olsen, PA-C
Volunteer Coordinator - 
​Laurie Phillips

THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 ANNUAL FUND DONORS!

Frances Barth
Mrs. Susan C. Beatty
Regina & Joseph Cillizza
Daisy Decker
Mary L. Dooley
Sheila & Mike Elser
Eileen Russo & Michael Frenis
Melanie Hilpert
James & Barbara Juhas
Betty Lamay
Paul Leduc
John Magnesi
Bonita A. Mazzaferro

And to all of those who chose to remain anonymous!

ABOUT THE SHOW

It’s opening night, and master playwright William Shakespeare, theatrical diva Sarah Bernhardt and the indelible intellectual Constantine Stanislavsky lead you on a wild and wacky journey through the history of theatre from Aristophanes to Emile Zola. 

​This crazy cast of characters will transport you back in time as we relive the various elements of theatre from all parts of the globe. Explore the beginnings of Greek theatre, Aristotle’s Poetics, the fine art of Kabuki, the history of mime, the gladiators of Rome and speculation on the real author of Shakespeare’s plays. 

WHO'S WHO

ALI BERNHARDT (Sarah Bernhardt) – is making her Phoenix Stage Company debut! Past stage credits include: THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTYY VALANCE (Hattie Stoddard) and CRIPPLE OF INISHMANN (Hellen McCormick) with Theatre Works New Milford, TAMING OF THE SHREW (Kate) with Sherman Players and GREY AREAS (Joyce) with Aery Theater Company. She would like to thank her husband Mark and daughter Audrey for their support, her dear friend Erin “K” Moffat for sending the audition notice and the cast & crew for providing a joyful, theatrical experience!​

​Sarah Bernhardt was born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including La Dame Aux Camelias by Alexandre Dumas fils; Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo, Fédora and La Tosca by Victorien Sardou, and L’Aiglon by Edmond Rostand. She also played male roles, including Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Rostand called her “the queen of the pose and the princess of the gesture”, while Hugo praised her “golden voice”. She made several theatrical tours around the world and was one of the first prominent actresses to make sound recordings and to act in motion pictures.
TIM PHILLIPS (Ensemble) - After spending time directing the last two productions at Phoenix Stage Company (VARNEY THE VAMPIRE; EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD), Tim is
overjoyed to be back out front, and enjoying the craziness that is this show and all these roles. It’s not every day he gets to do a show in which he plays 10 different people. Wait, did he say ten??? Really?? I’m really jazzed about sharing the stage with his uber-talented castmates Aric and Killian and excited to welcome Ali to the family! Thanks to Ed and Teresa for trusting me with this gig and I hope to make you both proud (if my brain doesn’t explode...)! Thanks as always to my bride of 36 years,
Laurie, and our feline housemaster, Dash, for letting him play. Thanks also to Stephen for all the encouragement and hookah!  Ten, really?
ARIC CALABRESE (“Stan” Stanislavsky) is back on the PSC stage, having appeared in, KILL ME DEADLY, SHERWOOD; THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, NEVERLAND CHRISTMAS, MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, ANY BODY HOME?, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, LADY PARTS, FARCE OF NATURE, THREE MURDERS AND IT’S ONLY MONDAY, and MACBETH. He has also done Makeup for THREE MURDERS AND IT’S ONLY MONDAY and MACBETH. Other stage credits include GODSPELL, WE WILL ROCK YOU and ELF THE MUSICAL with Landmark Community Theater. Thank you to Michael Calabrese, for his unending and likely poorly conceived support of my family both biological and found, and my mother, who is also family.

​Constantin Stanislavski was born Konstantin Sergeyevich Alekseyev in Moscow, Russia, in January 1863. He was part of a wealthy clan who loved theater: His maternal grandmother was a French actress, and his father constructed a stage on the family’s estate. During the Moscow Art Theatre’s early years, Stanislavski worked on providing a guiding structure for actors to consistently achieve deep, meaningful, and disciplined performances. He believed that actors needed to inhabit authentic emotion while on stage and, to do so, they could draw upon feelings they’d experienced in their own lives. Stanislavski also developed exercises that encouraged actors to explore character motivations, giving performances depth and an unassuming realism while still paying attention to the parameters of the production. This technique would come to be known as the “Stanislavski Method” or “the Method.”
KILLIAN MEEHAN (William Shakespeare) returns to the Phoenix Stage after appearing in  VARNEY THE VAMPIRE, POCKET SHAKESPEARE, THE REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (Dreyfus) and SHERWOOD, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD! Past credits include Puck in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with Connecticut Compass Theater Company, Romeo in R AND J CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING, Fabian/Cario in TWELFTH NIGHT and Wilbur in CHARLOTTE’S WEB with Valley Shakespeare Festival, Blackstache in Peter and the Starcatcher with No Bounds Youth Theater, Mercutio in ROMEO & JULIET with Naugatuck Teen Theatre and Young Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Center Stage. Special thanks to my parents for being absolutely awesome in every aspect of my life. And to my lovely girlfriend, Dani, for being such a wonderful supporter of my antics.

​William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616. Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes called the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not all he wrote. Shakespeare’s poems also remain popular to this day.
returns to the PSC stage after appearing in EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (2021), EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (2018), EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (2016), EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (2014), EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (2012) … and a whole lot more. Rob is an accomplished fight choreographer and has worked with several local schools and theaters. Rob would like to thank fruitcakes for being so tasty and his wife for being incredibly witty, fun, smart, and beautiful.​

BEHIND THE SCENES

ED BASSETT (Director) is a founding member of the Phoenix Stage Company. Performance credits include FIREFLIES, FOUR WEDDINGS AND AN ELVIS, THE FOREIGNER, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD, and a few others with PSC. Directing and Costume Design credits; RUMORS (Director) with CTAW, THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL (Director), GODSPELL (Director), DREAMGIRLS (Costume Design) and CABARET (Costume Design), THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (Director) SHERWOOD (Director), CLIFFHANGER (Director), BASKERVILLE (Director), REBEL YELLS (Director) and THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (Costume Design. Thank you to our wonderful Phoenix family and to you, our audience for your amazing support! A big PSC welcome to Ali!
TERESA ALEXANDRU (Stage Manager) is a familiar face at the Phoenix Stage Company. Credits include Stage Manager for THE REVOLUTIONISTS, DEAD RINGER & POCKET SHAKESPEARE. On stage credits include THE CAYUGA CANAL GIRLS (Eliza) STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Anelle), THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (Rachel), OCTETTE BRIDGE CLUB (Nora), MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE (Ghost of Christmas Past, Present & Future), DEATH BY FATAL MURDER (Ginny) FEMALE TRANSPORT (Pitty), COVER OF LIFE (Weetsie), THE BUTLER DID IT (Charity Haze), and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Elaine), all with Phoenix Stage Company! Thanks to Ed for finally letting me manager your stage and to the cast for putting up with my poorly  hummed circus music!