as Cyarno de Bergerac

Eric Bermudez
(He/Him/His)

Eric Bermudez is pumped to be returning to Valley Shakespeare Festival. He is a New York based actor with a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. Recent credits include: Oliver in "Quandary in Verse" (The LIC One Act Festival: Best Play and Best Actor, New Thrills Theatre Festival: Best Play), Proteus/Silvia and others in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" (Valley Shakespeare Festival), Pasquale in "Even If It Gets Us Nowhere" (Access Theatre), Tybalt in "Starcrossed" (FringeNYC, Capital Fringe), Captain Hook in "shadowplay: An Immersive Experience" (Access Theater), Baren in "Sweet Pea" (Hudson Guild Theater), and "Last Minute Adjustments" (Producers Club: Best Play). @ericbermudezz

as Roxane and Fight Captain

Jessica Breda
(she/her/hers)

Jessica Breda is honored to be returning to VSF where she was most recently seen in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Zoom. Other favorites with the company include: Emily in "Our Town"; Viola in "Twelfth Night"; Adriana in "The Comedy of Errors" (VSF2U); Rosalind in "As You Like It" (VSF2U); Rosaline in "Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending" (Shakespeare in the Bar); Dorine in "Tartuffe" (Shakespeare in the Bar); Lavinia in "Titus Andronicus" (Shakespeare in the Bar); and four winters as her favorite drunken housewife, Mrs. Cratchit (and others), in "A Christmas Carol." Originally from Hamden, Jessica currently resides in New York City. She holds a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. If you have a sharp eye, you can find her in the current Match.com national commercial.

as Christian DeNeuvillette

Mitchel Kawash
(He/Him/His)

Mitchel Kawash is thrilled to be returning to VSF, where he previously appeared in "Our Town" (George), "The Taming of the Shrew" (Lucentio), several VSF2U tours, the annual reading of "A Christmas Carol," and the recent remote production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." Though currently based in New York, Mitchel is no stranger to southern Connecticut: He earned a B.A. in Theater Studies with Distinction from Yale University and sang with the world-famous Whiffenpoofs of Yale—the nation’s oldest collegiate a cappella group. He was also seen in the Elm Shakespeare Company’s "Julius Caesar" (Octavius Caesar; dir. Alvin Epstein) and the Legacy Theatre’s "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" (Demetrius). Other theatre includes productions from New York to London as well as regional credits across the United States. Mitchel has also appeared in television shows, short films, radio plays, and a national commercial. He completed his graduate acting training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Understudy

Andie Lerner
(she/her/hers)

Andie Lerner is a New York based actor, director and theater collaborator originally from Denver, Colorado. She is a graduate from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Acting and Directing and a minor in Arts for Communities. She is currently working with The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center as the Next Generation Fellow. Recent acting credits include: "Merchant of Venice" (Valley Shakespeare Festival), "Even If It Gets Us Nowhere" (Social Club Theatre) and "Macbeth" (Stella Adler Outreach Division and the Department of Corrections). She also Directed VSF's production of "A Christmas Carol" and assistant directed "The Two Gentlemen of Verona". She is very excited to be back in Connecticut working with VSF! Check out more at andielerner.com or @ampersand_ie

Understudy

Andrew O'Laughlin
(He/Him/His)

Andrew is so excited to be back working with Valley Shakespeare Festival! Previously Andrew appeared as Valentine/Julia/Others in VSF's production of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona". Other select credits include Classics on the Rocks, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The Tank NYC, UCB, and Dixon Place. BFA Marymount Manhattan College. Huge thanks to Tom and the whole VSF team!

Stage Manager

Sarah Hooper
(she/her/hers)

Sarah Hooper (Stage Manager) is a graduate of Western Connecticut State University with a BA in Theatre Arts: Technology/Design. Recent credits include: The Bodyguard (stage manager), Henry VIII (assistant stage manager) and Twelfth Night (assistant stage manager). Other credits include: stage manager for Downtown Cabaret’s Main Stage 2018-2019 season (Legally Blonde, Annie, George Orwell’s: 1984, Sister Act, and The Full Monty). She trained with Shakespeare on the Sound as a stage management apprentice in 2016 and is a member of the EMC program.

Company Manager

Kristen Kingsley
(she/her/hers)

Kristen has been involved in Theatre both on and off stage in many different ways for the last 20 years, starting as a young child. It is only fitting to add yet another feather to her cap as CM. Previously she has received training from multiple mentors and supporters, Kelly Nelsen, Tom Simonetti, and Theresa S. Carroll for: acting, stage management, set carpentry, and foley artistry, to name a few. Kristen joined Actor's Equity Association through her work as Stage Manager on Valley Shakespeare Festival's Merchant of Venice. Other credits include but not limited to: Greenwich Theatre Company 7 Easy Pieces (PSM), VSF Henry VIII (SM), Narrator in Charlotte's Web, Foley artist and ensemble in Our Town, and Maria in Twelfth Night. Ms. Kingsley is excited to help Valley Shakespeare Festival bring Cyrano to the park safely, because there is no replacement for Live theatre!

Fight Cooriographer 

Carlo Rivieccio
(He/Him/His)

Carlo has been creating violence for 20 years. He has served as Fight Director on Productions of Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, Treasure Island, The Mask of Zorro, Jekyll and Hyde and As You Like It, as well as numerous short plays and horror festivals throughout the United States. As an actor He has performed Off-Broadway in Tony & Tina's Wedding and in regional theatres (including Seven Angels in CT). He is thrilled to be working with this wonderful cast and company.

Founder & Executive Director

Tom Simonetti
(He/Him/His)

Tom Simonetti is the Founder and Executive Director of Valley Shakespeare Festival in Shelton, Connecticut. He has held the position of Executive Director since 2013 and works as Producing Artistic Director. During the past 8 years, Tom has started programs such as Free Shakespeare in the Park, a touring company that goes into homeless shelters, schools, libraries, and other community centers, and the very popular Shakespeare in the Bar series. Tom has worked in literary departments at theaters across the nation.