Jackie Hoffman, Noah Racey and More Join Berkshire Theatre Group's Summer Casts

Berkshire Theatre Group today announced its acting ensemble for the Summer of 2012 with a mixture of Berkshire Theatre Group alumni, newcomers, up and coming talent and seasoned professionals.

Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire comments, “A remarkable group of artists is assembling to present great work on our stages this summer. Actors, designers and directors will re-create powerful and wonderful plays such as A Chorus Line, A Thousand Clowns, A Class Act and The Puppetmaster of Lodz; and they will introduce new and exciting work by Kelly Masterson (Edith), David Epstein (Brace Yourself) and William Donnelly (Homestead Crossing). Our growing company of alumni talent is pleased to welcome newcomers and emerging artists that will continue to develop high quality work which has established the festival’s reputation as one of the best in the country.”

A Chorus Line
conceived and originally directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett
book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban (Pulitzer and Tony winner for A Chorus Line)
co-choreographed by Bob Avian
original Broadway production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc.
directed by Eric Hill (17 years at BTG)
choreographed by Gerry McIntyre (BTG: The Who’s Tommy, My Fair Lady; Robby and Logue awards winner for Once On This Island; Broadway: Anything Goes, Once On This Island, Chicago)
musical direction by Steven Freeman (BTG: Side By Side By Sondheim; Broadway: Billy Elliot, Chicago, Damn Yankees, Grease)

Judy: Sara Andreas
Val: Ashley Arcement
Cassie: Nili Bassman (Broadway: Curtains, Never Gonna Dance, Chicago)
Mike: Matthew Bauman
Mark: Giovanni Bonaventura
Diana: Natalie Caruncho
Connie: Alex Chester
Greg: Chris Chianesi (BTG: The Who’s Tommy)
Don: Warren Curtis
Paul: Eddie Gutierrez
Bobby: Andrew Hodge
Larry: Bryan Thomas Hunt
Bebe: Julianne Katz
Al: Tim McGarrigal
Zach: Noah Racey (Broadway: Curtains, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Follies)
Richie: Neil Totton
Kristine: Margaret Wild (BTG: Former Acting Apprentice, The Who’s Tommy)
Maggie: Karley Willocks
Sheila: Dana Winkle (Regional: Walnut St. Theatre’s Aspects of Love, Paper Mill Playhouse’s Curtains)

A Thousand Clowns
by Herb Gardner
directed by Kyle Fabel

Albert Amundson: James Barry (BTG: The Who’s Tommy, The Einstein Project; Broadway: Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson)
Leo Herman: Jordan Gelber (BTG: Camelot; Broadway: All My Sons, Avenue Q)
Sandra Markowitz: Rachel Bay Jones (BTG: Sylvia; Broadway: Hair, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Arnold Burns: Andrew Polk (Artistic Director at The Cape Cod Theatre Project ’95-’08; ’07 Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for The Accomplices) 
Nick Burns: Russell Posner (NYC: The Actors Company Theatre’s Lost in Yonkers)
Murray Burns: CJ Wilson (BTG: Period of Adjustment, Macbeth; Broadway and NY: Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Signature Theatre’sThe Lady from Dubuque)

Edith
by Kelly Masterson (Film: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead)
directed by Michael Sexton

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson: Jayne Atkinson (BTG: The Guardsman, Candida; Broadway: Blithe Spirit; Tony Award nominations forEnchanted April and The Rainmaker)
Thomas Marshall: Dan Butler (TV: Frasier, Roseanne; Broadway: Twentieth Century)
Woodrow Wilson: Jack Gilpin (Broadway: The Elephant Man, Getting and Spending)
Henry Cabot Lodge: Walter Hudson (BTG: Sylvia; Broadway: Welcome to the Club)
Cary Grayson: Stephen Skybell (Broadway: Pal Joey, Wicked)
Margaret Wilson: Samantha Soule (BTG: Candida; Broadway: The Philanthropist, Corom Boy)

Brace Yourself
by David Epstein (Founder of Invisible City Theater Company; Other Works: Midnight)
directed by James Naughton 

Sunny: Jill Eikenberry (TV: L.A. Law; Broadway: Onward Victoria, Moonchildren)
Jeanette/Aunt Sarah: Jackie Hoffman (Broadway: The Addams Family, Xanadu, Hairspray)
Nina: Keira Naughton (BTG: Birthday Boy, Macbeth; Broadway: The Rivals, Dance of Death)
Andy: David Ross (Off-Broadway: Spin, Vengeance)
Kitty: Wrenn Schmidt (Off-Broadway: Beyond the Horizon, Temporal Powers)
Milt: Michael Tucker (TV: L.A. Law; Broadway: The Goodbye People, Moonchildren)

The Puppetmaster of Lodz
by Gilles Segál
translated by Sara O’Connor
directed by Brian Roff
puppets designed by Emily DeCola

Finkelbaum: Joby Earle (Broadway: War Horse)
The Concierge: Julia Gibson (Broadway: Stanley; Off-Broadway: Miss Julie)
Schwartzkopf: Jesse Hinson (BTG: Moonchildren, Macbeth)
Popov/Spencer/Weissfeld/Weissmann: Lee Sellars (Broadway: West Side Story, Talk Radio)

A Class Act
music and lyrics by Edward Kleban 
book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price
originally directed on Broadway by Lonny Price
A Class Act was originally produced by Manhattan Theatre Club and previously developed by Musical Theatre Works
directed by Robert Moss 
musical direction by Mark Gionfriddo

Lucy: Rachael Balcanoff (BTG: Former Acting Apprentice)
Ed Kleban: Ross Baum
Mona: Marie Eife
Charley, Marvin Hamlisch, Dr. Nodine, Jean-Claude Chevray: Brian Scannell (BTG: Former Acting Apprentice)
Bobby, Michael Bennett: Eddie Shields (BTG: A Christmas Carol)
Lehman Engel: Robbie Simpson
Felicia Lipshitz: Tessa Hope Slovis (BTG: Former Acting Apprentice)
Sophie: Anya Whelan-Smith (BTG: Former Apprentice)

Homestead Crossing
by William Donnelly (BTG: No Wake)
directed by Kyle Fabel
Produced in partnership with Merrimack Repertory Theatre of Lowell, MA and Portland Stage Company of Portland, ME

Noel: David Adkins (BTG: Sylvia, No Wake, Ghosts; Broadway: Next Fall, Saint Joan)
Tobin: Ross Cowan
Anne: Corinna May (Broadway Tour: The Graduate)
Claudia: Lesley Shires