Allie G. Cohen
Allie Cohen (Goneril) is so thrilled to be back home with Stone Church Players for this year’s Shakespeare in the Sheds! Allie is an actor and director who has worked on many productions across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Favorite past shows include: Macbeth (Lady Macbeth), Something Rotten (Ensemble), The Wedding Singer (Sideburn Lady), Man of La Mancha (Antonia), Edges (Woman 2), and many more. Allie is a 2014 graduate of Muhlenberg College and holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts. All her love to Adam and Oreo. She dedicates all performances to her mom, Susan.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Cynthia Dannen
Cynthia Dannen (Burgundy and others) has performed in 70 dramas, comedies, and musicals in Monmouth County, New York State, and Toronto. She earned an MA in Dramatic Literature from the University of Toronto and has taught Shakespeare, Writing, and Literature at the high school and college levels. Many thanks to Leslie, John, Jesse, and Michael for this wonderful Shakespeare in the Sheds experience!
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Jayden Egnatovich
This is Jayden Egnatovich’s (Edgar) first SCP show and Shakespeare show. A rising Senior at Allentown High School, some favorite past credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Featured Ensemble), Marian, Or the True Tale of Robin Hood (Tanner/Tommy of No Consequences), Between the Lines (Frump), Ernxst, or the importance of being (Slouch), Les Misérable (Gavroche), Newsies (Pulitzer), I Don’t Want to Talk About it (Kyle), and Catch Me if You Can (Ensemble). Jayden was part of the stage premiere cast for both Ernxst and Marian. Jayden has taken acting classes at Actors Playground School of Theater for four years.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Aster Fialla
It’s hard for Aster Fialla (Cordelia/Fool) to find words, and yet, se’ll do er best to heave er heart into er mouth. Se’s never acted more than once but dreamed of acting Shakespeare er whole life. Se cannot thank Stone Church enough for the great chance to play these tricky and iconic roles for er first big debut onstage. Aster spends er free time drawing art, designing games, and writing poetry. Find er @ad_aster if you want! A kiss to er beloveds, Jake and Vince: For them, er love’s more richer than er tongue.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Andrew Gerber
Andrew Gerber (Albany) is happily making his SCP debut in one of his favorite plays. Earlier this year, he portrayed James in United Theatre’s production of Circle Mirror Transformation. Andrew majored in Theatre and English at Drew University, interned at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, performed improv with Chaos Theater Company, directed his original play The Golden Age off-off Broadway, and worked on the touring production Bear in the Big Blue House LIVE: A First Time for Everything, featuring characters from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. By day, he is a medical librarian and continuing medical education coordinator. Much love and thanks to Elyse and Lily.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Matt Gochman
As as Atlantic Highlands resident, Matt Gochman (Kent) is happy to have found another great local theater and he feels honored to be part of this fun, eclectic cast. Since 2012, he has acted in multiple shows throughout the state and has earned Perry nominations for his performances in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” (Max) and “The Philadelphia Story” (Dexter). Some of his other credits include “The Pillowman” (Tupolski), “Othello” (Iago), “Proof” (Hal), “You’ve Got Hate Mail” (Richard), “Rumors” (Ken), “Art” (Serge), “Crossing Delancey” (Tyler), “Arsenic and Old Lace” (Mortimer), “Moon Over Buffalo” (Paul), “The Rainmaker” (Noah), and “Romantic Comedy” (Jason).
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Arielle Halpern
Arielle Halpern (Cornwall) is excited to be taking to the stage with Stone Church Players for the fourth time. Previous roles with SCP include Maria (Twelfth Night), Eliza Bishop (Mary, Mary), and Clara Ford (Floor Five). She has also stage managed on and off stage for It’s A Wonderful Life Radio Play (Misfits Theater Company) and performed as Oberon/Bottom in The Midsummer Project (Villagers Theater). Many thanks to Leslie, Jesse, and the Stone Church family for this opportunity. Much love to Mom, Dad, and the entirety of my chosen family!
Photo by John Paul Durazzo
Michael McClellan
Michael McClellan (King Lear 3) is the Artistic Director of The Stone Church Players, and has directed their productions of Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, The Bridges of Madison County, Man of La Mancha, Mame and Our Town, and co-directed Macbeth (2014), Lion in Winter, Drowsy Chaperone and Jesus Christ Superstar. He has appeared with them as Ragueneau in Cyrano, Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street, Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar, Mr. Lindquist in A Little Night Music, Noah Curry in 110 in the Shade, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes, Clarence in It’s A Wonderful Life, the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol and as two brothers (one being a puppet) in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Other favorite past roles include Jules in Sunday in the Park with George, Mr. Bumble in Oliver, Dr. Dussel in The Diary of Anne Frank, and the lead in The Other Coal Miner’s Daughter with the Western Massachusetts Gay Men’s Chorus.
Photo by John Paul Durazzo
Vivian Oliver
Vivian Oliver (Regan) is so excited to be back at Stone Church and working with all of these amazing people. She is finishing her senior year at Middletown High School North and will be a freshman at the University of New Hampshire in the fall. Some of her recent roles have been, Tutti(Meet Me In St. Louis), Rosencrantz(Hamlet) and Katherine/Holofernes(Love’s Labour’s Lost). She wants to give a huge thank you to her directors and fellow cast members for being so kind and teaching her so much!
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Brian Smiga
Brian Smiga (King Lear 2), a Rumson native, studied theater at Swarthmore, Haverford, and Trinity College Dublin. While teaching English, Brian studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse and joined SAG and Actors Equity. Leading roles: Streetcar, Rose Tattoo, 27 Wagons, Tempest, Heartbreak House, Picnic, Philadelphia Story, Hayfever, Walk in the Woods, The Balcony, Rivals, The Changeling, Misanthrope, Marriage of Figaro. Locally, Brian produced TEDxAsburyPark 2013-2024 at Two River Theater, Bell Theater, and the Paramount. Professionally, Brian co-founded the venture fund, AlphaPartners.com, where he currently works, and five collaborative software companies in San Francisco and New York. Brian is a local dad, cyclist, kayaker, and gardener.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Andrew Struse
Andrew Struse (Gloucester) is a veteran character actor of the community acting scene. Since 2017, Andrew has graced the SCP stage with his idiosyncratic portrayals of some of Shakespeare’s most colorful supporting roles: Lord Capulet, Baptista, Thisbe, King Alonso, Don John, Rosenkranz, Banquo, Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Andrew would like to thank our magnanimous leaders, Leslie and Jesse, for their direction and unwavering support as well as his dog Boris for helping him run lines.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Brooke Tortorelli
Brooke Tortorelli (France/Oswald and others) is so excited to be involved with another production with Stone Church Players! Recently, she appeared as Jane in the staged reading of Mary, Mary, as well as Glenda/Donna in Lady Wife. She is ecstatic to be able to tell all kinds of stories in her home of Monmouth County. As an alumnus of Monmouth University, she had the privilege of playing Vivian Bearing in Wit and Gertrude in Hamlet. She is unbelievably grateful to the Stone Church Players team for their inspiration and support.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot
Jacob Turchi
Jacob Turchi (King Lear 1) is thrilled to return to Stone Church for another outdoor show. He is an actor from Dunellen, who has studied at Actors Playground in Freehold and the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC. Past performances with SCP include The Crucible, Dog Sees God, Twelfth Night, & And Every Creeping Thing. He has been in community theater productions of Clue, Other Desert Cities, All My Sons, Wait Until Dark, American Son, and Almost, Maine. He thanks his friends, family, teachers, and the cast and crew of King Lear for their support.
Photo by Lindsay Abbot