Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

“I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly.”

Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D. December, 1843

Charles Dickens was the son of John Dickens, a naval clerk, and Elizabeth Barrow, who aspired to be a teacher. In 1824, when he was just 12 years old, his father was sent to debtor’s prison. The family was living in a poor neighborhood in London. Charles left school to work in a rundown boot-blacking factory. In 1827, he found work as an office boy, and in a couple years began freelance reporting at the law courts of London and later for two London newspapers. He also submitted sketches to magazines and newspapers, which in 1836 were compiled in a book. His experiences left him with a concern for impoverished children, and influenced his writing, as seen in Oliver Twist (published 1838) and A Christmas Carol (published 1843), among many of his short stories, novels, and plays. A Christmas Carol was an immediate hit, selling 6,000 copies.

-Courtesy of the BBC

A Glimpse of the 1800's

1800 – Alexander Brown arrived in Baltimore from Ireland, and with his sons launched a linen business; later, they expanded into cotton, shipping and investments and became financial giants. The city’s population then was 27,000.

1807 – The College of Medicine of Maryland (later known as University of Maryland) was chartered.

1830 – B&O Railroad began America’s first commercial railroad passenger service (horse-drawn), from Baltimore to Ellicott City. Steam locomotives were added in 1832.

1835 – Edgar Allan Poe, about age 25, left his Baltimore home at No. 3 Amity Street to edit the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, VA.

1840 – With an estimated population of 102,000, Baltimore was the second largest urban center in the country. Only New York City was larger. A gritty city, Baltimore was a center of shipbuilding, trade and finance. Maryland was a slaveholding state, but Baltimore also had the largest free black community in the country, roughly 26,000 people, comprising about one quarter of the city’s population. Their rights were severely restricted and frequently challenged, leaving many destitute, but others achieved a measure of economic success in trades and built their own churches and schools. Around 1840, a wave of German and Irish immigrants poured into the city.

1840 – The city skyline of the 1840s included the Baltimore Basilica, America’s first cathedral; the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon, which was built from 1815-1829; the red brick Phoenix Shot Tower, which was for a long time the tallest structure in the city; and the St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church on Front Street. The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery -- the world’s first dental college – was founded in 1840; it is today part of University of Maryland.

1842 – Charles Dickens toured America and stayed in Baltimore at Barnum’s City Hotel, located at Calvert and Fayette Streets.

1843 – In England, the first Christmas card was invented. Prominent Baltimore attorney and Star-Spangled Banner writer Francis Scott Key died at the home of his daughter, a mansion on the site now occupied by Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church.

1844 – The Maryland Historical Society was founded. Builders of the telegraph first tried laying cable underground in 1843, and by 1844 decided instead to string the line on poles from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore; Samuel B. Morse successfully sent the message, “What hath God wrought” in 1844. Eastern High School and Western High School, for girls, opened.

1845 – Construction on Lloyd Street Synagogue was completed. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, an African-American abolitionist and poet who was born free in Baltimore, published her first book of poetry, Forest Leaves. Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery in Baltimore in 1838, published his autobiographical Narrative

Greta Boeringer (Mrs. Dilber/others) returns after having previously appeared in Much Ado About Nothing (2022). Her other credits include Macbeth, Richard III, Winter’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); Henry V, King Lear (Baltimore Shakespeare Factory); Romeo and Juliet (Endangered Species Theater Project); As You Like It (Aaron Posner dir.), Macbeth (Craig Baldwin, dir.) Academy of Classical Acting, GWU.   

J. Bradley Bowers (Jacob Marley/Nicholas/others) is thrilled to be returning to CSC after making his debut as Claudio in Measure for Measure. Past regional credits include John Proctor is the Villain (Studio Theatre), Caroline, or Change (Center Stage), Leading Men of Broadway (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), among many other local productions. Internationally, he performed in Singin’ in the Rain (Underhållningspatrullen) in Kristianstad, Sweden. Brad is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University. 

Gregory Burgess (Ebeneezer Scrooge) is a CSC Company Member, and has performed in CSC’s productions of Twelfth Night (2022), Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2; The Winter’s Tale; The Fantasticks; Richard III (2017 and 2012); Anne of the Thousand Days; Wild Oats; A Christmas Carol (2014-2021); Titus Andronicus (2015); The Importance of Being Earnest; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2014 and 2010); As You Like It; The Merry Wives of Windsor; The Taming of the Shrew (2017 and 2013); and The Merchant of Venice, among many others. His training includes The Martin Blank Studio, the Shakespeare Theater, and Howard University. 

Ellen Cattle (Fiddler) is a Baltimore-local musician who performs with groups and acting companies around Maryland. This will be their third time performing with CSC's A Christmas Carol, and they can be found annually at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. They were recently in the pit orchestra for the Company of Women's production of Richard III at the Strand Theater, and perform locally with their band, Madwitch. (She/They) 

Morganne Chu (Belle/others) is making her CSC debut. Select Previous Credits include Cumberland Theatre: Spooky Dog…(Thelma), Comedy of Errors (Luciana), Rock of Ages (Constance), CLUE On Stage (Cook and Telegram Girl), Charlotte’s Web (Charlotte), The Great Gatsby (Mrs. McKee), Reefer Madness (Ensemble); Toby’s Dinner Theatre: Spamalot (Ensemble and Female Swing), A Christmas Story (Ensemble); Avant Bard: East of the Sun… Moon (Eldest Daughter); Way Off Broadway: Mamma Mia (Ensemble); Annapolis Shakespeare: R&G are Dead (Ophelia), Cabaret (Lulu), A Christmas Carol (Martha). BFA in Musical Theatre from AMDA NYC/LA. www.morgannechu.com 

Lauren Davis (Frances/others) is a company member and a member of CSC’s Black Classical Acting Ensemble. Most recently, she directed CSC’s Olive Branch and Laurel Crown in their production of To Be A Solider and assistant directed Macbeth (2022 School Matinee). Acting credits include Love's Labour's Lost, Romeo and Juliet (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company); Acoustic Rooster, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Kennedy Center); Corduroy, Shrek the Musical (Childrens Theatre Company); Oliver! (Theater Latté Da); Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (Pillsbury House Theatre/Guthrie Theater); She holds an M.F.A. from the Catholic University of America and a theater degree from Frostburg State. 

Kate Forton (Mrs. Pickersgill/others) is a senior company member with CSC. She played Hero in Much Ado about Nothing (2022), Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018), various roles in A Christmas Carol (2014-2019), and has been in several other CSC productions. Kate has also worked with Just Off Broadway in their productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rumors, New York, Company. (she/her)  

Kyle Hermary (William/Peter/Others) is making his CSC debut. Notable Productions: Center Stage: Our Town (Wally Webb), Spotlighters: Puffs (Wayne), Towson University: Straight White Men (Ed), Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (Various). Education: BFA Acting, Towson University 

Troy Haines-Hopper (Christmas Present/others) is making his CSC debut. His previous credits include; Side Show (Dundalk Community Theatre), Sister Act (Cockpit in Court), Black Diamond (Discovery Theatre), The Little Mermaid (Olney Theatre Center), Violet (Ford’s Theatre), Company (Vagabond Players), RENT (Winters Lane Productions), 7:32 The Musical (Loose Cannon Productions), A New Brain (A.H. Spotlighters Theatre), The Spitfire Grill (Fells Point Corner Theatre), many others. You can find him on all social media platforms: @troyperforms 

Lauren Jackson (The Ghost of Christmas Past/others) is making her CSC debut. Lauren is a actor, director, writer, songstress, and storyteller. She has contributed to the Baltimore theatre scene—both as an ensemble member at Single Carrot Theatre (2017-2022) and as a founding member of Two Strikes Theatre Collective, a theatre company founded by and for Black Women. Recently, she assistant directed the regional premiere of Eureka Day at Asolo Repertory Theatre. Past performances include Phoebe in Phoebe in Winter (Single Carrot, City Paper Best Actor 2016), Zoë in The Niceties (Everyman Theatre: Salon Series), and Capulet Servant/Ensemble in Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare Theatre Co). 

Jade Jones (Martha Cratchit/Betsy/Belle's Daughter) Returns to CSC after previously performing in Twelfth Night (2022). She is a senior Theatre Arts major at Morgan State University. Her recent credits include Dream and Disconnect, Our Town, and Pipeline, all at Theatre Morgan Company.  

Molly Moores (Mrs. Fezziwig/O'Leary/others) has been a CSC Company Member and Teaching Artist since 2011. Most recently she appeared as Leonata in Much Ado About Nothing (2022). Other productions include: Romeo and Juliet (student matinee 2015-2020, 2022); A Christmas Carol (2014-2019, 2021); The Adventures of Pericles (2021); Macbeth (movable 2019); Macbeth (student matinee 2019); Henry IV Parts 1 and II; A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018 and 2011); The Winter's Tale; Julius Caesar; Anne of the Thousand Days; The Three Musketeers; Macbeth (2016); Much Ado About Nothing (2015); Richard II; The Taming of the Shrew (2013); Antony and Cleopatra; Pride and Prejudice; Romeo and Juliet (2012); and The Merchant of Venice. www.mollymoores.com  

Shaquan Pearson (Young Scrooge/others) is a member of CSC’s Black Classical Acting Ensemble and is returning after previously appearing in their Macbeth school matinee, Much Ado About Nothing (2022) and Romeo and Juliet Matinee (2020). His regional credits include: Frankenstein (The Strand Theater Company) and We Broke Up. (Single Carrot Theater). He received his BFA from University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and AA in Theatre Performance from Montgomery College. 

Benny Pope (Dick Wilkins/others) is making his CSC debut. His previous credits include A Soldier’s Play (Second Star Productions), Christmas Is Comin’ Uptown, God’s Trombones, Hamlet, It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues, Spell #7, Witness for the Prosecution (Arena Players, Inc). Film credits: America Gone Viral (Changing World Films), District Queens: The Racine Robinson Story (Roosevelt Entertainment). www.bennypope.com 

Samuel Richie (Bob Cratchit/others) returns to the CSC stage after having previously performed in Henry V (2022). His other credits include Cymbeline, Romeo & Juliet, and Man and Superman (STC Academy) Macbeth (Rapid Descent), Henry VI, and The Tempest (Do It Live!), and The Mermaid Madonna: Tales of A Crisis (Center Stage Theatre). He studied classical acting at The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy. www.samuelrichie.com 

Michael Salconi (Mr. Fezziwig/others) has been engaged in theatre and film in Baltimore and NYC for 30 years. He has performed in a number of CSC productions, including Much Ado About Nothing (2015) and Macbeth (2016). Other recent credits include; Jerusalem (Fells Point Corner Theatre) and Promenade (Single Carrot Theatre).  

Emily Zinski (Mrs. Cratchit/others) is an actor, singer, and teaching artist making her CSC debut. Theatrical credits include Working (BLM Plaza), Fiddler on the Roof (Weston Playhouse), White Christmas (Syracuse Stage), Oliver! (Baltimore Actors’ Theatre), Les Misérables (Pittsburgh Musical Theater), Annie (Pittsburgh Musical Theater) and A Christmas Carol (Pittsburgh Musical Theater). In addition, Emily works in film (Go Away, Emily Who Was Very Sad), television (Motivated Mornings, AFSB Ad Campaign), commercial music (AIDA Cruise Lines, Bachelor Boys Band), and she teaches in AACPS’ Apex Arts Magnet Program. Emily holds a BFA from Syracuse University. www.emilyzinski.com 

YOUTH CAST

Emilia Endy (Belinda Cratchit/ Others) is an 8th grader at the Waldorf School. She is making her CSC debut.  

Alex Jones (Freddie/Belle's Son/Turkey Boy) is an 8th Grade student at the Waldorf School of Baltimore. He returns to CSC after previously performing in the 2021 production of A Christmas Carol and A Raisin In The Sun (2022). 

Ryan James Macdonald (School Child/Others) is a 9th grader at the Park School. He is making his CSC debut.

River Robinson (Tiny Tim/Others) is a 4th grader at the Waldorf school. He is making his CSC debut.  

Shanara Gabrielle (Director) is making her CSC directorial debut. She is a theatre artist working in a wide variety of mediums with a focus on gutsy, inventive, engaging theatre for all audiences. Driven by tales of imagination and joyful stories of justice, Shanara fosters new work and reimagines traditional texts with artists of courage and depth. Shanara has worked professionally at theaters across the country, including: Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Guthrie, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Great Lakes Theatre, Northern Stage, Idaho Shakespeare, Imagination Stage, Coterie Theater, The Cell NYC, Goethe Institute, Metropolitan Playhouse, St. Louis Rep, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Theatre for the New City, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Hollywood Playhouse, The Black Rep,  Upstream Theater, and more. Shanara most recently spearheaded WORKING IN DC as the Artistic Producer, which performed on Black Lives Matter Plaza in collaboration with the national AFL-CIO. She has worked as an Artistic Associate at Arena Stage and Shakespeare Theatre Company and is a proud recipient of the Princess Grace Award and member of SDC, AEA, and SAG-AFTRA. www.shanaragabrielle.com or IG: @shanaragabrielle 

Laura Rocklyn (Playwright) is a proud Company Member and Teaching Artist at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company where she is grateful to have appeared on stage in numerous roles, from the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (2014,’15,’16) to Ellen Tree in Red Velvet. Laura’s one-woman play Charlotte Brontë: To Do More & Better Things was presented as part of the North American Friends of Chawton House 2021 Speaker Subscription Series; Clover, a fulllength play Laura co-wrote with Ty Hallmark, was produced by Ally Theatre Company in 2017; and Laura’s original short play Emma is Presented in Washington City was performed as the curtain raiser for the Jane Austen Society of North America 2016 Annual General Meeting. Laura was the winner of the “LitMag” 2021 Virginia Woolf Award for short fiction, and her stories have appeared in literary journals “Stork” and “New Square,” and in the anthology The Twelve Adventurers and Other Stories: A New Edition. She has published articles in “Brontë Studies” and “The Revere Express”. Laura holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, and an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University. www.LauraRocklyn.com 

Sarah Curnoles (Production Manager)(See Staff Bios)

Sarah E.T. Jackson (Production Stage Manager) Previous CSC credits include The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew. Recent credits elsewhere include The Lion King (North American Tour); Fiddler on the Roof (UMS & Philadelphia Orchestra); Dracula (Classic Stage Company); Annie Get Your Gun (Bay Street Theatre); Rocky Horror Picture Show (Bucks County Playhouse); Into the Woods (Juilliard Drama Division); Kiss, Mary Jane (Yale Repertory Theatre); A Chorus Line (Transcendence Theatre Company), among others. Education: MFA in Stage Management, Yale School of Drama. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

Miles A. Lawlor (Assistant Stage Manager) is making their CSC debut. Previous credits include: Dot (Cockpit in Court), Speech & Debate (CCBC), A Lie of the Mind (Towson University), Catch Me If You Can (DCT), and [title of show] (Fells Point Corner Theatre). They received an AA in Design and Production from Community College of Baltimore County, 2017; BS in Theatre Arts from Towson, 2020.  

Mollie Singer (Set Designer) CSC Credits (Props): Julius Caesar, Red Velvet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Winter’s Tale, The Fantastics, Richard III, Anne of the Thousand Days. Other Credits: Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Scenic Design), Glass Menagerie (Scenic Design) Fuller (Scenic Design), Grace (Asst. Props) Acoustic Rooster (Asst. Scenic Design) My Lord What a Night (Asst. Props) Unknown (Scenic/Props), Hookman (Scenic Design) Subject to Change (Scenic Design), She Kills Monsters (Scenic Design) Souvenir (Scenic Design), Becoming Dr. Ruth (Props) Lady Day at Emerson’s… (Scenic Design). 

Minjoo Kim (Lighting Designer) returns to CSC after having previously worked on Henry V (2022) Her lighting design credits include Water by the Spoonful, Life Sucks, and The Great Leap (Cygnet Theatre); The Royale (KC Rep); The Great Leap (Round House Theatre); The Chief (Pittsburgh Public Theater); One in Two (Diversionary Theatre); Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies (Mile Square Theatre); The Two (Space Owul); Quiet No More (San Diego Women's Chorus); Qulili (The Blindspot); IDEAS-Cetacea (Calit2 Theater, Atkinson Hall); Crimson Girl (Dongsoong Art Center); Die or Not (Seoul Art Space Mullae); Mask on/off (Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre). minjoo-design.com 

Kristina Lambdin (Costumes Designer) (See Staff Bios)

Grace Santamaria (Costume Design Associate) is a Baltimore transplant born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Previous credits include Macbeth (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), The Glass Menagerie (Johns Hopkins University), Kiss Me, Mr. Musk (Single Carrot Theatre), Blue Stockings (Loyola University Maryland), Glory Denied (Urban Arias). She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2018 with a BFA in Theatre Design and Production and a Minor in History of Art. She currently freelances as both a costume designer and maker throughout the DMV area. www.gracesantamariadesign.com. 

Sarah O'Halloran (Sound Designer) is a sound designer and composer. Sarah previously worked on CSC’s Anne of the Thousand Days and Measure for Measure. Other credits include Sense and Sensibility, Be Here Now, Proof, Dinner with Friends (Everyman Theatre); The Humans, Our Town and Labour of Love (Olney Theater Center); Nathan the Wise, Compulsion, Talley’s Folly (Theater J) ; She the People: The Resistance Continues (Woolly Mammoth/The Second City); The Phlebotomist, The Brothers Size, Swimming with Whales, Trevor, and When the Rain Stops Falling (1st Stage); Cry it Out (Studio Theatre); A Chorus Within Her (Theater Alliance); In His Hands and The Return (Mosaic Theater); The Glass Menagerie, E2, The 39 Steps, The Heidi Chronicles and Things That Are Round (Rep Stage). 

Caitlin Bouxsein (Props Designer) is making her CSC design debut. She is a designer, director, choreographer, and performer who has worked with several Baltimore area performing arts companies including Single Carrot Theatre, Strand Theater Company, Fluid Movement, and Submersive Productions, with whom she is a member of the Submersive Collective. She also produces original works with her spouse, Alexander Scally, under the name BOUXSCAL Productions, which have been featured at Charm City Fringe and other local venues. Education: B.A. Theatre Arts, Drew University. 

Chester Stacy (Puppet Designer, Associate Technical Director) (See Staff Bios)  

Grace Srinivasan (Music Director) is a CSC company member who has programmed and arranged the music for CSC productions since 2016. A soprano who performs a wide-ranging repertoire throughout the region, she appeared as a soloist in a program of works inspired by Shakespeare’s plays, If Music Be the Food of Love, with CSC artists, the Peabody Baroque Band, and the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble. Grace holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory and sings professionally at St. Stephen Martyr Church and the National Cathedral. 

Madalaina D'Angelo (Dance Choreographer) is making her CSC debut. Selected regional credits include Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Theatre Company), An Inspector Calls (STC/Pemberley Productions US Tour), Little Shop of Horrors (Constellation Theatre Company), Carousel (The Media Theatre), Bat Boy (Imagination Stage). Selected Film/TV/Voiceover: Chain Reaction (Game Show Network), Who Killed Jane Doe? (ID Network), King Kronan the Zombie (Slopez Studios), NMEDA Late Night with Kimmy Jimmel (Element Learning). MFA: STC Academy, Washington, DC. www.madalaina-dangelo.com.  

Hannah Brill (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a costume and lighting designer from Baltimore. She is a graduate of Towson University with a BS in Theatre Design & Production and Metalsmithing & Jewelry. She is the Assistant Costume Shop manager for Towson University’s Department of Theatre Arts. Hannah is returning to CSC as wardrobe manager (Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, Alice In Wonderland). Other recent work includes costume design for TU Dance Company: Legacy (Towson University), Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes (Single Carrot Theatre), The First Thing That Happens (Acme Corporation), and lighting design for Rachel (Rapid Lemon Productions). 

Dan O'Brien (Technical Director) (See Staff Bios) 

Kris Ingle (Board Operator) returns as light board operator for CSC after his debut in Henry V. He is a current Graphic Design Fellow at Arena Stage and his previous productions include Henry V (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), Holiday (Arena Stage), My Body No Choice (Arena Stage), and Sanctuary City (Arena Stage). 

Kris DiBastiani (Child Minder) is a stage manager and graduate of Towson University with a BS in Theatre Studies. She returns to CSC after having previously worked on Twelfth Night as light board operator. Other credits as a stage manager include William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play: Abridged, Lizzie, Stage Kiss (Stagedoor Manor); A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Opera A Capella, The Wolves, and Fugitive Songs (TU).  

Lloyd Ekpe (Production Assistant) is a member of CSC’S Black Classical Acting Ensemble and returns to CSC as Production Assistant after previously performing in the student matinee of Macbeth (2022), and A Raisin in the Sun (2022). His previous credits include: A Civil War Christmas at the Strand Theatre, Girls on a Dirt Pile as a part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. He was nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Award and won 'Outstanding Performance in a Play Reading'. 

LEADERSHIP

Ian Gallanar (Founding Artistic Director, Twelfth Night Director) In addition to founding the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in 2002, Ian has worked as a professional actor, director, and writer for more than 150 professional productions. He has directed 40 productions for CSC. Previously, Ian has served as Artistic Director for the National Theatre for Children, Minnesota Shakespeare in the Park, and the Repertory Theater of America. Ian is a proud member of the distinguished National Theatre Conference and the Dramatists Guild of America; a Helen Hayes Tribute Award, Telly Award, and Howie Award (Howard County Arts Council) winner. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he is a Member of the College of Fine Arts Advancement Council. He is Immediate Past President of the international Shakespeare Theatre Association, an organization for professional Shakespeare companies around the globe.

Lesley Malin (Producing Executive Director) is a founder of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, and served as its Executive Director since 2003. She managed CSC’s building renovation of an 1885 bank into our modern Shakespeare playhouse as well as the associated $6.7 million capital campaign. She has performed in 28 CSC productions and previously in New York. She was, for 20 years, Vice President of the Board of Trustees of The Lark, the landmark new play development center in New York City, where she earlier was Managing Director. She served for five years on the Executive Committee of the international Shakespeare Theatre Association and organized its annual conference that CSC hosted in Baltimore in 2017. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, NYU’s Arts Management program, Leadership Howard County, and LEADERship Baltimore (2018).

STAFF

Mandy Benedix (Box Office Manager) previously worked as the Audience Relations and Box Office Manager at Baltimore CenterStage. She graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a BFA in Theater. She has had the pleasure of living and working in Chicago and New York prior to calling Baltimore her home.

Sarah Curnoles (Production Manager) stage managed with CSC for Much Ado About Nothing, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Dracula, A Doll’s House, The Tempest, and Henry V. Before working at CSC, she was self-employed as a life coach. She has also worked at Center Stage as the Executive Assistant to the Artistic and Managing Directors. Sarah created and directed A Fool’s Paradise: 30 Shakespeare Scenes in 60 Minutes which was performed at the Baltimore Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and various stages around Baltimore.

Pamela S. Forton (Senior House Manager) supports the Box Office and coordinates many of the front-of-house and patron services that make audiences feel welcome in our beautiful theater and at the Ruins.

Catharine Helmers (Grants & Institutional Giving Manager) manages CSC’s grants process and portfolio of institutional relationships. Prior to joining CSC, she worked at the Wilson Center Africa Program in Washington, DC. Catharine holds an M.A. in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London and is a Baltimore area native.

Ron Heneghan (Director of Education) oversees education programs for CSC. More than 13,000 students attended performances in the 2018-2019 student matinee program, while the in-school residency, where CSC Teaching Artists embed in English/Language Arts classrooms as a resource for teachers and a learning experience for their students, served more than 2,500 students in Baltimore City, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Howard Counties. Ron is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. He holds an MFA from the University of Washington and a BS from the University of Maryland.

Troy Jennings (Education Manager) oversees the administrative aspects of CSC’s education program. In the past, Troy has taught at Drama Kids International of East Montgomery and Howard Counties.  His career as an actor has spanned nearly two decades. Theatre credits include productions at Everyman Theatre, Adventure Theatre, Spotlighters Theatre, The Strand Theater Company and the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. He has also appeared in commercials, feature film and voice overs. He holds a B.S. degree in theatre from Towson University.

Kristina Lambdin (Resident Costume Designer & Business Manager) won the Broadway World Best Costume Design award for her designs for A Christmas Carol (2016). Some of her costuming credits with CSC include Dracula (2013 and 2019); The Diary of Anne Frank; She Stoops to Conquer; Alice in Wonderland; Red Velvet; Anne of the Thousand Days; The Fantasticks; Macbeth (2016); A Christmas Carol (2014-2018); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2005, 2011 and 2014); The Importance of Being Earnest; The Taming of the Shrew (2006 and 2013); Romeo and Juliet (2003, 2012, and student matinees 2015-2019); A Doll’s House; As You Like It (Broadway World Best of Baltimore Award); and The Country Wife. Broadway World named her as a top artist of the 2007 Baltimore Theatre, and she won the Greater Baltimore Theater Award for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2005). For more than a decade, she served as the Costume Supervisor for the Baltimore Opera Company and then Lyric Opera Baltimore.

Russell Laury (Porter) worked with Southway Builders on the transformation of our landmark building into a beautiful Downtown Baltimore theater before joining the CSC staff.

Michael Lonegro (Director of Operations and Finance) was the lighting designer for CSC’s Julius Caesar (2017) and has operated lighting for numerous CSC productions. Before joining CSC in 2014, he studied law at the University of Maryland and comparative literature at the University of Chicago and worked for 10 years as a university press editor. He holds a BA from Yale University, where he also designed lighting for undergraduate and graduate theatre productions.

Brian D. Lyles (Director of Development) is a writer and corporate communications / fundraising professional. His background includes experience at several notable local institutions, including Baltimore Magazine, The Engineers Club at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, and Baltimore Center Stage, in addition to work with regional and national organizations, companies and government agencies. Brian has served many local cultural arts boards and committees, including as president of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) and chair of the CityLit Project. A native Baltimorean, Brian is a graduate of Gilman School, where he wrote and co-directed a nationally recognized one-act play. He later earned his BA degree in English & Creative Writing at Loyola University Maryland.

Daniel O’Brien (Technical Director & Facilities Manager) is a founding member of CSC. Daniel has performed, designed scenery, lights, and served as Technical Director for many productions (among other jobs too numerous to name). He oversaw the construction of CSC’s theatre in Baltimore and designed the sets and lighting for Macbeth (2016); for the inaugural season plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard II; Romeo and Juliet (2015-2019); A Christmas Carol (2014-2019), and many others.

Miranda Solomon (Marketing & Development Assistant) assists and supports CSC’s marketing and development teams in promoting and funding CSC's work. She previously worked at Omnibus Theatre, a small fringe theatre in London, UK, as a marketing intern. She holds a B.S. in Economics and a minor in Marketing from the Sigmund Weis School of Business at Susquehanna University.

Chester Stacy (Scenic Carpenter/Painter, and Assistant Technical Director) has designed, built, and painted many CSC productions, including Alice in Wonderland, The Fantasticks, Red Velvet, and Titus Andronicus, and for Baltimore Center Stage’s Thoughts of a Colored Man and Shakespeare in Love.  Chester Creates LLC, has provided film production design for The Night Watchmen, set decoration for House of Cards and The Wire; and environmental graphics for Crunch Fitness, Royal Caribbean, Bmore Greek Grill, and Healthy Highlandtown.

Brandon W Vernon (Director of Marketing Director & Resident Graphic Designer) is an animator, illustrator, graphic designer, and marketer. His work has been featured on MTV.com, and he has worked for publications and theatres around the country including the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. He has served as CSC's Resident Graphic Designer since 2019 and was the Dramaturg for Dracula (2019). He holds an MFA in Visual Communication from Jacksonville State University in Alabama, and a BFA in Traditional Animation from the School of Visual Arts in New York.