THE CAST
SYDNEY DAVIS (Guildenstern) is thrilled be a part of this production of Hamlet, one of their favourite Shakespeare works. They are excited to provide the comic relief alongside Elizabeth, their favorite Rosencrantz and partner in shenanigans and backstage dance routines. Sydney would like to thank her family, friends and her girlfriend Siobhan for their endless love and support. They hope you’ll enjoy watching the show as much as they enjoy being in it.
RAFE EPSTEIN (Lucianus) Recent work: Once Upon a Time in Anatevka (Pogromnik) and Letter to God (Narrator), New Russia Cultural Center; Sanctuary (Priest) and Alchemist’s Wife (Alchemist), Montgomery County Foothillls Festival; Peter Pan (Pirate) and R.U.R. (Servant), Classic Theater Guild. Attending Sage Theater Institute (Blue Horse Rep) and MopCo Improv. Studying theories of animal life.
ALANAH JACKLYN GRANT (Ophelia) has about ten years of acting experience across three states. Previous credits include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Phoebe D’Ysquith), The Mousetrap (Sergeant Trotter), Mary Poppins (Mary), and The Drowsy Chaperone (Trix, the Aviatrix). Jackie’s hobbies include karaoke, carpentry, fashion, table tennis, and hanging out with birds.
JONATHAN HEFTER (Gravedigger / Courtier) has been immersed in theater for over forty years as an actor, director, producer, and instructor. He has previously instructed a scene study class for SPAC’s School of the Arts, and an acting class for Home Made Theater, where he serves as a long-time member of its Artistic Advisory Committee. Jonathan directed Home Made Theater’s productions of Inspecting Carol, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and ’night, mother. As an actor, his performance as Baruch de Spinoza in New Jerusalem was recognized with an award for Outstanding Acting by the Theater Association of New York State. Since moving back from New York City to his hometown of Saratoga Springs in 2012, select additional credits include The Complete History of America (Abridged), The Beauty Queen Of Leenane (Pato Dooley), Witness for the Prosecution (Leonard Vole), Neil Simon’s Rumors (Ken Gorman), and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (Philip Lombard). He first appeared on the Home Made Theater stage in 1987’s On Golden Pond (Billy Ray). Select New York City credits include Off-Broadway runs of Day One and Found A Peanut, among others, and TV appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and MTV’s hidden camera shows Damage Control and Boiling Points.
ELIZABETH HELMER (Hamlet) is thrilled to be taking part in her first Home Made Theater production. Some of her favorite shows have been Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro), The Servant of Two Masters (Smeraldina), and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Giri) with Confetti Stage, Inc. Endless thanks to Dianne and Scala for their trust and guidance, to the cast and crew for their talent and support, and to all the friends and family who have been running lines with Liz since October.
J HUNTER (Ghost / Priest) is delighted to make his Home Made Theater return with Hamlet, Prince of Denmark at Saratoga City Music Hall. His last HMT appearance was as in The Lifespan of a Fact (John D’Agata) at Saratoga Arts in 2023. J has also appeared as in August: Osage County (Beverly Weston) at Schenectady Civic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Thesueus) at Confetti Stage Ltd., Web (F.J. Templeton / Templeton the Rat) at SLCA/Circle Theatre Players, Love/Sick (Jake) and Miracle on 34th Street (Kris Kringle) both for Classic Theater Guild. In the Real World, J writes about music & theater for RadioRadioX (www.radioradiox.com) and hosts the weekly radio show Jazz2K @ The Saint on WVCR 88.3 / Albany. J gives much love to his partner for her incredible support even as she navigates her own theater experience in the Capital Region.
JOAN MEYER (Gertrude) most recently appeared in Albany Civic Theatre’s production of Deathtrap (Helga TenDorp). Previous area performances include Almost, Maine (Marvalyn/Deena/Marci), Barefoot in the Park (Mother), Inspecting Carol (Zorah), The Game’s Afoot (Madge), and Calendar Girls (Chris) at Home Made Theater. A Comedy of Tenors (Tatiana Racón), The Dixie Swim Club (Vernadette), Lend Me a Tenor (Julia), and Elvis Has Left the Building (Trudy) at Curtain Call Theatre; The Importance of Being Earnest (Lady Bracknell [TANYS award for Excellence in Acting]) at Classic Theater Guild; Les Misérables (Madame Thénardier) at Troy Acting Guild; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Jewel) at Local Actors Guild of Saratoga; A Piece of My Heart (Maryjo), Othello (Emilia), A Streetcar Named Desire (Eunice), and Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge (Mrs. Bob) at Confetti Stage; and Hairspray (Matron/Gym Teacher) at CAPS. A graduate of West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts (BFA-Theatre/Acting), Joan is a freelance voiceover artist and a singer who has performed the US and Canadian national anthems and “God Bless America” at several area venues, including historic Saratoga Race Course, the Times Union Center (Albany Devils), and Joseph L. Bruno Stadium (Tri-City ValleyCats). She also sings atUS Naturalization ceremonies at the James Foley Federal Courthouse in Albany. Extending the Attitude of Gratitude to this cast and crew! www.voxdiva.com.
TED OROSZ (Marcellus) appeared in several plays in college, a very long time ago. He has gotten back into thespian mode the last few years appearing locally in The Chosen (David Malter), and in The God of Issac (Actor 1). Ted has been enjoying the snowy winter skiing as often as weather and time permit.
ELIZABETH PARIZH (Rosencrantz) is excited to be acting in this show. Most recently, you might have seen her in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Nina) at Home Made Theater. She is also thrilled to be reunited with Guildenstern, who was her fellow Amazon in Home Made Theater’s Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure. She has also done props design for some recent shows with Home Made Theater. Elizabeth had participated in theater throughout college and law school, and has been grateful for the opportunity to continue after graduation.
PATRICK QUINN (Polonius) has appeared in Home Made Theater’s Miracle on 34th Street (Kris Kringle), A Christmas Carol (Scrooge). Other regional roles in: Judgement at Nuremberg (Ernst Janning) at Classical Theater Guild; The Crucible (Governor Danforth) at Sand Lake Center for the Arts; Outside Mullingar (Tony), The Birthday Party (Petey) and Molly Sweeney (Mr. Rice) at Theater Voices; Hieronmus (.Fr. Abbot) at Proctor’s Theater; Our Town (Prof. Willard) at RPI Players at EMPAC; The Seagull (Sorin) at North East Theater Ensemble. Patrick had movie roles in John Romeo’s The Middle Ages (Bumfret) and Logan Rando’s The Fighter (Roger). TV Work included Ankor Wat (Lecturer), The History Channel and Bill Moyer’s America’s First River (himself) on PBS. Patrick has been dialect coach to Capital Rep and Curtain Call Theater. As an architect he worked on the redesign of Dublin’s Gate Theater, and he has lectured in over 50 universities on four continents. As a swimmer he was ALL American (Distance) and was ranked several times in FINA’s World’s Top Ten.
ALLISON SCHMITT (Horatio) is thrilled to be a part of one of Shakespeare’s greatest works! Allison graduated from Penn State University in 2020 with a degree in Photojournalism and a minor in Theatre; she is currently the Digital Communications Specialist at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY. Allison has been seen onstage in the area in Glens Falls Community Theatre’s productions of “RENT” (Ensemble), “9 To 5” (Roz Keith), “Clue: Live” (Mrs. Peacock), “The Addams Family” (Alice Beinike) and “School of Rock” (Ensemble) as well as at Fort Salem Theater in “Beethoven: Live in Concert” (Ensemble); she originated the role of Effie Witherman in Company of Curiosities staged reading of “Solstice: A New Musical.” Other favorite credits include “The Little Mermaid” (Ursula), “The Pillowman” (Michal), “Ordinary Days” (Deb), “Our Town” (Mrs. Gibbs), “High School Musical” (Coach Bolton), “The SpongeBob Musical” (Mayor of Bikini Bottom), and “Steel Magnolias” (Annelle). As always, Allison dedicates her performance to her husband Noah, who took a Shakespeare class with her in college and famously said that he “likes it when they say egg.” Enjoy the show!
DAVID SKEELE (Claudius) moved to the Saratoga area last year, having spent the previous thirty years teaching acting and playwriting at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania. David is a prolific director, with over fifty productions at SRU under his belt. Locally, he performed in Home Made Theater’s The Humans (Erik), in Hubbard Hall’s Twelfth Night (Feste) and Whispering Bones (The Occupant of the Room). Favorite roles include Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, John in Marjorie Prime and Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. David holds teaching certifications in Meisner Technique and Foundation Training. He has an MFA in Directing and a Ph.D. in Theatre History and Performance Studies, and is the author of the book Thwarting the Wayward Seas, a history of Shakespeare’s Pericles and the editor of Pericles: Critical Essays. In addition to theatre, David’s passions include hiking, snowshoeing, writing crime fiction and scouring the internet for exciting new rock bands.
BEVERLY SKOLL (Player Queen / Ensemble) is in her debut with Home Made Theater! She has performed locally with Classic Theatre Guild, RUR (Sulla/Nana/Killer Robot); Schenectady Civic Players, Bull in a China Shop (Miss Birdie); Not So Common Players, Evita (Ensemble); Spotlighters Theatre, The Music Man (Ensemble); Galway Players, The Addams Family (Grandmama); Harbinger Theatre, Admissions (Roberta); Bunbury Players, Diary of Anne Frank (Mrs. Van Daan); and SLOC, Ragtime (Ensemble), among others. Bev is a retired Schenectady schoolteacher, (who had the privilege of teaching Hamlet many times), and a mixed-media/watercolor artist, living in Scotia, with her husband, Gary, and two cats, Oscar and Milo. She is also blessed with five awesome grandchildren who live in the 518! Thank you, Dianne and Scala for this opportunity! And thank you, patrons, for supporting the arts, especially in these troubling times!
THE PRODUCTION STAFF
ANNE-MARIE BAKER (Sound Designer) is in her 14th season with Home Made Theater. She has worn many hats both on and off stage since her first show in 2011. She has also enjoyed taking a turn in other area theaters. Some of her favorites have been 39 Steps (Sound Op), The Addams Family (Ancestor), Calendar Girls (Ruth), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Spot Op), Dial M for Murder (Sound Design), and Sunday in the Park with George (Old Lady/Blair Daniels) at Home Made Theater; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Sound Op) at SLOC. She is very grateful for her steady sound team – without them there would be no show!
LINDA BERTRAND (Producer) has been involved at Home Made Theater in costume design for over 20 years. Starting as a volunteer and then moving to a designer position. She also did costume work at Waterford-Halfmoon, Ballston Spa and Saratoga High Schools for many years. In addition to her public-school work, she has designed and created costumes for countless productions at Home Made Theater not only for the main stage but also for 10 years with the Youth Conservatory. Occasionally, when not costuming, she has done shifts backstage as a member of running crews and as a dresser. Linda is currently the Vice President of the Home Made Theater Board and is supporting the co-directors and cast of Hamlet as the Producer.
LIBBY E. BRENNESHOLTZ (Costume Designer) is a newcomer to Saratoga Springs and Home Made Theater, but not to theater. She has designed and costumed all sorts of shows from first grade plays to Equity extravaganzas. Zombies, laundresses, faeries, stockbrokers, 18th century farmers, crazy puppets and their puppeteers, dancing bears, and even regular people have all taken bows in her costumes. Theatre is magic.
MARY FRAN HUGHES (Scenic Designer) has been working with Home Made Theater over 30 years. Besides Set Designs, has worked on Properties, Stage Manager, and Running Crews. She has also worked with other theater productions at Curtain Call Theater and other various theater productions.
JACOB PICKETT (Lighting Designer) is honored to be designing again with Home Made Theater. At Home Made Theater he has previously worked as Lighting Designer for The Humans, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Mean Girls Jr. As part of the lighting crew he has worked on many other shows with Home Made Theater as light board operator as well as ground crew (during light hang) with his dad and brother. Some other production credits include: August: Osage County (Breakable Props) at SCP; Ruthless (Light Board Op) at Ghent Playhouse; You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Graphic Designer) at Footloose Theatre Programs; Santa’s Magical Express (Lighting Designer) at Yankee Trails; and Proof (Lighting Designer), Pippin (Stage Manager), and Rhinoceros (Producer) at WPI in Massachusetts. In his spare time, Jacob likes to read, write, build LEGOs, and study sustainability. He dedicates this production to his best friend and brother, Liam, and is working spiritually alongside him.
CHRISTINA TOPPIN (Properties Designer) is in her 8th season with Home Made Theater, and she was excited to be invited back as the Properties Master for Hamlet. She enjoys working with Dianne O’Neill and has previously done props for some of her other shows, such as Dial M for Murder and Mousetrap (does she sense a murder theme?), amongst many other shows at Home Made Theater. Christina has always had a passion for the creative arts, and is thrilled that her love of crafting and live theater can come together in this fulfilling way. She is grateful for the Home Made Theater family, and the friendships she has made over the years here. Christina especially wants to thank her husband for doing the kids’ bedtimes solo so she could dedicate time to this production.
SUSAN TURNER (Stage Manager) is delighted to have the opportunity to work on this project with such a strong ensemble of talent. Susan stage manages regularly between HMT, Skidmore College Dance Department, and The Toledo Ballet. Susan sends love to her family, friends and all her “littles”, wherever they may be.