Hamlet in the American Revolution

Alec Anderson-Carrasco (Laertes / Guildenstern) is an Actor/Director based in Los Angeles. He has his BA in Theatre from the University of North Texas and his MFA in Acting from CalArts. Some of his recent theatre credits include: The Metromaniacs at Theatre 40 as Damis, The Mousetrap at The Group Rep as Christopher Wren, Lands at The Broadwater Theater, and Herakles at CalArts as Lykos. This is his first production with Lightning Rod Theatre, and he is grateful for the opportunity to bring this play to life with such a spectacular group of actors. He would like to thank his family, friends, and, as always, Jo.

Colin A. Borden (Hamlet) is an actor, writer, director and content creator — usually just shortened to “entertainer.” Recent theater credits include Hellas (Themesticles), The Battlesong of Boudica (Agricola), and Klingon Tamberlane (Calapine), all for the School of Night; Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick) at Aux Dog; and Antony and Cleopatra (Antony) with TMP Productions. Tonight's performance is for Rugby. Tomorrow's will be for Anna and the kids.

Ted Dane (Polonius / Priest / Captain) After performing a variety of theatrical roles in college and graduate school, Ted Dane took a slight 35 year detour from acting to become a patent litigation partner at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson. Upon retirement from legal practice in 2023, Ted returned to his true love, and in his second act has been privileged to perform at the Will Geer Theater in Topanga (Egeus -- A Midsummer Night's Dream; Antigonus -- The Winter's Tale; Agent Loyal -- Tartuffe: Born Again; Oliver Wanklin -- Strife), at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and the Long Beach Playhouse (Vice Principal Vernon -- The Club of Broken Fasts), and at Open Fist (Paris -- Romeo and Juliet). He is thrilled to be in his first production of Hamlet (and his first production wearing a wig).

Brenan Dwyer (Horatio / Rosencrantz) is an actor, writer and director for stage and screen, where she specializes in creating new work and reinventing old stories. She recently debuted her single-woman show The Diary of an Oregon Trail Spinster, directed by her creative partner Genevieve Fowler, to sold-out crowds and critical acclaim at the Atwater Village Theatre. She and Genevieve have also collaborated on a multimedia memoir performance about inheritance and mental illness, and premiered a modern adaptation of Hamlet at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Brenan has had the privilege of performing on many stages in many styles, including Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Artists Repertory Theatre, Profile Theatre, Imago Theatre, Northwest Classical Theater, and The Braid, among others. Brenan is also a performing arts educator, graphic designer, improviser, visual artist, ballet dancer and amateur pie baker. She holds an MFA in Acting from CalArts where she was honored as the School of Theater Princess Grace Award nominee, and has a BA in Theater from Occidental College.

Bethany Koulias (Ophelia) has been working on stages both nationally and internationally, and was recently seen in the devised theater work of The Wake of Annie Grady (Whatnot Theatrics-- Gregory Award nominee for Best Ensemble and Best Limited-Run), Stupid Fucking Bird (Theatre Extempore-- LA Theatre-Bites nominee for Best Supporting Actress, BroadwayWorld nominee for Best Supporting Performer in a Play), BatBoy: The Musical (Open Fist Theatre Company-- BroadwayWorld LA nominee for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical, StageScene LA award for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical, TicketHolder LA Runner-Up for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), and Dissent (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Nominee for Dance and Physical Theatre). She is a proud member of Open Fist Theatre Company and Whatnot Theatrics.

Rachel Levy (Gertrude) is delighted to return to Shakespeare as Queen Gertrude in Hamlet in the American Revolution. She holds a BA in Drama from the University of Washington and furthered her classical training studying Shakespeare in England. She has since built a versatile career spanning theater, film, and television in Los Angeles.

Ashwath Ram (Player King / Marcellus / Osric) is an Indian actor based in LA and Chennai. He loves bringing a lot of worldly cultures into his performance practices. Graduating with an MFA in acting at CalArts in Los Angeles, he has had experience in an array of film, theater and voice overs. He has worked with institutions and theater companies such as Shakespeare by the Sea, Artists at Play (LATC), Theatre Movement Bazaar, and TEDx. Theater credits include Macbeth (Stephanie Coltrin SBTS), The Airport, Danton's Death (Hunter Abaal), The Overcoat (Tina Kronis). Thanks to Amma, Daddy & Ananya. IG: @ashwathram23

Jordyn Ryan (Ophelia U/S) is thrilled to be a part of this production of HAMLET in the American Revolution! Jordyn is an LA-based interdisciplinary artist, with a passion for acting and stage management, earning her BFA in Acting from the California Institute of the Arts. She is happy to be back at The McCadden Place Theater, most recently stage managing and performing here in Medea Comes to Our Town (Lightning Rod Theater). Stage management credits include The Young Dolphins: Chapter One & Two (Inner City Arts), The Lemming Effect (CalArts, Hollywood Fringe Festival), and Hairspray (The Fox Theater); favorite Shakespeare credits include Romeo & Juliet (Juliet, Shakespeare in the Vines) and The Tempest (Ariel/ Miranda, RCP). IG: @jordynelizabethryan

Terrence Wayne, Jr. (Fortinbras / Gravedigger / Player 3) is a Los Angeles based actor who has a passion to tell authentic stories in many different capacities. He has been in theater since the age of 8 and has been blessed to perform all over the USA as well as internationally. He hopes to use his GOD given tools as a performer to act as catalyst to help many people across the world.

Kyrsten V. Williams (Player Queen / Servant) is an actress, singer, and teaching artist with a lifelong love of the arts. Her television credits include Apple TV+’s Shrinking and Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. On stage, many roles have been played, including Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, which earned her an NAACP Theatre Award nomination for Lead Actress, Violet Newstead in 9 to 5: The Musical, Rheba in You Can’t Take It With You, and so many more. When she’s not performing, Kyrsten pours that same love of the arts into the next generation as the founder of Prodigy Performing Arts. Above all, she treasures her role as a wife and mom and is incredibly grateful for the love and support of her family, who continue to cheer her on through every adventure on and off the stage. Kyrsten is thrilled to be a part of Hamlet in the American Revolution and to help bring this imaginative reimagining of a classic story to life.

Peter Zizzo (Claudius) is an Emmy & Grammy winning songwriter & producer who just a few years ago returned to his other passion, acting. He's since appeared in multiple television series and films. Peter is a two-time LA Theater Critics Circle and Stage Raw Award winner for his recent theatrical work in the Beverly Hills Playhouse productions of Outrage and Years to the Day, both written and directed by Allen Barton.

Paul Hoan Zeidler (Director, Producer, Adaptation) is a director, playwright and producer based in Los Angeles. Productions of his full length plays include Time's Scream and Hurry (2009 New York Fringe), WOOF-WOOF (2014 Hollywood Fringe, Winner Encore Producers Award, Spirit of the Fringe Award Nominee) and Nude/Naked (Stanley Drama Award Finalist, Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist), which premiered in January 2019 on Hollywood's Theatre row in production that garnered Stage Raw nominations and made L.A. critics' ten best lists. He adapted and co-directed LRT's US veteran outreach production We Got Your Six (Vol.1) in the spring of 2022. Then adapted, wrote and helmed We Got Your Six (Vol. 2) in the 2023 Hollywood Fringe. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and co-founder of Lightning Rod Theater

Charles Pacello (Executive Producer) A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Charlie studied at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Los Angeles and attended the Midsummer in Oxford program, a summer-long Shakespeare intensive workshop at Oxford, England. Los Angeles theatre acting credits include: We Got Your Six (Vols. 1&2); Glennie & Maple Break Up; Acts of Possession; and Time's Scream and Hurry (L.A. and New York Fringe), all with Lightning Rod Theater. Waiting for Godot and Hamlet with the Stella Adler Lab; One Fell Swoop and In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings at the Elephant Theatre. He is the co-founder of Lightning Rod Theater