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"The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragic al-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited:"

-Hamlet Act II, Scene 2

he Underground Shakespeare Company was founded in January 2001 by Akiva Fox and Nigel Caplan at the University of Pennsylvania. Our mission is to produce high quality, no-nonsense plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. We use a variety of approaches to bring the plays alive, and to break down the barriers between actors and audience.

The Underground Shakespeare Company is resident at Harnwell College House, and usually performs in their beautiful Rooftop Lounge. From this comfortable lounge, 25 stories above the ground, the audience is treated to a panoramic view of Philadelphia, helping to create the fun, informal atmosphere which characterizes our group.

The Undergroundlings are a company of players - we have no committees or hierarchies, and we do not distinguish between actors in principal or secondary roles, musicians and techies. We all work together on all aspects of the production, and have a lot of fun in the process. Our philosophy calls for short rehearsal periods which stress the meaning of the text. The result is an authentic, organic performance.

As a company, we choose plays to perform and projects to undertake. We are an amateur student group, and we just want to put on plays that we enjoy preparing and that audiences enjoy watching.


How to get involved

Company auditions for actors, musicians and technical crew will be held before each production, and will announced on this web-site, on email listservs and on posters around the Penn campus. Please check here for details of our next production.

Join our e-mailing list!
If you would like to be added to our electronic mailing list which we will use to announce auditions and performances, please email us at Info@undergroundshakespeare.com

The Underground Shakespeare Company welcomes members from throughout the Penn community: undergraduates, graduates, visiting scholars and anyone remotely affiliated to this or any other local university.

Meet the Undergroundlings

The Cast and Crew of
MACBETH

THE PLAYERS
(In alphabetical order)

Jeff Barg (The Porter)

jeff bargJeff Barg is avast. Again.


Phillip Deerwester (Macbeth)

Phil09Lucius played guitar, jammin’ good with Mark and Brutus
And the daggers from Rome
He played it right-hand
But made it too far
Became the Scottish man, now we’re a cursèd band…



Ashraf Ejjbair (Banquo)
ashrafAshraf Ejjbair arrived mysteriously in Philadelphia in August 2008. Before that point, his past is a mystery. His story an enigma.

Jonathan Gress (The Doctor, Old Siward)

gressJonathan Gress is a fifth year Phd student in linguistics (yes, another one). He's more of a divine than a physician.




Jaclyn Hall (Third Witch/Murderer)

jacylnJaclyn Hall resorted to method acting for her role in Macbeth as third witch and murderer. Her rituals include baking shortbread at 4 am and taking copious amounts of cold medicine. Her ‘master’ is Mike Collins and she often tries to convert her friends to this religion from the dark side of the moon. The USC takes no responsibility for any small children that may be traumatized by Jaclyn’s screeching in the following performance.



Eliot Kaplan (Malcom)

eliotEliot Kaplan started his career in show buisness after he was mistakenly offered the title role in Welcome Back, Kotter: The Musical...On Ice! After that show closed unexpectedly during disasterous reviews in Canada, Mr. Kapaln toured Norway pretending to be Pete Best, the "missing" Beatle. A chance late night rendez-vous with Dame Judi Dench led Eliot to the Underground Shakespeare Company, where he is happy to be making his debut at the top of the food chain - rightful king of Scotland.


Talar Kaloustian (The Gentlewoman/Lady Macduff)

talarTalar Kaloustain's second debut on stage has been preceded only by her 1993 role as Titania, where an interesting incident including a missed cue, a conundrum now affectionately referred to as "the hunt for the recorder, on stage, during the actual performance", and an improvised musical number, captured the hearts of many. Talar expresses her compliments to those who know how to spell her name, and would like to announce to the masses that she ponders the existence of the dagger daily; she thinks tis most meet you do so as well.


Maura Krause (Lady Macbeth)

maura krauseMaura Krause is a veteran USC member best known for her fairy dancing and monster abuse.  In preparation for playing Lady M, she built a shrine to Hillary Clinton and ordered some extra-strength Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover on eBay (for those pesky spots).  Always the eloquent English major, when asked to comment on her fellow company members Maura hugged a giant wheel of bread and mumbled "scout them and flout them...or is it the other way around?


Caitlin Light (First Witch/Murderer)

caitlinCaitlin Light has gotten used to being cast as a child-murderer, but this is her first time wracking thumbs.  She is very excited.


Steve McGill (Angus)

mcgillHis name is McGill, but he calls himself Lil. Though everyone knows him as Nancy.


Devin Plantamura (Bleeding Sergent/Young Siward)

devin After many years on television, Devin Plantamara is happy to be making his stage debut with the Underground Shakespeare Company.  TV credits include Guy Talking About Pirates of the Caribbean in "At the Multiplex with Judy Gold", Contestant Number 3 on "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?", and Man with Sunglasses in "Oxygen Presents: Nick Lachey Custom Concert".  Two whips!


Sky Pelletier (King Duncan/Mysterious Voices)

skySky Pelletier's recurrent total amnesia requires him to repeatedly download his personality from an advanced portable high-powered custom-built organic chemical memory storage and data processing facility.  He loves his wife and family, math, God, and cookies.  And of course pizza.


Scott Sheldon (Ross)

scottScott Sheldon is very pleased join the Underground Shakespeare Company for this production of Macbeth... so much so that he is now writing his own version of Macbeth from the perspective of his character, Ross.  Current working titles include: A Whole Lotta Ross!, The Erotic Adventures of Ross, Tropic of Ross, or possibly Ross: A Scottish Odyssey.


Joel Wallenberg (Macduff)

joelJoel Wallenberg is a final-year, ABD (All But Dead) grad student in Linguistics, who is taking periodic breaks from writing to be in his 3rd production with the Company. He is especially enjoying this play, since his character gets to fight and kill his dissertation. (...er...?) "Bring thou this fiend of thesis and myself!  Within my pen's length set him!"


Hana Zickgraf (Second Witch/Murderder)

hanaHana Zickgraf is excited to be involved in her second USC show. She has been busy preparing for her role by killing swine all over West Philly.


 


THE PRODUCTION STAFF


J. Michael DeAngelis (Director)

jmichaelJ. Michael DeAngelis has had more plays produced in Piscataway, NJ than anyone he knows. When not entertaining up and down the New Jersey Turnpike, he spends his time trying to figure out how much blood he can splatter all over the walls of the Rooftop Lounge and playing Monopoly for real money.


Lydia Nassima Abdo (Co-Director/The Nigel)

lydiaLydia Abdo is excited to be musically directing Chicago.



Emma Morgenstern (Producer)

emma morgensternEmma Morgenstern is a hands-off producer. She just sits back and watches things happen. Kind of like Lady Macbeth.



Mike DeLiso (Lights)

mike deliso Mike DeLiso never met an extention chord or powerstip he didn't like.


Mathew Kolasa (Stage Combat)

mattk Mathew Kolasa's biography is only available to those with Level One security clearence.



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