Measure for Measure

Richard Baird (Angelo) is an award-winning actor, director and producer. Richard is the founding artistic director of New Fortune Theatre Company where he has directed and appeared in Henry the Fifth (Craig Noel San Diego Critics Circle awards for “Outstanding Direction and Lead Performance”), The Birthday Party (McCann) and Les Liaisons Dangereuses (co-director/Valmont). Richard has appeared in regional theaters across the country, including North Coast Repertory Theatre (twenty five productions), The Old Globe, San Diego Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Portland Centre Stage, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Arizona Theatre Company, Southwest Shakespeare Company (“AriZoni Best Actor for Cyrano and Petruchio” in Taming of the Shrew), Kingsmen Shakespeare and has directed for North Coast Rep, Backyard Renaissance, Southwest Shakespeare, Intrepid Theatre and Diversionary Theatre. Measure for Measure marks Richard’s 50^th Shakespeare production. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Lily Gibson (Isabella) is an Ovation Award-winning actor. She is delighted to be returning to ETC, where she was last seen as Baby Doll in Tennessee Williams’ Baby Doll. Most recently, she appeared as Myrtle Mae in Harvey at the Laguna Playhouse. Lily starred as May in the critically-acclaimed Nibroc Trilogy with the Rubicon Theatre Company (Ovation Awards for “Best Lead Actress & Best Production,” Indy Award for “Best Performance”). Other theater credits include Hedvig in The Wild Duck at A Noise Within (Ovation Nomination for “Best Featured Actress”), and the non-binary Burbank in A Singular They at The Blank Theatre (LADCC Special Award for “Outstanding World Premiere”). Television: “NCIS,” “The Mentalist,” “The Guardian,” “8 Simple Rules,” “Judging Amy,” “Boy Meets World,” and “Girl Meets World.” Film: the upcoming Christmas feature Pizza & Whine, Killing Animals, The Negotiator, Up Close & Personal, and The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. She received her MA degree in Latin and Ancient Greek from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. www.Lily-Gibson.com

Brian Ibsen (Lucio) is thrilled to be making his debut with ETC. On Broadway Brian has worked with Laurence Fishburne and Stockard Channing inThe Lion In Winter, Woody Harrelson and Jayne Atkinson in The Rainmaker. He has worked with such directors as Tony-nominated Mark Lamos, Tony Award winners Jack O’brien, Scott Ellis, John Rando and Michael Mayer.  Brian has performed in regional theater around the country in shows such as Loves Labours Lost and Venus In Fur (Shakespeare Santa Cruz), Twelfth Night (The Old Globe), Taming of the Shrew (The Old Globe), Macbeth (The Old Globe), The Glass Menagerie (Arizona Theatre Company), The Lion in Winter (The Fulton Opera House), The Drawer Boy (Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park/Actors Theatre of Louisville) and originated the role of Dan Jr. in Stephen Metcalfe’s world premier play Loves and Hours (The Old Globe).  TV shows include “NCIS,” “CSI Miami,” “Masters of Sex,” “Shooter,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Beverly Hills, 90210.” He holds a BFA in acting from Purchase College, SUNY and an MFA in acting from The Old Globe/USD.

Robert Lesser (Elbow/Friar Thomas)’s theater credits include the Broadway production of The Soft Touch directed by Alan Arkin, Rubbers and Yanks 3, Detroit 0, Top of the Seventh at the American Place Theatre, also directed by Alan Arkin. He also appeared in the N.Y. Shakespeare Festival’s Richard the Third and has performed at the Yale Repertory Theatre’s Winterfest. He starred in the New York premiere of Sam Shepard’s Geography of a Horse Dreamer at The Manhattan Theatre Club. In L.A., he has appeared at the Odyssey Theatre in Steven Berkoff’s Kvetch, and God’s Country, Steambath and Awake & Sing. He was also in the West Coast premiere of To Gillian on her 37th Birthday directed by Michael Pressman. Bob’s busy theater life at ETC in Santa Barbara includes a dozen plays, most recently, Amadeus, as well as My Antonia at The Rubicon Theatre and PRT, where he also appeared in A View from the Bridge, winning the SAGE Award for “Outstanding Performance.” Some of his films include Hester Street, The Big Easy, 2010, Ernest Saves Christmas, The Last Innocent Man, Shoot to Kill, Die Hard, Oscar, The Relic, Godzilla, End of Days and Takashi Koizumi’s WW2 epic, Best Wishes for Tomorrow, shot at Toho Studios in Tokyo.

Tim McManus (Provost/Ensemble) has been performing solidly since 2006 doing a bit of everything including comedy, drama, musical, radio, dinner theater, reader’s theater, film, and of course, Shakespeare. He has performed in repertory stage productions including Macbeth as Banquo, The Taming of the Shrew as Tranio, Richard III as Dorset, and his ultimate favorite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Puck. Tim thinks the best kind of play is one that can make you laugh and cry in the same night, and he feels Measure for Measure fits that perfectly. This is Tim’s first time performing with ETC and he is very excited and proud to be working with such a talented cast and crew!

Matthew Floyd Miller (Pompey) is delighted to return to ETC where he has appeared in Fallen Angels and The 39 Steps. His Broadway credits include Not About Nightingales (Circle in the Square, Dir. Trevor Nunn) and The Invention of Love (Lincoln Center Theatre). His Off-Broadway credits include Another Part of the Forest (Peccadillo Theatre Co.) and Letters from Cuba (Signature Theatre Co.). His Regional credits include Oslo (L.A. premiere), The Goodbye Girl, I Love Lucy: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Sitcom, The Tug of War, the national tour of Judgment at Nuremberg (L.A. Theatre Works), Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, co-directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, of Penn & Teller), Stupid Fucking Bird (Theatre @ Boston Court, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award), Antony & Cleopatra, a critically acclaimed production of Private Lives (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Murder on the Orient Express (West Coast premiere), Noises Off (La Mirada), The Suppliant Women (Rogue Machine), Yes, Prime Minister (Geffen Playhouse), The Pillowman, The Underpants, Middletown, Tom Stoppard’s Rock’n Roll (ACT Theatre-Seattle), and Desire Under The Elms (San Jose Rep. “Dean Goodman Choice Award”). Other theaters include The Falcon, Laguna Playhouse, The Rubicon, Arizona Theatre Co., Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Portland Center Stage, Wilma Theatre, Dallas Theatre Center, Ford’s Theatre, Arena Stage, The Geva, Playmaker’s Rep, The Old Globe, Rep of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, Portland Stage Co., and Berkshire Theatre Festival. TV/Film includes: “Hand of God” (Amazon), “Colony” (USA), “Major Crimes” (TNT), “Criminal Minds” (CBS), and “Law & Order” (NBC). MFA: NYU Graduate Acting Program.

Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha (The Duke) has enjoyed various classical and contemporary roles in regional and repertory theaters across the country and is delighted to be making his third appearance at ETC. He was George in Intimate Apparel and Macduff in Macbeth. Past Shakespeare roles include Othello in Othello, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Jacques in As You Like It, Escalus in Measure for Measure, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Valentine in Two Gentlemen of Verona.  A few of his most recent roles include Claudius and the Ghost in Hamlet for the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, Orsino in Twelfth Night at Pioneer Theatre Co. (Salt Lake City), Martin Luther King Jr. in Mountaintop at WBTT (Sarasota), James T in Barbecue at the Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis), Luther King Jr. in the LBJ plays All the Way and The Great Society, as well as Dr. Prentice in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at Asolo Rep in Sarasota. Some of his TV and film credits include “NCIS-LA,” “All My Children,” “Raising the Bar,” “The Unit,” “Medium,” “Numb3rs,” and the current streaming feature “8989 Redstone” (Amazon Prime). Awards include “Best Actor in In the Wind” (New Orleans Short film festival), “Best Ensemble playing Chris Keller in All My Sons” at The Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles (NAACP Award).  He was recently the featured guest artist for the Africana Repertory Theatre of IUPUI where he directed The People Speak/ Voices of the African Diaspora. He is an ensemble member of the Fonseca Theatre Company in Indianapolis and his interactive multimedia play The American Muslim Project was the resident umbrella project for the 2019 Indy Convergence. BA: Indiana University, Bloomington; MFA: University of California, San Diego. Member of AEA and SAGAFTRA.

Trevor Peterson (Claudio) is grateful to be back at ETC after playing Ever in Dancing Lessons and Biff in Death of a Salesman last season. Theater credits in Los Angeles include Dead End (Ahmanson Theater), Pocatello and A Bright New Boise (Rogue Machine Theater), and The Interlopers and Wildboy ‘74 (Bootleg Theater). Other credits include TV: “The Vampire Diaries,” “CSI: Miami,” and “10 Dates from Hell (TBS)”; Film: Beyond the Night, American Killing, Sky, Prom, and Grizzly Park. Training: BFA from the University of Southern California and British American Drama Academy in London, England.

Paul Michael Sandberg (Escalus/Ensemble) is happy to be back at ETC after playing Uncle Ben in Death of a Salesman earlier this year. Previous credits: Utah Shakespeare Festival (four seasons), The Cleveland Playhouse, Huntington Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The Court, Briar Street Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Coronet Theatre, Circle X Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Next Theatre, Pegasus Players, and Shattered Globe. Film: Gods and Monsters, Fever Lake, and Empire City. TV: “Chicago Hope,” “Seventh Heaven,” “Seinfeld,” “NCIS,” “The Untouchables” and many others.

Tiffany Story (Mistress Overdone/Francisca/Ensemble) has performed in over 200 theater productions, films, and commercials and is thrilled to be performing here again at The New Vic, where many years prior she’d gather with her three friends to watch weird foreign films. Previous shows with the ETC include The Liar and Woyzeck. She also appeared in the sold-out run of Boeing Boeing as Gloria in Circle Bar B’s final show. A few other favorites on that stage were Ghost of a Chance, Noises Off, Return Engagements, Sylvia (Independent Award), It Had to be You, Pump Boys & Dinettes, The Odd Couple, I Love You You’re Perfect, Now Change, Rumors, Nunsense, and 1940’s Radio Hour (Independent Award). Some favorites with the Santa Barbara City College Theater Group were One Man Two Governors, August Osage County, Wild Oats, Seascape, Bat Boy, The Buddy Holly Story, and You Can’t Take it with You, The Laramie Project, Anton in Show Business (Indy Awards for the last three) as well as several Center Stage productions, including Bob Potter’s The Last Empire and The Last Liberal (Indy Award), and the original rock musical Success (Indy Award). Tiffany has sung in many bands and is currently performing at the newly opened Magic Castle Cabaret, as well as being one of the original members of the local La Boheme Dance Troupe. Tiffany dedicates everything she does to her mother, Barbara.

Paige Tautz (Mariana/Juliet/Ensemble) has recently returned to California from a year spent in Austin, Texas after being awarded the “Artist-In-Residence Performance Fellowship” with Salvage Vanguard Theater (SVT). While in residence, she starred in the world premiere production of Tryouts by playwright Adara Meyers, and was nominated for an Austin Critics Table award as part of SVT’s mainstage production of Anne Carson’s Antigonick.  Paige is a two-time Santa Barbara Indy award winner, most recently in 2019 for her role as Nora in A Doll House. She tours nationally in the two-woman show Mad & a Goat (2016 Indy award winner), and internationally as a member of the Lit Moon Theatre Co. — last year acting at international festivals in Tbilisi, Georgia and Yerevan, Armenia. She has performed in productions with Brooklyn Yard NYC, Paper Chairs Austin, The Ground Floor at Berkley Rep, CoHo Productions Portland, House Play at Salvage Vanguard Theater, Lit Moon Theatre Co., The Bitola National Theater, Elements Theater Collective, and Ratatat Theater Group. Previous favorite Shakespeare roles include Titania in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Q. Elizabeth in Richard III, and Calpurnia in Julius Caesar. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and Vocal Performance from Westmont College. Paige would like to thank Jonathan Fox, ETC, and the entire cast and crew. Big xo’s to G & O!

William Shakespeare (Playwright) is widely renowned as one of history’s greatest dramatists. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 to a successful local businessman, and the daughter of a landowner, Shakespeare is credited with writing 37 plays and 159 sonnets before his death in 1616. The most produced playwright in history, Shakespeare’s catalogue of plays include masterpieces such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Much Ado about Nothing, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Henry V, Richard III, and Merchant of Venice, among many others.

Jonathan Fox (Director/Artistic Director) joined ETC in 2006. His most recent ETC productions were Everything is Illuminated and The School for Lies. He adapted and directed ETC’s 2017 production of Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives. Other ETC productions include Porgy and Bess, Macbeth, Sweeney Todd, Woyzeck, Amadeus, A Little Night Music, The Liar, Crime and Punishment, and a dozen others. He directed Opera Santa Barbara’s 2019 production of Eugene Onegin and 2014 production of The Consul. He collaborated with the Santa Barbara Symphony on their Shakespeare and Valentine’s Day concerts, and recently directed their production of The Soldier’s Tale. His ETC productions of The Invisible Hand in 2018 and Bad Jews in 2016 both traveled to Frankfurt. Other European productions include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, A Streetcar Named Desire, Visiting Mr. Green, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at The English Theatre Frankfurt, and Old Wicked Songs, Crimes of the Heart, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Vienna English Theatre. Before joining ETC, Mr. Fox spent 12 years with Two River Theater Company in New Jersey, which he helped establish in 1994. He served as Managing Director of the company from 1994-99, and subsequently became its Artistic Director. For Two River, he directed their 2016 world premiere production of Lives of Reason. His production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg was profiled in American Theatre Magazine, as was his festival of work by Samuel Beckett. His directing work has been seen in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Cologne, and has received critical acclaim in The New York Times, Variety, the LA Times, and other publications. He received his MFA from Columbia University, and is a recipient of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship. He has served as an adjunct faculty member in theater departments at UCSB, Columbia University, University of Utah, and Monmouth University.

Jeffrey Behm (Scenic Designer) is a scenic, lighting, and production designer. He has traveled across the U.S. working in several different fields of entertainment design. Most recently, Jeff was the assistant lighting director for “The Espy Awards,” the “2019 MTV Video Music Awards,” and “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 16. Jeff’s upcoming work includes the “Gershwin Prize” award show on PBS and a theater production of I and You at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Jeff is an MFA graduate of UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television.

Dianne K. Graebner (Costume Designer) received her MFA in Costume/Set Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. She has designed and created costumes nationwide in theater, film and television. Off-Broadway: Church & State at New World Stages, and internationally for The English Theatre Frankfurt, Germany (co-productions with ETC) Invisible Hand and Bad Jews. Many shows for ETC, including Dancing Lessons, Everything is Illuminated, Death of a Salesman, Syncopation, Miss Bennett, Husbands and Wives, Chapter Two, Macbeth, Fallen Angels, Venus in Fur, Amadeus, Intimate Apparel, and Red among others. A member of Circle X Theatre Co., she has designed many productions and was nominated for an Ovation Award for The Brothers Karamazov and a L.A. Weekly award for Battle Hymn. A few of her recent credits include: Ay, Carmela! at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, working with Frank Gehry and Gustavo Dudamel, Breath and Imagination at Virginia Stage Co, Paradise at Austin Playhouse/Ruskin Theatre. Best of Enemies, Breath and Imagination (NAACP nomination), and others at the Colony Theatre, Dogeaters and Clay at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, A Delicate Balance at The Odyssey Theatre, The Happiest Song Plays Last, and Bright Light City at LATC, opening and closing weeks of 365 Days/365 Plays at Center Theatre Group, Dying City (Ovation Winner- Production of the Year) Oppenheimer, Mexican Day at Rogue Machine Theatre Co., the original L.A. production of Philosophy of the World and The Shaggs. She has originated the costumes for many new works/world premieres. She is a member of United Scenic Artists Local-829. www.diannegraebner.com

Jared A. Sayeg (Lighting Designer) is a five-time Ovation Award nominee and winner of the Ovation, StageRaw, Garland and the LADDC Kinetic Lighting Awards. Designs for ETC include: Dancing Lessons, The Legend of Georgia McBride, The School for Lies, City of Conversation, Baby Doll, Intimate Apparel, A Little Night Music, Frankie & Johnny, The Liar, Bell Book & Candle, Creditors and The Fantasticks. His designs have been seen throughout the U.S., Canada, Spain, and Edinburgh. On-Broadway he designed the magic spectacle The Illusionists and two national tours as well as Bravo Bernstein, Gotham Glory at Carnegie Hall. Regional: Center Theatre Group, Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, 5th Avenue Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, International City Theatre, Reprise, Laguna Playhouse, Virginia Stage Company, The Colony, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. On the West End, he designed Rolling with Laughter at Her Majesty’s Theatre. He was on the design teams for the Broadway productions of PRIMO, The Woman in White, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the national tour of Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury. Other designs include productions for Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Lines, the 2011 NBA All Star Game, LA Lakers at Staples Center, Neil Diamond’s world tour, and the LA Auto Show, and he had the honor of lighting Pope Benedict XVI for the Papal Rally in NYC. Jared is principal designer for the prestigious USA International Ballet Competition held every four years, and creates the lighting for the nationally touring music group The Company Men. His architectural designs are seen regularly in restaurants and exhibits as well as the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. Member of the International Association of Lighting Designers and the youngest member to join the United Scenic Artists-Local 829, and he serves as a trustee on the executive board. www.jaslighting.com

Randall Robert Tico (Sound Designer) This is Randall’s seventh score and/or sound design for ETC, the others being Everything is Illuminated, The Invisible Hand, Macbeth, and Husbands and Wives, directed by Jonathan Fox, and The Legend of Georgia McBride and Baby Doll, directed by Jenny Sullivan. Also with Sullivan are Jackie Unveiled at the Wallis and The Baby Dance: Mixed at Rubicon Theatre Company. Other recent works include Anna Karenina for DCPA and Astoria Part One & Two for Portland Center Stage (PCS), directed by Chris Coleman. More with Coleman and PCS are Othello, Anna Karenina, Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline, The Imaginary Invalid, and Snow Falling on Cedars. With director Nancy Keystone and Critical Mass Performance Ensemble are Apollo at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (Garland Award and an Ovation Award nomination), Ameryka (2016 Ovation nomination), Suzan- Lori Parks’ The America Play (Theatre @ Boston Court), Antigone (Portland Center Stage for which he won a Drammy Award), The Ahkmatova Project, Dr. Faustus, The Rover, and Measure for Measure. Further works include Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale, the vocal score for David Hare’s version of Mother Courage, and music and sound design for The Glass Menagerie, all directed by Jessica Kubzansky, original music for Magic Fruit (Cornerstone), Shishir Kurup director, and composer/sound designer for the 2014-16 Launch Pad program at UCSB with director Risa Brainin.

Ben Crop (Video Designer) is the full-time technical director and instructor of technical theater at Santa Barbara City College. This is Ben’s first design at ETC. He previously served as an automation-engineering consultant and technical direction consultant to the company. Video design credits include West Side Story, Newsies, One Man Two Guvnors, and Motown. This is Ben’s 50th production in Santa Barbara. In addition to theater, Ben worked in the concert industry as a light director and light crew chief for artists such as Blake Shelton, Alice Cooper, Poison, Leanne Rimes, Wynona Judd, and Air Supply.  Ben earned his BA in Theater and Performance and an MBA in non-profit management from Willamette University. You can find him at www.BenCrop.com.

Ken Merckx (Fight Choreographer) has choreographed fights and taught actors theatrical combat for film, television, theater and universities all across the country. He is the resident fight choreographer for the Idaho and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals, A Noise Within (Los Angeles) and Great Lakes Theater (Cleveland). He is proud to have staged violence for the world premieres of Steven Dietz’s Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (Pasadena Playhouse), Jeffery Hatcher’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (a San Jose Repertory) and The Suicide Club (Arizona Theatre Company), Octavio Solis’ Cloudlands (South Coast Repertory), Jane Martin’s Somebody/Nobody directed by Jon Jory (Arizona Theatre Company) and the theatrical adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner (San Jose Repertory). Mr. Merckx received his MFA in Acting from the University of Illinois and his B.A. in Theater Studies from the University of Washington.

Anna Jensen (Production Dramaturg) has a Ph.D. in Theater Studies from UC Santa Barbara. She has translated and adapted plays by Henrik Ibsen, including Hedda Gabler and When We Dead Awaken. She has served as production dramaturg for many plays, some of her favorites include Macbeth (dir. Jonathan Fox), Good People (dir. Jenny Sullivan) and The Baltimore Waltz (dir. Tom Whitaker).

Amy Lieberman, CSA (Casting Director) Six-time Artios Award winner. Broadway (The Dinner Party, Flower Drum Song, Big River). Center Theatre Group (Mark Taper, Ahmanson, Kirk Douglas) 1982–1990 and 1999–2006. Ongoing: Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (since 2006). Other: Garry Marshall Theatre (Falcon Theatre), La Jolla Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, Reprise Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, ACT, Denver Center, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Rep, Pasadena Playhouse, Rubicon, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Actors Theatre of Phoenix, Actors Theatre of Louisville, L.A. Theatre Works’ The Play’s the Thing series, North Coast Repertory and more. Film and TV throughout the 90’s. Associate Professor at UCLA’s MFA program 2007-2013.

Jessie Vacchiano (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with ETC. Stage management credits include Heisenberg and I Am My Own Wife at Laguna Playhouse; Heisenberg, Return to the Forbidden Planet, The Baby Dance, Other Desert Cities, Noises Off, Last Five Years, Sylvia, Gulf View Drive, See Rock City, Christmas Carol, Taking Sides, Moonlight and Magnolias, and Incognito at Rubicon Theatre Company; Sweet Charity at Reprise 2.0; Conviction at Bay Street Theatre; Scorched, Uncle Vanya, and Pippin at UCLA; Three Pianos at New York Theatre Workshop and A.R.T.; The Breakup Notebook at ReVision Theatre; and Beth Malone So Far tour.

Elena Cruz (Assistant Stage Manager) spent two years working for Princess Cruise Lines: effectively combining her passion for theater with her love of travel. Over the years she has worked a variety of shows doing everything from child wrangling to spot light operator to stage management. Some of her favorites have been working running crew on The Mystery of Irma Vep, stage managing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, and being stage crew aboard several beautiful ships of the Princess Fleet. She has recently had the privilege of working with Los Angeles’ Theatre Works on their audio production of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler.