Hamlet Cast & Crew
 

About the Creative Team

Director and Rubicon Artistic Associate JENNY SULLIVAN’s recent work includes  Dublin Carol and The Memory of Water at The Ensemble Theatre in Santa Barbara, Rubicon’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Tuesdays with Morrie (the latter three all featuring Joseph Fuqua), the West Coast Premiere of Jane Martin's Flags; Death of a Salesman with Stuart Margolin and Wendy Phillips at AUM in Montgomery, Alabama; The Dresser with Len Cariou and Granville Van Dusen at Manitoba Theatre Centre in Canada. Other Rubicon credits include Happy Days with Robin Pearson Rose; Defying Gravity with Harold Gould, Stephanie Zimbalist and many of her favorite actors; Art with Cliff DeYoung, Joseph Fuqua and Bruce Weitz; Dancing at Lughnasa with Susan Clark, Bonnie Franklin and Stephanie Zimbalist; The Rainmaker with Stephanie Zimbalist; The Little Foxes with Linda Purl; two casts of Ancestral Voices; Love Letters with Jack Lemmon and Felicia Farr and Old Wicked Songs with Harold Gould and Joseph Fuqua. Jenny was Associate Director for the LA production of The Vagina Monologues. Also in LA, she directed premieres of Ad Wars with David Dukes, Stephanie Zimbalist and John Bennett Perry, The Cat’s Meow with Joseph Fuqua, Against the Glass; The Awful Grace of God: a Portrait of RFK and Bicoastal Woman. Her world premiere production of The Baby Dance began at the Pasadena Playhouse and then moved to Williamstown Theatre Festival, Long Wharf Theatre (CT Critics’ Directing Award) and the Lucille Lortel Theatre Off-Broadway. In her six seasons at Williamstown, Jenny directed MACS (A Macaroni Requiem), Defying Gravity, Hotel Oubliette, Dirt and The Ferry Back. Her regional credits include The Elephant Man for San Jose Rep, Listen for Wings at Access Theatre, and Mother Earth/Father Sky and The Shadow Box at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara. Her film credits include “Access All Areas” and “The Next Best Thing” (in which she had the good fortune to direct her father Barry). Rubicon produced the World Premiere of Jenny’s play J for J with Jeff Kober and the late great John Ritter. The production subsequently played at the Court Theatre in LA. Jenny was appointed Rubicon’s first Artistic Associate in 2003.

HAMLET features an award-winning design team. Scenic Design is by Thomas S. Giamario (Rubicon’s The Diary of Anne Frank, Little Foxes, Dancing at Lughnasa, Old Wicked Songs, Art, and Man of La Mancha), Sound Design is by David Beaudry (Rubicon’s The Diary of Anne Frank, Turn of the Screw, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Costume Design is by Emmy award nominee Marcy Froehlich (“American Beauty,” “The Miss America Pageant” as well as Rubicon’s Man of La Mancha, The Importance of Being Earnest, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)  with Diane Ronneberg as Wardrobe. Lighting Design is by Jeremy Pivnick (Rubicon’s Man of La Mancha, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,  The Good Thieif, tick…tick…BOOM!), Property Design is by T. Theresa Scarano,  Production Stage Manager is Tammy Taylor and Assistant  Stage Manager is Linda M. Tross.       

About the Cast

JOSEPH FUQUA (Hamlet) is Rubicon Theatre Company’s first company member. His Broadway and off-Broadway credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs and 110 in the Shade (Lincoln Center), Raft of the Medusa and Yours, Anne. Joseph’s regional credits include Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Alexei in A Month in the Country at Arena Stage, Iago in Othello for Dallas Shakespeare Festival, Louis in Angels in America at Dallas Theatre Center, and, most recently, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks opposite Mary Jo Catlett at Ensemble Theatre in Santa Barbara. LA audiences have seen Joseph in The Cat’s Meow (Drama-Logue Award), Very Truly Yours, On the Jump at South Coast Rep and All My Sons at International City Theatre. He made his professional directorial debut with J for J (featuring Jenny Sullivan and the late great John Ritter), presented by Rubicon Theatre  Company and 11th Hour Productions at the Court Theatre. On television, Joseph guest-starred on “The X-Files,” “The Profiler,” “Brooklyn South,” “The Pretender,” “Chicago Hope,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Becker” and the pilot “Second Nature.” Film credits include “Ed’s Next Move,” “David Searching,” “Heyday,” and as J.E.B. Stuart in “Gettysburg,” a role he reprised in the Warner Brothers film “Gods and Generals” with Robert Duvall. Joseph has appeared in over 15 productions with the Rubicon Theatre Company, among them Man of La Mancha, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, A Streetcar Named Desire, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Boys Next Door (Indie Award), Old Wicked Songs, Murder in the First (World Premiere), The Rainmaker (Robby Award and Rep Award), The Little Foxes, The Glass Menagerie, Art, All My Sons (Ovation Award), The Night of the Iguana (also at Manitoba Theatre Centre) and Tuesdays with Morrie. Joseph is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. When not on stage, Joseph directs projects for Rubicon Theatre Company’s Young Professionals program and teaches adult acting.

ALISON BRIE (Ophelia) Alison began acting at an early age with the Jewish Community Center in Los Feliz, California.  A native of Los Angeles, she attended CalARts where she performed in The Vist of the Old Woman directed by Karin Coonrad, the title role in Romeo and Juliet, Helena in Uncle VAnya, and a number of new works including a starring role in the multi-media thriller Narrow Escape by Danny Moser.  She was in the original cast of The Peach Blossom Fan, Chen Shi-Zheng’s new musical which was performed as the inaugural theatre production at Disney’s REDCAT Theatre. Alison studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland.  Since graduating she has been fortunate to continue work in all mediums including film, television and theatre.  She was last seen on Rubicon Theatre’s stage as Margot in The Diary of Anne Frank and may be seen in the upcoming feature films “Born” and “Parasomnia.”

JOSHUA WOLF COLEMAN (Horatio) has worked with some of the great luminaries of the stage including Edward Albee, Tina Howe, Joseph Chaiken, Jessica Kubzansky and Anne Bogart.  He has worked at The Guthrie Theater, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, and the La Jolla Playhouse in many shows including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Randy Newman's Faust, Aphra Behn's Oroonoko and The Piano Lesson.  Theater work since January 2007 includes two iterations of Suzan-Lori Parks' 365 at Theater @ Boston Court and Bootleg Theater; fifty-one states' The Circular Schoolhouse at Disney's Redcat; Joe Regulbuto's Romeo & Juliet at the Odyssey Theater; and Twelfth Night at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum.  Joshua has been seen in a myriad of roles including  the title role in Macbeth in Edinburgh, Scotland, Norry the drag queen in Eddie Sanchez' Clean, the Headless Sheep in Sheila Callaghan's Kate Crackernuts, the title role in the Falcon Theater's Puddn'head Wilson, and Lysander, Friar Lawrence, Angleo and Iago in Shakespeare’s great works.  Also, Joshua has made appearances on “The West Wing,”  “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “House,” “Huff,” “Strong Medicine” and Touchtone's “Hidalgo” as the Lady's Kurdish rider.

NANCY NUFER (Player Queen) most recently appeared on Rubicon Theatre’s stage in last season’s All in the Timing. She appeared previously in Love Letters, and has been a company member at Ensemble Theatre over the last 24 seasons, where she first met long-time pals Karyl Lynn Burns and James O'Neil. Some highlights at ETC include The Fourth Wall, The Country Club, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Garland Award), All in the Timing (Independent Award), and Marvin’s Room (Drama-Logue Award). She appeared in Grease for the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, and graced the Garvin Theatre stage in The Waiting Room, Cabaret, and On the Razzle. Other California credits include several improv troupes; multiple performances at the Lobero Theatre, and appearances as half of the female comedy team Evening Bags.

RUDOLPH WILLRICH (Polonius) returns to Rubicon having previously appeared in The Night of the Iguana, Happy Days in the Beckett Festival, The Boys Next Door (Robby Award) and the World Premiere of Murder in the First.  He has appeared with Ensemble Theatre of Santa Barbara in Ride Down Mr. Morgan, Moon Over Buffalo, Communicating Doors, The Weir, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The End of the Day, The Game of Love and Chance, Sylvia, Sight Unseen, A Doll’s House, Life in the Theatre and Art, receiving Indie Awards for the latter four.  He recently appeared in Thief River by Lee Blessing and Bafo by Tom Strelich at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival.  On Broadway, he appeared in Emperor Henry IV by Pirandello, Dirty Linen and Newfoundland by Tom Stoppard and the original Noises Off by Michael Frayn.  In LA, he appeared in Benji Aerenson’s The Possum Play (Taper II), As You LikeIt (LA Shakespeare Festival), and Rumors by Neil Simon.  Rudy’s film and television appearances include “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “The Number 23,” “Steal Big Steal Little,” “All My Children,” “Home Improvement,” “Critical Condition,” “The Battle of the Bulge,” “Rescue 77,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Family Law” and “The Practice.”  A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.

LEONARD KELLY YOUNG (Ghost, Gravedigger) is pleased to make his first appearance here at Rubicon Theater and elated to be working with Jenny Sullivan once again. He just completed a run at The Ensemble Theatre Company in Santa Barbara playing Frank in The Memory of Water directed by Jenny Sullivan. Last season he appeared at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego playing the title role of Titus in Titus Andronicus as well as Brabantio in Othello.  Some of the many theaters he has worked at are The Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Geva Theater, Studio Arena Theatre, The Huntington Theater, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Goodman Theater, Missouri Repertory Theater, The Worcester Foothill Theater, and The Wilma Theater, playing many roles including George Tessman in Hedda Gabler, Doc Gibbs in Our Town, Marley in Christmas Carol, Dr. Prentice in What the Butler Saw, James in Passion, and Thomas Mendip in The Lady's Not For Burning.  Shakespeare Festivals include Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, Virginia Shakespeare Festival, American Players Theatre. Some roles played are Prospero in The Tempest, Don Armado in Loves Labors Lost, Kent in King Lear, and Northumberland in Richard II. Leonard completed thirteen  seasons at the Will Geer Theatricum playing such roles as  The Ragpicker in The Mad Woman of Chaillot, Peter Quince in A Midsummer Nights Dream,  and DeStogumber in St. Joan to name a few. Other work includes various Off and Off-Off Broadway plays, televisions shows, TV movies and features, recently completing Richard Dutcher's Independent Film, "Evil Angel,” "Karla" playing Dan Czehowicz with Tess Harper and Laura Prepon. TV shows include "Star Trek," “The Shield,” "Six Feet Under,” "Married with Children,” "Perfect Strangers,” "The Jersey" and "Pros and Cons" as well as many others.

EFREM ZIMBALIST, JR. (Player King/British Ambassador) was given his first professional role by Garson Kanin, acting alongside Spencer Tracy in the 1946 Broadway production of The Rugged Path. Zimbalist went on to appear with the American Repertory Theatre in Henry VII, Androcles and the Lion, What Every Woman Knows and Yellow Jack, followed the next year by Hedda Gabler with Eva Le Gallienne. Efrem next tried his hand at producing. With Chandler Cowles and Edith Lutyens he presented the combined bill of Gian-Carlo Menotti’s The Medium and The Telephone at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Three years later he and Cowles produced The Consul by Menotti, which won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for 1950. During the same year, he was cast in his first film, House of Strangers, by Joseph Mankiewicz. His work on television that year included such shows at the Theatre Guild’s The U.S. Steel Hour, Philco Playhouse and The Goodyear Playhouse. After a hiatus of four years following the death of his wife, Efrem returned in a daytime television series with Louise Albritton, followed by an appearance in the Broadway production of Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels. Offered a seven-year contract by Warner Brothers, Efrem settled into a movie career, which began with “Bombers B52,” opposite Natalie Wood and Karl Malden, followed quickly by “Band of Angels,” “The Deep Six,” “Violent Road,” “Too Much Too Soon,” “The Crowded Sky” and “Home Before Dark.”  In later years he was to add such pictures as “A Fever in the Blood,” “The Chapman Report,” “By Love Possessed,” “Wait Until Dark” and “Airport 75.” Somehow, Efrem also managed to fit in two television series, “77 Sunset Strip,” which ran for six years, and “The FBI,” which ran for nine. There was a host of television specials and guest appearances as well, too numerous to list except for his favorite of all: his daughter Stephanie’s series “Remington Steele.” He returned to the stage in Charley’s Aunt, The Tempest, The Pleasure of His Company, The Cocktail Hour and I Shall Return, a one-man play based on the life of General Douglas MacArthur. He was last seen on Rubicon Theatre’s stage alongside Stephanie in The Night of the Iguana.  His last screen appearance was in “Hot Shots.” Efrem wrote his memoirs entitled “My Dinner of Herbs” which was published by Limelight Editions, New York in July 2003 and recorded this year by the author for Blackstone Audio Tapes.  Efrem has been an ambassador for Childhelp USA for 20 years and a movement of his violin sonata will be performed in Lompoc this July.

STEPHANIE ZIMBALIST (Gertrude) is most honored to be returning once again to the Rubicon, following Love Letters, two runs as Lizzie in The Rainmaker (Robby Award), Dancing at Lughnasa, Defying Gravity (all directed by Jenny Sullivan, this their tenth show together), and The Night of the Iguana (also with her father Efrem, directed by Jim O'Neil). Regional theatre credits include: The Memory of Water (Ensemble Theatre Co., Santa Barbara), Vincent in Brixton (Pasadena Playhouse); Romantique (World Premiere at A.R.T. in Boston); The Cherry Orchard (with Alfred Molina, Odyssey Theatre); Side Man (Guthrie Lab, MN); Mr. Bundy (World Premiere at Humana Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville); Wonderful Town (Reprise! concert series in L.A.); Sylvia (L.A. premiere, Coronet Theatre – Drama-Logue and Robby Awards); AdWars (Court and Tiffany Theatres in L.A. – Drama-Logue Award); The Crimson Thread (World Premiere at Seven Angels Theatre and The Pasadena Playhouse); The Threepenny Opera (with Betty Buckley at Williamstown Theatre Festival); Jane Anderson’s The Baby Dance (original production with Linda Purl and John Bennett Perry directed by Jenny Sullivan at Pasadena, Williamstown, Long Wharf Theatre and the Lucille Lortel in New York); My One and Only (National Tour with Tommy Tune); Barbarians and Summer and Smoke (with Christopher Reeve and Ann Reinking, Williamstown); The Cherry Orchard (Long Wharf); and The Tempest (with Anthony Hopkins at the Mark Taper Forum, directed by John Hirsh).  Stephanie’s film credits include “The Prophet’s Game” (with Dennis Hopper), “The Awakening” (with Charlton Heston) and “The Magic of Lassie” (with James Stewart) many movies, including “The Golden Moment,” “The Babysitter,” “Centennial,” “The Gathering,” “The Story Lady” (with Jessica Tandy), “Caroline?” (for Hallmark – Golden Globe nomination), “Incident in a Small Town” (with Walter Matthau and Harry Morgan) and “Stop the World – I Want to Get Off” for A&E. She also appeared as Laura Holt in the MTM series “Remington Steele” (94 episodes).