MIA COKEN (Hermia) lives in Stratford and is a recent graduate of AMDA New York. Some of her work includes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the Encore! national tour with Chamber Theatre Company as an understudy, and The Secret Theatre’s One Act Play Festival in New York. She wants to thank Nancy and James for this opportunity as well as her parents, family, friends, and her partner Harrison for always supporting her!
Joseph Oliveira (Frances Flute/Peasebottom) lives in Newington and is an aspiring actor currently enrolled in the University of New Haven with a film major and a theater minor! He's held many different hats throughout children's and college theater and he can't wait to perform his favorite Shakespearean play yet again outside of high school!
Emily Yates (Puck) a Winston-Salem native now lives in New Haven and is excited to be performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the second time, after having played Lysander last year with Switchyard Theatre Company. Other favorite roles include Charlotte in The Little Theatre of Manchester’s Pride and Prejudice, Carla/Caroline in NC State TheatreFEST’s Go Back for Murder, the chorus in Bare Theatre’s The Trojan Women, and Catherine in Forest Moon Theater’s The Memory of Water.
Emily Roberson-Dos Santos (Nick Bottom) a native of New Haven, is ecstatic to be making her debut with Eastbound Theatre. Recently, she played Alice Hemings/Susannah Shakespeare in Hudson Shakespeare Company’s The Book of Will. Her other credits: Bianca in Valley Shakespeare Festival’s production of Taming of the Shrew. Theatre credits: Spring Awakening (Martha), North Pole Express (Princess Ginger), Play On (Smitty/Doris), She Stoops to Conquer (Miss Constance Neville) and Women Beware Women (Isabella). Emily studied acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and City College of New York. She’s a Theatre and Drama teacher at Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School in New Haven.
Nick Krushinsky (Lysander), a Milford native, is excited to return to Eastbound Theater. He previously played Billy in the Milford Arts Council production of Album. He grew up in Milford and has lived here almost his entire life so far. He recently graduated from Fairfield University and currently works in the financial industry in Greenwich, Connecticut. During his time in Fairfield he was a bass singer in the Fairfield University glee club where they sung anything from Mozart’s Requiem to modern songs you hear on the radio today. Being only his second performance he looks forward to the chance to improve as an actor and would like to thank Nancy and James for casting him.
Benjamin Jesulaitis (Demetrius) lives in Ansonia and has just graduated from Southern Connecticut State University where he majored in Theatre and Communication Disorders. A Midsummer Night's Dream is Benjamin's debut at Eastbound Theatre and he could not be more excited! Other credits include: The Alchemist (Gallathaea), Stan (Sweat), Leo Bramble (Insufficiency), Schroeder (You're a Good Man Charlie Brown), and Prince Herbert (Spamalot). Benjamin also directed and produced his original piece: Murder at Mistletoe Manor, which premiered at Southern Connecticut State University in December 2022.
Megan Cody Falzone (Peter Quince/Mustardseed) is an Orange native and is excited to join Eastbound Theater on this production. She was most recently seen as Ralph Crane and other characters in The Book of Will with Hudson Shakespeare Company. She was previously in FAME! The Musical (ARTSport Productions), Becca in Rabbit Hole (Marist College) and Hair in The Vagina Monologues (Marist College). She has done every role backstage as well. The cast was wonderful to work with! Love to Chris for supporting me always.
Taryn Chorney (Tatania/Hippolyta) lives in Hamden and is very pleased to be performing Shakespeare again. Recent credits include: Elizabeth/Emilia in Book of Will with Hudson Shakespeare, Heidi in Heidi Chronicles and Claire in Proof with Eastbound Theater, Mariette in The Dinner Party with the Orange Players and Gillian in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday with Square Foot Theatre. Previous Shakespearean roles include: Malvolio, Beatrice, Viola, Jaques, and Imogen.
Ethan Sachs (Oberon/Theseus) is from New Haven. After pursuing an Acting degree from Muhlenberg College, Ethan pivoted to working in tech and now spends his days as a consultant with Slalom. He most recently appeared on stage in Middletown as Oswald/King of France in ArtFarm's 2014 production of King Lear. Little did he know at the time that this would be the beginning of a nine year hiatus from performing. After some greatly appreciated and impassioned coaxing by his incredible wife, Camille, he is thrilled to christen his return by making his Eastbound Theater debut.
Les Julian (Guitarist) - LJ sings songs that foster connection, participation, thought, emotion and FUN. His performances feature selected original songs from his many CDs and show why The NYTimes said that, “LJ writes songs to make you laugh and think. His audience laughed...heads bobbed...it was like magic!” LJ is a winner of numerous National awards including A GRAMMY Certificate for his songwriting/performing on the GRAMMY WINNING CD, All About Bullies...Big and Small, and The Parents Choice Gold Award.
Kate Vigilante (Robin Starveling/Moth) is from Milford and is delighted to join the cast of Midsummer. She has been performing since she was four and is grateful to have been in many Pantochino and Whitney Players productions, as well as inspired by her directors at ECA School for the Arts. This is her first play with Eastbound theater, though she looks forward to many more.
S. Blair is very excited to play Helena in their first production with Eastbound Theatre! They moved to Hartford last summer after graduating with a BA in Theatre from Marian University in Indianapolis, IN. They now work as the Artist in Residence and Children’s Choir Director at Christ Church Cathedral. Some of their past credits include Ghosts in “Haunted” with East Haddam Theatre Company, Pompey in “Measure for Measure”, Y in “Freedomz”, and Narrator in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. They are so grateful to be part of this production and hope you enjoy the show.
David Donnelly (Egeus). This is David’s first show with Eastbound Theatre, and his first time back on stage in many years. He is thrilled to be a part of this talented group of actors. He lives and works in Bridgeport, CT. He would like to thank the directors, crew and castmates, and his children for their support and not laughing too much when he decided to audition.