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CAST & CREW BIOS
CAST BIOS
Niko Crawford (Sebastian Voice/Curio/First Officer/Feste Singer) is rejoining the theatre scene for the first time since doing Into the Woods 16 years ago. He is excited to be back and hopes to never have another hiatus this long again! He is thankful for the cast and stage crew for their warm welcome and support.
Evan Crump (Orsino) is an actor, director, producer, and playwright in the DC area with over 60 credits, including with the Kennedy Center, WSC Avant Bard, First Stage, NextStop, and a host of others. He serves as Artistic Director and Playwright-in-Residence of Unstrung Harpist Productions. He was last seen at FSF playing Hamlet in 2022. Evan has taught theatre for over 15 years, most recently at Oklahoma University. He hopes he is less pretentious than this bio makes him sound.
Surasree Das (Viola) is ecstatic to be here with you! Upcoming: Chesapeake Shakespeare: As You Like It (Celia) Previous Highlights: EStP: Merry Wives(Quickly), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Midsummer (Hermia), Strand: Little Women (Jo); Smithsonian: Seasons of Light; Free Range Humans: Jekyll/Hyde (Nellie); Imagination Stage: Princess Pauper(Zoya); BAPAC/The Tank NYC: TornKid (TornKid); Center Stage: Animal Farm; Single Carrot: Lear (Goneril); Constellation: Arabian Nights (Dunyazade); Toby's: South Pacific (Liat) Awards: BITrsister Best actor nomination (Jo), Best Ensemble (Little Women), Best Devised (TornKid) instagram: drag0n_mistress tiktok: Drag0nmistress
Christopher Deocampo (Acting Intern - Second Officer/Ensemble) is excited to be in his first Shakespeare show, Twelfth Night! A senior in Frederick High School, he has played Leroy in The 57th National Mathletes Sum-it and Chief Tui in Moana Jr. He also enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons and is an active member in the Color Guard and High Fidelity Show Choir.
George Michael Harris (Sir Toby) is thrilled to be back on the grass with ESPtheatre; having appeared previously with the company in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bottom), Merry Wives of Windsor (Falstaff), The Comedy of Errors (The Dromios) and Much Ado About Nothing (Dogberry). He is also the creator and director of Bah Humbug, the (mostly) Improvised version of A Christmas Carol, that will return to ESP's stage this December.
Caeden Hill (Directing Intern–Third Officer/Ensemble) is thrilled to be a part of his third ESP production! This year he has had the opportunity to have served as Christine Mosere's directing intern for Twelfth Night. Big thanks to Christine for the opportunity and to the entire team for the great experience. Huzzah!
Brynn Krasney (Fabian/Viola Voice/Lady in Waiting) was recently the lead in the short film Madison O., shown at the Charm City Film Festival. She’s previously worked with ESP as Verges in Much Ado About Nothing. Brynn was also a competitor in DC’s Monologue Madness the last three years that it’s run. Brynn studies acting at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Once she gets her degree, her goal is to further expand her work into on-screen acting, as well.
Michelle Norris (Maria*/Lady in Waiting) is delighted to make her return to the stage with her first appearance with the Endangered Species Theatre Project here at the Frederick Shakespeare Festival. Her recent roles have been commercial and industrial, but she has previously appeared in multiple shows in the Capital Fringe Festival in DC. She is also a choreographer, arts administrator, and instructor for various styles of dance and movement. Michelle is currently training at Studio Acting Conservatory, where she also works, and has past training from American University. She would like to thank her friends and family, as well as her colleagues at SAC for their patience and incredible encouragement in convincing her to get back on stage.
Michelle Mary Schaefer (Olivia) she/her, is a professional actor who has performed all over the states. Michelle has been in plays such as Joan in Fun Home, Hannah in When We Were Young and Unafraid, Sarah in Children of a Lesser God (7x’s), Billy in Tribes (5x’s), Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet in Hamlet and many more. Not just an actor, she also writes scripts, webseries, short films, TV series and feature films. She also is a Director, DASL, Intimacy Coordinator/Director. Michelle is the most versatile, hard-working, authentic, and humble actor who steps up the challenge portraying all kinds of roles which she does not allow her Deafness stop her. Michelle Mary Schaefer dreams of performing on Broadway, and the WestEnd: ONE DAY! www.michellemaryschaefer.com
Daniel Summerstay (Sir Andrew) has returned to the Frederick Shakespeare Festival from the distant Rocky Mountains, taking a hiatus from the tutelage of a reclusive tribe of clowns teaching him to imitate the calls of various Shakespeare characters. It is at his eccentric academy (known to some as ‘BYU’) that Daniel has earned his most recent credits as Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest, Philip Henslowe in Shakespeare in Love, and Mr Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. He is delighted to be applying his long limbs to presenting Sir Andrew’s dueling prowess
Kayla Swain (Olivia Voice/Valentine/Lady in Waiting) is a Frederick native who has been doing theatre since she was thirteen years old. She’s currently attending Hood College where she’s studying English and theatre. Twelfth Night is the third production Kayla has worked on with ESP Theatre. In past years you may have seen her working behind the scenes as the Stage Manager for Merry Wives or as the Assistant Director for Comedy of Errors. Kayla hopes you enjoy the show!
John Thuahnai (Sebastian) is currently working at Maryland School for the Deaf as a science teacher, robotics coach, and chess coach. John is excited to be cast as Sebastian. This is his first time returning to the stage since high school theater! John has enjoyed working with directors, stage managers, and his fellow castmates. The process has been a really fun and interesting experience for him. John is hoping that the audience will have a good laugh and enjoy watching the show! He would like to give a big shout to all the American Sign Language Interpreters on our team for their hard work and making communications easier for all of us!
Emma Zonn (Antonio/Maria*/Sea Captain/Feste Singer) xie/hir/she/her, is a performer and activist living and working on Nacotchtank/Piscataway/Manahoac land. Involved with the performing arts for 20+ years, Emma began as an actress & dancer, progressively expanding hir repertoire to producing, directing, theatrical intimacy, dramaturgy, choreography, costuming, props and set design, and education - always with a mind towards community building, transformative justice, and liberation for all. Thanks to Eric, Nox, our interpreters, and YOU for supporting live theatre! IG: @emma_zonn_prime | FB: /EmmaZonnEZB
CREW BIOS
Stephen Craig (Fight/Movement Coordinator) is a company member of Maryland Ensemble Theatre and overjoyed to be working on this production! Previous credits include Go Dog Go, Junie B. Jones, Balloonacy, and CraftTown. He's a Physical Theatre graduate of Coastal Carolina University and a former Clown of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Julie Herber (Intimacy Director) is an Associate Artistic Director of Maryland Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director of The Fun Company. Previous credits include CraftTown, Angels of America, Sweat, Circle Mirror Transformation, Curse of the Starving Class, Radium Girls, Fred's Diner, Top Girls, Superior Donuts, Oedipus Rex, Good People, Clybourne Park, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Glass Menagerie, A Doll's House, and more.
Christine Mosere (Director) she/her. Christine began her acting and directing career in NYC – working with the Westend Theatre, LaMaMa, BAM!, Center Stage NY, and The Pearl. She was a founding member of the Lucille Lortel award-winning Off-Broadway theatre “Peccadillo Theatre Company” and Artistic Director for 15 years at Woman Seeking… a theatre company. She worked on the stage with Author French (Out of the South), on TV with Michael J. Fox (Spin City), and first discovered what it felt like to have your work end up on the editing room floor when directed by Gerry Zaks in a scene with Meryl Streep in Marvin’s Room. Her direction took her from NYC to Seattle (directing at Act Theatre, Buster’s Cabaret and working for Book-It Repertory Theatre. She moved to Frederick in 2016 to have tea with her mom more often and founded ESPtheatre in 2018.
Sam White (Stage Manager) is excited to work on the first of many productions with ESP Theatre and the Frederick Shakespeare Festival! Their technical theater career began nine years ago with BHS Drama and they've been pursuing theatrical design and stage management in the area ever since. Previous credits include Stop Kiss with Red Hill Theatre Group, CraftTown with Maryland Ensemble Theatre, Romeo and Juliet with Maryland Entertainment Group, and many more!