You can now listen to the entirety of 19 the Musical in audiobook format. Hear all of the songs and dialogue in this very special rendition of the show, featuring a lot of the original cast. I had a blast returning to Alice Paul and this incredible story for this project. Listen to it wherever you get your audiobooks (I recommend Libro.fm which supports indie bookstores).
A little late in sharing these photos, but here are the production shots from As You Like It as the DC War Memorial back in May. Directed by Seamus Miller.
It’s been a very busy fall/winter!
This past October, I understudied two tracks for Macbeth at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, directed by Katie Kedell.
I am currently swinging three tracks for the Puppet Nutcracker at The Puppet Co. in Glen Echo, MD.
And finally, I took my SAFD skills test for Sword and Shield and passed with recommendation! A big thank you to my instructor, Jon Rubin at Fire and Ice Movement Arts.
I am beyond excited to have two projects that started this January.
I have officially started rehearsals for As You Like It, a production that is being produced and performed entirely by alums of Shakespeare Theatre Academy (including director Seamus Miller). I will be portraying the usurping Duke Frederick. Mark your calendars for May 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th. This outdoor show will be performed at the DC War Memorial!
It’s hard to believe it’s been 6 years since I’ve first started working on Alice Paul, and 4 years since the world premiere of 19 the Musical. The pandemic unfortunately shut down its grand plans. But the creators are trying something new! An “audiobook” version of the ENTIRE musical.
We have reunited some of the original cast, as well as a few new faces, and we are going to be recording in February. I am glad to have another crack at Alice and I can’t wait for you to hear this new version! Learn more and sign up for the newsletter at 19themusical.com.
I am thrilled to be a part of the staged reading of this new play, which will be performing at the Woman’s National Democratic Club later this month. First Ladies & the Big White Lie by Janine Sternlieb with Lennie Dean, brings together several famous First Ladies in the afterlife. I will be playing Varina Davis, the only First Lady of the Confederacy (a slightly different personality than the last historical figure I portrayed, Alice Paul). Details on the performances are below.
First Ladies & the Big White Lie by Janine Sternlieb with Lennie Dean
Directed by Shanara Gabrielle
At the Women’s National Democratic Club
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW | Washington, DC 20036
Wednesday September 20th at 2pm
Thursday September 21st at 6pm
finished my year at STC Academy with two shows in repertory. I played Sister Fransisca in Measure for Measure, directed by John Miller-Stephany, as well as Maria in a musical adaptation of Twelfth Night, directed by Shanara Gabrielle. I am officially done my course work for my MFA, and only a paper stands between me and the degree. This cumulative project was certainly an extraordinary end to an intense year.
Twelfth Night
a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub
Music and Lyrics by Shaina Taub
Design Team
Director – Shanara Gabrielle
Assistant Director/ Choreographer – Jay Frisby
Music Director – Emily Erickson
Stage Manager – Regina Vitale
Assistant Stage Manager – Angela Vivaldi
Costume Designer – Taylor Gray Burke
Assistant Costume Designer – Ashlynn Ludwig
Lighting Designer – Minjoo Kim
Sound Designer – Justin Schmitz
Text and Vocal Coach – Lisa Beley
Associate Producer – Charlotte La Nasa
Coordinator – Emily Whittaker
Fight Director – Robb Hunter
Props Director – Pauline Lamb
Intimacy Director – Sierra Young
Cast
Malvolio – Geoffrey Besser
Curio – Catie Carlisle
Officer – Colton Chaney
Olivia – Yihong Chen
Toby Belch – Robyn Cohen
Feste – Lucy Redmon Connell
Orsina – Sarah Cushman
Maria – Katie Ganem
Antonio – Selah Kreeger
Sebastian – Gil Mitchell
Attendant – Jessica Murillo Kemp
Andrew Augecheek – Jackson Knight Pierce
Captain – Gabriel Alejandro
Officiant – Rachel Sanderson
Fabian – Kira Simmons
Valentine – Mallory Trice
Viola – Emma Wirthwein
Measure for Measure
By William Shakespeare
Design Team
Director – John Miller-Stephany
Assistant Director – Shayna Freedman
Stage Manager – Regina Vitale
Assistant Stage Manager – Angela Vivaldi
Composer – Andrew Cooke
Costume Designer – Taylor Gray Burke
Assistant Costume Designer – Ashlynn Ludwig
Lighting Designer – Minjoo Kim
Sound Designer – Justin Schmitz
Text and Vocal Coach – Lisa Beley
Associate Producer – Charlotte La Nasa
Coordinator – Emily Whittaker
Fight Director – Robb Hunter
Props Director – Pauline Lamb
Intimacy Director – Sierra Young
Cast
Froth/ Barnadine – Geoffrey Besser
Elbow/ Kate Keepdown – Catie Carlisle
Claudio – Colton Chaney
Julietta – Yihong Chen
Escalus – Robyn Cohen
Gentelmen/ Guard/ Handmaiden – Lucy Redmon Connell
Mariana – Sarah Cushman
Sister Fransisca/ Attendant – Katie Ganem
Friar Thomas – Selah Kreeger
Angelo – Gil Mitchell
Provost – Jessica Murillo Kemp
Duke Vincentio – Jackson Knight Pierce
Lucio – Gabriel Alejandro
Isabella – Rachel Sanderson
Pompey – Kira Simmons
Mistress Overdone/ Abhorson – Mallory Trice
Justice/ Guard – Emma Wirthwein
It’s been a busy year for me as I work towards my MFA in Classical Acting at Shakespeare Theatre Academy in DC. In December, I played LaFew in a condensed version of All’s Well That Ends Well directed by Dan Crane. And this semester, my classmates and I, led by Emma Jaster and Marcus Kyd, devised a physical hour long version of Macbeth together. We performed in an empty art gallery at the Corcoran School. Check out the photos from both productions.
All’s Well That Ends Well
Dec 2nd & 3rd, 2022
Directed by Dan Crane
Betram – Gil Mitchell
Helen – Emma Wirthwein
Countess – Robyn Cohen
King – Lucy Connell
LaFew – Katie Ganem
Parolles – Dan Crane
Diana/ Lord 2 – Jessica Murillo Kemp
Widow/ Lord 1 – Catie Carlile
Macbeth
March 10th & 11th, 2023
Directed by Emma Jaster & Marcus Kyd, Devised by the Ensemble
Macbeth – Gabriel Alejandro
Lady Macbeth – Mallory Trice
Banquo – Sarah Cushman
Ross – Colton Chaney
Duncan – Katie Ganem
Malcolm – Catie Carlile
Donalbain/ Gentlewoman – Lucy Connell
Doctor – Robyn Cohen
Macduff – Geoffrey Boesser
Lady Macduff – Yihong Chen
Porter – Gil Mitchell
Murderer 1 – Rachel Sanderson
Murderer 2 – Jessica Murillo Kemp
Murderer 3 – Selah Kreiger
Fleance – Kira Simmons
Seyton/ Fight Choreographer – Emma Wirthwein
Lennox – Jackson Knight Pierce
Witches – Ensemble
Mrs. Renfield
with Open Space Arts
January 29th and February 6th
Happy New Year! One upside of the pandemic is getting to try out new forms of entertainment and getting to create art with people from all different locations. I am very excited to be a part of my first radio play with my old theatre home, Open Space Arts, working with a cast of voice actors from all over the country.
The performance will be broadcast live on January 29th at 7pm, with a rebroadcast on February 6th at 8pm. Pay what you can tickets can be purchased here.
Benvolio
with Siren Song Shakespeare Company
May 28th and 29th, 2020
Nothing’s more Shakespearean than having the plague shut down the theaters, but we now have 21st century solutions. Log on to Siren Song Shakespeare’s Facebook page on May 28th at 6pm EST, or their youtube channel on the 29th, to catch our virtual version of Shakespeare’s classic. Happy that I’m getting to “tread the boards” with some of my former classmates from Nazareth College while we are self-isolating from COVID-19.
Alice Paul
with Through the 4th Wall
At the National Museum of Women in the Arts
November 2019
After two years of development, I was very proud to be a part of the sold out world premiere of 19 the Musical at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, just in time for the 19th amendment’s centennial.
19 follows the little known story of Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells, and the other women who fought to gain women the right to vote: the 19th amendment. Check out more information and donate to the next phase of the process at 19themusical.com.
Katie Ganem 