2013 Utah Shakespeare Festival Announces First Round of Casting

The Utah Shakespeare Festival recently announced the casting of the first eight actors for the 2013 season. All are familiar faces, having appeared at the Festival in the past. Actors slated to appear thus far are Corey Jones, Melinda Parrett, Henry Woronicz, Roderick Peeples, Melinda Pfundstein, Quinn Mattfeld, David Ivers, and Barbara Bednarczuk. A complete casting list will be available soon at www.bard.org.

"This is a sneak peak at some of the very talented actors we have assembled for our 2013 Company," said Brian Vaughn, artistic director. "They are extraordinary actors playing some extraordinary roles, and I can't wait for our audiences to come see them at play."

Corey Jones is appearing this year in the first play in the Festival's history cycle in the title role in King John. He will also be seen portraying the "poor credulous monster," Caliban in The Tempest.

Jones first appeared at the Festival last season as Aaron in Titus Andronicus, Reverend Sykes in To Kill a Mockingbird and Count Aubespine in Mary Stuart. He has performed at numerous theatres around the country, some of which include Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts Theatrefest, Chautauqua Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre and St. Louis Shakespeare Festival.

Melinda Parrett will return to the Festival to play the sassy nightclub singer Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, as well as the airy spirit Ariel in The Tempest.

Parrett was last seen at the Festival in 2011 as BeLinda Blair in Noises Off!, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juilet, and Emilia in The Winter's Tale. In previous years she has played such roles as Rosalind in As You Like It (2009), Alice in Henry V (2009), Katharina Minola in The Taming of the Shrew (2008), Yente/Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (2008), Miss Proserpine Garnett in Candida (2007) and Maria Merelli in Lend Me a Tenor: The Musical (2007).

Henry Woronicz will take on the monumental role of Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, in The Tempest.

Woronicz directed the powerful Titus Andronicus last year at the Festival. He has also directed As You Like It (2009), The Taming of the Shrew (2008), and Coriolanus (2007). As an actor he's portrayed Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Duke in Measure for Measure and title roles in Henry V, Richard III, and Macbeth.

Roderick Peeples will appear on the Festival stage this year in the courtroom drama, Twelve Angry Men as Juror #10.

Past roles at the Festival Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Argante in Scapin, and Paulet in Mary Stuart in 2012; Friar Lawence in Romeo and Juliet, The Duke of Buckingham in Richard III, and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2011; and Fluellen in Henry V and Duke Senior in As You Like It in 2009.

Melinda Pfundstein, who has appeared in numerous roles at the Festival, will perform this year as Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost and Constance in King John.

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