The Stanford Shakespeare Company

Titus Andronicus played by Zoe Tweedie. The matriarch of the Andronicus family and a powerful war general, Titus’ mind is falling apart, and there’s nothing she can do to stop it.

Aaron played by Iyanu Okukotun. Tamora’s lover, Aaron lives by the creed an eye for an eye, seeing no different between vengeance and justice.

Tamora played by Katie Dimock. The Queen of the Goths, Tamora will do whatever it takes to avenge the death of her youngest son, no matter how cruel.

Marcus Andronicus played by Kai Teigen. Titus’ younger brother, Marcus gets by on the power of words, but how much do words really mean in a world like this?

Lucius Andronicus played by Bennie Wang. Titus’ eldest child, Lucius should be the heir to the Andronicus mantle, but is he too sensitive to live up to his mother’s legacy?

Saturninus played by Joshua Jankelow. The leader of Rome, Saturninus will do anything to seize power and keep it.

Lavinia Andronicus played by Sawyer Niehaus. Titus’ daughter, Lavinia is ruthless, cruel, and violent, a product of the war that raised her.

Demetrius played by Dia Bhojwani. Tamora’s other sadistic son, Demetrius finds joy in the chaos and bloodshed of the apocalypse.

Chiron played by Riley Plaut-Deweese. Tamora’s twisted son, Chiron revels in the carnage and depravity of the world around him.

Bassianus and the nurse played by Andi Taylor. Saturninus’ younger sister and Lavinia’s fiancée, Bassianus is a power hungry politician good at playing nice for the masses. At the bottom of the social hierarchy, the nurse will do anything to save her own skin.

Quintus Andronicus and the clown played by Lorelei Santa-Maria. Titus’ daughter and Martius’ twin, Quintus is blindly loyal. Wandering through the wasteland with her zombie eyeballs, the poor clown is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Martius Andronicus and the Roman soldier played by Zaid Akhtar. Titus’ son and Quintus’ twin, Martius is blindly trusting. Having no choice besides doing what he’s told, the Roman soldier is constantly having the worst day of work ever.

Mutius Andronicus played by Leyth Toubassy. Titus’ youngest child, Mutius’ selflessness is the thing that kills him.

Alarbus played by Jonathan Howell. Tamora’s youngest son, Alarbus is the emo baby of the Goth family.

TITUS ANDRONICUS …AND ZOMBIES!

Free tickets available now! 5/23-5/25@ Elliott Program Center

It has been 150 years since the zombie apocalypse ravaged the world, decimating most of the world’s population. In a last ditch effort, governments sent nuclear weapons to kill the zombie hordes, but only succeeded in transforming the world into an inhospitable nuclear wasteland. Now, no grass grows, no birds fill the sky, and bloodthirsty zombies roam the endless wastes of what used to be America.

Join us in Rome, one of the last remaining encampments, as its survivors fight over the final remnants of resources. Fierce warrior and leader Titus Andronicus and her children face off against the rival encampment of the Goths and their political enemies within Rome. What humanity remains in a world with no future?

This weekend, current Shakesters welcomed alums for the first ever Shakes Reunion, celebrating 20 years! Featuring fun icebreakers, a panel, and even a silly showcase, Shakesters from past and present got to connect over this special community's history and legacy.

Thanks to reunion coordinators Cecilia Ergueta and Lexi Linker for organizing the event, plus our fabulous board members for their support in bringing the event to life!

HEAR YE, HEAR YE! TWO NOBLE KINSMEN OPENS TONIGHT! Tickets are still available for both Saturday performances, so act fast! In the meantime, check out some of our stunning production photos taken by the fantastic Frank Chen, and get excited!

There is no way but forward.

Lighting:
Prop Design: .27
Costumes: .kerner
Set: Rachel Smith, .elise .cecilia

WE ARE SOLD OUT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY! Get your tickets for Saturday afternoon and evening ASAP before the Athenian court laughs you offstage…

Link in bio!! Free tickets still available for March 4th at 2 and 8 pm :)

Meet our Astonishing Assistant Technical Director, the keen Karina Greenlee! Karina is a freshman from Olympia, WA.

“I like building things! And everyone in Shakes is legitimately incredible.”

Meet our Absolutely Perfect Assistant Producer, the magnificent Maja Olma! Maja is a freshman from Katowice, Poland.

“I joined Shakes last fall, which means that I can still proudly flaunt my "Shakes baby" title. I am mainly interested in costume design, yet for Two Noble Kinsmen, I serve as the Assistant Producer. That's what I love about Shakes the most - countless possibilities to try new things! Whether it is a position that I have not pursued before or learning how to drill pilot holes and drive screws when building the set for the next show, I am constantly learning new things in a great environment and with amazing company.”

Meet the Captivating Countryfolk, Finn Paisley and Riya Sankhe!

An old man (the schoolmaster) finds joy in the new world, and does what he can to heal it with his over-eager assistant (the countryman). The best way to do this is, naturally, performing a silly little dance.

First, meet the fabulous Finn Paisley, a senior from Hong Kong. He is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and playing the Schoolmaster.

“It seems rare that Stanford students commit so strongly to one cause, help out with everything, and watch out for each other along the way: I love the Stanford Shakespeare Co-Operative for its wild visions, deep inclusivity and immense love.”

Next, meet the radiant Riya Sankhe, a junior from Mumbai, India. She is majoring in Mathematical and Computational Sciences, and is playing the Countryman.

“Shakes is a truly loving, special community. We of course all love the creative process, but it is also a group of complete acceptance and affection! I feel so close to everyone even when I do not talk to them often, and they have pulled me through some hard times. I also have the best friends because of Shakes!”

Meet our Glamorous Graphic Designer, the delightful Dina Razi! Dina is a freshman from Los Angeles, majoring in Psychology.

“StanShakes has some of the coolest, funniest people I've ever met. Everybody has their own weird little skills and talents that they're happy to share, and it creates a really welcoming atmosphere. Graphics was a fun way to force me to learn Procreate and Canva. It's super awesome to see something I designed from scratch being the face of this awesome show.”

Meet our Positively Magnificent Props Master, the ebullient Emily Schwab! She is a freshman in the tech company who calls both Brookfield, WI and Düdingen, Switzerland home. She intends to major in East Asian Studies.

“Shakes has been a wonderful community for me since coming to Stanford. I’m so glad to have found an amazing group to do theatre with! My favorite memory was the Shakes retreat this past fall quarter.”

Meet the Talented Three Queens, Violet Crow, Zoe Tweedie, and Maroua Bezzaoui!

Thebes has become home to a tyrannical ruler, who lacks the honor to even bury his victim’s bones. Three widows embark through the woods, abandoning any dead weight - whether water or wits - that hinders their search for vengeance.

First we have the vivacious Violet Crow, a freshman from North Huntingdon, majoring in SymSys. She is playing the First Queen (and the Friend of the Jailer).

“I love Shakes because I can (pretend to) v**e on stage in a Pikachu beanie and it’s still entirely for Shakespeare purposes.”

Next is the marvelous Maroua Bezzaoui, a freshman from Casablanca, Morocco, playing the Third Queen.

“I joined Shakes because the members are very cool, loving, and accepting people but also because it was time for me to practice very English dramatic arts after 10 years of very French dramatic arts. Also Shakespeare was a weirdo and I love weirdos, mostly, sometimes.”

You’ve met Zoe already 👀 Check out our previous posts!

TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR TWO NOBLE KINSMEN!

Join us as we perform Two Noble Kinsmen, a tragicomedy exploring love, loss, and kindness in the face of adversity on a post-apocalyptic backdrop.

Directed by and produced by , Two Noble Kinsmen will be performed March 2-4, Week Eight!!

Get tickets here or at the link in bio!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/two-noble-kinsmen-tickets-552132762957

Meet our Lovable Lighting Designer, the terrific Trini Rogando! Trini is a freshman from Arlington, VA.

“I’ve been a fan of reading Shakespeare plays since I was a kid, but it’s an incredibly enriching experience to actually design a whole world around these texts. I think that creating art with friends is one of the most fulfilling parts of life, and I’m really grateful to have the chance to do this with such an incredibly dedicated and fun group of people! Also lighting design is super based and colors are pretty.”

Meet our Stacked Sound Team, Wilder Seitz and Ellie Stalcup!

The effervescent Ellie Stalcup is a junior from Shrewsbury, MA, majoring in Music and Political Science.

“I love Shakes because I get to create art with incredibly passionate and talented people who are also some of my closest friends.”

You’ve already met Wilder 👀 Check out our previous posts!

Meet our Forlorn Family, Meredith Gavin, Zaid Akhtar, and Riley Plaut-Deweese!

A father and a would-be-fiance fight to find a new normal after a tragic accident befalls the daughter. Struggling to balance what she needs, what they want, and their latent disagreements seem to be an insurmountable task as they both fight to do what they think is best.

First we have the mellifluous Meredith Gavin, a freshman from Seattle, WA, playing the Daughter.

“I’m so grateful to have found a supportive, fun-loving community of fellow Shakespeare enthusiasts! I’m really excited to be portraying the Daughter; her story is a tragic one and I hope to do it justice. Her resilience and vulnerability in love is inspiring to me.”

Next is the Zestful Zaid Akhtar, a freshman from Lahore, Pakistan, playing the Wooer.

“Shakes has been a wonderful time so far and I love that we have such a tight knit community. It’s also teaching me a lot; for example, I now know that Macbeth isn’t the only Shakespearean play worth reading. Jokes aside, I’m really looking forward to the winter show; everyone has been working really hard to make it an unforgettable experience for the audience, and I can’t wait to see it all come together!”

You’ve met Riley already 👀 Check out our previous posts!