Next play: Taming of the Shrew | The Olde School Shak

Taming of the Shrew

Get rowdy with us for the grand finale of our 2023-24 Season: Taming of the Shrew!

Taming of the Shrew is centered around the player's collective teaching towards Christopher Sly, a belligerent drunk who has stormed into the wrong bar. When local bar owner LORD is confronted with Sly asleep on his bar floor, she calls the local players in to showcase Sly's simple-minded behavior in a brand new light.

Through a parody-styled satirical approach, The Olde School Shakespeare Collective reimagines The Taming of the Shrew with a cast of fourteen.

Captained by | Hayley Procacci

Featuring | Emma Anderson, Crystal Claros, Gwyneth Clare, Victoria Angelina Cruz, Jack Disselhorst, Olivia Evans, Scout Gregory, Wyatt McCall, Sophie Murk, Hayley Procacci, Fiona Ross, Becca Rowland, Jen Sinnen

Certified Intimacy Coordinator /Fight Captain | Michael Bevis

⚠️ This production contains staged combat, loud noises, and adult language and themes. Age recommendation is 18+: This production explores consensual sexual dynamics and themes that may be inappropriate or triggering for some.

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Meet the Cast

Biondello

Emma Anderson

Emma L. Anderson is a multi-hyphenate actor, playwright, monstrosity, and collective member with Olde School Shakes. She’s been seen in productions and readings at Chicago Dramatists, 16th Street Theater (rip), Dragonfly Theatre Company, and Theatre L’Acadie. She loves a good chicken parm.

Hortensio

Crystal Claros

Crystal is so excited to perform in a Shakespeare play for the first time! Some of their notable credits include Tick, Tick…Boom! (BoHo), Shrek: The Musical (Music Theatre Works), Junie B Jones (YPTCHI), Elephant & Piggy, as well as James and The Giant Peach (Marriott), Hedwig (Haven), and various readings, workshops, and cabarets around The Windy City™️. In their free time, Crystal enjoys weightlifting, collecting retro video games, and hanging out with Luna, their emotional support cat.

Baptista Minola

Victoria Angelina Cruz

New Chicago transplant from Birmingham, Alabama, originally. She loves her job. Currently understudying a new role that she is so excited to announce soon! Overjoyed to be working on Shakespeare with such a dope-ass wonderful company.

Ensemble

Jen Sinnen

Jen Sinnen is a Chicago-based theatre artist and educator. Chicago credits include: Twelfth Night with Old School Shakes, Murder in Residence with Chicago Dramatists, and Games with Theatre Unspeakable. Jen is also an educator within the Chicago Public School system and currently teaches K-8 Theatre.

Bianca

Olivia Evans

Olivia is a Chicago based actor, improviser and writer. She can be found frequently at iO performing with her team Lil’ Sluggers. Olivia is proudly represented by Grossman and Jack.

Kate/Lord

Jack Disselhorst

Jack is an actor, teaching artist, and student social worker. Previous OSSC credits include Twelfth Night (Malvolio) and Measure for Measure (Pompey). Regional credits include Bertha von Nation 2.0 (The New Colony), Isaac's Eye (Redtwist Theatre). Upcoming projects include They Broke Up (Avalanche Theatre, new play development). Jack teaches Meisner technique at Green Shirt Studio and ensemble adaption at Piven Theatre Workshop. He holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University and is pursuing a Master of Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.

Grumio

Gwyneth Clare

Gwyneth Clare is excited to be back with Olde School Shakes for Taming of the Shrew. She was last seen in Olde School’s Measure for Measure as Mistress Overdone, and The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio’s production of The Wolves as #00. When not onstage, Gwyn can be found reading books or playing tennis. Follow her on Instagram @gwynethclare.

Tranio

Scout Gregory

Louise “Scout” Gregory is a Chicago-based actor, costume designer, and artist lucky enough to be working in the arts full-time. A proud alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, they currently work full time at Blue Man Group Chicago as a Wardrobe & Makeup crew, and in their spare time, work on smaller costume crafts projects elsewhere. They have done shows with Lookingglass Theatre Company and the Goodman as wardrobe crew and at Steppenwolf as a Stitcher and Costume Design Assistant. They are thrilled to have a chance to perform again and make art with this fantastic group of people.

Sly

Wyatt McCall

Wyatt is an actor, director, writer, and chef from Chicago. He co-founded The Olde School Shakespeare Collective with a few family members and some friends from college with the intent of creating accessible theatre for working-class people. Wyatt previously captained Olde School's production of Twelfth Night and starred as Sir Toby Belch. Additional credits include Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing at The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Wonderland: Alice's Rock and Roll Adventure at Metro Theatre Company, A Christmas Carol at Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash musical and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Maples Repertory Theatre and Peter Pan at Theatre in the Park in Kansas City.

Ensemble

Sophie Murk

Holding a BFA from Webster Conservatory. Sophie is a local actor and teaching artist. She recently left her work in ministry as director of an overnight camp to embrace a career path that is more inclusive of the queer community. She is a certified ASTEP fellow and certified in Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead™️ work. Recent credits: Junie B. Jones, The Musical (Young People's Theatre of Chicago), Titanic, As You Like It, Christmas Carol (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Daddy Long Legs (Awaken Theatre), The Hundred Dresses, Say Something Do Something (Metro Theater Co), The Polar Express (Rail Events Productions).

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Ensemble

Hayley Procacci

Hayley Procacci (they/she) is a director, producer, and playwright. Originally from Orlando, Hayley has worked professionally in New York and Chicago for the last six years. Recent direct credits include Man and Moon (CHICAGO, 16th Street Theatre) A Sign of The Times (NYC, LDK Productions), Games (NYC, SoHo Playhouse), Taming of the Shrew (The Olde School Shakespeare Collective) Better Angels (NYC, SoHo Playhouse), My Uncle Sam (CHICAGO, Theater Unspeakable), Angels In America: Millennium Approaches, Silent Sky, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and Fool For Love (The University of Alabama at Birmingham). Hayley is also an adjunct professor at The Theatre School at DePaul, where they recently directed Games at the undergraduate level. Hayley currently serves as the Artistic Producer of New Projects at The Olde School Shakespeare Collective.

hayleyprocacci.com

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Petruchio

Becca Rowland

Becca (they/she) is a multi-disciplinary theater artist and proud ensemble member at Olde School Shakes. They especially love devising new works and queering the classics, and they believe that art at its best is non-hierarchical, curious, and highly opinionated. Other Chicago theater collaborations have included PrideArts, Strawdog Theater Co., and Chicago Dramatists. Becca is a founding member of Sandbox Theater Collective here in Chicago and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the University of California, Irvine.

Gremia

Fiona Ross

Fiona is delighted to make her OSSC debut! Born and raised in California, she is a Chicago-based theatre artist and philanthropy professional. Fiona graduated with a BFA in Acting and a BS in English Literature from Missouri State University in 2023. Favorite credits include Men on Boats (Missouri State), Sense & Sensibility (Springfield Contemporary), and I Ought to be in Pictures (Sacramento Theatre Company). Offstage, you can find her reading, wrangling her cat, and drinking a chai latte. fionaross.me