

"Bare boards and a passion." - Peter O'' Toole
Much Ado About Nothing
Meet the Cast

Borachio
Owen Bird
Owen is ecstatic to be making his Classics on the Rocks debut as Borachio! Hailing from Towson, Maryland by way of The Boston Conservatory, acting has been a steady companion while on the road. His previous productions include Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with S***-Faced Shakespeare, Joe in No Horse with ART/NYC, and Paul 2 in Pauligarchy with The Boston Theater Marathon. Film credits include the Event Worker in Marty Supreme (2025), Percival in The Magician (2025), and Interviewer in If We Were A Movie (2024). He would like to thank Classics on the Rocks for this amazing opportunity. He would also like to thank his Mom and family for their continued support and love. Enjoy the villanie!

Ursula, Watch 1
Emily Glaser
Emily has appeared in many stage productions throughout the tri-state area, including a wide variety of Shakespearean roles; some past favorites include Lady M in the Scottish play, Ophelia in Hamlet, and Hermia in Midsummer. She has starred in dozens of independent and student films, as well as several commercials and industrials. She has also recently appeared in supporting roles on the Investigation Discovery channel and TruTV. She is thrilled to be working with Classics on the Rocks for the first time! You can learn more online at emilyglaseractor.com and on Instagram @emilyandtheuniverse

Conrade
Jack Humphrey
Jack is a singer and actor from New York City. He studied singing at LaGuardia High School and Boston University on a full merit scholarship and has performed in nine musicals in ten weeks with the College Light Opera Company and with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus alongside the BSO and Boston Pops. Some of his favorite roles include Old Adam Goodheart in Ruddigore, Bob Becket in H.M.S. Pinafore, Marshal Shermerhorn in Knickerbocker Holiday, and Bobby Strong in Urinetown. He recently completed a Masters in Music Business from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain where he performed in a few concerts. He is super excited to be a part of Much Ado About Nothing!

Antonio, Verges
Hannah Mary Keller
Hannah is thrilled to be participating in this production of Much Ado About Nothing. Hannah received a B.A. in Drama from San Francisco State University and graduated from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in 2021. Her previous credits include Jaclyn Spaulding in Rasheeda Speaking, The Prince/Seacoal in Much Ado About Nothing, Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, Mary Warren in The Crucible, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Thomasina in Arcadia, and Inez Serrano in No Exit. Hannah is excited to be back on stage and telling this hilarious story with so many talented artists.

Margaret, Watch
Lauren Landman
Lauren is so excited for her first show with Classics on the Rocks! Recent credits include A Little Night Music (Mrs. Anderssen/Dance Captain) and Man of La Mancha (Antonia); other roles include My Heart In A Suitcase (Anne; National Tour), Grease (Sandy), The Music Man (Marian), Bonnie & Clyde (Blanche), Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Rosaline), Carrie (Chris), Dames at Sea (Mona), The Violet Hour (Rosamund), The Baker’s Wife (Simone), Bad Jews (Daphna), The Wild Party (Kate), Spelling Bee (Logainne), and The Diary of Anne Frank (Margot). Lauren's training includes the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Stratford Festival of Canada’s Shakespeare School. Love to her family, friends, and the Much Ado cast and creative team. laurenlandman.com

Beatrice
Molly Loveless
Molly is an actor, singer, and personal comedian to her friends, based in NYC. Beatrice is one of her favorite Shakespeare characters and she is thrilled to get to bring her to life in this production! Along with Much Ado she is a supporting role in 'A Reason' this summer; a short film revolving around mental illness and finding A Reason (or many) to carry on. She is also looking forward to playing Simone de Beauvoir in a new play called Sartre and Simone in the Dream Up Theatre Festival this summer. Check out her website for more info: Molly-loveless.com

Messenger, Friar, Balthazar
Amber Murray
Amber is delighted to be making her Classics on the Rocks debut! After graduating from Temple University in 2023, Amber dove into the South Jersey theater scene, playing Carole King in Beautiful, Rachel Williams in Escape to Margaritaville, and Gym Teacher/Matron in Hairspray. She gives love and thanks to her family and friends for supporting her in her dreams!

Claudio
Brandon Prater
Brandon is thrilled to be performing in their 1st Shakespearean play! When not onstage, you can find Brandon dancing or on The Runway where they will be returning to NY Fashion week to model this fall with CRUÈL INC. Brandon would like to thank the cast and crew for helping everything come to life and YOU for coming to see our play. Enjoy the show!

Don Pedro
Corbin Puryear
Corbin is thrilled to spend another summer with Classics on the Rocks! Fun fact: his first production with Classics was a Zoom production of Much Ado About Nothing in 2020 during the pandemic, so he's excited to finally perform the show in-person! Previous roles include Pistol in Henry V, Silvius in As You Like It, and Simon Eyre in The Shoemaker's Holiday.

Hero
Melina Rabin
Melina is thrilled to be back with Classics on the Rocks after last year’s Merry Wives! In addition to acting, Melina is the literary manager and resident dramaturg for Lighthouse Ladies, a women-led film and theater production company (@lighthouseladiesco). As a dramaturg, she has worked on productions with Citizen Arts, Galileo Theatre Co, and NYU Tisch, where she completed her BFA in Drama. Thank you so much to the entire Much Ado cast and creative team!

Benedict
Brandon P. Raines
Brandon is thrilled to be making his Classics on the Rocks debut! Thank you to the creative team for the opportunity to be a part of this production, and this fantastic cast for making working on this project such a joy. Other recently theater credits include: Andy in The Factory, Kurt/Ansel in Shake the Disease, Robert in Invasive, and Roger in Hand-Me-Downs. Brandonpraines.com

Dogberry
John St. Croix
John St. Croix is ecstatic to return to Much Ado About Nothing for his third go-round, this time diving into the fun and absurdity of Dogberry. Previous credits include Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Oberon/Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Classics on the Rocks), The Constable-Man in The African American Company Presents: Richard III, and Costard in Love’s Labour’s Lost (Titan Theatre Company). Recently, John has begun teaching monthly memorization workshops for actors, combining his love of text with practical technique. 2011 graduate of Coastal Carolina University. Endless thanks to Genaro for all your love and support!

Leonato
Patrick Taaffe
Patrick is proud to have worked on Much Ado with this wonderful cast! Past shows with Classics include Merry Wives of Windsor (Dr. Caius), Henry V, The Tempest (Prospero), Dekker’s Shoemaker’s Holiday (Lord Mayor), The Winter’s Tale (Old Shepherd/Ensemble), Merchant of Venice (Aragon/Duke/Old Gobbo), Much Ado About Nothing (Antonio and Dogberry), Julius Caesar (Mark Antony) and As You Like It (Touchstone/Charles/Corin). Thanks to Sharon/Will/Victoria/Christelly and to everyone who has come to watch over the years!

Don John
Ben Tomaiuolo
Ben is so happy to be returning for another amazing summer with Classics on the Rocks (and excited to play a character not named Bardolph). Previous Classics credits include Bardolph in Merry Wives of Windsor, Bardolph in Henry V, and Snug/Bardolph in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Massive thanks as always to Will, Sharon, Victoria, and the entire Classics fam for being my creative homebase in NYC. Love to Justine & Vinnie.
Meet the Creative Team

William Downes
Director​

Victoria Gomez
Assistant Director

Christelly Encarnacion
Stage Manager​

Sharon Stevens
Production Manager, Choreographer


