Much Ado about Nothing Cast

Matara Hitchcock is a new transplant to North Carolina, having moved here after a summer of swinging for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's (CSF) "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "The Book of Will." She worked for CSF for several years and previously swung for "Charles III." Matara completed two residencies with the CU Playback Ensemble, devised the show "Trans-borders" with l'Atelier de Théâtre in Orléans, France, and recently did two immersive productions in Denver: "Information for Foreigners" and "A Dickens Experience." Her play "A Book of Modern Prayer" debuted with the CU New Play Festival this spring. Other recent credits include Agnes (“She Kills Monsters”), Lady Katherine (“Falstaff in Love”), and Miss Havisham (“Great Expectations”) at CU Boulder. She has engaged with "Much Ado About Nothing" twice before: once as Benedick in an operatic production at UT Dallas, and once as a director at Centennial Middle in Boulder, Colorado. She holds a BA from her time as a McDermott Scholar at UT Dallas and a MA/MBA from CU Boulder.

Patrick Nguyen is originally from Asheville NC and is starting his first year of college at UNCG with a major in BA drama and hopes to move into the BFA Acting program his sophomore year! This is his first appearance with the Goodly Frame theatre and it is static to be a part of this company! This is his second time performing Much Ado About Nothing in which he recently played the role of Claudio for The Montford Park players in his hometown! His other Shakespeare acting credits include playing Pericles in Pericles: Prince of Tyre, Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Seyton, Donalbain in Macbeth! Patrick adores performing and learning about Shakespeare and he hopes to continue that journey his whole life!

Cesilly Allen is tremendously grateful for this opportunity to play Hero in "Much Ado About Nothing"! This is their second production with the Goodly Frame Theatre- the first being "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in which she had the role of Hermia. Before their involvement with GFT, they enjoyed working with the High Point Community Theatre in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" and in "A Christmas Carol." Last summer, they performed at the Encore Center in Moana Jr.- the show that drew them into the world of theatre. They would like to thank every wonderful person who has supported and encouraged them to work for the things that make them happy!

Andrew Altmann is a 23-year-old from Burlington, North Carolina. He plays the role of Claudio. He was previously seen in Goodly Frame's Midsummer Night's Dream as Bottom and Pyramus, and has worked with Meredith before in Macbeth at Studio 1 in Burlington as the role of Malcolm. He is incredibly grateful to Goodly Frame for the opportunities to do Shakespeare this year, and the incredible people he has met along the way. He would like to thank his friends and family for their unending support

Kris is thankful to be able to work again this year with Meredith and the rest of the Goodly Frame players, especially on his favorite comedy! Aside from acting, Kris enjoys collecting vinyl, manga and exotic pets. He would like to thank the cast and crew as well as his Grandmother and close friends for all their support.

Elated, after a two-year COVID delay, to finally do Much Ado About Nothing on stage with Goodly Frame! Since his first appearance on stage as the Elevator Boy in the musical Mame!, John’s proudest theatrical accomplishments are his translations of contemporary Japanese plays published by the Japan Playwrights Association. While earning a BFA in acting from Ithaca College he discovered Japanese theatre. He got an MA performing traditional forms such as Noh, Kyogen, and Kabuki at the University of Kansas. Interest in those classical forms morphed, during his twenty years in Japan, into research about various modern Japanese theatre genres. That led to a Ph.D. from UCLA. John’s other credits include director, producer, playwright, and dramaturg. He recently appeared in Creative Greensboro’s 2022 Evening of Short Plays as the drag queen Kitty Bang Bang (AKA Denny) in Cari Hopson’s Homecoming, and in August as Theseus/Oberon in Goodly Frame’s Downtown Greensboro production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Heidi McIver, she/he/they, was trained in acting and directing at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and now works with students at UNCSA in both the Drama and Voice summer intensives and through the ARCH program (Artists Reaching Children in the Hospital). She also teaches at UNCSA during the school year, instructing the high school Drama students in Theatre & Culture, Arts for Social Change, and Acting. Heidi is a founding company member of Goodly Frame, having played Banquo/Menteith in Macbeth, Tybalt/Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet, and Duke of Cornwall/Edgar in King Lear. He is particularly fond of this type of immersive and site-specific theatre, enjoying the connection between player and audience. Heidi enjoys acting (particularly Shakespeare), and spending time with their husband, Mike, and his two dogs, Spriggan and Kirin.

Brittany Corne is originally from Winston Salem, NC. She has a BA in musical theatre from Greensboro College. Her favorite roles include magenta in The Rocky Horror Show, Dr. Charlotte in Falsettos, and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She’d like to thank Meredith for including her in this very special show before she goes off to Scotland. We’re all gonna miss you so much but know you’re gonna do such great things! Lang mae yer lum reek!

Lexus Lomison grew up in Pennsylvania and studied Cinema Production at Ithaca College in New York. After moving to Greensboro and a far too long hiatus in theatre, she resumed acting in recent productions by Creative Greensboro, Triad Playwrights Theatre and Goodly Frame Theatre. Lexus is also a member of the Greensboro Concert Band and the obedient servant of her royal felines. She is honored for another opportunity to be a part of a Goodly Frame Theatre production.

Sarah Jedrey is excited to join Goodly Frame Theatre for the first time. She was last seen in Stained Glass Playhouse’s Godspell (Sonia), Little Theatre of Winston-Salem’s Sound of Music (Sister Sophia) and Drowsy Chaperone (Superintendent). Thanks go out to this cast, crew, and leadership; to the Idiot Box for building the skills needed; and to her friends and family who've always believed.

Rich was stung by the theatre bee in his youth, first appearing on stage in A Christmas Carol with the NCSF at age 11. Roles in community theatre and school productions followed and he went on to study acting at UNC-Greensboro. Over the years he has appeared in church dramas and skits and he is now very excited by the opportunity provided by Goodly Frame to step back into the theatrical world; first with a Midsummer Night’s Dream and now in Much Ado About Nothing! Rich considers time well spent to be time with his amazing wife and kids, such joy!

Much Ado About Nothing marks Jane’s second appearance with Goodly Frame Theatre. Her other stage credits include productions with Creative Greensboro, Foothills Performing Arts, The Green Room Community Theatre, Henderson Rec Players, Hickory Community Theatre, the Hickory Playground, the Newton Performing Arts Center, and Shared Radiance. Jane lives in High Point with her husband, Guy, and teaches English at High Point University.

Nicole Weintraub moved to North Carolina from New York after graduating with a BFA in Theatre Performance and a MS in Secondary Education from Niagara University. Since moving to NC, she has enjoyed taking part in several community theatre companies both behind the scenes as well as onstage. Previous roles include Gizela in The Wolves of Ravensbruck with Creative Greensboro; Finding Shakespeare and ZoomFest 2020 with Goodly Frame Theatre; Elaine Harper in Arsenic and Old Lace, and Sister Mary Catherine in Drinking Habits with TGRC. She most recently performed in Shared Radiance's Richard III and was the adult swing for The Sound of Music with Creative Greensboro.

Adrian Dion Quarles, is totally beside himself and in a state of euphoria to be Borachio and to be working with Goodly Frame again! of Shelby, NC with a love for the Tre-Fo (Winston Salem) Adrian also contributes poetry monthly to The Heatseekerz Magazine, is the host and creator of the ADQ’s Renaissance podcast, a rapper who’s mixtape Prayers of A Field Negus can be heard on Soundcloud. He recently helped celebrate Black Millennial culture as Deonte Givens l in the Ian Hairston written and produced piece Messy Millennials- Starter Pack and also sang and cussed as a drunk Santa Claus obsessed with taking out Nixon in Assassins. A playwright in his own right, he recently wrote the short play “The Art of Life” which was staged as a part of Camel City Playhouse’s One Act Play Festival. As an actor, Adrian has appeared in classics The Nutcracker, A Raisin in the Sun, The Amen Corner, Time (which he wrote and directed), Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream among others. Adrian thanks and loves the giver of all his gifts. The Most high Jah