Not About Nightingales

MICHAEL BENZ (JOE) Broadway: Tony-nominated revival of The Little Foxes with Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon. London: Power of Sail (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Importance of Being Earnest with David Suchet (Vaudeville Theatre, West End), The Tempest with Ralph Fiennes (Theatre Royal Haymarket, West End), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Theatre Royal Haymarket, West End), titular role in Hamlet (Shakespeare’s Globe), Twelfth Night (Crucible Theatre), As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Winter’s Tale (all Shakespeare’s Globe), Romeo and Juliet (Royal Shakespeare Company). Michael recently wrapped on the feature film Pressure with Andrew Scott. Additional Film: Greyhound, Joker, The Wife, Snowden. TV includes: “Up Here” (Hulu), “Downton Abbey” (ITV/PBS), “For All Mankind” (Apple). Training: RADA. Georgetown University (undergraduate).

NICK CRAVEN (SCHULTZ) is making his professional stage debut, and is still wrapping his head around the fact that it’s at the Williamstown Theater Festival. After graduating from Marist College with a degree in Film and Theater, he performed in a series of black box plays (The Dinner Party, Outposters) and shorts (Cutout, Homebody, Father) which have all led to this moment. He’s thrilled to be a part of a company that is sure to bring new life to this lost Tennessee Williams play. He’d like to thank everyone he’s ever met, that has in one way or another, brought him here, but most importantly, his family and friends.

SKYLER GALLUN (SWIFTY)Off-Broadway and New York theater: Richard III (The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park); A Raisin in the Sun (The Public Theater); Terezin (Playwrights Horizons), Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare in Bryant Park); Henry VI: Part III, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline (Shakespeare in the Parking Lot). Regional: Blood Play (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, First Reading); 10x10 New Play Festival (Barrington Stage Company); Lord of the Flies (Denver Center), Macbeth (dir. Robert O’Hara, Denver Center). Film: Ray Donovan: The Movie, Souvenirs. TV: “Ray Donovan,” “Dickinson.” NYU BFA.

BRIAN GERAGHTY (BUTCH) can most recently be seen in Taylor Sheridan’s hit series “1923” on Paramount+. He has recently starred in ABC’s “The Big Sky”, Starz’s “Gaslit”, and “Briarpatch” for USA. Geraghty’s TV credits also include “The Alienist”, “Ray Donovan”, and HBO’s acclaimed “Boardwalk Empire”. Brian’s many film credits include Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, Robert Zemeckis’ Flight, and Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. His past stage work includes Mark Taper, The Subject Was Roses with Martin Sheen, Nightfall at the Geffen Playhouse. Off Broadway: Berlin at Tribeca playhouse.

BEN GETZ (SAILOR JACK/CONVICT/GUARD/TROOPER) Ben grew up in Havre de Grace, MD before moving to NY to attend NYU Tisch. He has appeared in many commercials, films and TV shows including "Blue Bloods", “You", “Invasion” as well as being the voice of Nickelodeon promos. His stage credits include Speech and Debate at Barrington Stage Co. and Sinners directed by Succession’s Brian Cox. Catch Ben starring in the newly released film Gothic Slayers. You can also see Ben acting for free weekly on your local tennis court where he pretends to be Roger Federer but has been described as "McEnroe during a meltdown”.

WILLIAM JACKSON HARPER (JIM) Broadway: All the Way (Neil Simon Theater) Uncle Vanya (Lincoln Center Theater, Tony Nom) Selected Off-Broadway: Travisville (Ensemble Studio Theater); Primary Trust (Roundabout, Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle Award); After the Blast (LCT3) A Family for All Occasions (LAByrinth); Modern Terrorism (Second Stage); The Total Bent, Titus Andronicus, Measure for Measure (The Public Theater); Placebo, A Cool Dip in the Barren Saharan Crick (Playwrights Horizons); Queens Boulevard, Paradise Park (Signature); Ruined (MTC). Film. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Landscape with Invisible Hand, We Broke Up, Jodie, Dark Waters, Midsommar, Lost Holiday, Paterson, How to Tell You’re a Douchebag. TV: “The Resort,” “Love Life” (Critics’ Choice, NAACP Image Award noms), “A Man in Full” “The Morning Show” “The Underground Railroad” (Critics’ Choice Award nom), “The Good Place” (Emmy nom, two Critics’ Choice award noms).

IVÁN MARCEL HERNANDEZ (CHICK) holds a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and has performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and in productions such as Henry IV Part 1 (Hotspur) and Ten Blocks on the Camino Real. Bilingual and stage combat trained. Proudly from Santo Domingo.

JOE GOLDAMMER (PREACHER) is delighted to be returning to the Williamstown Theatre Festival where he was seen in A Raisin in the Sun. Selected Chicago credits: Marie Antoinette ( Steppenwolf Theatre); Booty Candy (Windy City Playhouse); Rabbit Hole (Goodman Theatre); Suicide Inc. (Steppenwolf Garage); Cicada (Route 66); Dead End (Griffin Theatre); R.U.R. (Griffin Theatre); If You Take A Mouse To School (Emerald City). Regional Credits include: Macbeth (Denver Center for the Preforming Arts); Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol (Actors Theatre of Louisville); The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Stage One); Henry V (Walden Theatre). Joe would like to thank his beautiful wife for her love and support.

MALIK JAMES (OLLIE) is excited to be making his Williamstown Theatre Festival debut. He is a MFA graduate of The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale where he was seen in The Yale Repertory Theatre’s productions of The Inspector, Choir Boy and more. Malik also holds a BFA in Acting from Texas State University. He would like to thank all the talented people involved in this production, friends and family for their unwavering support. He dedicates this performance to his late cousin AJ Conway. maliktjames.com

SAM JAMES (MCBURNEY) is a Brooklyn-based actor thrilled to be making his Williamstown Theatre Festival debut. Recent credits include the premiere of The Vicky Archives with Brouhaha Theatre Project at The Tank, They Came to the Castle at Theater for the New City, and Hamlet, The Seagull, and Electric Bloom through the Columbia University School of the Arts. He is a current member of Group 57 at The Juilliard School and a graduate of Bates College. He is grateful for the support of his family and his teachers.

DAN KATZ (SHAPIRO) is thrilled to be making his Williamstown Theatre Festival debut especially as an Amherst College graduate. He has worked at the American Repertory Theatre, La MaMa, Cape May Stage, and sung in several Irish Repertory Theatre gala concerts. Thanks to Steve Irlen at Frontier Booking for his support and to Robert O'Hara for this wonderful opportunity. Love and appreciation to his wife Meg and his family. This show is dedicated to his beloved dad.

ELIZABETH LAIL (EVA) will next appear in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and the indie film Gonzo Girl opposite Willem Dafoe, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. She starred opposite Penn Badgley in Netflix’s hit thriller “You”, led NBC’s “Ordinary Joe”, and had recurring roles on “Elsbeth” and HBO Max’s “Gossip Girl”. Other TV credits include “Videosyncrasy” (HBO) and “Once Upon a Time” as Princess Anna. Film credits include Countdown and Mack & Rita. On stage, she made her debut in Pretty Perfect Lives and starred in Ken Urban’s Nibbler. Lail continues to shine across film, television, and theatre.

ANNIE MCNAMARA (MRS. BRISTOL, GOLDIE) Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play, Slave Play, Alana. Selected theater credits: Slave Play (West End, New York Theatre Workshop), Iowa (Playwrights Horizons, Lortel Nomination For Outstanding Featured Actress In A Musical, The Cheerleader); We’re Gonna Be Okay (Humana Festival At Actors Theatre Of Louisville), Rapture, Blister, Burn (The Huntington Theatre Company). Elevator Repair Service: Gatz, Everyone’s Fine With Virginia Woolf, The Sound And The Fury, Clubbed Thumb Affiliated Artist. Tv/Film: Blue Jasmine, “Orange Is The New Black”, “Mozart In The Jungle”, “The Good Fight”, “Severance”, and “Hello Tomorrow!”.

DAVID MATTAR MERTEN (QUEEN) is so proud to be returning to WTF this season after being an Acting Apprentice as an undergraduate. David is an Arab-German-Irish artist whose recent credits include An Enemy of the People on Broadway with Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli and the recent Off-Broadway production of The Beacon with Kate Mulgrew at Irish Rep. David has developed work with 2nd Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Transport Theatre Group, The Flea Theatre, and Cherry Lane Theatre. Education: MFA in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep, BFA in Acting from Ball State University.

CHRIS MESSINA (WARDEN WHALEN) has appeared on stage in Salome (Broadway); Far Away (New York Theatre Workshop); Faster (Rattlestick Playwrights Theater); The Cherry Orchard (Williamstown Theatre Festival); This Thing of Darkness (Atlantic Theater Company); Good Thing (New Group); Blur (Manhattan Theatre Club); The Light Outside (Flea Theatre); Hologram Theory (Blue Light Theater Company); Refuge (Playwrights Horizons) and American Clock (Signature Theatre).

GABRIEL PORTUONDO (MEX/CHAPLAIN/GUARD/CONVICT/TROOPER) is from Brentwood, Long Island, NY. He graduated from Bucknell University and Columbia University (MFA in Acting), and he is also a founding member of the Magis Theatre Company in NYC.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFLCIO, FIA. ActorsEquity.org #AskIfItsEquity

ROBERT O'HARA (Director) is the Tony-Nominated Director of Slave Play and is currently working on several Film, Television, and Broadway projects. He’s a two time Obie Award Winner and two time NAACP Award Winner whose work has been seen around the country.

DIGGLE (Scenic Designer) is a proud Gay Mexican, Chicano scenic designer with Indigenous Mexica roots. Most recently, he made his production design debut for Joel Perez’s short film Villa Encanto premiering at The Tribeca Film Festival within the Colectivo Filmmaker Program, and was commissioned to design an installation art piece to honor living photographer Alex Harsley by NYTW. In 2023, he was nominated by The Public Theater and won the Princess Grace Award. His design credits include Travels (Ars Nova), Stir (Old Globe), Merry Wives of Windsor (Old Globe, San Diego Theatre Critics Circle’s Winner for Best Set Design), The Harder They Come (Public Theater), Cowboy Bob (Alley Theatre), Shakespeare: Call & Response directed by Patricia McGregor (Public Theater’s Mobile Unit), American Mariachi (Two River Theater), Gruesome Playground Injuries (St. Louis Rep), Fires in the Mirror (Baltimore Center Stage/Long Wharf Theatre), and The Conversationalists (Bushwick Starr). Explore more at www.diggledesigns.com and follow on Instagram at @diggle_designs.

SOPHIA CHOI (Costume Designer) Broadway: Cult of Love (Second Stage), KPOP (Tony nomination), Off-Broadway: Urinetown (Encores!), White Rose: The Musical, Notes On My Mother’s Decline, Regional: Primary Trust (La Jolla Playhouse), Cult of Love (Berkeley Rep), An Enemy of the People (Yale Rep). Other selected theatre credits: Intelligence (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Anna May Wong: The Actress Who Died a Thousand Deaths (Mabou Mines). Assistant design credits: Dope Thief (Apple TV+), Kaleidoscope (Netflix), White House Plumbers (HBO). Graduate of Yale School of Drama (MFA) and VCU School of the Arts (BFA). sophia-choi.com.

ALEX JAINCHILL (Lighting Designer) Recent credits: Sh*t Meet Fan (MCC), X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X at the Metropolitan Opera, featured on the MET Live in HD series. He lit Richard III with the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park featured on PBS Great Performances. Other selected credits include: A Raisin in the Sun (Public Theater), Gun and Powder (Signature Theatre), Macbeth (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), and Unison (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). He is a long-time collaborator with Berkshire Opera Festival where he has lit productions of Faust, La Boheme, Don Giovanni, Fallstaff, Don Pasquale, and Three Decembers. He has created installations with the Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, NY and with The Museum of Future Experiences in Brooklyn. He is pleased to return to Williamstown Theater Festival where he previously lit A Raisin in the Sun (2019) and served as a Lighting Intern (2011). He is a faculty member at Syracuse University where he teaches Lighting Design and is a proud member of USA Local 829.

PALMER HEFFERAN (Sound Designer) is a Tony Award® nominated sound designer and composer for theater, opera, and podcasts. In 2019, she received an Obie Award® for Sustained Excellence in Sound Design from the American Theatre Wing. Highlights from the last decade include Broadway: John Proctor Is The Villain (Booth Theatre, Upcoming), Alex Edelman: Just For Us (Hudson Theatre), The Skin of Our Teeth (Tony nom, Lincoln Center); Grand Horizons (Second Stage); The Lifespan of a Fact (Studio 54). Off-Broadway: Shit.Meet.Fan, Nollywood Dreams, BLKS, Collective Rage, Charm, School Girls (MCC Theater); Teeth (New World Stages, Playwrights Horizons); Liberation, what the end will be, Something Clean, Bobbie Clearly (Roundabout Theatre); Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Audible Theater); Merry Wives, shadow/land, Shipwreck, Wild Goose Dreams (The Public Theater); Waiting For Godot, Fefu and Her Friends (TFANA); Blood Quilt, Flex, Becky Nurse of Salem, Marys Seacole (Lincoln Center); The Comeuppance, Fabulation, The Death of the Last Black Man... (Signature Theatre). IG: @palmzhefferan

BIANCA MERCADO-BOLLER (Production Stage Manager) has worked with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Signature Theatre, and The Public. Select credits include Grangeville (Signature Theatre) Clyde’s (Syracuse Stage), Some Like it Hot (National Tour), and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Broadway). Education: Syracuse University, Juilliard Apprentice Program.

TYLER CROW (Assistant Stage Manager) Broadway: The Notebook, The Cottage. Off-Broadway: Titanique, What Became of Us (Atlantic Theater Company), Good Enemy (Audible Theater), Breathless; we were promised honey! (59E59), Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (New Vic). National Tours: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Kite Runner, The Prom. Regional: Barrington Stage Company, George Street Playhouse, Alliance Theatre, Theatre Aspen, and Boston Ballet. Love to my people and theatre educators everywhere.

ALEX MAGALLANES (Assistant Stage Manager) is a proud first-generation Mexican Stage Manager excited to join Williamstown Theatre Festival for their 71st season. Favorite credits include the world premiere of Millions (The Alliance Theatre), Les Misérables, Dreamgirls, The Little Mermaid, Fiddler on the Roof & Waitress (The Muny), Dear Evan Hansen (Second National Tour), and Salome (Heartbeat Opera). UNCSA Stage Management, Class of 2024. Lots of love to my family, friends, and my cat. @magallanesmanages

MARIE LASTER (Associate Scenic Designer) is a Barrymore nominated scenic designer based in New York City. Scenic design credits include Tin Church (off the WALL Productions), Endlings (Hedgerow Theatre), What the Constitution Means to Me (Arden Theatre), Ghetto Gods in Divineland (Passage Theatre), one drop cool (Moxie Arts NY & WP Theater), Chicken & Biscuits (TheatreSquared), American Moor (Lantern Theater), All My Mothers Dream in Spanish (Azuka Theatre and Teatro del Sol), Sandblasted (Theatre Horizon), Untitled (Inis Nua Theatre). Marie received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Philadelphia University and enjoys channeling her creative energy through the scenic design process. marielasterdesign.com

AUSTIN BOYLE (Associate Lighting Designer) is a New York based Lighting Designer and Associate. Recent Associate Credits: SHIT.MEET.FAN. (MCC), A Raisin in the Sun, Richard III (The Public Theater/NYSF), Long Day's Journey into Night (Minetta Lane), Faust, La Bohème, Don Giovanni, Falstaff (Berkshire Opera Festival). Recent design credits: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (The Lee Strasberg Institute) The Maid & The Mesmerizer, Discus (Hunger & Thirst Theatre), POOL (Rehearsal for Truth Festival), The Woods (Pendragon Theatre), The Mountaintop (Weston Playhouse), Grease, Rock of Ages, Cabaret (The Hanover Theatre Conservatory), Trash or Stories, Legally Blonde (ECFS), In The Same Space (Dixon Place, Williamstown Theatre Festival), Let The Right One In, Radium Girls, Dance Nation (Neighborhood Playhouse) Sylvia (New York Deaf Theatre). Outside of theatre, Austin works extensively in the fashion/event space, including five seasons of runway shows for New York Fashion Week with IMCD Lighting. Website: austinboylelighting.com

BELLE ALATORRE (Associate Sound Designer) is a latiné sound designer from Southern California living in the Garden State. They are thrilled to be working with Palmer Hefferan again. Select assistant/associate regional credits: KATE (Pasadena Playhouse), POTUS, Bulrusher, Mother Road, (Berkeley Rep), tiny father (Chautauqua Theatre Company), Mojada (Indianapolis Shakespeare Company). Con mucho mucho mucho amor xoxo. Check out more at stolenmemory.art

RAKESH PALISETTY (Assistant Director) is an Indian writer-director for theater and film based in New York. Before moving to the U.S., his productions toured extensively across India. His work challenges the status quo, shaped by his upbringing in the socioeconomically and culturally layered landscape of New Delhi. His artistic inquiries are deeply rooted in his evolving relationship with colonial texts and language, a tension that permeates both the rehearsal room and the stage. His theater-making is contemporary and experimental, not as a pursuit of innovation but as an organic extension of his lived experience—a response to the fractured, multi-layered world he inhabits. Select directing credits include Queen (NYU Grad Acting), Gruesome Playground Injuries (East Village Basement), Soirée at Walter Benjamin's (Teatro Latea), Hedda Gabler (Lenfest Center for the Arts), Much Ado About Nothing (Two River Theater), and Sky of Darkness (Theatrelab).

MARCUS WATSON (Fight & Intimacy Director) (he/him) is a New York–based intimacy coordinator, fight director, and teaching artist with 20 years of experience in stage and screen. A queer artist with a foundation in stage combat, gymnastics, and physical storytelling, he champions authentic LGBTQ+ representation, particularly gay intimacy. His credits include “Succession”, “Halston”, “Uncoupled”, “Billions”, “The Penguin”, and the Oscar-nominated films Maestro and A Different Man. Marcus is a teaching artist with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC) and advises SAG-AFTRA on industry standards. He leads consent and intimacy workshops, creating safer, more inclusive environments across Broadway, Off-Broadway, film, and television.