William Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night

facilitated by Andrew Codispoti and Ariana Karp
Presented by Theater in the Open

Shakespeare's beloved comedy *Twelfth Night* sets sail this fall, bound on a journey of comedic misunderstandings. Disguised as a man, Viola uses her wit and resourcefulness to navigate complex social dynamics and romantic entanglements. As she charms her way through mistaken identities and unanticipated attractions, Viola takes control of her own destiny, challenging societal norms and pursuing her heart's desires with wit and unwavering determination.

Andrew Codispoti, he/they

Andrew Codispoti (he/they) is a traveling theatre maker. He is a founding member of The Shakespeare Ensemble and the Bridge Theatre Ensemble, and has worked extensively with Advice to the Players, Seven Stages Shakespeare Company, and The Barnstormers Theatre. He was the Artistic Director of Advice to the Players for the 2016 & 2017 seasons, and is the curator & instigator of Vicious Mole Theatre Collective.

Ariana Karp, she/her

Ariana Karp is an actor, director, cellist, and educator based in Maine. She is currently teaching acting technique at Colby College and is the Artistic Director of International Shakespeare Center Santa Fe. Some previous credits include Pericles (Thaisa, Diana) at 7 Stages Shakespeare Company, Coriolanus (Aufidius), Measure for Measure (Duke Vincentio), King Lear (Regan). Training: Masters in Classical Acting from LAMDA, BA in Literature-Theatre from Reed College. www.arianakarp .com

Amy Desrosiers, she/her

Amy Desrosiers is stoked to be making her Theater in the Open debut! She is a locally-based theatre artist and community organizer for the NH Seacoast area. Favorite recent credits include Romeo & Her Sister, Collected Stories, Kate Hamill’s Pride & Prejudice, Women Playing Hamlet, and Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Jamie Steinbach, she/her

Jamie Steinbach is thrilled to rejoin her friends at TITO after last appearing in Macbeth and The Crucible! Other selected previous credits: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania/Hippolyta) with Seven Stages Shakespeare Company, A Christmas Carol (Fred, Belle, Mrs. Cratchit) at the Player's Ring, and Everybody (Everybody), wild, alone (Tamberlane), and Three Sisters (Chebutykin) all at Suffolk University. Training: The Williamstown Theatre Festival (Apprentice Program), Suffolk University (B.A. Theatre Performance 2019). Thanks to my family and friends for their endless support and for listening to my many ravings about character development and language.

Edward F. Speck, he/him

Edward F. Speck has a long history with Theater in the Open, having been a company member for 12 years before taking on the role of Artistic Director in 2009. His first show with Theater in the Open was 1997’s Much Ado About Nothing directed by Bonniejean Wilbur. Previous credits with Theater in the Open include Medea (Jason), The Tempest (Caliban), Antigone (Creon) and lots and lots of clowns over a decade of Pantos. He has recently been seen in Pericles with 7 Stages Shakespeare and Waiting for Godot at the Firehouse Center for the Arts. An Amesbury native, Edward now lives in Newburyport as artist-in-residence at the Maudslay Gatekeeper’s House, which allows Teddy and his wife to raise their young daughters on the edge of these magical woods.

Previous Theater in the Open credits as director include A Christmas Carol Panto! (2021), Adventures in Zoomland Panto! (2020), and A Peter Pan Panto! (2019), among many other spring and winter Pantos.

Jena Jekums, she/her

Hailing from Southern California, Jena spent her early years making waves in water polo, which delayed her entry into the theater scene until her 20s, when she moved to New England. Jena has since embraced her passion for the stage (and Autumns) with a particular love for improv and sincere silliness. She’s curious about life and death and what makes a character’s eye twinkle. Notice her own eyes light up during the line “it destroyed my bloom”. (Act 5 Scene 2) When not acting, she enjoys going to the theater and drowning popped corn in butter, reading, and walking barefoot through the woods. Join her witchy adventures online @joyplay__.

Bonniejean Wilbur, she/her

Lydia Brendel

Lydia Charlotte Brendel is delighted to return to Theater in the Open after a decade long absence, having been a student of the TITO workshop back in 2013. Backstage credits include International Thespian Society Award Nominee The Door (Director), Massachusetts Thespian Society Award winner Tracks, (Co-Director), and Castle Hill Productions Romeo and Juliet (Co-Director) and Arcadia (Props Manager). Onstage credits include Olivia in Twelfth Night and Leslie Casewell in The Mousetrap on AMDA’s MainStage, and Lucy Steele in CHP’s Sense and Sensibility.