This Joseph McGrath-directed production is populated with actors who are up to the often challenging language...this play is packed with clowns that delight.

—Kathleen Allen, The Arizona Daily Star

If you like Shakespeare, come check it out...also if you don’t like Shakespeare.

—Domino M. 

The performance was so, so engaging. Everything came together PERFECTLY!

—Sharie S.

 The language just came to life.

—Betty D.

 Our guest tonight thought it was the best Shakespeare she had seen in a long time.

—Peter B.

 The Rogue Theatre's new production...vibrates to the rolling beat of words.

—Chuck Graham, Let the Show Begin

The whole cast was fantastic!

—Sandy P. 

It moves so fast...The Rogue does it very well.

—Beverly K.

 Thank you...a wonderful way to conclude this particular season. Such a delight...

—Eugene B

Trailer

Watch a short video trailer of the play in action, with reactions from audience members who have seen the show.

Click here to see the trailer.

Reviews

Shakespeare comedy Love's Labor's Lost brings laughs to Tucson stagee
Review by Kathleen Allen on April 24, special to the Arizona Daily Star

The Rogue Theatre turns to Shakespeare for its spring production, clearing the courtly decks for that classic, Love's Labor’s Lost
Review by Chuck Graham on April 24 at Let The Show Begin! and TucsonStage.com

Joseph McGrath (Director) is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama and is the Artistic Director for The Rogue Theatre. For The Rogue, Joe authored and directed Immortal Longings, and directed Babette’s Feast, The Oresteia, Blithe Spirit, Much Ado About Nothing, The Grapes of Wrath, A House of Pomegranates, Uncle Vanya (2016 Mac Award for Best Director), The Bridge of San Luis Rey, By the Bog of Cats, The Lady in the Looking Glass, Dante’s Purgatorio, Mistake of the Goddess, Mother Courage and Her Children, As I Lay Dying, The Real Inspector Hound (2010 Mac Award for Best Director), The Decameron, Our Town, Red Noses, Endymion, The Maids (winner of the Arizona Daily Star 2007 Mac Award for Best Play), and The Balcony. Joe was most recently seen as First Voice in Under Milk Wood, King Argavan in The Left Hand of Darkness, Captain Shotover in Heartbreak House, Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mr. Lockhart in The Seafarer, Magwitch/Jaggers in Great Expectations, Peter Walsh in Mrs Dalloway, F in Passage, Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, M. Ratignolle in The Awakening, Jaques in As You Like It, Jack in The Weir, Alfieri in A View from the Bridge, Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, James Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible, Ambassador in The Secret in the Wings, Voice Four/Rev. Peters in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Galileo in Galileo (2018 Mac Award for Best Actor), Lear in King Lear, Macbeth in Macbeth, Fitz in Penelope, in the ensemble of The White Snake, Roy Cohn in Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches, Mr. Taylor in Tales of the Jazz Age, a singing peasant in Miss Julie, as Claudius in Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Vladimir in Waiting for Godot, Johnnie ‘Rooster’ Byron in Jerusalem, Myron Berger in Awake and Sing, Bernard Nightingale in Arcadia, Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester in Richard III. In 2009 Joe won the Arizona Daily Star Mac Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Tobias in A Delicate Balance. He has toured with John Houseman’s Acting Company, performed with the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and he was a frequent performer with Ballet Tucson appearing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dracula and The Nutcracker. He has also performed with Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, Tucson Art Theatre, and Arizona OnStage.

Joseph McGrath’s direction of Love’s Labor’s Lost is supported in part
by generous gifts from Todd Hansen and Jerry James & Kathleen McGrath

Director’s Notes

In the year 1586, or perhaps 1587, a young man, twenty-two years of age or thereabouts appeared in London and betook himself to the stage. Within three years he’d begun a furious career of creative composition. Soon after, between the ages of 28 to 32, the span of four years, William Shakespeare wrote Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus, The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love’s Labor's Lost, Romeo and Juliet, Richard II, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Four years! The imaginative and lyrical fertility of this period of his life is astonishing, though the pace was no slower in the ensuing years.

Love’s Labor’s Lost, then, falls in this early period of Shakespeare's writing, and the young playwright includes a great deal of highly topical aspects of Elizabethan politics and popular culture. A kind of ornamental Saturday Night Live, perhaps. But despite the skill exhibited in the play, its topical nature made it date itself rapidly, and it fell out of production for a couple of centuries. Even today, Love’s Labor’s Lost is not produced as often as many of Shakespeare's other works. The play has its charms, however, and with careful cutting and energetic production it comes to life.

The early modern period of the English language is thought to be a kind of wild west of language and literature. "Proper" English had not yet been fully formed, and hence, a figure like Shakespeare, with only a provincial grammar school education, and personally lush and creative gifts, was free to roam the garden of language often simply making up words. Shakespeare is undeniably exuberant in his language in Love’s Labor’s Lost. In many ways the play is as much about language as it is about love and vows.  

For all its ornamental language, the central plot of Love’s Labor’s Lost is remarkably simple: Four young men swear to study three years, fast, and see no women. Then four ladies show up, the men fall in love, and the initial vows fall apart.  In the end, they must part, and the ladies tell the men to revisit their suits in a year’s time, if they’re serious.

The ending of the play shows Shakespeare's tendency to shake things up. After all, who says a comedy must end with a wedding or a dance? “Jack hath not Jill” as Berowne says at the end of the play. Love's Labor's Lost is the only comedy to conclude without weddings or even the firm promise of weddings. And the autumnal, elegiac tone that finishes Love’s Labor’s Lost is distinctive among Shakespeare's comedies in its fullness.

There is a kind of voyeurism built into our present tradition of realism. We look in on characters that are unaware of us. There is a fixed, impenetrable, and invisible “fourth wall” that’s been established in the last 150 years of storytelling and entertainment. In Shakespeare’s theatre, and in his comedies in particular, the narrative takes place with the audience in the room. You're part of the game. We talk to you and share with you. We may behave as if you're not there for a while—but we definitely will, from time to time, turn and talk to you—even sit next to you if there’s an empty seat. It takes some getting used to for a contemporary actor and audience. And it’s a feature of Shakespeare's theatre that is intoxicating and delightful.

—Joseph McGrath, Director
director@theroguetheatre.org

Free “Open Talk” Video

Click here to see the video

Love’s Labor’s Lost: Wit collides with passion in Arcadia

A Free Open Talk presented on Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 P.M.

Director Joseph McGrath provides useful insight into the story and characters you'll encounter. As always, actors from our production present a sneak preview of the play in action.

This open talk is supported in part by a generous gift from
Bill & Nancy Sohn.

Essay

For more background on the play, check out Jerry James’ essay

Upstart Crow:
The Murky Origins of Love’s Labor’s Lost

Poster

View the full-sized poster for the play

CAST

Biographies

Jeffrey Baden (Longaville) is ecstatic to be working with The Rogue again. Jeffrey previously performed with The Rogue in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Peaseblossom, Passage as R, Twelfth Night as Valentine and First Officer, As You Like It as Charles the Wrestler and Amiens, A View from the Bridge as Marco, and in Moby Dick as Queequeg. Some of his prior performances were as Leonardo in The Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre’s Blood Wedding, Benny in In the Heights, and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with Shakespeare in the Park. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and at Pima Community College.

Jeffrey Baden’s performance is supported in part by
a generous gift from Patty Gallagher & Stewart Kantor

Bryn Booth (Rosaline) is a graduate of the BFA Acting program at the University of Arizona. She was most recently seen as Ellie Dunn in Heartbreak House, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Martine in Babette’s Feast. This is Bryn’s seventh season as a member of the Resident Acting Ensemble and her 25th show with The Rogue. Some of her favorite shows in which she’s performed here are King Lear, Great Expectations, The Awakening, Much Ado About Nothing, and Passage. Bryn has also been seen at the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre as Mag in Lovers and Gowdie in The Love Talker. Bryn is also very active in the Tucson Indie Film Community where she has worked as an actor, writer, and producer. Bryn wants to thank Joe and Cindy for giving her the best job she’s ever had with the most amazing people she’s ever met.

Bryn Booth’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Sally Krusing and Julia Annas

Chelsea Bowdren (Maria) is excited to be in her second season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. She has previously performed on The Rogue stage as Miss Myfanwy Price & others in Under Milk Wood, Obsle in The Left Hand of Darkness, Hesione Hushabye in Heartbreak House, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Biddy/Camilla Pocket in Great Expectations, Jessie in Sweat, Miss Killman in Mrs Dalloway, Jenny/Miss Forsythe in Death of a Salesman and Maria in Twelfth Night. Her Rogue Theatre debut was 15 years ago as Rosalind in Immortal Longings. Chelsea received her BFA in Acting from the University of Arizona and performed in Taming of the Shrew, Diary of Anne Frank, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Medea, & Titus Andronicus as a member of Arizona Repertory Theatre. For Archer, Eloise, and Felix.

Chelsea Bowdren’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Marianne Leedy and Peggy Houghton & Paul Garner

Jim Fye (Dull/Forester) made his Rogue debut last season in Babette’s Feast. Jim began his working relationship with the Will Shakespeare here in Tucson at the University of Arizona back in the nineteen seventies, coincidentally, in a production of Love’s Labour’s Lost. Since then, his stage career has been dotted with Shakespearean roles all the way up to the Rogue’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Snug the Joiner) last year. Prior favorite Bard and Bard-inspired roles include Gloucester in King Lear, the Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and Norman in The Dresser, all in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jim Fye’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Sally Krusing and Brock & Chantal McCaman

Sophie Gibson-Rush (Katherine) is thrilled to be returning to the Rogue stage after make her debut as Polly Garter in Under Milk Wood earlier this season. She’s a musician, actor, and presenter based in Tucson, Arizona. She is the front woman and primary songwriter for critically acclaimed alternative rock quintet Holy Faint, a presenter behind projects like Walk With Amal in Tucson with Arizona Arts Live and The Tucson Folk Festival with Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, and actor in various local short films and music videos. She attended Boston University and London Academy of Music and Drama where she earned a BFA in acting. She continued her education at Double Edge Theater studying devised theatre. Previous acting credits include Marc Antony in Julius Caesar, Peggy in The London Cuckolds, Princess Catherine in Henry V, and Thomasina Coverly in Arcadia. For Jordan, for always being the eye of the storm.

Sophie Gibson-Rush’s performance is supported
in part by a generous gift from Cheryl Lockhart

Hunter Hnat (Boyet) is grateful to be in his sixth season as a member of The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. He was most recently seen as Nogood Boyo in Under Milk Wood, Goss in The Left Hand of Darkness, and Randall Utterword in Heartbreak House. This will be his 30th show with The Rogue. Some favorite Rogue roles over the years include Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pip in Great Expectations, Happy in Death of a Salesman, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Edmund Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Other credits include Salomé (Scoundrel & Scamp), U/S in Romeo and Juliet (Arizona Theatre Company), and How the House Burned Down (Live Theatre Workshop). He is a U of A alumnus with his BFA in Musical Theatre, class of 2015. Enjoy the show!

Hunter Hnat’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Carol Mangold and Susan Tiss

Christopher Johnson (Marcadé) first came to The Rogue in 2011 to play Jewel in As I Lay Dying and now serves as Assistant Artistic Director, Play-reading Producer, and Resident Ensemble Member. Select acting credits at The Rogue include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Biff Loman in Death of a Salesman, Prior Walter in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (2016 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Drama), and Michael in the Rogue play-reading of The Boys in the Band. Elsewhere he has appeared as Joshua in Corpus Christi, Peter in Bug, Doug in Gruesome Playground Injuries, Nursie in Camino Real, Alan in Lemon Sky, Pale in Burn This, Chicklet in Psycho Beach Party, Thom Pain in Thom Pain (based on nothing), and The Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret (2013 Mac Award Winner – Best Actor, Musical). In 2022, he was recognized by ON Media as a Tucson Arts Hero.

John Keeney (Holofernes) is an interdisciplinary artist, thrilled to be working with The Rogue again. He has previously appeared on stage at The Rogue in Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Galileo and Much Ado About Nothing, and with The Scoundrel and Scamp in There Is a Happiness that Morning Is, and as music director for Two Plays for Lost Souls. He provided guitar and vocals for The Rogue’s productions of The Weir and The Seafarer.

John Keeney’s performance is supported in part
by a generous gift from Meg & Peter Hovell

Ryan Parker Knox (Berowne) is so pleased to be back at The Rogue for his ninth season in The Rogue Resident Acting Ensemble. He is particularly excited to unravel such a challenging collection of titles with his fellow compañeros. Ryan is a South Dakota native who returns to the Old Pueblo from an Eastern sabbatical where he found that Tucson is where he wanted to be all along. Some of his favorites at The Rogue have been Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Long Day's Journey into Night, Betrayal, and Moby Dick. RPK would like to thank his lovely partner and biggest fan CM, his family for the decades of support, and his damn pets for making sure no one sleeps in our house.

Ryan Parker Knox’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts from
Kathy Ortega & Larry Johnson, Julia Annas, and Miles & Marilyn Silverman

Lisitte Mora (Jaquenetta) is ecstatic to be making their debut at The Rogue Theatre alongside such an incredible cast and crew! She recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. She has previously been seen as Somebody in Everybody, ensemble in Vaud, and Journey in El Tiradito. They also served as an actor, director, and devisor in the 2022 and 2023 New Directions Festival at the UofA. In addition to their onstage involvements, Lisitte has also been seen in a handful of student films including The Art of Leaving Home, In Loving Memory, and the student academy award nominated Opening Night. She would like to thank her mom, Sami, Riley, and all the rest of her wonderful friends, family, and mentors for their endless love, support, and inspiration! @lisittemora

Lisitte Mora’s performance is supported
in part by a generous gift from Frank Flasch

Christopher Pankratz (Sir Nathaniel and Property Master) Christopher’s Rogue acting credits include Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Great Expectations, The Awakening, As You Like It, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, The Crucible, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and The Grapes of Wrath. Christopher also directed An Enemy of the People and Constellations for the John and Joyce Ambruster Play-Reading Series. Christopher formerly taught theatre at Flowing Wells High School where he wrote and produced numerous new plays including The Longest Day of April, The Story Seller’s Tale, and You Can’t Make Wine from Raisins, which are available online for licensing and performance. While attending the University of Arizona, Christopher earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, as well as a master’s degree from the College of Education.

Christopher Pankratz’s performance is supported
in part by a generous gift from Katherine Jacobson.
His work as prop master is supported in part
by a generous gift from Karen DeLay & Bill Sandel.

Robert Anthony Peters (Dumaine) returns to the Rogue stage after appearing as Nicky Giblin in The Seafarer last season. After graduating from the University of Arizona in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, he was a Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow in DC and subsequently trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in NYC. A member of SAG-AFTRA, he has acted, produced, directed, and written professionally in theater, film, and voiceover for two decades. Film roles include The Pursuit of Happyness and Steve Jobs. He writes and lectures internationally on the relationships between art, law, philosophy, and economics. He records audiobooks, is a policy advisor for the Heartland Institute, a fellow with the Archbridge Institute, and is chair of the board of the Fully Informed Jury Association. He manages his family’s retail shipping store Pak Mail at Ina and Oracle. His writing, directing, and producing debut, the award-winning Tank Man, is at www.tankmanthemovie.com. He dedicates this performance to his dear friend, Kirsten Tynan.

Robert Anthony Peters’ performance is supported
in part by a generous gift from Vicki Ettleman

Carley Elizabeth Preston (The Princess of France) was last seen as Rosie Probert in Under Milk Wood on The Rogue stage. Now in her fifth season as a member of The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Acting Ensemble, Carley has also appeared in Heartbreak House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Babette’s Feast, Sweat, Mrs. Dalloway, Passage, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Blithe Spirit, and The Crucible. Carley received her BFA from the University of Arizona, where she was a member of the Arizona Repertory Theatre. Some of her other stage credits include Time Stands Still (Mac Award for Best Actress), Molly Sweeney, Enchanted April, and The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. She would like to thank the love of her life, Jerrad McMurrich, and their pups, Loki Björn Hiddleston, Freyja Laveau, and Indiana Idris Jones, for supporting her theatre habit!

Carley Elizabeth Preston’s performance is supported in part by
generous gifts from Barbara & Gerald Goldberg and Julia Annas

Kate Scally (Moth) is excited to return to The Rogue after previously appearing as Mustard Seed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Philippa in Babette’s Feast. She recently played Mrs. Phelps/Ms. Honey (u/s) in Saguaro City’s production of Matilda. She teaches voice and piano out of her home studio and teaches all grade levels of music at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. She has performed and music directed for ten years with the Arizona Rose Theatre Company. She has a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music, a B.A. in English from University of Rochester, and an M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Penn State University. She is co-VP of the Southern AZ Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Favorite past roles include Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro, Poppea in L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Luisa in The Fantasticks, Rona Lisa Peretti in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Beth in Little Women.

Kate Scally’s performance is supported
in part by a generous gift from Clay Shirk

Aaron Shand (Ferdinand, King of Navarre) was last seen on The Rogue stage as Mr. Mog Edwards & others in Under Milk Wood. Now in his sixth season as a member of The Rogue Theatre’s Resident Acting Ensemble, Aaron has also appeared in The Left Hand of Darkness, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, Twelfth Night, The Awakening, As You Like It, The Weir, A View from the Bridge, Moby Dick, Middletown, Much Ado About Nothing, Galileo, The Grapes of Wrath and King Lear. Born and raised in Tucson, he received his B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Arizona, performing for the Arizona Repertory Theatre in Bus Stop, The Miracle Worker and Romeo & Juliet. He also spent a season with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, performing in The Cherry Orchard and A Christmas Carol.

Aaron Shand’s performance is supported in part by generous
gifts from Ann & Andrew Lettes and Allen Hile & Eloise Gore

Matt Walley (Don Armado) is a member of The Rogue Theatre Resident Acting Ensemble and was most recently seen as Captain Cat & others in Under Milk Wood. Other appearances include Estraven in The Left Hand of Darkness, Boss Mangan in Heartbreak House, Francis Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard in The Seafarer, Stan in Sweat, Stubb in Moby Dick, Dr. Bradman in Blithe Spirit, Thomas Putnam in The Crucible, Mr. Walley in The Secret in the Wings, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Roger in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Matti in Galileo, Edmund in King Lear and Uncle John in The Grapes of Wrath. He enjoyed previous roles at The Rogue in Bach at Leipzig, Macbeth, Richard III, Journey to the West, The Winter’s Tale, Shipwrecked!, As I Lay Dying and Major Barbara. He also co-created and performed in Oaf at The Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre. He received an MFA from Dell’Arte International.

Matt Walley’s performance is supported in part by generous gifts
from Kristi Lewis & Patty Gallagher & Stewart Kantor

Evan Werner (Costard) is thrilled to be back on the Rogue stage. He previously appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Hamlet, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. He studied theatre at DePaul University and Pima Community College. In the course of his work as a theatre artist he served as Directing Producer for Purple Summer Productions in Bay City, MI, as well as spent three seasons in a variety of roles at The VanBuren Theatre, and one season as a member of Winding Road Theater Ensemble. Notable credits include Jules in boom, (Mac Award Nomination, Best Actor) Ronald in The Altruists (Mac Award Nomination, Best Actor), Howie in Speech & Debate, Haemon in Antigone, Christopher Belling in Curtains, Seductra in Head: The Musical, Sir Oakley in Anything Goes, Algernon in The Importance Of Being Earnest, Beane in Love Song, Amos in Chicago, and Clifford in Deathtrap. 

Evan Werner’s performance is supported
in part by a generous gift from Clay Shirk

Shannon Elias (Understudy Maria/Princess, Assistant Stage Manager, Box Office Associate, Volunteer Coordinator) got her first big break in theatre at age 11 when she was cast as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz in school. After that first applause, she was hooked. She began at The Rogue Theatre as an usher in 2008, and volunteered in various roles until she was hired to the box office in 2018. She made her debut on The Rogue stage in The Oresteia in 2020 and has since appeared in Babette’s Feast, The Left Hand of Darkness, and the staged-readings of Everybody and The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. She also worked backstage with The Rogue as Assistant Stage Manager for The Awakening, Mrs Dalloway and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Arizona with a minor in Special Education and Rehabilitation Psychology.

Music Selections

Preshow

Recercada Primera by Diego Ortiz (1510–1576)
Recercada Segunda by Diego Ortiz
What If I Never Speed by John Dowland (1563–1626)
Come Again by John Dowland
Tambourin by Jean Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
Songs of Spring and Winter by Russell Ronnebaum, lyrics by Shakespeare

Production

Selections from the Preshow
False Concolinel by Gerald Finzi (1901–1956), arr. by Ronnebaum, lyrics by Anonymous
Songs of Spring and Winter by Russell Ronnebaum, lyrics by Shakespeare

Russell Ronnebaum (Music Director & Composer) serves as The Rogue Theatre’s Director of Music and Resident Composer. He holds a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from the University of Arizona and is the assistant director of music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Oro Valley. As a pianist, Russell often performs with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and various ensembles and choirs in the greater Tucson area. Russell made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016, performing the music of Dan Forrest. Past Rogue credits include productions of *Under Milk Wood, *The Left Hand of Darkness, Heartbreak House, *A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Seafarer, *Babette’s Feast, *Great Expectations, *Mrs Dalloway, *Passage, *Death of a Salesman, Twelfth Night, *The Awakening, *As You Like It, The Weir, *The Oresteia, *Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, *A View from the Bridge, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, *Moby Dick, Blithe Spirit, Long Day’s Journey into Night, and *Much Ado About Nothing (*original score). Russell also composes the music for Rogue Radio, a radio play series produced in partnership with Arizona Public Media, NPR 89.1 FM. Recordings, videos, sheet music, and upcoming concert dates can be found at www.RRonnebaum.com.

Russell Ronnebaum’s music direction is supported in part by
generous gifts from Bob & Judy Bolt and Allen Hile & Eloise Gore

Diana Schaible (Guitar) is an award-winning flutist, guitarist, and music educator originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, now based in Tucson. She received a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Idaho in 2011 and received her master’s degree in Music Performance at the University of Arizona in 2013. While at UA, Diana was a part of the prestigious Fred Fox Graduate Wind Quintet and played principal flute in the Arizona Symphony and UA Wind Ensemble. More recently, Ms. Schaible was a prize winner in the 2020 Flute Society of Kentucky Young Artist Competition, and has also won prizes in classical guitar at several music festivals, including MusicFest Northwest in Spokane, WA, San Francisco Bay Area Guitar Competition and 1st prize at the Sierra Nevada Guitar Competition. She has performed internationally on both flute and guitar in Canada, Mexico, Ireland, and the United States. In addition to performing, Diana currently shares her passion for music as an instrumental Teaching Artist for Tucson Unified School District and maintains a private teaching studio.

Mindi Acosta (Flute) is an accomplished flutist with a passion for solo, chamber, and orchestral music. Her portfolio includes performances with the Tucson Pops Orchestra, Sierra Vista Symphony, Tucson Duo Project, Crowded Quartet, and Tucson Repertory Orchestra. Mindi's talent has taken her to several countries, including the United States, Mexico, and Europe, where she has given master classes and performed at notable events such as the WASBE festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, International Music Festival in Alamos, Mexico, and the National Flute Convention. She was also a two-time finalist in the esteemed Fischoff Competition and Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition. Mindi premiered David Finko's Concerto for Piccolo with the Tucson Chamber Orchestra and has been featured on multiple albums such as Chris Black's "Lullabies and Nightmares" and Allan Alexander's "Music of Spain and South America" and "Christmas Music for Flute & Guitar." She honed her skills at the University of Arizona School of Music, studying under the tutelage of Jean-Louis Kashy.

Designers and Production Staff

Cynthia Meier (Costume Design) worked her way through college at Eastern Michigan University by assisting in the costume shop. Most of what she knows about Costume Design, she learned from Katie Holkeboer, the costume designer and professor at EMU. After graduating with her MA in Speech & Theatre, Cynthia stayed on at EMU to teach Costume Design, Costume Construction, Stage Makeup, and Introduction to Technical Theatre while designing the university mainstage plays and supervising the costume shop. She has designed costumes for each and every one of The Rogue plays since 2005. 

Cynthia Meier’s costume design is supported in part
by a generous gift from Kathy Ortega & Larry Johnson

Joseph McGrath (Scenic Design) worked in the scene shops at West Virginia University and the Juilliard School of Drama while he was studying to become an actor. He served as Technical Director for Arizona Theatre Company from 1987–88, and opened his own scene shop, Sonora Theatre Works, in the 1990s. Joe has designed and built scenery for Ballet Tucson for most of their ballets for over 20 years, as well as various projects with UA Opera Theatre. He has designed each and every set for The Rogue since its inception in 2005.

Joseph McGrath’s scenic design is supported in part
by a generous gift from Jordan & Jean Nerenberg

Domino Mannheim (Lighting Designer) is a freelance Lighting Designer from Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 with a BFA in Technical Theatre and Lighting Design, and most recently graduated in 2022 from Rose Bruford College in London with her Masters in Lighting In Performance. Some recent productions she designed include Die Planeten at the Staatsopera in Hannover Germany, Ordinary Days in London England, and The Revolutionists at Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC. As a traveling Designer, she is very grateful to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing team back in her hometown, and is excited to see the production come to fruition!

Domino Mannheim’s lighting design is supported
in part by a generous gift from Kay & Phil Korn

Hannah Al-Baiaty (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working with The Rogue Theatre again after previously stage-managing Under Milk Wood, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Seafarer, Great Expectations, Twelfth Night and Passage. Hannah earned her BFA in Technical Theatre Production and Design from the University of Arizona. Her previous credits include Stage Manager for Under Construction Series: Ralph Lemon & Friends at Park Avenue Armory, Helen Simoneau Danse’s Flight Distance at Joyce SoHo, Tucson Folk Festival, Arizona Repertory Theatre’s productions of Avenue Q and Voice of the Prairie, Assistant Stage Manager for Eugene Opera's production of Nixon in China and Assistant Production Manager for Pipeline Theatre Company’s world premiere of Byuioo. She also spent five seasons as a Costume Technician for The Gaslight Theatre. Hannah would like to thank her husband, family, and friends for their endless support and love.

Hannah Al-Baiaty’s stage management is supported
in part by a generous gift from Marianne Leedy

Shannon Wallace (Production Stage Manager) first came to The Rogue in 2015 to stage manage The Picture of Dorian Gray, and now serves as their Production Stage Manager and Operations Manager. She has worked on over 30 shows with The Rogue, some of her favorites include: The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Grapes of Wrath, King Lear, Curious Incident, Much Ado About Nothing, Secret in the Wings, The Crucible, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, focusing on both stage management and lighting design. During her time in school she worked on over 25 productions with Arizona Repertory Theatre. She has also worked for Arizona Theatre Company, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival. She spent a year living in Chicago and worked as the Operations Assistant for Mudlark Theater Company. She is grateful to be working full-time as a theater artist in her hometown.

Shannon Wallace’s production stage management is supported
in part by a generous gift from Jim Wilson & Adam Hostetter

Claire Hancock (Choreographer) has been a guest teacher and choreographer for organizations including the Limón Institute, Broadway Theatre Project, Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and True Concord: Voices and Orchestra. She holds a Master of Arts degree in European Dance Theatre from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, and earned both a Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from the University of Arizona. Hancock co-founded Artifact Dance Project, a professional dance company dedicated to dance, live music, and film. Recently she has been developing and creating new work with composer Vincent Calianno for a new company, Two Trains, which focuses on producing works for new media. She is thrilled to be returning to The Rogue, where she has both performed and choreographed in past productions. www.clairehancock.com.

Amy Novelli (Scenic Artist) is originally from Ohio and Pennsylvania. She received her Cum Laude BFA from the Columbus (Ohio) College of Art & Design in 1987 and her MFA from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1994. Novelli’s scenic art career began in New York City at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Studio. Charge Scenic Artist for the Arizona Theatre Company 2010–2014, Amy also painted several sets for Arizona Opera and UA Opera, and presently paints for The Rogue Theatre and until COVID at the Arizona Broadway Theatre in Peoria (Phoenix). Amy created monstrous Halloween decor for Hotel Congress for 20 years, and was lead painter for Marshal-Fields 1998 award winning Easter Window display “Alice in Wonderland.” She supervised four public art projects in the Tucson area with high school youth and won commissions to design and paint five large scale outdoor murals across the country as well as at the Biosphere II and La Posada Hotel on Oracle Blvd. She has taught at the University of Arizona and Pima Community College. Novelli’s fine art work has been exhibited at several Tucson Galleries and in May-August 2020 she had a one woman show at the Tucson International Airport. Amy Novelli has been living in Tucson since 1996. When not painting, Novelli trains rescue horses and dogs and enjoys riding wilderness trails all over the western states.

Amy Novelli’s scenic painting is supported in part by
a generous gift from an anonymous donor

Peter Bleasby (Master Electrician) lit his first show at 13. Professionally, he was with BBC Television for several years, and was an assistant to the UK lighting designer Richard Pilbrow during the inaugural production of the National Theatre (Hamlet, directed by Olivier.) Although his career was in architectural lighting, he maintained some theatre lighting involvement on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2009, he volunteered for The Rogue’s initial season at the Historic Y. He has been master electrician at The Rogue for every show from 2013 to the present, supporting our lighting designers. He devised the system that enables lights to be quickly re-arranged, allowing more time for the creative process. Elsewhere in Tucson, he directed the technical and logistical aspects of fundraisers for the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, including the fashion show Moda Provocateur.

Susan Collinet (House Manager) earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of Arizona in 2008. Decades before returning to college as a non-traditional student, Susan spent twenty years in amateur theater, mostly on the East coast, as well as in Brussels, Belgium in the American Theater of Brussels, and the Theatre de Chenois in Waterloo. She has worked in such positions as a volunteer bi-lingual guide in the Children’s Museum of Brussels, the Bursar of a Naturopathic Medical school in Tempe, Arizona, an entrepreneur with two “Susan’s of Scottsdale” hotel gift shops in Scottsdale, Arizona, and as the volunteer assistant Director of Development of the Arizona Aids Project in Phoenix. Susan continues to work on collections of poetry and non-fiction. Her writing has won awards from Sandscript Magazine, the John Hearst Poetry Contest, the Salem College for Women’s Center for Writing, and was published in a Norton Anthology of Student’s Writing. In addition to being House Manager, Susan serves on the Board of Directors for the Rogue.

Matt Elias (Assistant House Manager, Sound Engineer) is constantly seeking out art whether it be theatre, music, television or video games. He became enamored with live performance at The Rogue Theatre in 2014 while joining his wife, Shannon, as an usher. His experience as a touring musician, his penchant for audio production and his general obsession with how stuff works, makes him useful in all sorts of tight places throughout the production process. Nowadays you’ll see him as Assistant House Manager, trading off shows with Susan Collinet and you won’t see him sneaking a peek at each of those shows from the couch in the hallway or the back hallway behind the curtains. Matt has experience as a Master Bicycle Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, Fire/EMS 911 Dispatcher, and most recently a Production Brewer at Dragoon Brewing Company.

Woods Fairchild (Assistant House Manager, she/they) first met the Rogue by assisting their installation of “The Object” art piece in preparation for The Left Hand of Darkness. The Object’s designer, John Farrell, is a dear friend of Woods’ through her work with his wife, Carol Farrell, in costume design. John’s invitation to Woods to help assemble the art kindled an immediate friendship between Woods and the Rogue team. Woods formally joined the Rogue family in October 2023. In overlap with performance arts, Woods has an artistic background in dance and movement practice studies, as well as sewing and costume design. Woods also worked as a Project Manager with the Arts Foundation who manage public art projects, as well as distribute funding to support artists and arts organizations in Southern Arizona, including the Rogue Theater! Woods is a photographer, crafter, biker and her little old pickup truck is her true love. Grateful to be with the Rogue!

Thomas Wentzel (Box Office Manager, Program, Website) is a Scientific Programmer for the National Solar Observatory and holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Arizona. Previously he has worked as a Data Manager for several prevention programs in the Arizona Cancer Center and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Arizona College of Public Health. He has served on the Board of the Tucson Men’s Cooperative, editing its newsletter for five years, and on the Executive Committee of Sons of Orpheus—The Male Choir of Tucson. He has sung with Furry Day Singers, Sons of Orpheus, AwenRising and Arizona Repertory Singers, and has performed with Tucson Art Theatre in Viktor Slavkin’s Cerceau and Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty. Thomas has designed and built The Rogue Theatre Web site (with great assistance from Bill Sandel and Bryan Falcón in creating the 2020 Website update), and serves as Webmaster and Business Manager. He has also served on The Rogue’s Board of Directors since the founding of the theatre.

Our Thanks

Performance Schedule

Performance run time of Love’s Labor’s Lost is 2 hour 25 minutes, including one 10-minute intermission.

Some matinees are sold out. Please contact the Box Office (520-551-2053 or ticket@theroguetheatre.org) to be placed on a waiting list.