Company Bios

Mel Cobb (Othello) is in his fifth season with the Worcester Shakespeare Festival, as an actor and Producing Artistic Director. He has performed in the title role in the 2009 production of Macbeth and the role of Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing. He has had an acting career on both sides of the Atlantic. US Theatre: Shakespeare & Company, Lenox MA (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King John, As You Like It, Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, et al.); The American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford CT (Julius Caesar and The Tempest); The New York Shakespeare Festival (Hamlet); Theater Virginia in Richmond VA (Macbeth, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well, The Blood Knot); and Broadway/Kennedy Center, Washington DC (Semmelweis and Outrage). UK Theatre: Shakespeare’s Globe (Two Gentlement of Verona); The Rose Playhouse (Boccaccio’s Decameron); and the West End of London (Annie Get Your Gun, Bus Stop, To Kill a Mockingbird), Fringe/Regional theatres (Gypsy, Ordinary People, Lend Me a Tenor, Party to Murder, The Last Sortie, Bronte, Zero Positive). US and UK film and television: The Passion of Darkly Noon, King of the Olympics, Jack and the Beanstalk – The Untold Story, Jerusalem, Superman, Hawaii Five-o and The Edge of Night (Ben Everett). *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract. **Member of British Actors’ Equity.

Bill Sigalis (Brabantio) is delighted to join the Worcester Shakespeare Company in its 2012 season. His directing credits include The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Redfeather Theater Company); Tartuffe, Lost in Yonkers, Woman in Mind, and Three Tall Women (New England Theater Company); The Threepenny Opera (Vokes Theater and Entr’Actors Guild); The House of Blue Leaves (Entr’Actors Guild); The Royal Family, Anouilh’s Antigone (Concord Players); Amahl and the Night Visitors (Salisbury Singers); Bathsheba Spooner, an opera by David McKay (World Premiere at the American Antiquarian Soceity). As an actor, Bill toured as Hamm in Samuel Beckett’s Endgame for Foxrock Performance Company of Martha’s Vineyard. As Guest Artist with Clark University’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts, he performed Beaudricort in Shaw’s St. Joan, Dorn in The Seagull, Reverend Buckhorn in Holy Ghosts, and Hugh in Translations. For Worcester Forum Theater, he appeared as George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Martin Dysart in Equus, Dr. Prentice in What the Butler Saw, Inspector Truscott in Loot, and King Alonso in The Tempest. Other roles include Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Marc in Art (New England Theater Company); Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Westborough Players); and Calrence in Richard III (Redfeather Theater Company). His video work includes the solo role in an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story Mr. Coffee & Mr. Fixit, seen on The Learning Channel as part of the anthology series The Independents, hosted by Glenn Close. Bill’s ongoing long-term audiobook project is the voice of Socrates in the Dialogues of Plato, produced by Agora Publications (agorapublications.com).

David Personne (Iago) was born in Paris, France, and raised in Lisbon, Portugal. David is an actor and musician. David started his acting career in Portuguese and French television shows, commercials, and movies, counting almost 10 years of experience. He pursued a theater experience in Toulouse, France, which led him to train at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York. As a musician, David has composed and published work for TV, film, and theater. He lives in New York City where he performs and works as an artist. David is thrilled and honoured to work with the Worcester Shakespeare Company.

(Cassio) would like to thank both Mel Cobb and Bill Sigalis for giving him this opportunity, which represents the end of a five year hiatus from the stage. Although he is a native to Worcester County, this is his first show with the Worcester Shakespeare Company. In the past, Joe has performed in many stage productions, including the title roles in MacBeth, Dr. Faustus, and Les Fourberies de Scapin, and Morris Townsend in The Heiress. He is currently an advanced Kenpo student.

Jack Griguoli (Roderigo) is thrilled to be joining The Worcester Shakespeare Company in his very first production in the East. Born and raised in Southern California, Jack just moved to Massachusetts last fall with his amazing wife, three-year-old daughter, and eight-year-old cat Milford. Jack completed the actor training program at the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts (PCPA) in Santa Maria, CA. He then went on to receive his BA in Theater Arts from Cal State Long Beach, where he appeared as Roy Cohn in both parts of Angels in America and Proteus in Two Gentlemen of Verona. Other favorite stage credits include: Adam in The Compleat Wrks of William Shakespeare (Abridged), which he has been performing off and on up in San Luis Obispo, CA for the last decade; Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick); Romeo and Juliet (Romeo); The Merchant of Venice (Bassanio); The Compleat History of America (Abridged) (Adam); Clerks (Randal); Boys’ Life (Jack); and A Lie of the Mind (Mike). Just before the move to Massachusetts, he had the pleasure of playing Clarence in a production of Richard III alongside Lisa Wolpe, directing and acting in the title role at the Southern California Shakespeare Festival.

Edward Eck (The Duke) is a long time fixture on the local community theater scene: acting, directing, writing, and helping backstage and in tech. He has also acted in a dozen or so films under the Sideshow Cinema label. This is his first attempt in legitimate theater, and he is amazed at the dedication, talent, and depth of commitment of the troupe.

Jibrael Younis (Ludovico)

Stacey Hardke (Desdemona) West coast credits include Hairspray (Penny Pingleton) at the San Diego REP; Becky’s New Car at the North Coast Rep; and The New Century at the Diversionary Theatre. East coast credits include The Legend of Minni Willet at the National Playwrights Conference and See, Hear, Taste, Touch with the Modern-Day Griot Theatre Company. In 2010 she was awarded the San Diego REP’s Carol Corolla Fellowship for Emerging Artists. Stacey holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of San Diego, where she was the recipient of the Irving Parker Award for Excellence in Theatre. She received further training from LAMDA, the National Theatre Institute, and the Actium Studio. Stacey currently lives in New York City and is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association.

Sarah Cronk (Emilia) is very excited to be making her debut with the Worcester Shakespeare Company! Sarah grew up in New York and recently graduated from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Stella Adler credits include: Blithe Spirit (Ruth), Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Georgeanne), Othello (Emilia), Trelawney of the Wells (Mrs. Mossop), and The Three Sisters (Anfisa). Other New York City credits include: Two Rooms (Lainie) and Words, Words, Words (Kafka). University credits include: Our Town (Mrs. Webb), Antigone (Chorus), and Urinetown (Poor/Rebel).

Safira Amazan (Bianca)

Director: Bill Sigalis
Producing Artistic Director: Mel Cobb
Business Manager: Jennifer Riedell
Stage Manager: Molly Oliver
Scene Designer/Technical Director: Chris Macioci
Fight Captain: Joseph Miller
Costume Designer: Lori Rabeler
Costume Crew: Emma Bellel, Malgorzata Malkowska, Ava Molnar, Claire Frechette
Image Coordinator/Photographic Artist: John Riedell
Alternatives/Whitin Mill Liaison: Tom Saupe