Julius Caesar at Youth Shakespeare Society of Pittsburgh

Shayla Maxson

Samantha Ray

Felicia Perez

Ella Craig

Parker Stephens

Ella Mizera

Cassidy Sluss

Sydney Forschein

Mathilda MacInnis

Theo Fantozzi

Theo Fantozzi is thrilled to be bringing Julius Caesar to YSSP’s stage after developing the concept for so many years. Theo is proud to serve as Artistic Director since co-founding the Youth Shakespeare Society of Pittsburgh in 2019, where he has been part of the effort to create space for youth-led theater to thrive. He is currently studying Directing and Stage Management with the University of Rhode Island, where he also acts as the founder and secretary of URI’s Student-Led Theatre Collective, and has been accepted into the National Theatre Institute’s Advanced Directed Semester this coming fall. Selected directing credits: Hamlet (YSSP); Twelfth Night (YSSP); Macbeth (YSSP/The Collective); Polaroid Stories (Assistant Director, URI); Macbeth (Assistant Director, URI); Hamlet (SLTC); Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth: A King Lear Adaptation (SLTC).

Grace Randall

Grace Randall is so excited to finally get a chance to make Julius Caesar a reality! She has worked as a costume designer, actor, and director for the Youth Shakespeare Society of Pittsburgh since joining the company in 2019. Her previous YSSP credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Costume Designer), Twelfth Night (Costume Designer), Macbeth (Co-Director, Porter), and Hamlet (Ophelia). A rising junior Drama major at Kenyon College, she has worked off-stage on several recent productions as Wardrobe Head. Extracurricularly, she serves as the Music Director of The Broken Legs, Kenyon’s premier musical theatre a cappella group.

Morgan Hunter

Morgan Hunter is so excited to return to YSSP as the stage manager for Julius Caesar! They are a rising senior English and Theater & Dance double major, playwriting focus, at The College of Wooster where they have had the chance to work as a costume technician, assistant costume designer, assistant stage manager, and student lighting designer. Two of Morgan’s original plays—Meine Liebe, I Don’t Verstanden and Together, While Apart—premiered this past school year and in addition to Julius Caesar, they are currently preparing for their senior playwriting capstone in comedy studies. When not at rehearsal, Morgan can be found sewing, practicing banjo, and probably writing anything other than very important emails.

Spade You

Spade You is very excited to join the group of YSSP and Julius Caesar! This is her first time working with Shakespeare play, also first time work as assistant stage manager. She will be a senior in Theatre Arts Major Philosophy Minor at University of Pittsburgh in coming fall.

Sarah Dugan

Ella Mizera

Ella Mizera is the founding executive director of the Youth Shakespeare Society of Pittsburgh. You can find Ella this summer teaching with Saltworks Theater Company, acting in the Unrehearsed Shakespeare Project, or fight choreographing Macbeth for Heritage Players and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Steel City Shakespeare Center. She graduated from Pitt this spring with a degree in theater and nonprofit management. She serves on the board of Glass Fox Productions, and is an actor-combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors.

Felicia Perez

Felicia Perez(she/her) is passionate about theater, writing, and all things Shakespeare. Julius Caesar marks her third production with YSSP, in which she is excited to take on the role of dramaturg in addition to actor. Most recently, Felicia served as assistant stage manager in Steel City Shakespeare Center’s production of Hamlet. She has been seen as Dogberry in YSSP’s Much Ado About Nothing, Paris in YSSP’s Romeo & Juliet, and Bottom in a school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has enjoyed the time that she has put into Julius Caesar immensely, and is confident that YSSP’s take on the classic play will make its mark on everyone who is able to see the show.

Kayla Senn

Siena Forschein

Siena is enthusiastic to work in Julius Caesar as Assistant Set Designer. Some of her previous work include honorable mentions in the Pittsburgh Public Theater Monologue and Scene contest, once as Therio/Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona and once as Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew. She was run crew for Youth Shakespeare Society of Pittsburgh’s Much Ado About Nothing, she has also collaborated with Steel City Shakespeare center year of winter classes, and interning for Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Siena’s love of Shakespeare is matched by love for making art, and reading.

Michael Petrucci

Erin Grafing

Kip Predella

Kip Predella is excited to serve as an assistant sound designer and sound board operator on their first production with YSSP! They’ve been involved with a number of Shakespeare productions over time, from playing Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to stage managing a production of the same play a few years later. Their sound credits include engineering, mixing, and self-producing two full-length albums for their solo music project and emerging folk duo. They’re currently pursuing a master’s in education at Boston College, and are an alumnus of Kenyon College, where they studied English and music. In their spare time, Kip can probably be found drawing and playing tabletop RPGs with their friends.

Izabella Wolfe

Izabella Wolfe (she/her) is a theatre maker in every sense of the word. Playwriting, Devising, and now Props Designing! She extends her immense gratitude to the team behind YSSP, especially Theo and Grace for entrusting her with their passion project. She has truly enjoyed every bit of her experience working on this production, and hopes to work with them again in the future. To all involved, break legs! Check out her website: www.izabellawolfe.com