All's Well Program

 Welcome to Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s
All’s Well that Ends Well

Plot Summary (Spoiler Alert!)
A theatre troupe in modern-day America is ready to perform the Western they have been rehearsing for weeks. However, at the very last minute, this cast of characters must switch to a Shakespeare play. They open up the first folio to pick one fast, and they choose the first one they see, All’s Well that Ends Well. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. They’ve managed to pick one of Shakespeare’s most misunderstood comedies. 

This comedy begins after the funeral of Count Rousillion, where the Countess must bid farewell to her son, Bertram who is off to the ailing King of France’s court. Bertram leaves behind the orphaned and forlorn Helena, daughter to the great doctor, Gerard de Narbon. Compelled by love, a mother’s blessing, and a wealth of medical knowledge from her father, Helena follows Bertram to the King’s court. Miraculously, Helena heals the King and is rewarded with the marriage of her choice: one to Bertram. The hasty nuptial goes through and all is well… until Bertram refuses to consummate the marriage and runs away to the Italian wars with his braggart friend Parolles. Bertram writes home to Helena that he will only be a husband to her if she wears his ancestral ring and if she becomes pregnant with his child. 

Helena, determined to make things right, follows Bertram to Florence, Italy, where he is serving as a general for the Florentine army. She runs into Diana, the maiden Bertram has been unsuccessfully courting and hatches a plan to win Bertram back. With the approval of Diana’s mother, The Widow, and thanks to 3,000 crowns, Helena will switch places with Diana while she is in bed with Bertram so that they can consummate their marriage and swap rings. 

Meanwhile, at the Soldier’s camp, Bertram tries to defend Parolles against some French lords who are not big fans of him.The lords decide to play a trick on Parolles to prove that he's a fraud. First, they'll dare him to return to the battlefield to retrieve the drum he lost earlier. Then, they'll disguise themselves as enemy soldiers and ambush him. Parolles will be so scared that he'll rat out all of his fellow soldiers in exchange for his freedom. Parolles arrives, distraught about his drum, and can’t resist the lords’ triple-dog-dare, so he agrees to go retrieve it. 

Both plans go off without a hitch! In the aftermath, Helena has written to Bertram and his family saying that she is dead, so that Bertram will return home. The Italian wars have ended and the punishment for Parolles’ disloyalty is swift; he must fend for himself without Bertram’s friendship. At court, The Countess and Lafeu mourn for Helena’s death, but plan for Bertram’s second marriage to Lafeu’s daughter Maudlin. With the approval of the King, what could go wrong? 

Upon Bertram’s arrival home, The King forgives Bertram for his misdeeds, and all agree to the marriage to Maudlin…until they notice that the ring Bertram now wears belonged to Helena. A message arrives from Diana, which claims her right to be Bertram's wife on the grounds that he promised to marry her after they had sex. Diana and the Widow enter and confront Bertram, who denies everything. In response, Diana whips out Bertram’s ancestral ring proving he is lying. 

Finally, Helena arrives to clear everything up. In the final gotcha moment, Helena pulls out the letter that Bertram had written, promising to be a husband to Helen if she could (a) get the ring off his finger and (b) get pregnant with his baby, which she has done. Bertram promises to love Helena “ever dearly.” Our story concludes with The King promising Diana that if she's still a virgin, he'll let her choose any husband she likes...because that went so well the last time. 

Land Acknowledgement
This is not the first story to be told on this soil, nor will it be the last. The land on which we perform this play is the ancestral home of the Munsee Lenape, a subtribe of the Lenape people. What is now known as “New York City” was a thriving center of trade and art long before European colonizers arrived.

This particular area was also home to Seneca Village, the first free Black community in NYC. After over 30 years, this thriving community was purposefully and forcibly displaced by City officials in order to construct Central Park. We recognize that the absence of both Seneca Village and the Munsee Lenape stewards of this land are due to the intentional actions of our European ancestors, and by white supremacist systems still in place today.

Director’s Note

This show is my love letter to Hamlet Isn’t Dead. 

As a longtime HIDiot, over six years, there was never a moment while directing this show that I did not think of the impact this community has had on me. Every decision made came out of asking, “how can I represent all of the amazing things we do here and elevate them?” How can I bring our joyful storytelling, vibrant music, care for the text, and accessibility for our audiences to the forefront? My answers to these questions came, of course, from the community we have built over the years. From our Resident Acting Company, past collaborators, and my partner in HIDiocy, Val Peter Chong, I found solace and direction. 

All’s Well is not my favorite show, nor do I expect it to be any of yours. It is a problem-play after all, with muddy morals and no explanations. But with its limitations, we have found honest play. For me, Bertram is not a villain, Helena is not perfect, and that all of these characters care deeply for one another. By setting our story in a western-gone-wrong world, we have new ingredients to find humor in. Our Shadow Play allows for us to see what happens off-stage, providing clarity to our audiences and larger context for our performers. Within these limits, we have created a world that is chaotically joyful and deeply sincere. I am honored to have built this work with these incredible artists.

It is my hope that I have made HIDiots old and new proud with this production. I think back to watching The Merchant of Venice in December 2016, in a small community showroom in the West Village, loving every minute of the show. I realize now why I loved it so much; I finally felt like I found my community. It has been my greatest privilege serving as a director for this production. Just like I found David working the Front of House after Merchant to tell him I needed to be a HIDiot, you too can find me there should you want to be part of our next era of HIDiocy. 

All my love,
Sophia

Special Thanks
The Center at West Park, Molloy Studios, Fractured Atlas, Actors’ Equity, all of our amazing donors past, present, and future.

Love what we do and want to support us? Hate what we do but think we’d improve with more funding? Send us some love with a tax-deductible donation! Alternatively, you can send some love to our cast and crew individually; see their Venmo handles below!

Full Crew
Sophia Carlin - Director
Valerie Peter Chong - Stage Manager
Stephanie LaVardera - Assistant Director/Assistant Stage Manager 
B Carty - Assistant Stage Manager
Nicole Amaral - Company Manager/Covid Compliance Officer
Stephanie L. Carlin - Composer/Arranger
David Andrew Greener Laws - Producer
James Rightmyer Jr. - Producer

Full Cast
Michelle Kariuki as Helena
Reid Watson as Bertram
Michael Luca as Parolles
Cato Crumbley as Countess
Roy Koshy as Lafeu
Gabriel Ethridge as Lavatch/Band
Michael Miranda* as King of France
Jillian Cicalese as Diana/Shadow Captain
Feryal Kilisli as Widow
Olivia Ridpath as Dumaine/Band Leader
Candice Lam as Morgan/Band
Natalie DeBoer as Mariana/Band
Colleen Wood* as Understudy
Bradwin Amos as Understudy

*Equity Member appearing with permission of Actors’ Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production

B Carty (they/them) (Assistant Stage Manager) B is the second letter of the alphabet. They are also known for their role as Broke College Director in the off-off-off-off-Broadway production of Join the Club (a Pace University Legacy), which they won an Olivier award for because Europeans jive more with experimental theater. B is a manically queer artist whose hobbies include overworking themselves, people pleasing, and regretting it all with their therapist (love you, Blair <3). They also like ice cream. B would like to thank their family for unsuccessfully knocking any sense into them when they said they wanted to become a theatre-maker...oh, also Sophia and Val for being so slay and letting them join the astonishingly unpredictable Hamlet Isn't Dead fam. VENMO: CartyB23

Bradwin Amos (Understudy) Born and raised in South Carolina, Bradwin Amos is a graduate of New York University where they earned their M.M in Vocal Performance. They are also a graduate of Furman University, where they received a B.M in Music Education. Bradwin was recently seen in the Off-Broadway reading of Call Me From The Grave: A New Musical (Featured Ensemble) Emit Theatre's Twelfth Night (Viola) and Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s King Lear (France/Ensemble). Bradwin would like to thank Hamlet Isn't Dead for this amazing opportunity and also his friends and family for their continued & wonderful support! Instagram: @thebradwinamos Venmo: @Bradwin-Amos

Candice Lam (Morgan/Band) Candice is excited to perform in her first show as a resident actor with HID. She is a Shakespeare, cat & dog, and food lover. Born and raised in Macau, China. Candice went to high school in Canada, graduated with honours degree in Theatre Arts from USC, and studied classical theatre at BADA in London. Notable stage and on screen credits include: Olivia in Twelfth Night (NYC); Lulu in Lulu by Frank Wedekind (London); Model in Everything You Touch (original cast, Boston Court Theatre LA); Gossip Girl (HBO); Blacklist (NBC); Billions (Showtime); Now You See Me 2 (2016). When she isn’t acting, Candice is an international fashion model who speaks four languages (English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Shakespearean) and plays classical piano. IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm6629894 Instagram: iamcandicelam Venmo: @MisCandice

Cato Crumbley (Countess) Instagram: @CatoCrumbley Venmo: @Cato-Crumbley

Colleen Wood (she/her) (Understudy) was most recently seen in HID’s Macbeth as Macduff. She has worked with Fiasco Theater and NY Classical Theatre, as well as being a member of HID’s resident acting company. She will be lurking around in the back of the church/making friends with the ghost she met during Macbeth, so if you see her talking to herself play it cool. Head to her instagram to see her post about three photos a year @colleenwoodo.  Venmo: @colleenwood630

David Andrew Greener Laws (he/they) (Producer/Founding Artistic Director) helped. Mostly he helped by pointing at himself with his thumb and making his “And I helped” face. But even that, in its own way, was helpful. For more, follow him on IG @davidnotandrew, TikTok @theDAGL, and online at thetwentysidedtavern.com.

Feryal Kilisli (Widow) is New York-based Turkish-American actress who has appeared in  numerous stage productions and short films both in Turkey and the USA. After working in the medical field alongside acting for years, she took a huge step and moved to the USA to take her acting experience to the next level. Feryal received acting training at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and took musical theatre workshops at the London City Academy in the UK in addition to basic singing classes at Juilliard. Her latest credits include Romeo & Juliet (Stella Adler Studio of Acting), Whipped Cream (TARTE &  CISM/Women in Comedy Around the World Short Play festival), Angels in  America: Perestroika (Stella Adler Studio of Acting), Between Fire and Smoke (Signature Theatre), Sindbad LAB: More Wonder Please (Target  Margin Theatre), An Act of Worship (Documentary) and the award-winning short film, Asri.  INSTAGRAM : @feriblue VENMO: @Feryal-Kilisli

Gabriel Ethridge (Lavatch/Band/Horse) loves collaborating with artists to uplift untold stories that promote care and understanding. This is their first HID show and they’re grateful to bring their native Texan through in such a supportive and playful environment. New York: Emil x Xaver, Midsummer, Spring Awakening, Macbeth, Sketch of New York, Inferno…Coconut Grove. Regional: Barefoot in the Park, A Little Night Music, The Boyfriend, Bright Star, Sister Act, Carmen. Graduate of Circle in the Square. Live your truth kindly. Social: @gabrielcethridge Venmo: @gabriel-ethridge.

Jillian Cicalese (Diana, Shadow Captain) is an actor, director, and teaching artist based in NYC.  She earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the FSU Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. She was previously seen off-Broadway at The Player’s Theatre as psychic-medium Sara Marshall in Spit ‘n Vigor’s production of Ectoplasm by Sara Fellini ion 2022, and again in their production of Kelleen Conway Blanchard’s Blood Countess as The Horned Woman this past January. This is her second year with Hamlet Isn’t Dead, with whom she most recently performed as a Weird Sister and Songstress in their production of Macbeth. As a teaching artist, she offers group workshops and private coaching, which include monologue coaching, ensemble building, and Shakespeare workshops! She is so grateful to the cast and crew, and to all those who continue to support the live arts! To keep up with her work, visit jilliancicalese.com and follow her on Instagram @jmcicalese! Or send some love via Venmo @jmcicalese. 

Michael Luca (Parolles) The HIDiocy is strong with him! He’s been insertHIDng himself into these shows since 2016 when he starred as The Wall in HIDsummer. He also played the lover of drinks and locks, The Porter, in The TragHIDy of Macbeth; and the musical clown, Launcelot Gobbo, in The MercHIDnt of Venice. In real life he is NOTHING like Parolles, I don’t care what you’ve heard. Will De Niro upon request. MichaelLuca.com Instagram: mike_lucaa Venmo: @Michael-Luca-2

Michael Miranda (King of France) a lover of Cantonese style Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, Ramen (instant is fine as a last resort), Fried Chicken from Sylvia's in Harlem, a good cup of coffee, and good music. Theater credits include: Nol in Shakespeare in Love (Virginia Rep), Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors (Las Vegas Shakespeare Co), Biondello in The Taming of the Shrew (Los Angeles), and Actor 1 in Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Heritage Theatre Festival in Virginia). TV/Film include: SWAT (CBS), NCIS-LA (CBS), Wendell & Vinnie (Nickelodeon), My Name is Earl (NBC), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Venmo: @GuitarGimli

Michelle Kariuki (she/her) (Helena) is a Brooklyn based artist with Jersey roots. She graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Drama and a minor in Social and Public Policy. She’s featured in new works at JACK, Ars Nova, Judson Memorial Church and also internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This is her FIRST Shakespearean role and she is incredibly honored to bring sweet Helena to life. Instagram: @Michellekariuki Venmo: @Michellekariuki

Natalie DeBoer (Mariana/Band) is so gosh dang excited to be making her Hamlet Isn’t Dead debut! A RAC member since 2022, Natalie has been acting most of her life. Favorite credits include Men On Boats (Bradley), Othello (Bianca), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nick Bottom). Natalie has also been playing bass since elementary school, both upright and electric, and has played with symphonies and pit orchestras around New York State over the years. Natalie is so proud of the work this band of goofballs has created together. Insta: @NatalieDeBoer.Actor Venmo @nataliedeboer180

Olivia Ridpath (She/Her) (Dumaine/Band Leader) is grateful to be back onstage with HID (previously Ensemble/Band Leader in King Lear)! In her spare time, she likes to go hiking, explore the city with friends, and spoil her rescue cat, Rosie. Some favourite roles include Rosalind (As You Like It), Beauty (Beauty And The Beast), and Miss Sheila Ray (Morning Sacrifice). Love to her family and friends xx Instagram: @liv.rid Venmo: @livrid

Reid Watson (Bertram) is thrilled to be taking the stage with Hamlet Isn't Dead once more! He was previously seen as Decius Brutus in HID’s production of Julius Caesar, as well as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, presented at the New York Botanical Garden. Some favorite recent credits include The Astronomer in Etched Glass Decanter and Ethan in Four Seasons, both produced by The Evening Crane Theatre. He is elated to be working on this production with such a talented, dedicated group of artists! Instagram: @reidywatson VENMO: @Reid-Watson-2

Roy Koshy (Lafeu) is an actor, writer, director, and teaching artist based in New York City. Most recently, he performed in Hamlet Isn’t Dead’s production of Macbeth. In addition to numerous theatrical productions, he has acted in videos for adultswim.com and Fast Company, and can be seen in the feature films How to be Single and A Hint of Disorder. Roy also performs with Story Pirates and various other educational theater companies around New York City. Venmo: @Roy-Koshy

Sophia Carlin (she/they) (Director) has been a long-time HIDiot, joining them in The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2017 as Anne Page, wearing a bow made by the incomparable Assistant Director and lovely lady playing Mistress Quickly in that show. Since then, she has been a member of Hamlet Isn't Dead's Resident Acting Company and starred in multiple HID productions: Twelfth Night (Olivia), Measure for Measure (Elbow), and Macbeth (Lady Macduff) to name a few! When she is not acting her socks off, she is reading plays (check out her playreading series on IG @stephlavardera), skiing in Vermont, or trying to befriend every dog she sees on the street. She is an absolutely incredible artist, caring leader, and trusted friend to all of us at HID and we are so grateful to have her onstage and off! For more… sophiacarlin.com/ Venmo: @Sophia-Carlin

Stephanie L. Carlin (she/her) (Composer) is a musical gremlin whose sister dragged her out from under her bridge to be with you all today. You can find her working as a music assistant for various readings and concerts in the city, as a sound designer for the Twenty-Sided Tavern created by official HIDiot DAGL, and hear her music in Two Anxious Bisexuals, which was selected to be in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. That last part was not a joke. She is a big ball of confused sound and couldn’t be happier to work alongside her sister in her directing debut for HID. stephanielcarlin.com Instagram: @sleotacarlin Venmo: @Stephanie-Carlin-3

Stephanie LaVardera (Assistant Director) is a Chicago raised, New York based, RENAISSANCE WOMAN OF THEATRE. She has been working with Hamlet Isn't Dead since 2017, when, as a youthful undergrad, she made her triumphant debut as Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor...(and also put her ingenious artistic skills to work by designing a bow for the beautiful, talented, lovely young ingénue who played Anne Page...). She has since stage managed and assistant directed many HID shows, and also directed the Fall 2021 Sonnet Stroll at the New York Botanical Gardens. She holds a BA in Acting from Pace University, and has never met a puppet or a glue gun she didn't like. For more...stephanielavardera.com / IG@stephlavardera / Venmo @Stephanie-LaVardera

Valerie Peter Chong (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back behind the scenes in another HID production and is especially grateful for the opportunity to trade with their bestie, Sophia, who SMed for them when they directed Macbeth this time last year. In addition to their role as the Co-Artistic Director of Hamlet Isn’t Dead, Val also works with the Fantasy Tavern NYC and the Indie Collaborative. Beyond the stage, Val is a CUNY program coordinator, urban farmer, forager, and cat parent. As you read this, Val is above your head in the light booth. Turn around, look up, and wave hello! Love always to Brandon!!! <3 Venmo: @ValeriePChong