The Tempest

Lucy Adams is very excited to play Trinculo, the drunken Viking jester, in Valley Center Stage’s The Tempest. This will be her third show with Valley Center Stage, having been part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Christmas Carol in 2019. She would like to thank the amazing directors, cast, and crew for everything they did to make this production come to life, it has been thrilling to be a part of! She would also like to thank her husband Matt for tolerating her theater habit, and for making her dinner before rehearsal.  

Synove graduated with a degree in Film Production and a minor in Screenwriting from Central Washington University. The Tempest will be her second show with Valley Center Stage, and she is thrilled to have the unique opportunity to play the Viking-warrior-princess version of Miranda! Synove plans to continue seeking more opportunities to grow as an actor on stage and screen, as well as a writer and filmmaker in the future. She thanks God for all the wonderful people He has put in her life, from family, friends, church family, and Valley Center Stage family, who have truly been an anchor for her in the ups and downs.

Any time Melissa can join a production on stage - whether as a stand-in during rehearsal or last-minute replacement - is an adventure that comes with live theater. Thank you to the Goddesses for their help and to the producter team for their support. 

For the sake of his day job, Chris was not able to go “full method” in his role as Stephano. He did however use the excuse for character study to sample some fine Scandinavian brews. Since washing ashore with the cast of The Tempest, Chris has been wandering Seattle’s shoreline looking for friends and stray casks. His first full length feature film, “Ingress,” will release later this summer. This is the fourth time Chris has appeared for Valley Center Stage.

Alex is excited to be in his first production here at Valley Center Stage, and his first full production of a Shakespeare play. He’s so grateful to have been brought into the VCS family, and looks forward to future shows with them. Alex is currently finishing up his transfer degree at Bellevue College, and plans to pursue further theatre and acting training wherever he ends up. Alex wants to thank his family for having his back this past year, and his friends for always being there to lift him up.

Jeannine Early is thrilled to be working with all the kind and fun-loving artists at the Valley Center Stage for the very first time. Jeannine was just recently seen in the Phoenix Theatre’s production of Mama Won’t Fly. Jeannine loves making theatre and thanks her husband Scott for always helping her run lines!

While Brenden has been a fixture at VCS for some time, playing many contemporary roles as well as co-directing the odd performance with his wife, Wynter, it has been close to 10 years since he played the Bard - - having last played the title roles of Henry IV parts 1 and 2 and Henry V in Tacoma (back-to-back). Rewind a dozen or so more years from that, and you would’ve found him as a regular lead for the Sonoma Shakespeare Festival or prancing about the East Bay theatre circuit. Other select Willie roles include: Hamlet, Iago, Laertes, and Jaques.  

Brynne is beyond elated to be returning to Valley Center Stage after previously performing here in Murder on the Orient Express and many other productions. Fun facts about Brynne: she designed and originated a course in Shakespeare for seniors at Auburn Riverside High School, closing each semester with The Tempest. Favorite Shakespearean character on her resume: Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She looks forward to collaborating with this extremely

wacky, creative and talented cast. Big hugs of gratitude to her amazing directors (especially Wynter) for persuading her to come and play!

Loren Kitchens, affectionately known as Kitch, has been in theater for about six years. During that time he starred in Michael Parker plays and Annie Get Your Gun,  which is possibly his favorite musical based performance because he played three different roles. One of those roles was The King of France and oddly enough he’s playing a king again in The Tempest. He saw it as a challenge to do Shakespeare. Funny notes: He never likes to hear “break a leg” because he’s accident prone. He was able to visit Stratford upon Avon in England where Shakespeare was born and worked on his plays.

When Stacy was a kid her dream was to be a mermaid when she grew up… or Wonder Woman. The role of Ariel takes her one step closer to the dream! This is her first show with VCS and she is overflowing with heartfelt gratitude to the incredible team of Directors for their devotion to this show. Stacy would like to thank Eva & Sawyer for giving 100% to their own talents and inspiring her back to the stage to pursue what she loves. If you hear of anyone looking to hire a mermaid please let her know. She is an excellent swimmer. Enjoy the magic!

Alex Otto (She/Her) is excited to be performing at Valley Center Stage, and acting for the first time outside of the school environment. This season she joined in on the tech side of things with running tech and sound design. She is also pulling double duty as sound designer for this show as well. Past shows she has acted/teched in have been at Bellevue College in the original productions the college has had, too many to name, and been involved in a few musicals: Camelot (Stage Manager), Once Upon a Mattress (Queen Aggravain) and A Stormy Night at the Queen City Speakeasy (Maude). She hopes you enjoy the show!

Tim is thrilled to be performing Shakespeare for the first time with VCS.  His love for the language and plots of Shakespeare are what prompted him to go into acting.  Tim has played many wonderful roles, including Willy Loman, Heck Tate, and Macduff, performed the works of Neil Simon, David Auburn and Henrik Ibsen, and played in many local community theaters.  He is also a founding member of Short Order Theatre Co. But for some odd reason, he always seems to be hanging around VCS during the holidays, spreading humbug everywhere.  The management should really look into this.

Oliver was born in Dartford, England. He has lived in the Evergreen state for 5 years and graduated from Skyline High School in 2020. After attending college, he has decided to drop out and pursue his true passion in an acting career.

Rene’ is feeling excited about working with the talented cast and crew of this ambitious and rewarding adventure of bringing to life Shakespeare’s Tempest characters, settings and story. Other favoriite roles include Letter Writer #3 in Tiny Beautiful Things, Whit in Of Mice and Men, Nicky in The Seafarer, Jake in Jake’s Women, Ellard in The Foreigner, multiple roles in Greater Tuna and many more! Rene’ thanks the directors and VCS for this opportunity!

Veronica is really excited to work with the VCS team once again. She is a Brazilian actress and she has been living in the Seattle area for four years now. She studied Theater at Bellevue College but, previously in her career, she got a Medical degree in her home country. Veronica grew up being part of many dance groups which helped discover her passion for being on stage. In her free time, Veronica enjoys reading, singing and creating content on social media.

This is Karen’s second time stage managing for VCS, and with these amazing directors! Karen feels very lucky to be able to watch such talented cast and crew bring such a creative vision to life. As someone new to theater, Karen never understood what was so great about Shakespeare (it was all gibberish to her), but watching the cast and directors work through the poetry, build the set, design the costumes, evolve the characters and scenes, and reveal all the subtleties and nuances and emotions packed into those words… Karen is a true convert; it is truly astounding. She is excited for you to experience that magic as well!

Michael is delighted to be part of the production team and directing remotely from Los Angeles!. He has had a blast with his scene partners and thank them for putting up with zoom rehearsals. Mike is a veteran of VCS, having been in many roles including The Mystery of Irma Vep, Greater Tuna, Superior Donuts, Open House, Night Must Fall, and Seafarer! A special thank you to his son, Oliver.

As artistic experimenters, we strive to facilitate growth and creativity; like this remote/live director team idea. Exploring that with this team, cast, and crew was amazing. Furthermore, we aim to bring a Summer Shakespeare Festival to North Bend as a regular artistic venture. In fact, our concept includes a stage in the backyard here at the Grange! Please support this effort howsoever you can (hint: cash, labor, and material donations to build stage are greatly needed).

Melissa is excited to work with such a great cast and production team in her directorial debut here at VCS. Whether it's onstage or behind the scenes, Melissa is ready to jump in and experience all facets to bring a body of work to the stage and audience. Love to family and friends who support her activities!

Wynter thanks the amazing talent, support, dedication, and devotion of the production team, cast and crew! Bringing stories to life in a magical way and getting to share those stories with others is special. The people who are willing to donate their time to make that happen are even more!