POE

devised by the company from the work of Edgar Allen Poe

Cast

Allegra Dubus-Brandolini

Trevor Gerard Frederick

Tyler Girard

Sierra Gitlin

Cailin McFarland

Cara Olansky

Edward F. Speck

Bonniejean Wilbur

Creative team

Co-Directors …. Edward F. Speck and Bonniejean Wilbur
Company Manager …. Dylan C. Wack

Meet the Cast of POE

Allegra dubus-brandolini

ALLEGRA DUBUS-BRANDOLINI is thrilled to be joining the cast of POE. Recent credits include Waiting for Godot (Firehouse Center for the Arts), Emotional Creature (Firehouse Center for the Arts), The Little Mermaid (Firehouse Center for the Arts), and School of Rock the Musical (Ogunquit Playhouse). She has performed in countless productions at Sarah Lawrence College such as Head over Heels the Musical and Twelfth Night. She trained at the British American Drama Academy in London and recently graduated with a BA in Theater and Creative Writing at Sarah Lawrence College.

Previous Theater in the Open credits include The Crucible (2022), The Game of Love and Chance (2022), Metamorphoses (2021), Julius Caesar (2018), Medea (2018), and Antigone (2017), among many others.

TREVOR GERARD FREDERICK

TREVOR GERARD FREDERICK (he/him/his) Recent credits: Boy Willie in The Piano Lesson (Vokes Theatre), Helicanus/Cleon in Pericles (Seven Stages Shakespeare Company), Othello (Third Citizen Theatre Company).

Trevor makes his Theater in the Open debut with POE.

Tyler Girard

TYLER GIRARD (he/him) is a Northshore-based actor, designer, and overall creative. Tyler’s more recent acting credits include Alfred in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (Seven Stages Shakespeare Company), Hero/Phoenix in Phoenix Rising (Third Citizen Theatre Company), Jo in Home for the Holiday (Open Theatre Project), and Tyler/Usher in A Nutcracker Panto (Theater in the Open). Tyler is excited to be joining Theater in the Open again for his first appearance in Poe. When offstage, Tyler can be found playing videogames or crafting a new recipe in the kitchen for his partner Michael.

Previous Theater in the Open credits include A Nutcracker Panto! (2021).

SIerra Gitlin

SIERRA GITLIN has been working with Theater in the Open as an actor since 2017, performing in Antigone as part of the chorus. She has appeared as Medea and in several pantos since. Sierra serves on the Board of Directors of Theater in the Open.

Previous Theater in the Open credits include A Nutcracker Panto (2021), The Tempest (2019), Medea (2018), among many others.

Cailin McFarland

CAILIN MCFARLAND is a Newburyport based actor, educator, and costume designer. She is thrilled to return to POE.

Previous Theater in the Open credits include Metamorphoses (2021), Julius Caesar (2018), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2017), and Antigone (2017).

Cara Olansky

CARA OLANSKY received her BA in Theatre Performance from Butler University. While enrolled at Butler, she spent a semester in London studying comedy, dance, and playwriting at Middlesex University. There she wrote her original script, Rhythms of the Underground, which made its Chicago debut with Dramatis Personae in 2008. To further her theater practices, Cara has trained with Black Box Acting Studios (Chicago, IL), The Actors Studio (Chicago, IL), 2nd Story (Chicago, IL), Claire Simon Casting (Chicago, IL), and Profiles Theater (Chicago IL). Cara also holds an MS in Early Childhood Education and spends her time promoting the importance of the arts as it relates to social/emotional development, peer relationships, and critical thinking skills in early childhood classrooms. Some of her favorite credits include “Josie” in The Skryker (Butler University), “Erzulie” in The Voodoo Chalk Circle (The State), “Harriet” in Ozma and Harriet (Tympanic Theater Company), “Katherine” in The Taming of the Shrew (Theater in the Open), “Dr. Gilbert” in The Sweetest Swing in Baseball (Step Up Productions), and “Marcia Marie” in Where’s My Money? (Dramatis Personae).

Previous Theater in the Open credits include Julius Caesar (2018), and The Taming of the Shrew (2004).

EDWARD F. SPECK

EDWARD F. SPECK has a long history with Theater in the Open, having been a company member for 12 years before taking on the role of Artistic Director in 2009. His first show with Theater in the Open was 1997’s Much Ado About Nothing directed by Bonniejean Wilbur. Previous credits with Theater in the Open include Medea (Jason), The Tempest (Caliban), Antigone (Creon) and lots and lots of clowns over a decade of Pantos. He has recently been seen in Pericles with 7 Stages Shakespeare and Waiting for Godot at the Firehouse Center for the Arts. An Amesbury native, Edward now lives in Newburyport as artist in residence at the Maudslay Gatekeeper’s House, which allows Teddy and his wife to raise their young daughters on the edge of these magical woods.

Previous Theater in the Open credits include The Crucible (2022), A Game of Love and Chance (2022), and A Nutcracker Panto! (2021), among many others.

BONNIEJEAN WILBUR

BONNIEJEAN WILBUR is an actress, director and costume designer. Her directing debut was the 1997 production of Much Ado About Nothing with Theater in the Open.

Previous Theater in the Open credits include The Tempest (2019), A Cinderella Panto! (2018), Antigone (2017), among many others.