2022 South Dakota Shakespeare Festival Acting Company
Othello
Cody Floyd, Othello
Cody Floyd (they/he) is a graduating Senior from the University of Alabama’s BFA Acting program. This is their SDSF debut! He would like to thank God, and Tara for the opportunity. Cody will be pursuing an MFA in Acting at SMU – Meadows School of the Arts starting in the fall. www.codyfloydactor.com
Chaya Gordon*, Emilia
Chaya Gordon is a multi-faceted theatre artist with professional experience in acting, directing, fight directing, dramaturgy and teaching. She holds an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh, and has performed with theatre companies across the country including the American Shakespeare Center (Virginia), Inwood Shakespeare Festival (New York), New England Shakespeare Festival, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, and the Black Hills Playhouse.
*appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
Clew, Cassio
Clew (they/he) is a theatre practitioner from Texas pursuing their MFA Acting at Brown/Trinity Rep. Clew thanks Tara for her vision for this story, and Vermillion for welcoming him. When not on stage, Clew enjoys dancing, sunshine, and playing volleyball. They dedicate this performance to the memory of their parents. Sending love to distant friends and family! ig: @clew.cifer
Lucia Graff, Soldier, 2nd Councilwoman, Montano, Musician; U/S Des, Rod, Chief Ven
This is Lucia’s first production at the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival. She’s just finished her third year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she’s acted with the Nebraska Repertory Theatre and the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre.
Marquise Howard, Chief Ven; Othello U/S
Marquise is a 3rd year Acting major at the University of South Dakota from Omaha, Nebraska. Previously, he has played the roles of Menelaus in These Women of Troy, Henry in A Lion in Winter, Orcus in She Kills Monsters, Tank/Tex in Zanna, Don’t!, and Octavius/Soothsayer/Ciaus Ligarius in Julius Caesar.
Grace Kjelden, Officer 1, Messenger, Clown, Gratiano; U/S Bianca, Emilia, Cassio
Grace is a recent graduate from the BFA Musical Theatre program at the University of South Dakota. She is from Vermillion and is happy to be giving back to the community with SDSF for a third season. Some favorite previous roles of hers include Sophie in Mamma Mia!, and Cyndi the Bird in Zanna, Don't!
Kenny Ramos, Roderigo; Iago U/S
Kenny is from the Barona Band of Mission Indians/Kumeyaay Nation and grew up on the Barona Indian Reservation in southern California. He is delighted to return to the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival, where he previously played Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other favorite acting credits: Larissa FastHorse’s Urban Rez and Native Nation (Cornerstone); Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Return to Niobrara (The Rose/Omaha Theater Company); Vera Starbard’s Devilfish (Perseverance Theatre); Madeline Sayet's The Neverland (Illinois Theater); Dillon Chitto’s Bingo Hall (Native Voices). Kenny is an ensemble member at Cornerstone Theater Company, Artist-in-Residence at La Jolla Playhouse, and has also performed at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center, and The Kennedy Center. Awards: First Peoples Fund’s Cultural Capital Fellowship; TCG Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship; Yale RITM Mellon Arts Practitioner Fellowship. Education: BA in American Indian Studies, UCLA.
Christian Sage, Officer 2, Lodovico;
U/S Brabantio & Ensemble roles
Christian will be a Senior acting major next semester at USD. He is from Paullina, Iowa; you may have seen him recently in the One Acts as Jack in Long Ago and Far Away. He's excited for everyone to see the show.
Skyla, Bianca & 1st Councilwoman
Skyla is a sophomore from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Previously at the University of South Dakota, she's played Kaliope in She Kills Monsters and Polyxena in These Women of Troy. Skyla is excited to collaborate with this cast in her first Shakespeare role and to perform on a different “stage”!
Joe Stollenwerk, Brabantio
Last year, Joe played Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night for SDSF. At USD he directed Fun Home, had the world premiere of his Euripides adaptation These Women of Troy (directed by Chaya Gordon-Bland), and presented “American Musicals Written by Women: A Lecture Cabaret.”
Chingwe Padraig Sullivan, Iago
Chingwe Padraig (he/they/she) is a New England based two-spirit Indigenous actor (Shinnecock and Montaukett nations), in their second year Brown/Trinity MFA Acting Program, where she’s played Tommy Gnosis in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Angel in Angels in America, and King Henry VI in The Henriad.
Erin Tripp, Desdemona
Erin is a Lingít actor, born and raised in Southeast Alaska, with a love of helping tell Indigenous stories and was last seen on the South Dakota Shakespeare stage as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2019. She's previously worked on the world premiere productions of The Spirit of the Valley by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse, Devilfish by Vera Starbard, Whalesong by Cathy Tagnak Rexford, Our Voices Will Be Heard by Vera Starbard, A Gwich'in language production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the road weeps, the well runs dry by Marcus Gardley. Erin is also a voice actor, who has had the opportunity and joy to narrate audiobooks, a walking tour, short stories, and more. You can learn more about Erin at erintripp.com.