WEST COAST PREMIERE
written by William Shakespeare
in a modern verse translation by Ellen McLaughlin
directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck
In partnership with Play On Shakespeare
When Prince Pericles uncovers a deadly royal secret, he flees for his life — only to be cast into a world of storms, shipwrecks, riddles, and loss.
Told by people in search of a home, this re-conceptualization of Shakespeare’s Pericles in Ellen McLaughlin’s translation embraces movement and music to tell a thrilling tale of adventure, survival, and the power of love against all odds, celebrating the resilience of the human spirit even in the darkest of times.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Margaret Shigeko Starbuck – Director
Ellen McLaughlin – Playwright
Michelle Joo – Set Designer
Nala Zinngrabe – Costume Designer
Pablo Santiago – Lighting Designer
John Ballinger – Sound Designer, Composer, & Music Director
Rye Mandel – Props Designer
Estela Garcia – Movement Director
Nicole Arbusto – Casting Director
Yaesol Jeong – Stage Manager
Grace Wilkerson – Assistant Director
You Chen Zhang – Associate Set Designer
Jennifer Gonzalez – Assistant Lighting Designer
Jaclyn Gehringer – Assistant Stage Manager/Workshop SM
THE CAST
RANDOLPH THOMPSON as Pericles
MIGUEL PEREZ as Gower
TROY LEIGH-ANNE JOHNSON as Marina
NICOLE JAVIER as Thaisa
JULANNE CHIDI HILL as Helicanus/Bawd
DESIREE MEE JUNG as Dionyza/Cerimon
ADAM J. SMITH as Cleon/Pander
ALEXANDER MATOS as Lysimachus & Others
JAMIE GALLO as Thaliard/Leonine & Others
RIO RASCH as Bolt & Others
Randolph Thompson (Pericles): With Boston Court: Measure Still For Measure. Other Theaters: Richard III, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing (A Noise Within); Cymbeline (Antaeus); Pericles (New Swan Shakespeare); Ready, Steady, Yeti…Go (Rogue Machine); Trevor (Circle X); 1984 (Greenway Court); Secret in the Wings (Coeurage); The Hamlet Project (Loose Canon); Henry V (Pacific Resident Theatre); Dancing vs. The Rat Experiment (LaMama); Roberto Zucco (Ohio Theater); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Baryshnikov Arts Center); The Winter’s Tale (San Antonio Shakespeare); Schriebstück (U.S. & Canadian Premieres). Film/TV: Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster (Netflix); Criminal Minds (CBS); Rosewood (Fox); Serious Music (ABC) as well as several national commercial campaigns.
Miguel Pérez (Gower) born in San Jose, CA, discovered his passion for acting at age 11 in a school production of A Christmas Carol. He became the youngest member of the improvisational troupe The McGuffey Company before joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1975. After his honorable discharge, he trained at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York. His career spans regional theater, Broadway, television and film, with film credits including Blow, Million Dollar Baby, and Ocean’s 11, plus TV appearances on Seinfeld, ER, and Fear the Walking Dead. He teaches at the Art of Acting Studio in Hollywood.
Troy L. Johnson (Marina) is incredibly thankful and excited to be working with Boston Court. She began her professional acting career in Greenway Court Theatre’s production of Ripe Frenzy and The Echo Theater Company’s production of The Wolves. Troy has also appeared in the Blumhouse produced feature film Totally Killer as well as the independent feature film Silver Star. Her television credits include the second season of ABC’s Big Sky and a guest appearance on ABC’s The Rookie. Most recently, Troy worked on the independent feature film Sugar Beach and had a recurring role in the Netflix series Boots.
Nicole Javier (Thaisa) is an actor, director, and professor. Select regional credits include The Heart Sellers (Milwaukee Rep (world premiere), Northern California Tour, South Coast Rep), The Book of Will, Animal Farm, Metamorphoses, All’s Well That Ends Well (A Noise Within), The Glass Menagerie (San Francisco Playhouse), Mrs. Christie, tokyo fish story (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley), Edith Can Shoot Things & Hit Them (Crowded Fire Theatre), Diana the Musical (La Jolla Playhouse). TV: Nemesis (Netflix), Bosch Legacy (Amazon Freevee). Film: Sorority, We’re All Gonna Die. Nicole is a faculty member at Pasadena City College and resident artist at A Noise Within. Training: MFA- UCSD; BFA- Chapman University. Online: www.nicolejavier.com; Instagaram: @nicjavi.
Julanne Chidi Hill (Helicanus/Bawd) recently appeared in The Night of the Iguana directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Some theater credits include: The Bluest Eye, Macbeth, directed by Andi Chapman, BLUE by June Carryl, Rogue Machine, The Great Jheri Curl Debate, East West Players, Yellowman (O.C. Theater Guild Award) directed by Khanisha Foster, Die Mommie Die, Kirk Douglas Theater (Broadway World nom), Fences directed by Wren T. Brown, Booty Candy (Stage Raw Award), U.S. premiere of Athol Fugard’s Blue Iris, We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia (LADCC Award). Julanne has also appeared in television and film.
Desirée Mee Jung (she/her) (Dionyza/Cerimon) was last seen at Boston Court in the world premiere of Measure STILL for Measure. Notable theatre credits include: Vietgone (Alley Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing (Denver Center); Eureka Day (City Theatre); Sense & Sensibility (South Coast Rep); POTUS u/s (Geffen Playhouse), Richard III, Comedy of Errors, Pericles (Utah Shakespeare Festival); All’s Well That Ends Well, Frankenstein (A Noise Within); Letters of Suresh, Gloria, (Curious Theatre Company); Cymbeline, As You Like It, Measure for Measure, Henry IV Part I (Antaeus Theatre); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Colorado Shakespeare Festival); The Bonesetter’s Daughter (Book-It Rep). Film/TV: NCIS, Pluribus, The Winchesters, Death Name, Three Ladies and a Fake ID.
Adam J. Smith (Cleon/Pander) is an award-winning actor, director, teacher, and coach. He’s worked at Boston Court, Pasadena Playhouse, CTG/Kirk Douglas/Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Rep, Antaeus (Company Member), International City Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Disney Concert Hall, Skylight, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Chautauqua Theater Company (NY), numerous Off- and Off-Off-B’way. Film: Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon Parts I and II, Taken 3, Bloody Bridget, Zombie Strippers. TV: Good Doctor, Jane the Virgin, Orville, Scandal, Castle, 90210, Medium, Without a Trace, Numb3rs, Victorious, As the World Turns, among others. Winner: 2006 Emmy Award, When Things Get Small. Faculty member at CalArts. MFA: UCSD/La Jolla Playhouse, BA: Duke (magna cum laude). Thank you, T and J!
Alexander Matos (Lysimachus & Others) is an actor, multi-instrumentalist, teaching artist, and graduate of Brown’s MFA Acting program. He also holds a BA in Ethnomusicology/Composition from UC Berkeley. As a “Third Culture Kid” raised amidst the rich diversity in both Brazil and LA, Alexander views nuanced, challenging, and holistic representation in today’s artistic climate as a catalyst for cultural insight and genuine human curiosity. Recent theater credits include Bertram Cates in Inherit the Wind (Pasadena Playhouse), Claudio in Measure STILL for Measure (Boston Court Pasadena), Mr. Bingley/Collins/Wickham in Pride and Prejudice (Baltimore Center Stage/Arkansas Rep), and more. He is grateful to God as the spiritual compass and muse guiding his life, and for the opportunity to return to Boston Court! Seeking representation. Online: www.alexandermatos.com; Socials: @AlexanderDMatos on Instagram and Twitter.
Jamie Gallo (Thaliard/Leonine & Others) is an actor, director, and proud Angeleno. Recent acting credits include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Red Ink Ensemble, The Dangerous Boy in The Dangerous Book for Boys with Stonefruit Arts, and Maeve in Dance Nation directed by Susan Dalian. Directing credits include the world premiere of Clara vs. Infinity with Eight Ball Theatre, Collective Rage with Dorothy and Friends Theatre Company, and the award-winning short Rehearsal about school gun violence. Jamie graduated from USC’s School of Dramatic Arts and has trained with IAMA Theatre Co’, Arthaus Berlin, Gecko Theatre, and the British American Drama Academy.
Rio Rasch (Bolt & Others) is a German-American actor based in Los Angeles and a recent graduate of the Acting program at California Institute of the Arts. His theater credits include What Was the World to Me (Catch)…, Volver, Danton’s Death, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Wealth and Hellness. He is thrilled to be making his Los Angeles theater debut at Boston Court Pasadena.
