Brandon Ali (He/Him) couldn’t be more thrilled to take on the role of a lifetime in Marcus Brutus. He is a New York based actor, fight choreographer, and instructor with over a decade of experience bringing Shakespeare, and stage combat to life through the art of live performance. A longtime Shakespeare enthusiast, he has run the gambit of iconic characters like MacDuff from Macbeth, Nick Bottom from A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Tybalt from Romeo & Juliet, and many many more. Beyond the stage, he fills his time as a private stage combat instructor, and a professional Dungeon Master for youth programs in partnership with local libraries, blending imagination with performance. When not exploring the moral depths of Brutus, you can catch him slinging steel this summer at the New York Renaissance Faire.

Laura Anthony (they/them, he/him) is an actor, intimacy & fight choreographer, playwright, and co-founding member of Wolfsmouth Players Company. Previous acting credits include Bernhardt/Hamlet (Rostand) at Studio Players, Travesties (Tzara) and Gross Indecencies (Oscar Wilde) at Nutley Little Theater, Trojan Women (Various), Much Ado (Don John), The Valley of the Shadow (Orin) at WP, Julius Caesar (Cassius), A Very Great Mischief (Cyrene), and Hamlet at North Corner Theater. Laura thanks the Wolves, the cats, and Justin, always.

This is Bonner’s first production with OLT and first experience with Shakespeare (unless you count her turn as Titus/Ophelia in “Complete Works (Abridged)” in high school). Recent (and recent-ish) shows include “Uh Oh, Here Comes Christmas” at Nutley Little Theater, “Public Radio Pledge Drive” at the People’s Improv Theater (which she co-wrote), “Assassins” (Emma Goldman), “Legally Blonde” (Vivienne), and “Pippin” (Catherine). Thank you to everyone involved with OLT, thank you to the audience for supporting OLT, and thank you to politicians everywhere for making this play so timeless.

Katie Felici is delighted to return to the Old Library Theatre stage to take on the role of Cassius in Julius Caesar ! She can usually be found in a musical (Including the debut of Cardboard Trees and a Painted Moon here at OLT), but had her start in Shakespeare playing the roles of Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a Witch in Macbeth. When not singing or retelling the famous stories of the Bard, Katie can be found streaming video games or creating faerie magic in the shire of the New York Renaissance Faire. She would like to extend her deepest gratitude to her inspirational cast members for their hard work and kindness, and to the production team for their support, trust, and patience as she worked to bring this character to life.

Kareem Habal is happy to be a part of the Old Library’s production of Julius Caesar. He had his theatrical start in live theater performing at the New York Renaissance Faire. He has also studied at the New York Film Academy and has studied on both stage and film performance. Stage performance has always struck a chord with Kareem. He finds the challenge of performing in front of a crowd more rewarding than film work. He fills his time playing video games, writing scripts, and traveling the world. We hope that you enjoy this production of Julius Caesar!

Madie is so excited to make their acting debut at Old Library Theater! Madie has a degree in Theater Studies from Montclair State University, and while these days you can mostly find them backstage, previous roles including Frau Bergmann (Spring Awakening with Aspire PAC), Oberon (A Midsummer Night's Dream with MSU Players), and Lucinda (Into The Woods with Little Fall of Rain Productions). Madie would like to thank those in this production who have been so supportive and welcoming, and for the support of their friends and family!

Enver Messano began his theatrical career in Los Angeles, where he dove into a wide range of productions from off-Broadway, to Shakespeare, to musicals. He earned his Associate’s degree in Acting from Valley College. Now that he’s back in his home state of New Jersey, he’s excited to make his debut with OLT in this production of Julius Caesar.

Ella is very excited to star in her first theater production in her home state of New Jersey after finishing her degree in the West Coast! Some of her other acting credits include Measure for Measure, Spamalot, Matilda, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, and many more. She is very grateful to her family for their support, including her dad for providing transportation for rehearsals, and her cast, crew, and creative team for providing such a fun and supportive rehearsal process.

Andrew Parks, a newcomer to OLT, has been performing in Shakespeare plays for nearly 40 years, including at Chester Theatre Group, Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center, and McCarter Theatre’s outreach program. Past roles include Macbeth (Macbeth), Iago (Othello), and Simonides (Pericles). For the past two years, Andrew has participated in frequent readings with Paul Sugarman’s Instant Shakespeare Company. Andrew is eternally grateful for the love and support of his wife, Kathleen, and their two daughters, Sarah and Julia. Much gratitude to his mom for getting him started in theatre in the first place!

Cindy Ryan (she/her) is delighted to make her OLT debut in Julius Caesar. This is her first Shakespeare production in over 30 years, and she has thoroughly enjoyed diving back in with this fantastic group of artists. Recent credits include My Big Gay Italian Funeral (Pride Players of Passaic), The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon (Studio Players), It’s a Wonderful Life: Radio Play (Studio Players), and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (StageWorks). Cindy is incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement of her family, the inspiration and collaboration of the Caesar creative team, cast, and crew, and for all the folks—including you!—who are helping to keep our NJ community theatre scene going strong.

Ocean is a newcomer to Old Library Theatre and we are very excited to have them join our company in the role of Casca.