Sara Holton (Constance) would like to thank North Fulton Drama Club for this opportunity (hopefully the first of many) to perform with them. After earning a degree in drama from Trinity University in San Antonio, Sara lives in Atlanta and is on staff as a performer at Stone Mountain Park. She has performed in comedies, dramas, musicals, radio commercials, and even a computer game. Sara has two movie credits and another on the way. Favorite roles include Cinderella in Into the Woods, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Brooke Ashton/Vicki in Noises Off.

Unlike the characters she plays with North Fulton Drama Club, Dorie Turner (Margaret) is not scheming or loose. She is, however, saucy. This is her second role with NFDC, having played Maria in last fall’s Twelfth Night. When she isn’t acting, Dorie is a journalist with The Associated Press.

Tom Strong (Friar/Sexton) has been active in Atlanta area theater for the past fourteen years. His most recent effort was at Polk Street Players where he directed Ravenscroft, a dark mystery/comedy. Tom appeared in last year’s first NFDC production, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and he’s delighted for another chance to tackle the challenging but ever rewarding work of the bard. In his career he has played many a clergy and police role and in Much Ado About Nothing he gets to do both. Kudos to his lovely wife, Lyne, for her generous support.

Adam Johnson (Don John) – To steal from Voltaire, “I do it all because I’m evil” which is actually great fun; NFDC has been a wonderful group to work with, thanks to the tireless efforts of Thomas, Nikki, and Alyssa. Adam has been in several Atlanta productions, most recently Aethelred the Unready at Theatre Decatur, but also including Corpus Christi at Onstage Atlanta, The Tempest at Offshoot Productions. Barring catastrophe, in June he’ll appear in The Boys Next Door at The Old Alabama Road Theatre Company. Thanks to NFDC and all the cast, and Erin (Beatrice) for her non-production-related support and love.

Stephen Banks (Leonato) majored in Theater at Bennington College more years ago than he will admit. Since moving to Marietta with his lovely wife and four perfect children, he has appeared in on quite a few stages in a wide variety of roles: Doctor Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace and Louie Fan in The Butler Did It Again at Class Act, Rabbit in Winnie The Pooh, Ali Hakim in Oklahoma! and Snogg in The Red Shoes, at BigTop Theater, the father in Father of the Bride at Cobb Playhouse and many others. His most recent appearance was as the odoriferous moat raker in Aethelred the Unready at Theater Decatur. With all of that, this is Stephen’s first Shakespeare and he is tickled silly to work with such a fine cast and crew.

Anna Rich (Hero) is a senior at Northview High School and will be continuing her education at Lee University in the fall. This is her third production with North Fulton Drama Club. She would like to thank first and foremost God for His gifts of salvation, love, mercy, and provision and her family and friends for their ever-continuing love and support. She hopes you enjoy the show and thanks you for coming!

Matthew Pavlak (Benedick) is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Drama (he minored in starving artist). Much Ado marks his first skirmish with Shakespeare, but in the past he’s appeared in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Jerry and Tom, I Hate Hamlet, Rumors and several others over the past 10 years. In addition to acting, he is a sometime playwright; He was responsible for Lassiter High School’s Accidentally Inspired (2003 and abridged in 2005) as well as Rock the Boat Theatre’s Upstaged and The Midnight Crooner (both in 2005), which you have never heard of. If there are any publishers in the audience, he would love to fix that. He thanks his family for their continued support (likely undeserved), Shanna for her love (definitely undeserved), the NFDC directorial trio for giving me a chance to come play (totally deserved), and the Lassiter drama department for helping him rediscover his love for theatre. And, of course, thanks to you, the audience, for sharing your time with us – your laughs are what make it all worthwhile.

Julia Shavzin (the Watch) is delighted to be in her first production with NFDC. She has previously been seen in The Tempest at North Springs High School (where she is currently a freshman in the Drama magnet), as well as several community theatre shows in the area. This has been one of her favorite shows she has been involved with, because of its hilarious, talented cast and all the effort that has gone into making this show awesome onstage and off. Thanks to Thomas, Nikki, and Alyssa for making this such a spectacular experience. Enjoy the show!

Zip Rampy (Don Pedro) is thrilled to be making his debut performance with the NFDC. Zip hails from Calhoun, GA, where he is actively involved with the Calhoun Little Theatre. He has acted in many shows at the CLT including Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankees, Lend Me a Tenor, Wait Until Dark, The Fantasticks, and most recently Witness for the Prosecution. In addition to acting, he has also directed productions of The Nerd, The Odd Couple, and Bedroom Farce. Zip wants to thank everyone involved with NFDC for making Shakespeare so much fun, and also his family for their undying support. And yes, ladies…he’s still single!

Tiffany Karp (The Watch) is a senior at Lassiter High School. She plans to attend the University of West Georgia in the fall as a theater major. She has done eleven plays with her high school and this is her first with NFDC. She would like to thank NFDC for allowing her to work with them and also Matt Pavlak for driving her to most of the rehearsals.

Daniel Roach (Claudio) has been an actor for the last seven years and is thrilled to be a part of this production. A graduate of the theatre program of Young Harris College, this is Daniel’s third encounter with the Bard and his second run in with NFDC.

Claire Shavzin (Ursula) is overjoyed to be in her fourth Shakepeare play this year! She previously appeared in NFDC’s first two shows, Love Labour’s Lost and Twelfth Night, as well as a production of The Tempest at her high school. She would like to give gold stars to Thomas for being a superhero director, Alyssa, Nikki, and Nikki’s mom for making all the gorgeous costumes, and her parents for schlepping her all over the place. Enjoy the show!

This is David Morgen‘s (Verges) third production with the NFDC. He is an instructor in the school of Literature, Communication, and Culture at Georgia Tech, where he teaches classes dealing with expository writing, ecocriticism, and American literature. Right now, he’s mostly obsessed with writing/drawing visual poems and altered books, attempting to learn to play the guitar, and raising his two beautiful daughters.

Ronald Richard Ogden (Dogberry) is a newcomer to the North Fulton Drama Club hailing from Alpharetta. Born and raised in a military family, he has starred in many roles across Georgia including at his Alma Mater Berry College in Rome, multiple play houses in Augusta and most recently at the Punchline in Atlanta. Ron is an avid lover of comedy and they are said to be expecting their first child sometime in August. The lucky couple plans to name the child Improv in honor of Ron’s belief that Improvisational Comedy is “the one true path to comedic enlightenment”. Ron would like to thank his wife, Dawn for her compassion and dedication to living with such a silly man as himself. Ron would also like you to know that he “is an ass”.

For Darshan Kaur (Antonia), theatre is a passion. She was a member of the Dramatics Society of her college in India. In the States, she came back on the theatre scene with an Indian theatre group based in Atlanta and performed as Cookie in Neil Simon’s Rumors in 2003, and in several other Hindi plays in 2004- 2006. She is also interested in production and was the production manager for The Mouse Trap performance by the Indian theatre group in 2005 and has also been involved in production of a few feature films. Darshan loves music and likes to sing but is usually too benevolent to inflict this torture on other people Darshan is also a member of another South Asian productions group and played the lead role in a Hindi/Urdu play last year. The play was based on the theme of domestic violence and is currently being converted to a TV pilot for South Asian TV channels. Darshan is also an active volunteer with Georgia Public Broadcasting. In addition to theatre and volunteer work (and her full time job as an IT Project Manager), Darshan likes to write and plans to get back to the book she started working on two years ago. This play is her first foray into Shakespeare’s world.

Sean Anderson (Borachio) was born at the 121st Evac Hospital on Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, South Korea, and he is proud to be the second largest baby ever delivered there. He got his first taste of acting as the scary dentist in Mrs. Bough’s first grade performance of “Cavity Calamity” at Seoul American Elementary School. Despite the show’s favorable reviews, Sean decided to take a fifteen year break from acting in order to devote more time to pursuing his dream of becoming the largest baby ever born at the 121st Evac Hospital. Much Ado About Nothing is the third play he has participated in with NFDC, and he is delighted to be working with such a wonderful bunch of dedicated directors and cast mates.

Erin Schwartz (Beatrice). Erin Schwartz is very excited to be participating in her first NFDC production. It has been a fantastic experience. You might have seen her around town as Essie in You Can’t Take It With You or as Kate/Ben/Jackey in Anton in Show Business. She hopes you enjoy watching the show as much as she has enjoyed performing it for you. “You always end with a jade’s trick!”

Patrick Lundy (Balthasar) is Washingtonian by birth (but Roswellian by divine providence), he has enjoyed acting in this fair city for nearly seven years. This is his third appearance with the NDFC, and the first role in which he systematically butchers a jazz song (Look for it in Act II!). Between acting in plays, he moonlights as a trombonist with the Alpharetta City Band, as well as singing baritone (butchering sacred music) in the RUMC sanctuary choir. You may (hopefully) see him next in the Michael O’Neal Singers (butchering classical music) this upcoming season, or, failing that, wandering mindlessly through the North Point Mall food court on Mondays and Fridays.