What brought you to acting?
My mom loved watching old TV musicals and I grew up watching my older brother in musicals. I also sang a lot in choirs and small groups around town, so the desire to perform came naturally. Acting in high school was my way of doing something different from the music performing I knew.

What did 10-year-old Malkia think she'd be when she grew up?
I remember not knowing what I wanted when I was ten and was so frustrated that I couldn't figure it out. I guess I should have gotten a clue from all the pretend soap opera scenes I played out by myself in my room!

More about Malkia: 
Malkia is making her Milwaukee Shakespeare in the Park debut this year. She is native of Milwaukee and former Milwaukee Rep intern (2005/2006). She is a founding ensemble member of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville Arts Ensemble. Favorite stage productions include: A Midnight Cry (First Stage); Burying The Bones (In Tandem Theatre); Good People (Forward Theater); Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (First Stage); Dreamgirls (St. Louis Black Repertory Theater); two years of performing in Black Nativity (Congo Square Theater); Raisin (Court Theater) among many others. 

She has also toured Japan, playing Nala in the concert version of The Lion King and received the Woodie King Jr. Award, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, for Lorrell in Dreamgirls. She is currently the face of the YMCA Metropolitan Milwaukee and enjoys making theater magic happen in her hometown, especially with her brother, Nathaniel; she dedicates her work to Chike and their three superstars. 

Catch Malkia in her next roles: at The Milwaukee Rep in Dreamgirls in September and A Christmas Carol in December, at First Stage in Holes and in Crowns at Skylight Music Theatre next winter. She will also be assistant directing The Mojo and the Sayso, a collaboration with Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and Madison's Theatre LILA. 

What brought you to theater?
I was not what you would call a class clown, but at an early age I was able to make people laugh. I realized that people would actually listen to me, this awkward little shrimp, if I entertained them.

What did 10-year-old Tom think he'd be when he grew up?
My parents would call me upstairs when they had guests to perform Bill Cosby's Noah routine for their guests, so I was thinking I was going to be stand-up comic.

What is the greatest challenge that you anticipate in portraying Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Hmmm...there is so much discovery and change that happens in the rehearsal process. Can I answer this one after rehearsals start?

What do you hope that Shakespeare in the Park fans will take away from A Midsummer Night's Dream?
A damn good time. I want everyone that sees this show to have a friggin' blast.

Who should play you in the feature film of your life?
Me. Just because I want the paycheck that comes with playing a lead in a feature film.

What Shakespeare character do you most resemble?
All the bald ones, and hopefully by the time the summer rolls around I'll most resemble Puck.

What's your superpower?
My superpower is the ability to play trumpet teeth and harmonica mouth with no trumpet or harmonica.

Tragedy, comedy or history?
I love them all.  Whichever genre I'm rehearsing is the one I love the most.

Truth or dare?
DARE! I'm an actor --- I'm supposed to take risks.

Guilty pleasure?
Boxing. I love the sport and enjoy participating in it on a non-combat level when I get the chance.

More about Tom: 
Tom has portrayed various roles, including Leontes in The Winter's Tale, the title role in Macbeth, Feste in Twelfth Night, Caliban in The Tempest; he directed As You Like It. Tom is a member of the theater department faculty at Alverno College. He is a founding producer of Shakespeare in the Park and a member of Actors' Equity.

What brought you to theater?
I wanted to perform (read: show off) since I can remember. I also loved writing, drawing, making things and falling off of high places.  Eventually I learned that I could do all of these things in theatre.  

What did 10-year-old Ron think he'd be when he grew up?
A veterinarian.


What is the greatest challenge that you anticipate in directing A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Fitting this big play and these huge characters in this little space. 

What do you hope that Shakespeare in the Park fans will take away from A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Lots of expensive OT souvenirs.
Kidding! Sort of.  
I hope they leave feeling like they’ve been part of a magical, curious, hilarious adventure.

Who should play you in the feature film of your life?
Visually?  Barry Manilow.
In terms of personality?  Don Knotts.
In my dreams?  The guy in Off Limits that explores places he’s not supposed to get into.

What Shakespeare character do you most resemble?
Either Launce from Two Gentlemen of Verona or Holofernes from Love’s Labours Lost. A bumbler who loves his dog to distraction, or a fatuous pseudo-intellectual. I’m trying to be honest here.

What's your superpower?
Occasional promptness.

Tragedy, comedy or history?
Ultimately, everything in life is all three, though not necessarily in that order.

Truth or dare?
Dare.  I never learned anything new by telling the truth about myself.

Guilty pleasure?
Reading a book in front of the fire instead of taking the dog for a walk. Or going to see a show. Or eating. Or pretty much anything.


More about Ron: 
Ron has also directed The Tempest and Macbeth, and designed sets for those shows and for As You Like It and The Winter's Tale for Optimist Theatre, as well as for Alverno College, First Stage, Wisconsin Hybrid Theatre, Milwaukee Public Theatre and Milwaukee Mask and Puppet Theatre. He has had performing roles in Twelfth Night and The Winter's Tale. Ron's one-man show To Be! Shakespeare Here and Now has been performed for more than 80,000 people, and he debuted an original show Bloody, Filthy Shakespeare in Florence, Italy in 2013, which was co-produced by the historic Teatro Goldoni.

What brought you to acting?
I came to acting fairly late, although I loved a good story as much as any kid.

My parents were not theater-goers, but nurtured an appreciation of narrative by watching old black & white movies with me.

I saw a terrific production of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in middle school and was moved to tears when Lennie died.

My first real stage experience was in a production of The Lark by Jean Anouilh as a college freshman and I never looked back.  

What did 10-year-old Mark think he'd be when he grew up?
I was going to be a Marine Biologist. I was an avid swimmer and (thanks to The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau) had an obsession with marine mammals, especially dolphins and orcas. 

What is the greatest challenge of playing Polixenes?
Taking on 'Shakespeare' always requires hard work, humility and a certain amount of courage.

An obvious question: How does one play a King, having never met one?

And Polixenes also has to embody seeming contradictions (which, of course makes him human). He is victimized by Leontes' unreasonable suspicions but later threatens to disown his own son upon learning of an unsanctioned love affair. 

What do you hope that Shakespeare in the Park fans will take away from The Winter's Tale?
As one of Shakespeare's later plays, The Winter's Tale combines genres. The first part is cruel, dark and tragic. How can we forgive the unforgivable? Is reconciliation even possible? Fortunately, that's not the end of the story. Shakespeare is at his most moving when he addresses the theme of the 'lost thing found.' After the violence and loss of part one, the audience can look forward to a miraculous series of events which will restore and redeem much of 'that which is lost.' I think we all hope and long for the possibility of healing.

Who should play you in the feature film of your life?
This is a hard one. Since I'm still playing me, and the story is not (quite) over!

The two actors that people have said I remind them of are John Malkovich and Kelsey Grammer. I'm flattered because I admire the both - but they're so different from each other. Some other actors whose work I love are Paul Giamatti, John C. Riley, and Philip Seymour-Hoffman (Heaven rest him)

What Shakespeare character to you most resemble?
My Scottish blood always simmers when I'm around Macbeth, but - who knows? Shakespeare doesn't provide much in the way of detailed physical description for most of his characters. We're fortunate as actors, as this allows for a wide variety of interpretations. Whatever 'images' we do have are the result of strong choices made by previous producers; but there's always room for a new take

What's your superpower?
Empathy? Useful for an actor: The curiosity to delve beneath the surface. Not exactly x-ray vision - but a sensitivity to hidden energies - the ability to see and feel the unseen.

Tragedy, comedy or history?
I've had a great time in the Comedies, loved the operatic sweep of the Histories, but the Tragedies have left the deepest, most profound imprint.

Truth or dare?
'The Truth will out.'

Guilty pleasure?
Jean-Claude Van-Damme movies.


More about Mark: 
Mark is thrilled to be making his Optimist debut. Local audiences may recognize him from his work with several other Milwaukee Theatres.

During his many seasons as a resident actor with the Milwaukee Rep, favorite productions included: True West, The Cherry Orchard, Seascape, The Foreigner, Dracula, King Lear and quite a few A Christmas Carols.

Mark has also spent past summer's with The Utah Shakespeare Festival, American Players Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival and SITI Company. Favorite productions include: Endgame, Merry Wives of Windsor, Antony & Cleopatra and The Importance of Being Earnest. Mark is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee's Professional Theatre Training Program

What brought you to acting?
Both my Grandfather and Mother were actors. They got me into it and I just kept going.  

What did 10-year-old Beth think she'd be when she grew up?
Probably a librarian, or a back-up dancer for Michael Jackson. 


What is the greatest challenge of playing Hermione and Autolycus?
The amount of memorization. All that text is a daunting challenge. I've always had to work really hard to get lines to stick in my brain. 

What do you hope that Shakespeare in the Park fans will take away from The Winter's Tale?
That life and how we respond to what is presented to us is all about choice. Whether we chose fear or love, anger or forgiveness, determines how our lives play out. Every moment we make choices based on how we PERCEIVE our circumstances, or how we PERCEIVE the words, worth or ideologies of the person in front of us. We have the choice and the power.

Who should play you in the feature film of your life?
Me. :-)  

What Shakespeare character to you most resemble?
Actually, I think Hermione. She loves her husband and being a mother above all else. She's not afraid to speak her mind  or get a little cheeky, but remains true to her values and impeccable with her words. I relate to her, and strive to live this way.

What's your superpower?
Intuition. I like to think my instincts are pretty good. But if I could acquire one, I want to fly. I used to have a recurring dream as a kid about flying through the Streets of Old Milwaukee at the Public Museum!

Tragedy, comedy or history?
Comedy, definitely. Probably romantic comedy, at that -- I love a happy ending!

Truth or dare?
Truth. I allow myself to be vulnerable and try to be an open book. Plus, I'm kind of a chicken when it comes to daring behavior!

Guilty pleasure?
Any dessert. ANY. DESSERT. 


More about Beth: 
Beth Mulkerron will make her Optimist Theatre debut in this summer's The Winter's Tale. You may recognize her from her recent parts in A Christmas Carol or Ragtime with The Milwaukee Rep.  She has sung in concert with Davis Gaines and The Milwaukee Symphony and performed across the country including Off-Broadway and locally at The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, The Fireside and Skylight Music Theatre. Television and voiceover credits include Miller, General Electric, the Wisconsin Lottery and NBC. Beth has also appeared in independent films and has enjoyed recording extensively for Hal Leonard. 

Beth studied Musical Theatre at the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music and received her BFA from Florida State University.