“a must-see.” 

“has the power to captivate” 

 “scattering cast members among and around the audience, where they can shout, interrupt the onstage action, fire themselves up as if one of us –turning each of us conversely into one of the them.”

“a hotbed of elevated oration.”

“As Antony, Foley delivers the pivotal funeral oration with the pacing and cadence of a sermon, making the plebians’ anger a kind of resounding amen.”

Louis Butelli*- Caesar

Previously for Smith Street Stage, Lear in King Lear. Other NYC: Sleep No More, The Death of Rasputin (returning in 2026), appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, 59E59, New Victory Theater, Red Bull, 13th Street Theater, NYMF (Best of Fest Award), etc. Regional appearances include: Folger Theater (Helen Hayes Award), Shakespeare Theatre DC, South Coast Rep, ART Boston, Pasadena Playhouse, etc. TV includes:  Law & Order (Mothership and Criminal Intent), The Knick, The Blacklist, All My Children, etc. Visit: louisbutelli.substack.com For Antoine.

Amara James Aja*- Brutus

Smith Street Stage: Love's Labor's Lost, Henry V. New York: Red Bull Theater, HERE Arts Center. Regional: Cinicinnati Playhouse, The Barter Theater, Oregon Symphony, Argyle Theatre, The Old Globe. MFA: USD/Old Globe.

Katie Willmorth*-Cassius

Smith Street Stage Credits: Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Buckingham (Richard III), Belle (Christmas Carol:A Radio Play) and Calpurnia in the 2013 production of Julius Caesar! Selected acting credits: Christine Linde (A Doll House) at The Private Theater/BCTR; Caroline (I And You) at Boise Contemporary Theater; Co-creator of Kitchen Chronicles at Touchstone Theatre; Miranda (The Tempest) at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Selected directing credits: Richard II and As You Like It at Smith Street Stage; Twelfth Night at Pendragon Theatre. BFA:NYU, Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Gratitude and love to Will.

Bryce Foley*- Antony

Foley is an Ypsilanti, Mi native; now local to Brooklyn, NY. This is his second time with Smith Street Stage (Last year in Henry V). Other selected credits include: Hang Time (The Apollo), The Great Gatsby (United Palace/Northern Stage), On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco... (TheaterLab), Barely Friends (Web Series), and The Stu (Short).

Jonathan Minton - Casca

Previous Smith Street credits: John of Gaunt in Richard II, Corin in As You Like It, Egeon in Comedy of Errors, Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet, Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Worcester/Chief Justice in Henry IV. Other credits include Antonio in Twelfth Night (Quest Players), Banquo in Macbeth (Penn. Shakespeare Festival), and Algernon in Importance of Being Earnest (Hudson Warehouse). You can hear him on the Queer Ass Movie Club podcast. Love to the folks, Dad, Sarah, and Mom. May the force be with you.

Noelle Franco* - Portia

Franco is thrilled to be returning to Smith Street Stage! Her acting credits include Twelfth Night (Quest Players), Just Like Us (Latino Theater Company), Poirot: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Oregon Cabaret Theatre), Valor (The Guthrie Theatre), Richard II (Smith Street Stage), La Victima (Latino Theater Company), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Baltimore Center Stage), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New York Classical Theatre); New Amsterdam (NBC), Gotham (FOX), Blue Bloods (CBS), The Other Two (Comedy Central); BFA Acting: UNCSA 2014; MFA Acting: UCLA 2022. Love to J+D, M+S, D+C

Petron Brown*- Decius

Petron Dee is a recipient of the Mabel P. Robinson Emerging Artist Acting Award at the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival and the Dramatists Guild Foundation Inaugural National Fellowship for Playwriting. New York credits include: Constellations (The Chain Theatre), The Guinep Tree (New Circle Theatre), Julius Caesar (Fount Studios), Stand Right There (HB Studio), The Winter’s Tale, The Will of Ergamenes (Columbia University). MFA, Acting: University of Southern Mississippi.

Xueyun (Harry) Zhai - Artemidorus, Cobbler, Lucius

Harry is an actor and writer from Beijing who would have completed his BFA from NYU Tisch Drama by the time first preview hits. Previous Smith Street Credit includes: Scrope/Erpingham/French Soldier, Henry V.

Alaysia Duncan* - Cinna/Octavius

Smith Street Stage debut. Recent credits: Ruthie (COVENANT, Alliance Theatre); Manon (PAS DE TROIS, OR..., Classic Stage Company/SheNYC Fest, Best Leading Actor in a Play); Enid (LEGALLY BLONDE, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre); Bulda (FROZEN, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre); Perdita (The Winter's Tale, Utah Shakespeare Festival); Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII, Utah Shakespeare Festival); Ensemble/Shirelles Swing (BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, Engeman Theater); Mercy (SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY, Hangar Theatre), Eurydike (ANTIGONICK, Hangar Theatre). Ithaca College, BFA Acting. Love to family & friends. alaysiarenayduncan.com

Nowani Rattray* - Trebonius, Calpurnia

This is Nowani’s fourth production with Smith Street Stage. Past SSS credits include Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Comedy of Errors. Select Acting Credits: Autumn's Harvest (Lincoln Center Education), Between the Bars (HERE Arts Center), The Tragedy of Tupac Amaru Shakur (National Black Theatre).  BFA, Acting: Syracuse University.Thank you to my mom and sister!

Krishna Doodnauth - Metellus Cimber

Doodnauth is so excited to be making his Smith Street Stage debut. Previous credits include: Film: 𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑠. TV: "FBI: Most Wanted", "Law & Order: SVU." Theatre: World premiere of 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (Gulf Shore Playhouse). He is incredibly grateful to work with his former Stella Adler professor, Jonathan Hopkins, as he embarks on his first professional Shakespeare play. Thanks for coming and enjoy the show!

Toni Kwadzogah* - Cicero

Kwadzogah is pleased to be appearing in her fifth Smith Street production. She is a multidisciplinary artist based in New Jersey. Recent directing credits: Buzzer (Court Square Theater). Select acting credits: “Ely/Williams” - Henry V (Smith Street Stage), Holly - Next Fall (Morningside Players).