Oedipus Rex is sponsored by

Jessica Breda (Second Messenger/Chorus) is honored to return to Legacy where she previously appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena) and Pygmalion (Various Roles). Originally from Hamden, she currently resides in New York City. Jessica has worked extensively with Connecticut’s Valley Shakespeare Festival, where her favorite credits include Twelfth Night (Viola), As You Like It (Rosalind), Our Town (Emily), and A Christmas Carol (Belle). She is also a proud company member of New York’s Puppet Shakespeare Players (NYT Critic’s Pick). Other New York credits include new writing projects such as Shark Attack: The Unauthorized Sharknado Musical Parody (Narrator) and No Commoner Tale (Cressida). Jessica holds a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College and trains in improv and sketch comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade. If you have a sharp eye, you can spot her in a recent national commercial for Match.com. www.jessicabreda.com

Emmett Cassidy (Servant / Chorus) is an actor from Branford, performing in his third production with Legacy Theatre. Previous roles with Legacy have included Laertes (Hamlet, ‘18), and Elliot (Private Lives, ‘19), and Expanded Voices: Jamal. “A very special thanks to Keeley and Lauren for letting me work with you both on yet another great show, here’s to many more to come!”

F. Liam Devlin (Chorus) is from Somerville, NJ and is a rising senior at Quinnipiac studying Theater with a minor in film. This will be his debut at The Legacy Theater. Other credits include Somerville High School: The Sound of Music (Kurt), Mary Poppins (Bert), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Finch), Cinderella (Topher). Quinnipiac: Red Speedo (Ray), RAGE: A Play with Music (Pigpen). Web: Quinnipiac Tonight (3 season).

Barbara Hentschel (Chorus) is delighted to be returning to Legacy Theatre in its beautifully restored artistic home. Past roles with Legacy: Queen Gertrude in Hamlet and Mrs. Eynsford Hill in Pygmalion. Regional: Lady Montague in Romeo & Juliet, directed by Mark Lamos (Westport Country Playhouse), Valet in William Mastrosimone’s Ride the Tiger (Long Wharf Theatre), Lissie in Apple Season (Ivoryton Playhouse, WPI), Laura in The Glass Menagerie and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (MLS). Recent TV: Amy Price in Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Netflix), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon). Barbara earned her BA in Theatre from Fordham at Lincoln Center and an MFA in acting from The Actors Studio Drama School, NYC. Barbara has worked on staff as Resident Teaching Artist for Long Wharf Theatre and coaches privately. All my love to Peter, Noah, and Sylvia. www.bhentschel.com

Mitchel Kawash (Oedipus) is excited to be returning to the Legacy Theatre, where he previously appeared in Barefoot in the Park, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the original musical Joan Joyce. A New York-based actor with Connecticut ties, Mitchel holds a BA in Theater Studies with distinction from Yale and completed his graduate acting training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. While at Yale, he performed around the world as a member of The Whiffenpoofs—the nation’s oldest collegiate a cappella group.  Additional regional credits include the Elm Shakespeare Company (Julius Caesar, dir. Alvin Epstein), the Valley Shakespeare Festival (Our Town, Cyrano, The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, Pericles, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Christmas Carol, and Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending), and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (Hamlet). Mitchel starred in the Off-Broadway musical satire Me the People (writ. Nancy Holson) and has appeared in television shows, short films, radio plays, and a national commercial.

Tyrell Latouche (Priest / Chorus) is excited for the chance to work with Legacy Theatre again! He's a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University, whose previous credits include being the playwright of Last Words (The Barrow Group), Delivery Man in Barefoot in the Park (Legacy), and Stadium Announcer/Child Fan in Joan Joyce (Legacy).

Mariah Sage* (Jocasta) is thrilled to be part of Legacy Theatre’s inaugural season! Previously Mariah performed with Legacy in The Wicked Stage and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has performed around the country and in Europe at such theaters as: Yale Rep, The Public Theater, Ivoryton Playhouse, Cleveland Public Theatre, Valley Shakespeare Festival, The Trinity Rep, The Cleveland Play House, and The Apollo in Dusseldorf, Germany. Mariah earned her BFA in drama at NYU/Tisch and her MFA in acting at Brown University/Trinity Rep where she was a Stephen Sondheim Fellow. She is on the theatre faculty at Quinnipiac University. She is also the founder of Present & Perform, an audition preparation and private coaching company in New Haven www.presentandperform.com With thanks and love to Keely, Gage, Bruce, and DiAnne.

Michael Sayers (Teiresias) In a career in entertainment spanning 50 years, Michael has been seen, heard, and known as an actor, producer, director, writer, playwright, comedian, ringmaster, toastmaster, ficticious detective, voice over artist, cartoon character, and filmmaker. Best known as the Detective Chester Hadlyme, he has, for over 30 years, taken his interactive comedy shows to audiences on Camelot Cruise Murder on the Connecticut River and Carnival Cruise Lines to Colleges and Universities throughout the northeast, and most recently a 7 year engagement at Consiglio’s Restaurant on Wooster Street in New Haven. The Covid 19 pandemic brought about a change of plans for a project that was in the works for a stage presentation, but transformed into a film project. His narrated compilation of selected stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe, “Poetic”, was completed when the final segment to be included, “The Masque of the Red Death”, was brilliantly scored, illustrated, and finished. The film is currently competing in festivals. He is also very proud to be invited to be in the first show in a new theatre.

Tom Schwans* (Creon) s a professional actor, director, and teacher. Although he currently resides in NYC, he has performed all over the country.  Tom is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Guerrilla Shakespeare Project, which was recently nominated for 4 New York Innovative Theatre Awards.  In the past, Tom served as the Associate Artistic Director of The Old Creamery Theatre in Iowa and Artistic Director of the Deertrees Theatre Festival in Maine. His teaching and directing experience includes Fairfield University, Quinnipiac University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Brown University.  He is truly honored to be a part of Legacy’s inaugural season.  Tom holds a BA from Minnesota State University Moorhead and an MFA from Brown University/Trinity Rep.

Michael Steinman is excited to be a part of this production of Oedipus Rex at Legacy Theatre. Michael has performed in 11 productions including Peter Pan Jr, Disney Magic, Willy Wonka Jr, Honk!, Alice in Wonderland Jr, Into The Woods, Beauty and the Beast Jr, We Will Rock You Jr, School House Rock Jr, High School Musical Jr, and now Oedipus Rex. He is thrilled that Musical Theater is getting back to normal despite the pandemic and he can finally get up on stage again! Michael would like to thank Keely Baisden Knudsen for this opportunity to be a part of Oedipus Rex.