THE COMPANY /

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SOPHIE CÔTE / Guildenstern and Others

Young Artist Mentorship Program Participant

Sophie has been training in theatre for 5 years and has done a few theatre projects over this time. You might have seen her in Ignite, for Hamilton Fringe 2022, or as Jane in HTI's Descendants the Musical in 2023. Hamlet is the most challenging project she has done and she is so grateful to have the support of all of the talented people in this production. Sophie can be found watching apocalypse TV shows or playing with her dog, Rosie.

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AARON JOEL CRAIG / Director

Aaron Joel Craig (he/him) is a director, dramaturge, designer and performer. His passion for developing new work with artists in Hamilton led to the founding of Same Boat Theatre, alongside Stephen Near. His theatre work focuses on questions of identity, power and how to stay hopeful in a difficult world. Some past projects include Test, Your Own Sons and The Conspiracy of Michael, and most recently, the national tour of Whale Fall, all with Same Boat, and Henry the Fifth and Waiting for Godot for Redeemer University. He recently completed work on a masters degree at Wycliffe College/University of Toronto, exploring the intersections of art and spirituality. He lives in the East End of Hamilton with his partner, Cath, their two kids, and his probably- too-big record collection.

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DAVID DIFRANCESCO / Laertes

Absolutely thrilled to be back working with Rook's Theatre after co-creating Treasure Island many years ago. Past Credits include Three Men in a Boat/on a Bike (Pea Green Theatre), Avenue Q, We Will Rock You, Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Stephenville Theatre Festival). Having stepped away from theatre to complete a masters in Teaching, David is excited to wear both actor and teacher hat this fall. Thankful for artistic friendships that last decades and the constant support of those closest in his life. 

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REBEKKA GONDOSCH / Ophelia

Rebekka Gondosch (they/she) is a theatre maker, writer, and arts educator based in Hamilton, Ontario. They are beyond delighted to be playing Ophelia and working with such a magical cast. Rebekka is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin’s M.Phil. in Theatre and Performance program and enjoys engaging in artistic work rooted in devised theatre, site-specific theatre, Irish theatre, and queer performance. Rebekka spent much of their childhood reading Shakespeare for fun, so it is no wonder their first job was with the Stratford Festival Theatre’s Shakespeare School and their current vocation is as a high school Dramatic Arts and English teacher. Rebekka has had the great honour of teaching amazing students for over seven years and is currently teaching with HWDSB. They are a proud member of Passing Through Theatre in Toronto and Light Echo Theatre in Hamilton. They dedicate this performance to F.D.

IG @theatre_is_wilde

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* ALLISON HOSSACK / Polonius

Allison Hossack (she/her) is an actor, mom, and lifelong student. Some favourite theatre projects include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an all-female production of Glengarry Glen Ross, Closer, Paper Wheat, The Sound of Music, and most recently, Sweat, at Theatre Aquarius. Allison has appeared on over 90 different television shows. Recent appearances include: the anthology series Accused, the Hallmark movie Riverside Romance, and the feature film Longing. In 2021, Allison completed a master's degree in education, where she focused on arts-based research, specifically storytelling as a means to understanding ourselves and the world around us. She is very grateful for this return to Shakespeare and the opportunity to play with this wonderful group of artists.

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* STEPHANIE HOPE LAWLOR / Hamlet

Stephanie Hope Lawlor (she/her) is an accomplished actor, theatre-maker, and teaching artist in Hamilton. Selected Theatre: Rebecca in Whale Fall (Same Boat Theatre in Hamilton, Vancouver, Toronto, then Hamilton again), Never Not Once, One Night Only, The Sound of Music (Theatre Aquarius), Every Brilliant Thing, Mary’s Wedding, Venus in Fur (Rook’s Theatre), Snow White (Drayton Ent.), Provenance (Berkeley Street Theatre), Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (Stage West), Salt-Water Moon (Studio Theatre). Graduate of Randolph Academy (College) for the Performing Arts and McMaster University. Stephanie serves as the head of the HCA Theatre School at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts and is the recipient of the inaugural Innovation - Cutting Edge Gilded Hammer Award (2020). For MJL, whether he likes it or not. hopelawlor.com 

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STEPHEN NEAR / Claudius

Stephen Near (he/him) is a writer, theatre creator and educator living in Hamilton. He is a graduate of York University (BFA), the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (B. Ed) and the MFA Creative Writing program at the University of Guelph. Stephen is a member of the Playwright’s Guild of Canada and an alumnus of the Sage Hill Writing Experience and the Banff Centre. He is co-founder of Same Boat Theatre alongside Aaron Joel Craig; together they have collaborated on such shows as Finding Mr. Right, Conspiracy of Michael, Your Own Sons, Test and the award-winning Whale Fall. He is very pleased to be bringing the role of Claudius to life for this co-production with Rook's Theatre. stephennear.com

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MICHAEL RODE / Horatio

Michael is a Hamilton based actor and Montessori educator. Shakespeare credits include: The Tempest (Tottering Biped), Twelfth Night (Direct Flight); Midsummer Night’s Dream (Rose Theatre); Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre Prospero); All’s Well That Ends Well (Alchemy Theatre); Othello, Julius Caesar (Single Thread); The Winter’s Tale (Theatre Kingston). Hamilton credits include Mary’s Wedding (Rook’s Theatre); Amadeus (Theatre Aquarius); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Land Mermaid). Michael conducted and co-founded the Hamilton Choir Project, sang (virtually with 7,000 other artists) for Queen Elizabeth II, performed in theatres across the country, and has proudly directed his adolescent students in a Shakespeare production for the past seven years. 

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JENNIFER WALTON / Gertrude

Jennifer Walton’s acting credits include Your Own Sons for Same Boat Theatre, the film Things I Do for Money directed by Warren Sonoda and Woman in Black and The Diary of Anne Frank for Theatre Aquarius. Directing credits include Stationary (Hamilton Fringe 2024), The Tragedy of Othella Moore (Best of Hamilton Fringe, 2016), and The Soldier’s Tale for Amphion Ensemble where she also played the Devil. Jennifer is the 2021 recipient of the Voaden Prize in Playwriting for GUNPLAY (After the Gun Goes Off). She was a founding member and co-director of Hamilton-based Women’s Work Playwright Collective and a former member of the Theatre Aquarius Playwright Unit. Jennifer’s short plays have been featured in staged reading festivals across North America and most recently, Brave New Works at Theatre Aquarius that she also directed. She’s a teaching artist who spent almost 30 years as co-director of The Creative Theatre Company and currently teaches Public Speaking for Brain Power. 

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JAY WATSON / Rosencrantz and Other

Young Artist Mentorship Program Participant

Julianne (or Jay) Watson is an acting student and overall theatre lover. She is making her professional theatre debut in Hamlet. Jay is a theatre student at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts and has been in several plays, most recently, [Un]charted (through HCA). She can often be found in the racks of a thrift store and will stop to say hi to any cat she sees. Jay would like to say thank you to her family and shout out all of her favourite cats.

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* This is a Canadian Actors’ Equity Association production under the Artists’ Collective Policy