Spiritus Vitae Cast

Narrator

Anna’s interest in theatre started as a child, taking acting lessons and participating in various drama competitions, later passing exams of the Poetry Society and LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). She has been working freelance since 2008. As well as voiceover work and acting, she has experience directing and playwriting. Her plays have been performed in Europe and the USA. She has performed in London, Frankfurt and other European locations, including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Previous roles with Shakespeare Frankfurt are Hovstad in Enemy of the People (Ibsen), Ross in Macbeth (Shakespeare) and Hecuba in Trojan Women (Euripides).

Antipholus | The Comedy of Errors
Production Coordinator

Varvara comes from Athens, Greece. Her training includes theatre improvisation, Meisner technique and various acting & stage combat classes in Germany and masterclasses on Shakespeare and on clowning techniques in the UK. In 2019, she trained on Shakespeare's language with RSC’s Michael Corbidge and currently she trains on Meyerhold’s Biomechanics & Physical Theatre at the New International Performing Arts Institute in Berlin. Most recently, she acted at the English Theatre Frankfurt’s production of Huck Finn, she played the role of Tupolski in Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman at the Internationales Theater Frankfurt and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare Frankfurt’s 2019 production of Macbeth at the Botanical Garden. Spiritus Vitae: The Breath of Life marks her seventh production with Shakespeare Frankfurt.

Ursula | Much Ado about Nothing

Eva has acted in Shakespeare Frankfurt's production of "The Trojan Women", as well as in three productions of the Goethe university's Chaincourt Theatre Company including Langdon Mitchell's "The New York Idea", a stage adaptation of "The Graduate", and "Tone Death: a musical review". An experienced musician, she spends her free time singing, playing the piano, and doing yoga.

Hero | Much Ado about Nothing

Leanne is a voice and stage actor and stage manager from Chicago, Illinois. She has been involved with the English language theatre community in Frankfurt since 2018 when she performed as the voice of TCC-416 in the short play of the same name, written by PJ Escobio and produced by The LOFT. With Shakespeare Frankfurt, she has performed in An Enemy of the People (2018), Othello (2019) and stage managed for the production of Macbeth (2019) in the Botanischer Garten Frankfurt. She also plays the lead role in Huck Finn, a play for young audiences at The English Theatre Frankfurt, currently in its second season. When not onstage, Leanne is recording voiceover projects from her home studio for clients around the world. She recently began show calling for The English Theatre Frankfurt's current production of Switzerland (2020). Leanne also manages Shakespeare Frankfurt’s website and social media.

Beatrice | Much Ado about Nothing

Zeynep took lessons with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the American Academy of Dramatic arts. She joined Shakespeare Frankfurt in 2019 starring in ‚Trojan Women‘ and is now in her second project with the group.

First Grave-digger | Hamlet

Paul became a professional singer-songwriter in 1975, touring worldwide for forty years thereafter. With nine music albums, four poetry collections, eleven alchemy booklets and assorted literary prizes to his credit, he has also been active in both the Poetry and Song-Slam scenes, representing Frankfurt nationally in 2009 & 2010. For well over half his life he has been 'onstage', either performing, lecturing or conducting courses. As a Shakespeare fanatic he was active in Shakespeare Anyone? between 2012 and 2015; and subsequently, Shakespeare Frankfurt. He was one of the originators of Hortus Inclusus (2016), also researcher and performer. He played Prospero (The Tempest. 2016); Sir Toby Belch (Twelfth Night. 2017); Morten Kiil (Ibsen's An Enemy of the People. 2018); Oberon and Flute (A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2018, for which he also composed the music); and Iago, in the 2019 condensed, seven-actor, presentation of 'O' (Othello). In the 2019 Garden presentation of Macbeth, he played the expanded role of Seyton (incorporating the Porter and Old Man), the sinister coven-master of the three witches. www.paulcowlan.co.uk

Second Grave-digger | Hamlet

Tom is a French palaeontologist, born in Alsace, where he nursed his love for old bones and theatre. After several experiences on stage as a teenager, Tom joined the LUDI Poitiers (a French Comedy Sport group) during his studies and let “improv” enter his life. After peregrinating overseas, he moved to Frankfurt in 2008 to work at the Senckenberg Museum. Between fieldtrips to Kenya, he goes on stage to play in French or English, first with the Sidekicks Improvisational Comedy group, and then in several plays with FEST, the LOFT, Derdiedascalies and Shakespeare Frankfurt. Besides interviews and documentaries about dead animals and past environments, Spiritus vitae / The Breath of Life is his second experience of acting in front of a camera. Tom is a wine, cheese, Star Trek, role playing, and Africa addict. He knows everything about aardvarks.

Paulina | The Winter’s Tale

Antonia is an actor and singer from Frankfurt am Main. Spiritus Vitae is her fourth project with Shakespeare Frankfurt and her third at the Botanical Garden.

Antigonus | The Winter’s Tale

James E. Bailey was born in Los Angeles, California and loves to entertain. Since moving to Frankfurt, he's had the opportunity to perform with Shakespeare Frankfurt, Frankfurt English Speaking Theater, and the German American Community Choir, as well as performing on the stage of the Amelia Earhart Playhouse, Frankfurt Opera, and the English Theatre Frankfurt. In addition to acting, James also enjoys music and music he has written has been performed by the German American Community choir, and Shakespeare Frankfurt. James is excited to be a part of this film project and hopes to continue to do much more with Shakespeare Frankfurt.

Lysander | A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Emma is a Frankfurt native and just finished her first year in the BA (Hons) Acting programme of the Institute of the Arts Barcelona. She has been part of Shakespeare Frankfurt since the production of “An Enemy of the People” by Henrik Ibsen in the International Theatre Frankfurt in 2018 and was also part of Shakespeare in the Garden in “Macbeth” as a witch in 2019. She has been acting, singing and dancing in a musical theatre school for over 13 years and has been part of the production of “Je t’aime, Je t’aime“ at Schauspiel Frankfurt. She was also part of international Stagecoach musical productions such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat“, “Little Shop of Horrors“ and “Footloose“ in London, England.

Hermia | A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Melina began her acting training at a young age, taking classes in all three performance disciplines at Stagecoach Frankfurt Nord. In 2016 she joined the 'Schauspiel Frankfurt Youth Theatre', where she had a part in their 2017 original production 'United in Peace and Freedom'. Since then she’s worked with drama tutor and director Jenny Lipman, taken part in one of LAMDA's Shakespeare Summer Courses, and completed a foundation programme in acting at StageAccess Frankfurt. As of October 2020, Melina will be attending LAMDA’s Foundation course to further hone her skills.

Oliver | As you Like it

Allix trained at Webber Douglas Academy in London. He worked for many years as an actor in the UK, performing both in theatre and film. He is a playwright; his first production Dark in The Water was performed at the White Bear Theatre, London summer 2018; the White Bear went on to produce his next play Valhalla (January 2019) which was transferred to Brighton Fringe 2019. Valhalla will be transferred again as Allix continues with his other writing projects. Allix played Ariel in The Pillowman at the Amelia Earhart Playhouse and ITF at the end of last year. This is his first time working with Shakespeare Frankfurt and he is thrilled to be a part of it.

Orlando | As you Like it

Matthias is an actor in training born in the United States of America to Mexican Parents of German and Spanish ancestry. He grew up in Paris, France and moved to the Taunus area near Frankfurt am Main in 2010. He discovered his passion for acting after finishing his German Abitur diploma which led him to gathering experience in theatre and short films before enrolling in the BA Acting Programme of the Institute of the Arts Barcelona, in which he will attend the second academic year in September. This is Matthias’ second production with Shakespeare Frankfurt, the first one being the 2019 Summer Production in the botanical Garden, Macbeth.

Nurse | Romeo & Juliet

Jim’s previous experience on camera includes Fremdkörperkredit and Nimmerlandverräter (in German), and the music video to Over by Deux. He has appeared with this ensemble as MacDuff, Rodorigo, Orsino, Stefano and Alonso. He has recently directed for FEST e.V., the ECB Theatre Ensemble, and the English Theatre Frankfurt. Jim’s other local acting credits include work with FEST e.V., the Interkulturelle Bühne (in German) and Oper Frankfurt. He is currently adapting short stories by Native American writer Beth Brant for the stage.

Juliet | Romeo & Juliet

Klara fell in love with theatre and the performing arts, when in 2012 her school cooperated with the Staatstheater Mainz and gave her the opportunity to be a part of an opera for children. Since then she has been obsessed with theatre and music. She started taking classical singing lessons at the Peter Cornelius Conservatorium in Mainz. Looking for more acting experiences, she took a contemporary scenes study course with “Shakespeare Frankfurt”. Since then she has played Liesl in the Amelia Earhart Playhouse production of “Sound of Music”, Donalbain and the Second Witch in Shakespeare Frankfurt’s “Shakespeare in the Garden – Macbeth” and sang in last years’ Christmas production of Kryptonite Radio Theatre. She loves working with Shakespeare Frankfurt, who has opened so many doors for her and continues to do so. Now she is excited to be a part of Spiritus vitae The Breath of Life, which give her the chance to work in front of a camera.

Marina | Pericles
Director | A Winter's Tale
Production Assistant

Elisa began her involvement with English-language theater at the age of seventeen with the English Dramatic Society at University Erlangen-Nuremberg. She has performance experience as an actress and singer and directs a student choir. From 2018 to 2019, she was musical director for two musical productions, “Tone Death” and “College Collage,” of the Chaincourt Theatre Company and contributed music to the production of “The Scarecrow.” She also contributed music and worked as the music director for Shakespeare Frankfurt’s production of “Trojan Women” in February 2020. Since 2018, she has been a surtitles manager at the Frankfurt Opera and works as assistant dramaturge for individual productions. She is a student of theatre, film and media studies at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Pericles

Nate is currently the director of the Amelia Earhart Playhouse for the US Army in Wiesbaden, and has spent 15 years working with US Army Entertainment. Nate has an MFA in directing from Baylor University and a bachelor’s degree in acting from Northern Michigan University. Nate has also taught theatre at the college level, leading the theatre program at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas. Nate’s directing credits include Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Avenue Q, Bryony Lavery’s Frozen, The Neverending Story, Lost In Yonkers, Woyzeck, Noises Off, and Mary Poppins, among many others. Nate has won awards for acting and directing with Army Entertainment productions, and was twice an Irene Ryan nominee while at NMU. In his limited spare time, Nate becomes a recluse at home with his wife Maren and three kids (Eowyn, Asher, and Ivy), two dogs, three grills, and playwriting.

Dromio | The Comedy of Errors
Creative Producer
Film Editor

Michael has been acting since he was a child, both on stage and in front of the camera. During his film studies in Mainz he appeared in several short and feature films. His last film And the Rest Is History earned him a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Foreign Language Film at the London International Filmmaker Festival. With the touring Zettels Theater company he performed in a number of German Shakespeare productions, including Richard III where he played the title role. In 2019 he starred as another infamous king: Macbeth, his fifth production with Shakespeare Frankfurt, after having played Ariel in The Tempest, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Dr. Stockmann in Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People. His other acting credits include: Sartre’s No Exit, Yasmina Reza’s Art, Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman and Martin Heckmanns’ one-person play Finnisch, for which he received the Best Actor award at the Freispiel theatre festival in Freiburg. His editing skills originate from his daytime job as media curator and editor for the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum where he works since 2009.

Director
Leontes | The Winter’s Tale

PJ is primarily a Theatre director whose production of Huck Finn is in its second season at the English Theatre Frankfurt. His production of The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh was at the Internationales Theater Frankfurt in the Fall of 2019. He is the Artistic Director of Shakespeare Frankfurt, for whom he will direct King Lear in the Botanische Garten Frankfurt, summer 2021. His past directorial work for Shakespeare Frankfurt include: Trojan Women by Euripides, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors (cancelled due to Covid) and An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen. From 2015-18 he was the Director in Residence at The LOFT, where he directed Shakespeare in the Garden:Hortus Inclusus, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Grounded by George Brandt and was the co-creator of Where. For 10 years he was the Artistic Director of Shakespeare Anyone? founded in New York City in 2005, where he directed, produced and/or performed roles from all but 5 of Shakespeare’s plays. He also cast and directed BFA playwriting thesis projects for NYU’s Tisch school of the arts. He has taught Acting, Scene study, Stage combat and Shakespeare courses at the collegiate level as well as high schools and private institutions for over 20 years. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Missouri-KC.