Antonio Horn
Caesar/Ghost of Caesar

Kayla Crispino
Marcus Brutus

Sophia Dimond
Caius Cassius

Skylar Thompson
Mark Anthony

Kylee Fruin
Portia/Clitus

Crowler Bonomo
Trebonius/Popilius/Third Citizen/Lepidus

Sam Garcia
Lucius/Publius/Cato

Hans Herrera
Marullus/Soothsayer/Caesar’s Assistant

Rose Jimenez
Cinna/Citizen 2/Lucilius/Strato

Summer McDonald
Metellus Cimber/Citizen 1/Fourth Citizen/Volumnius

Ky Muhammad
Casca/Titinius

Maia Perez
Decius Brutus/Second Citizen/Pindarus

Alyssa Ramirez
Calpurnia/First Citizen/Messala

Sebastian Vega Barrios
Artemidorus/Cinna the Poet/Octavius/Ligarius 

In my work directing Shakespeare, I am interested in offering women the opportunity to play some of the Bard’s most iconic roles. In this production, Brutus and Cassius are played by women, as are many of the conspirators. There is power in representation … and in reimagining who gets to wield “power” onstage.

Antonio Horn

Julius Caesar

Antonio Horn (he/him) is a fourth-year B.F.A. acting candidate at Northern Illinois University. This is his fifth time in a theater production, and his last show at NIU. His previous highlights come from playing Anon in ANON(YMOUS) directed by Miranda Gonzalez, Francis Flute in Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Melanie Keller and playing various roles in Anxious People! directed by Alys Dickerson and Machinal directed by Alex Gelman, all at Northern Illinois University. He would like to give all the praise to God and thank everyone for helping put pieces to this puzzle called God’s plan! Everybody and every piece of yourself you give to people matters. 

Kayla Crispino

Marcus Brutus

Kayla Crispino (she/her) is a fourth-year B.F.A. acting student. She most recently was seen as Fall in Holler River as well as the stage combat captain, Lady Macduff/Witch #1/Gentlewoman in Macbeth, Estrella in Life is A Dream, and Annette in God of Carnage. Kayla would like to thank her cast, director, and crew for creating a beautiful show. She would also like to thank her family for always supporting her. Lastly, she would like to thank her husband for being her #1 cheerleader. Kayla hopes you enjoy the show as much as she loved working on it. 

Sophia Dimond

Caius Cassius

Sophia Dimond (she/her) is a fourth-year B.F.A. acting major here at Northern Illinois University and is so grateful to be a part of this production for her final show here on the NIU stage. She has previously been seen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Snug the joiner, various roles in Anxious People by Carol Lee, Earl of Shrewsbury in Mary Stuart by Fredrich Schiller, and most recently En in Caridad Svich’s Holler River. Sophia would like to thank her friends and family for all of their continuous support and is so grateful to the rest of the cast, crew, director, and everyone who has contributed throughout this process. She would also like to thank her instructors, cohort mates, and all who she has worked with during her time here at NIU for their wisdom, generosity, passion, and friendship that she will never forget. Sophia has had such a wonderful time working on this show and hopes you enjoy NIU’s production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar! 

Sam Garcia

Lucius, Publius, Cato

Sam Garcia (she/they) is a second-year B.F.A. acting student at NIU. This is her first show at NIU, and she is excited to start her show journey here. She’d like to thank the cast, crew, and Kay for everyone’s hard work on the show, her family, friends, roommates, and boyfriend for the support. She is looking forward to many more performances and shows in her future. Her most recent credits include: Narrator in Puffs, Cecile in The Hundred Dresses, and Ensemble The Drowsy Chaperone.  

Skylar Thompson

Antony

Skylar Thompson (he/him) is a Junior BF.A. acting major at NIU. Julius Caesar marks his third show with the SOTD, following Machinal and Prowess in the 2024-2025 Season. He is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue putting art on stage. He would like to thank his family, friends, and partner for their love and support that gives him the strength to grow and learn as an artist and as an individual every single day.

Kyan “Ky” Muhammad

Casca, Titinius

Kyan “Ky” Muhammad (he/him) is a second-year B.F.A acting student at Northern Illinois University. This is his first show at NIU, and second show ever worked on, the first ironically being Julius Ceasar at Starlight Theater. He would like to thank his family and closest friends for continuing to push him to pursue his path to stardom. He is very excited and grateful to work amongst such a talented cast and crew and cannot wait for you all to see the beautiful tragedy that is Julius Cesar.  

Alyssa Ramirez

Calpurnia, Messala, Citizen 1

Alyssa Ramirez (she/her) is a second-year B.F.A. acting major at Northern Illinois University. She previously studied at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, pursuing a B.A. in theatre studies with a focus in acting, stage management, and directing. Past credits include stage management for Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties, scenic design for When We Dead Awaken by Henrik Ibsen, and both costume/scenic design and the role of Laura in Meteor Shower by Steve Martin. She is incredibly grateful to continue her training at NIU and to work on Julius Caesar, a production that holds so much power through the thought and collaboration put into it. She would like to thank the entire creative team for their incredible artistry and support. 

Kylee Fruin

Portia, Clitus

Kylee Fruin (she/her) is a second-year B.F.A. acting major at Northern Illinois University. This is her very first production at NIU, but some of her past work includes playing Lady Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Sweetheart (Exit Pursued By A Bear), Callie/B (Lost Girl), and more. She has also directed multiple children’s productions, and some of her favorites include Alice in Wonderland Jr., Descendents The Musical, and The Little Mermaid Jr. Kylee is absolutely thrilled to be a part of such a powerful and encouraging show. She is so thankful to be able to tell such an important story during these times the world is going through. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her since day one in making her dreams come true. She is incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to work with such talented and experienced people. It means the world to her that you are here, supporting SoTD and she hopes you all enjoy the show! xx

Instagram:  kylee__kins 

Maia Perez

Decius Brutus, Second Citizen, Pindarus

Maia Perez (she/they) is a second-year B.F.A. acting student at Northern Illinois University. This is their first production at NIU! They were last seen in Jamboree, and the first-year actors showcase at NIU, and sound operator for Prowess at NIU. They are so excited to perform and learn alongside their classmates and grateful to have such a wonderful and safe space to create art. They would also like to thank her parents and boyfriend for all their love and support. 

Hans Herrera

Marullus, Soothsayer, Caesar’s Assistant

Hans Herrera (he/him) is a third-year B.A. theatre studies and art history candidate. He most recently acted as Jo/Casey in Holler River with the School of Theatre and Dance. He also served as the dramaturg for both parts of the Invictus Theatre Company’s Angels in America, wrote and co-directed A New Life for the NIU 24 Hour Play Festival, and serves as a mentor for the NIU Penguin Players. He is eternally grateful for your support in the arts and hopes that you enjoy the show! 

Rose Jimenez

Cinna, Citizen 2, Strato

Rose Jimenez (she/they) is currently a second year BFA actor, as well as a dance minor. Rose is so excited for their first show at NIU, and to work with this amazing team! Her favorite shows she’s done are Once Upon a Mattress (Mabelle), The Crucible (afflicted girl), The Addams Family (dance ensemble), and Legally Blonde (Harvard Student)! Rose would love to thank their family and friends for the support throughout the years, and for being the reason she can continue performing. IG: tired.rose_ 

Crowler Bonomo

Trebonius, Popilius, 3rd Citizen, Lepidus

Crowler Bonomo (they/them) is a theatre studies B.A. major. This is the first theatrer production they’re performing in with the NIU School of Theatre and Dance, along with their very first Shakespeare production. Credits include ensemble member in Mamma Mia!: the Musical with Naperville Central High School, the Caveman Ancestor in The Addams Family: the Musical, a Bugbear in She Kills Monsters, Beralde (Understudy) in The Imaginary Invalid, Strange Man/Doctor in A Streetcar Named Desire, and Max in Cabaret: the Musical with Alma College Theatre, and working run crew for Prowess with the NIU School of Theatre and Dance in the spring 2025 semester. They are also an Eagle Scout, current brother of the Epsilon Rho chapter of Phi Mu Alpha, and a co-founder of NIU’s very own voice acting club. They are very excited and grateful to be able to be part of this production with all of their wonderful cast mates and cannot wait to perform alongside their friends on stage. They would also like to thank their friends, family, and the faculty of the NIU School of Theatre and Dance for their support. 

Summer McDonald

Metellus Cimber, Citizen 1, Fourth Citizen, Volumnius

Summer McDonald (she/her) is in her second year as a B.F.A. actor at Northern Illinois University. This is her first time in a show at NIU! Her other roles she’s played at her high school were  Joe Keller in All My Sons, Peter Quince in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, and a News Reporter in Clue. She’s so thankful to be working on a show as great as Julius Caesar for her debut at NIU. She would also love to thank, her friends Quinn, Sam, and Gavin for always giving her motivation to reach her goals. Her parents, always coming to her aid to support her.  Her boyfriend, Gio, for being her backbone when times were tough. And for the audience, thank you for coming out to support us. We hope you enjoy the show. 

Sebastian Vega Barrios

Artemidorus, Cinna the Poet, Ligarius, Octavius

Sebastian Vega Barrios (he/him) is a third-year B.F.A. acting major at Northern Illinois University. This is his third production at NIU, his past roles were as Pascal/Mr. Mackus/Strygal for (Anon)ymous, directed by Miranda Gonzalez, and adding clerk/husband/judge in Machinal, directed by Alexander Gelman. He has also been a writer, producer, and actor of short films as part of the Festival Ponte Los Cortos Film Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Some of these projects have been Elijah (2023), Otro yo (2022), Resiliencia (2021), Solo un juego (2020), Basta (2019), and El deseo de Sebastian (2018). Sebastian would like to thank his family for the unwavering support since he started pursuing what he loved. Sebastian is infinitely grateful to be part of such a wonderful cast, especially since it’s his first time working with Shakespeare. For him, it is such an honor to be part of a production like Julius Caesar, considering the state that our world is in right now. He can’t wait for everyone to see and enjoy the show!

Instagram: _sebassvb_ 

Kay Martinovich

Director

Kay Martinovich (she/hers) is a professional theater director based in Chicago, and a proud member of the directors’ union, SDC, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.  She has directed at Remy Bumppo, Trap Door, Kane Rep, City Lit, Chopin Theatre, and Irish Repertory of Chicago, among others.

At NIU, Kay is an Associate Professor of Acting and teaches Meisner-based acting, introduction to performance, and professional development for the actor. Productions at NIU: In a Word by Lauren Yee, her adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, Girls and Dolls by Lisa McGee, A Bright New Boise by Samuel D. Hunter, Middletown by Will Eno, The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek by Naomi Wallace, and A Skull in Connemara by Martin McDonagh. Kay has her MPhil in Irish Theater Studies from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and her PhD in Theater Historiography from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Upcoming productions include Green Corridors at Trap Door Theater, January 2026.

kaymartinovich.com

Bethany Mangum-Oles

Director of Voice/Text and Movement

Bethany Mangum-Oles (she/her) instructor of acting, voice, and movement. Bethany holds an M.F.A. in acting from Northern Illinois University and a B.F.A. in acting from California State University, Fullerton. Bethany is a Certified Intimacy Captain and is also trauma-informed yoga and yoga nidra certified. She has made her artistic home at NIU as performance area faculty where she teaches all levels in the Meisner-based acting sequence and all levels of both voice and speech and movement tracks, as well as directs in the official production season. Some favorite directing credits for the School include Mary Stuart, Melancholy Play, Twelfth Night, Big Love, Bird in the Hand, Our Town, and A Song for Coretta. Recently, Bethany serves as artistic director at Kane Repertory Theatre where she oversees the daily workings of the company, season selection, and casting. She is also rotating voice and movement faculty at the renowned Gately-Poole Acting Conservatory. Chicago acting credits include projects with The Organic Theater Company, MUSE Theatre Collective, Along the Way Productions, The Outer Loop Theatre Experience, Unnecessary Nowledge, and Kane Repertory Theatre. Favorite acting roles include Masha in Three Sisters, Lady Capulet in BCC: Romeo and Juliet, and Viola in the US premiere of Out of the Blue. Internationally, Bethany has studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Moscow, Russia, and performed and facilitated workshops at the Adana International Theatre Festival in Adana, Turkey.  bethanymangum.com 

Emery Foster

Co-Scenic Designer/Technical Director

Emery Foster (they/them) is a first-year M.F.A technical direction student at Northern Illinois University. They received their B.A. in visual art at Southeastern Louisiana University with a concentration in scenic design. Their previous professional credits include carpentry at Upstaging, Inc., assistant technical directing at the Egyptian Theatre, contract technical direction work with Elgin Community College, as well as freelance scenic designing in New Orleans. A big thank you to everyone working in the shop this semester who helped bring the set of Julius Caesar to life! 

Max Garcia

Co-Scenic Designer

Max Garcia (he/him) is a third-year B.F.A. theater technology and design major with an emphasis in scenic and lighting design. This is Max’s first time scenic designing, alongside Emery Foster. He has learned so much through their partnership and hopes to work with them again. Max is also the lighting designer for Dulcci directed by Mark Litwicki as a part of the Destinos Chicago International Latino Theater Festival opening October 1. Previous credits include, assistant lighting designer for Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches and Part Two: Perestroika with The Invictus Theater Company directed by Charles Askenaizer, Lighting designer for M.F.A./B.F.A. Actor Showcase directed by Kay Martinovich, Co-lighting designer for The Spring Choreography Showcase and Art for Life by the NIU School of Dance, scenic painter for Prowess directed by Roxanna Conner, and assistant lighting designer for Macbeth directed Peter Andersen. Max endlessly thanks his partner, family, and friends for always supporting him. 

Ross Wheeler

Lighting Designer

Ross Wheeler (he/him) is a second-year M.F.A candidate for lighting design. A proud member of Actors Equity, Ross loves to explore exceptional regional theaters across the country. Previous credits include: Guys on Ice, Footloose, Church Basement Ladies: Rise Up O Men  (Old Creamery Theater); Next to Normal  (Fox Country Players & Heritage Theater Festival), Footloose, Newsies  (Crane River Theater);  Sweet Charity, Camelot  (Wagon Wheel Theater); and over 900 performances of Frankie and Smudge in Forever Plaid, including three productions directed by the author, Stuart Ross. (Drury Lane Oak Brook; Marcus Center, Milwaukee; McLeod Summer Playhouse; Theatre at the Center, Munster, Indiana; Royal George Theater, Chicago; Flamingo Hilton (Las Vegas).  In addition to acting, Ross enjoys working as a lighting designer, scenic designer, scenic carpenter, and director. His favorite role is that of husband and father. 

Gunner Wright

Assistant Lighting Designer

Gunner Wright (he/him) is a third-year B.F.A. design technology student at Northern Illinois University. He works at Upstaging in Sycamore as a shop hand alongside his studies. He is also part of the AV staff at the Holmes Student Center, where he organizes and operates lighting for events. Most recently, he designed and ran all AV for the Holmes Center Talent Show. 

Brianne Jankowski

Assistant Technical Director

Brianne Jankowski (they/she) is a third-year B.F.A. technology and design student at Northern Illinois University. Their emphasis of study includes lighting, rigging, and technical direction. Previous credits include lighting design for Grease at DeKalb High School and assistance with the rigging for CATS at the Paramount Theater. They currently work as an audio-visual technician for the Holmes Student Center and a venue technician at the Egyptian Theatre. 

Bridget Kearbey

Stage Manager

Bridget Kearbey (she/her) is a second-year M.F.A graduate student in technical theatre design. Bridget is excited to work with this team for Julius Caesar!  

Stage management: True West, SM Cover – Million Dollar Quartet (Paramount Theatre), Mean Girls Jr. (Paramount PSA), The Music Man in Concert, A Christmas Carol, Xanadu (Metropolis PAC).

Backstage crew credits: School of Rock (Paramount Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Paramount Theatre) 9 to 5 (Metropolis PAC) Crew Swing – Frozen, Peter and the Starcatcher (Paramount Theatre), 1776, Joseph (Mariott Theatre) Ain’t Misbehavin’, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof (Drury Lane).

Instagram: @bridgetnkearbey 

Lilithe Buttron

Assistant Stage Manager

Lilithe Buttron (she/her) is a fourth-year B.S in management and B.A in theater studies student at Northern Illinois University. She has previously worked on Midsummer Night’s Dream and Blue Stockings as an assistant stage manager at Elgin Community College (ECC). She is grateful to all the NIU faculty and staff for providing this opportunity and to her loved ones for all their support in her studies. 

Drew Bagby

Sound Engineer

Drew Bagby (he/him) is a transfer junior from Parkland College/U of I studying theater design and technology with an emphasis in technical direction. He is very excited to see what this new chapter in life will bring.

Scenery

Scenic Coordinator – Sahin Sahinoglu
Scene Shop Supervisor – Adam Rager
Scene Shop Graduate Employees – Emery Foster, Jorge Serano, Luigi Locascio
Student Technicians – THEA 295 students
Run Crew – Maeve Emery

Lighting

Lighting Design Advisor – Brandon Wardell
Resident Head Electrician – Chris Kurszewski
Assistant Head Electrician – Reece Deidrick
Lighting Shop Graduate Assistants – Christopher Christ, Ross Wheeler
Lighting Shop Employees – Conall Doherty, Kateri Pfeiffer
Student Electricians – Drew Bagby, Madie Barnas, Reece Deidrick, Lexi Foelker, Danisha Gilmore, Blake Jablonski, Brianne Jankowski, Sasha Norman, Payton Shields, Zach Zimmerman, THEA 210 students
Light Board Operator – Reagan Feld
Sound Board Operator – Chloe Franklin

Properties

Properties Director – Dave Doherty
Properties Graduate Assistants – Ski Sciaraffa
Properties Shop Employees – Sasha Norman
Properties Shop 295/395 Students – Kayleena Lopez
Properties Crew – Jade Doherty

Production Management

Technical Direction Advisor – Tracy Nunnally
Production Assistant – Kev Kollman
Stage Management Advisor – Angela A. Miller

Production Promotional Artwork – Cornelia Reed

Richard Arnold (Emeritus)
S. Alan Chelser (Emeritus)
Judith Chitwood (Emerita)
Gibson Cima
Roxanna Conner
Stanton Davis
David Doherty
Lila H. Dole (Emerita)
Jasmine Eleazar
Elias Dennis
Jeremy W. Floyd
Paula Frasz (Emerita)
Kent Gallagher (Emeritus)
Kathryn Gately (Emerita)
Alexander Gelman
Richard Grund
Lori Hartenhoff
Jennifer Ingle-Grund
Paul Kassel
Chris Kurszewski
Paige Larkowski
Marc Macaranas
Bethany Mangum-Oles
Kay Martinovich
Terrence McClellan (Emeritus)
Angela A. Miller
Randall Newsom (Emeritus)
Tracy Nunnally
Richard Poole (Emeritus)
Adam Rager
Patricia Ridge (Emerita)
Deborah Robertson (Emerita)
Michel Rodriguez Cintra
Sahin Sahinoglu
Stephanie Sailer
Taryn Sarto
Robert Schneider (Emeritus)
Sarita Smith Childs
Brandon Wardell