In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the two title characters repeatedly come into contact with a traveling band of tragedians.  The tragedians are the same actors who perform before the court in Act II Scene III of Hamlet.

Starring as The Player, the leader of the Tragedians, is Allen Gilmore.  After years of performing at theatres all over the country, studying at NYU and Julliard, Allen has finally made Chicago his home.  He has performed at Court Theatre, Congo Square Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Goodman Theatre.  You can currently see him in The Arabian Nights at Lookingglass.

Joey Steakly, a newcomer to Writers’ Theatre, will be playing the tragedian known as Alfred.  Alfred is the young, petite tragedian that is forced to play the female roles in their productions.  Joey is a company member at The House Theatre of Chicago and has appeared in Rose and the Rime and The Nutcracker, among others.  He holds a BFA from Southern Methodist University.

Our two Tragedians will be played by Gregory Isaac and Jeff Trainor.  We welcome Greg back to Writers’ Theatre where he was last seen in Rough Crossing, also by Tom Stoppard.  He just finished working on Steppenwolf’s production of The Tempest.  Jeff, another Writers’ Theatre newcomer, recently earned his MFA in Acting from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and has performed at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard will be directed by Writers’ Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam.  Performances begin September 29, 2009 at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.