Peninsula Players Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast for a reading of the play Rosenberg by David Meyers, the first presentation of The Play’s the Thing series. Artistic Director Linda Fortunato directs an ensemble of actors that includes Ayanna Bria Bakari, Jordan Golding, Emma Rosenthal, and Noah Simon.
After prosecuting Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in the trial of the century, Sam Goodstein and his wife, Judith, rise to success and notoriety, until new questions force them to confront the moral cost of their ambition. Set in Washington, D.C., Rosenberg explores power, compromise, and political courage, asking what has changed, and what hasn’t, since 1953. This reading is presented in coordination with Door County Reads and its exploration of The Briar Clubby Kate Quinn.
Rosenberg will be performed on Monday, February 2, at Björklunden at 7590 Boynton Lane, Baileys Harbor, at 7:00 p.m. There is no admission fee, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Donations are welcome.
The cast features alumni of Peninsula Players Theatre, including Ayanna Bria Bakari (The Rainmaker and the reading of i), Jordan Golding (Million Dollar Quartet and Mary’s Wedding), Emma Rosenthal (Dear Jack, Dear Louse and Little Women: The Broadway Musical), and Noah Simon (Once A Ponzi Time and A Trick of the Light). The ensemble brings a wide range of experience, with stage credits spanning off-Broadway and regional theaters, as well as Door County favorites Northern Sky Theater and Third Avenue PlayWorks.
In addition to her work at Peninsula Players, Door County audiences may recognize Bakari from Northern Sky Theater’s world premiere of Sunflowered. Her Chicago stage credits include work at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Timeline Theatre, and Writers Theatre. Bakari’s many film/TV credits include: Holiday Heist, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Empire, 61st Street and recurring roles on The CHI and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. She holds a BFA in acting from DePaul University.
Golding‘s stage credits include Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and TheatreSquared. His TV credits include Chicago Fire. He holds a BA in theatre from Oberlin College and received classical training at the British American Drama Academy’s London Theatre Program.
In addition to numerous seasons at Peninsula Players Theatre, Rosenthal has appeared on Chicago stages including Northlight Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Writers Theatre, Steppenwolf, and Goodman Theatre. Her off-Broadway credits include Marvell Rep, with additional regional work at Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.) and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, among others. Rosenthal is a graduate of Northwestern University and was a finalist on season one of Fox’s Crime Scene Kitchen.
Simon is a veteran of Chicago theatre, with credits at Goodman Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, and Strawdog Theatre Company, where he has acted in, directed or produced more than 60 productions. He has also worked at Third Avenue PlayWorks, Theatre Z, and the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. Simon has taught theatre at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and St. Norbert College and holds an MFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Playwright David Meyers’ plays have been produced at regional theatres across the country, and developed by a number of off-Broadway theatres, and with talent like Oscar-nominee Michael Shannon. He previously worked in politics, and loves untold stories from history.
The Play’s the Thing continues on Monday, March 2, with In The Doorway by Sean Grennan and the after wife by Sophie McIntosh on Monday, April 6.
The Play’s the Thing is funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as generous support from Friends of Door County Libraries, Patrick O’Hearn & Anita Zipperer, The Shubert Foundation and operating funds of Peninsula Players Theatre.