Retta (Caroline Stefanie Clay), Trent (Cecil Blutcher), and Reggie (Raymond Anthony Thomas) look on as Officer Tomlin (Mark Bedard) and Officer Ramirez (Jorge Luna) figure out what story they are gonna tell about the incident that just transpired in the parking lot.
The Goodman's A CHRISTMAS CAROL (year two!)
Got to have a another go at being a part of this splendid adaptation of Dicken’s story. I love how true to the book this production manages to be. In addition to getting to return as Fezziwig’s assistant/interpreter and Frida’s husband this year, I also got to do more puppeteering.
Front row: Fezziwig’s assistant (Mark Bedard), Mrs. Fezziwig (Penelope Walker), and Fezziwig (Robert Schleifer) entertain the guests with a song.
Back row guests: Bri Sudia, Tafadzwa Diener, Wai Yim, Anthony Irons, and Gregory Hirte.
Frida (Dee Dee Batteast) hosts a Christmas party with her husband (Mark Bedard)
Puppeteering rats and ships and butterflies of death…
A Midsummer Night's Dream
In addition to playing the Baker in Into the Woods this summer, I got to assemble a motley crew of mechanicals to rehearse a play called “The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisby,” which we hoped would be chosen by the Duke to be performed for him and the Duchess on their wedding day at night. Or I should say, my character, Peter Quince, did that in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which we performed in repertory with Into the Woods in the mid-to-late summer.
Photos by Two Bird Studio, courtesy Idaho Shakespeare Festival:
From left to right:
Nick Steen as Nick Bottom (Pyramus)
Mark Anthony Taylor as Tom Snout (The Wall)
Boe Wank as Robin Starveling (The Moon)
Mark Bedard as Peter Quince (Director/Writer)
Jaedynn Latter as …Snug (The Lion)
Nic Scott Hermick as Francis Flute (Thisby)
The mechanicals learn that their play is a finalist.
Director - Sara Bruner
Dramaturg - Lue Douthit
Movement Director - Jaclyn Miller
Scenic Designer - Courtney O’Neill
Costume Designer - Mieka van der Ploeg
Lighting Designer - Trad A Burns
Sound Designer - Paul James Prendergast
Stage Manager - Nicki Cathro
Assistant Stage Manager - Rachel Kaufman
Production Assistant - Sarah Daniel
Into the Woods
The Baker is one of the roles that runs the gamut. Lots of comedy in Act I, and something entirely different by the time we get to the end of Act II. It was challenging in the best way possible and I loved spending the summer in Boise with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
Photos by Two Bird Studio, courtesy Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
Cinderella (RhonniRose Mantilla), Florinda (Royer Bockus), Cinderella’s Stepmother (Boe Wank), Lucinda (Zoë Lewis-McLean), Jack’s Mother (Jessie Cope Miller), Milky White, Jack (Nick Hermick), Baker (Mark Bedard), Baker’s Wife (Jodi Dominick), Little Red Ridinghood (Jaedynn Latter).
The Baker realizes that granny’s been eaten by the wolf played by Dan Hoy.
Jodi Dominick was great as the Baker’s wife.
Lucinda (Zoë Lewis-McLean), Cinderella’s Stepmother (Boe Wank), Florinda (Royer Bockus), the Baker (Mark Bedard), and the Witch (Jillian Kates) make a GIANT DISCOVERY.
Good grief, what did Brian Sutherland (Narrator/Mysterious Man) say to me in this scene to make me so upset?
Yup. It runs the gamut.
Director Victoria Bussert
Music Director Matthew Webb
Choreographer Jaclyn Miller
Scenic Designer Courtney O’Neill
Costume Designer Tesia Dugan Benson
Lighting Designer Trad A Burns
Sound Designer David Gotwald
Wig Designer Nick Lynch-Voris
Additional Properties Design Jeff Herrmann
Stage Manager Caitlin Body*
Assistant Stage Manager Carolina Arboleda*
Production Assistant Audrey Michael
Richard III at Chicago Shakes
This one goes down as one of the top 3 hardest shows I have ever done. Truly an ensemble piece. When we were not playing our multiple speaking roles, we lingered in the back as orderlies in a madhouse who helped with murders, scene transitions, and dissonant choral chamber music that was sung a Capella (with yours truly as the music captain! Phew!)
Puppeteer of the young Duke of York (later murdered at Richard’s command)
Vaudeville murderer of Clarence (Richard’s brother). Somehow this is the best photo of that character. I’m the one with the bat. We were a duo! But then we were killed by Richard immediately afterward…
I also played the Scrivener at the top of Act II who whips up the citizens of London with a big rally chant, but somehow there wasn’t single production photo of it. Ah well. Here’s curtain call instead.
The Goodman's A CHRISTMAS CAROL
What a wonderful experience to be in such a solid production of Charles Dickens’ famous story. Not only did I get to voice all of Fezziwig’s lines as his interpreter, but I also got to be a street juggler and Frida’s husband.
Robert Schleifer is the best Fezziwig you will ever see. I was always trying to just keep up.
Little Shop of Horrors
I had the great pleasure of getting to play the Dentist (Orin Scrivello DDS) as well as many other roles in Little Shop of Horrors for Idaho and Tahoe Shakes all summer.
Orin takes a liking to Seymore
But he also likes the giggle gas…
Mr. Bernstein
Wino
Mrs. Luce
#1 Customer
Skip Snip
Patrick Martin
It's Christmas, Carol! part Deux
Our second go round doing the show at Oregon Shakes. This year we added new songs, a snowball fight with the audience, and more zombies of course because… Christmas.
(Photos by Jenny Graham)
Past and Present argue over who is supposed to haunt Carol first.
In Carol’s past, Wezzyfig’s troupe is surprised when the witches from Macbeth show up during their performance of Romeo & Juliet for the Queen.
The Future Phantom does leg business with Carol.
The Narrator tries to get her holiday story back on track
At Freddie’s party a magician, a mortician, and a mathematician show up in the present in lieu of a musician.
Carol tries to figure out what she is supposed to have learned from the evening’s nonsensical events.
The Gilded Age
Recently shot a scene for Season 2 Episode 4 of The Gilded Age. And I just found out that my character will be making another appearance in Episode 6. Huzzah!
All's Well That Ends Well at Chicago Shakes
“Time and again, the scene stealer in this production is Mark Bedard as Parolles, Bertram’s best friend and an endlessly self-aggrandizing braggart. Parolles’s very name is rooted in the French “parler,” to talk. Bedard makes the character’s feckless verbosity wonderfully vivid, right up to a clever reveal that shows the blowhard in an entirely different light.” - Catey Sullivan
https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/theater-review/hes-just-not-that-into-you-2/
Jeff Kurysz, Casey Hoekstra, Jacob Mundell, and Joseph Aaron Johnson bind and hoodwink Parolles (me). This is oddly the only production photo of me in the show at present. Ha!
It's Christmas, Carol!
The holiday comedy I co-wrote with my pals John Tufts & Brent Hinkley is up and running at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival! Tickets and info here.
It’s Christmas, Carol! (2021): Brent Hinkley, John Tufts, Safiya Fredericks, Mark Bedard. Photo by Jenny Graham
Public Speaking Coaching
I’m happy to say that I have officially been brought onto the team of Facilitators with Fearless Communicators. It’s a great company that teaches people how to bring their whole BODY, MIND, HEART and SPIRIT to a moment and channel their message in service of an audience.
Director vs Director
Evil episode aired 1/9/2020
Here are some screenshots
Was great to get to act alongside Kurt Fuller, Katja Herbers, and Paton Ashbrook. Kurt is a hoot!
Evil
Did a couple days of shooting for episode 11 of the new CBS show EVIL still in its first season. The episode is called Room 320 and I play Dr. William Hughes.
A selfie from the trailer before I head to set
Madam Secretary
Made an appearance as Officer Garrett in Season 6 Episode 4 titled VALOR. It aired on Sunday 10/27/19
Becky Nurse of Salem
Did a reading of Sarah Ruhl’s latest play in Poughkeepsie NY for New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse 2019 Reading Series. It was very well received!
The cast: Mark Bedard, Brian Kerwin, Ann McDonough, David McElwee, Polly Noonan, Susannah Perkins, Miriam Silverman
Promenade
This was a whirlwind 2 weeks as part of part of the 2019 Encores! Off-Center season at New York City Center! With only 11 days to rehearse this 1960’s musical written by Maria Irene Fornes with music by Al Carmines. I had a blast with this amazing team. We performed it on July 10th and 11th and were a New York Times Critic’s Pick!
Play On! Festival
The shows I’ll be participating in are as follows:
Week 1: Henry VI, Pt. 1
Reading date: Friday, May 31st at 7:00pm
Translation by Doug Langworthy
Directed by Leah Gardiner
Dramaturgy by Mead Hunter & Martine Kei Green-Rogers
https://playonfestival.org/production/henry-vi-part-1/
Week 2: King John
Reading date: Saturday, June 8 at 7:00pm
Translation by Brighde Mullins
Directed by Drew Barr
Dramaturgy by Katie Peterson & Drew Barr
https://playonfestival.org/production/king-john/
Week 3: As You Like It
Reading date: Saturday, June 15 at 2:00pm
Translation by David Ivers
Directed by Rob Salas
Dramaturgy by Lezlie C. Cross
https://playonfestival.org/production/as-you-like-it/
Week 4: Othello
Reading date: Thursday, June 20 at 7:00pm
Translation by Mfoniso Udofia
Directed by Victor Maog
Dramaturgy by Ayanna Thompson & Alex Barron
https://playonfestival.org/production/othello/
Week 5: The Winter’s Tale
Reading date: Friday June 28 at 7:00pm
Translation by: Tracy Young
Director: Chris Moore
Dramaturgy by Ben Pryor
https://playonfestival.org/production/winters-tale/
For full detalls about all 39 readings taking place from May 29 trough June 30, visit playonfestival.org
Two more weeks of CAESAR
It’s been a glorious ride! And though the show is grueling, I couldn’t be more happy with it.
Playing the conspirator Trebonius alongside Brandon J. Dirden as Marcus Brutus
photo by (c) Gerry Goodstein