BRUTUS

JC Payne, a PA native, is thrilled to be joining FAM once more! Previous credits include: Benedick - Much Ado (Fools and Madmen), Romeo - Romeo & Juliet (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), Konstantin - The Seagull (Gamut Theatre Group), Laurie - Little Women (Strand Theatre Company), Con - Stupid F*cking Bird (Silver Spring Stage), and Flip - Stick Fly (Fells Point Corner Theatre).

CASSIUS

Quincy is excited to be working with Fools and Madmen for the second time Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio). He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts from Morgan State University. His most recent credits include: Raisin in the Sun (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company), Dreamgirls (ArtsCentric/Baltimore Centerstage), Cosby Satires (Strand Theater Company). Quincy proudly serves as teaching artist with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. He dedicates this performance to his Theatre Angel Shirley.

ANTONY

Brandon Rashad Butts is a Baltimore based theatre artist. He predominantly works as a director/writer/producer, but he's thrilled to be stepping onto a stage for the first time again in literal years. He'd like to thank the FAM admin team who's BEEN fam, artistic team for guidance, crew for making things smooth, the cast for all of the vibes/support, and the culture that flows through his veins making everyday more lit than the last.

CAESAR

Noah is a classically trained actor who has been mentored by some of the most respected acting and voice coaches on the East Coast. He boasts a varied skill set that includes modeling, directing and film production. Those talents have garnered him the adulation of audiences from Baltimore, MD to the United Kingdom. Noah has over a dozen stage and film critically acclaimed credits to his name. His most recent work was portraying 'DET. Jonathan Jones’ In the HBO series “We Own This City”. Follow Noah on all social media platforms. @thenoahsilas

PORTIA / OCTAVIUS / SOOTHSAYER

Lauren Erica Jackson is an actor, director, writer, songstress, and storyteller based out of Baltimore, MD. An alumnae of Towson University, she holds a BFA in Acting and a BS in English. Since graduating she has laid down roots in Baltimore’s vibrant theatre scene—both as an ensemble member at Single Carrot Theatre and as a founding member of Two Strikes Theatre Collective, a theatre company founded by and for Black Women. Most recently, she assistant directed the regional premiere of Eureka Day at Asolo Repertory Theatre. Past performances include Phoebe in Phoebe in Winter (Single Carrot, City Paper Best Actor 2016), Zoë in The Niceties (Everyman Theatre: Salon Series), and Capulet Servant/Ensemble in Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare Theatre Co).

CALPURNIA / LEPIDUS / CITIZEN

Jha’Neal Blue is an actress, filmmaker, award-winning poet, teaching artist, and playwright from West Baltimore. During her time at Frostburg State University, her most notable roles included Harry in Harry and the Thief and Chelle in Detroit 67’. Recently, Jha'Neal came off stage at Arena Players Inc. as Nina in Dominique Morisseau's Sunset Baby. As a freelancer, Jha’Neal serves as the assistant studio director at Root Branch Media Group and the head coach for the Baltimore City Youth Poetry Team. Jha'Neal believes that art and activism save lives, which is why she is dedicated to bringing it to the youth of Baltimore. Jha'Neal hopes you enjoy this epic and entertaining adaptation of Julius Caesar!

CINNA / CITIZEN

Tyrel is so excited to be a part of this project with this amazing group of people and so glad to be working with fools and madmen for the first time! Young Playwrights Festival (Ensemble), Black Super Hero Magic Mama (Tramarion Jackson), Dreamgirls (Tiny Joe Dixon/Ensemble), Endangered Species Project: The Comedy of Errors (Angelo), Towson University: Hamlet (Rosencrantz), Othello (Othello), Fuente Ovejuna (Esteban). Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Nominee. Education: Towson University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Acting. IG & Tiktok: @tyreltyrelbrown

DECIUS / CINNA THE POET / CITIZEN

Adrian is super excited for his first production with Fools and Madmen! He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College with a degree in theater and African-American studies. Adrian was last seen as Cedric/Mr. Voldy in “Puffs” at Spotlighters Theatre. He would like to thank his friends and family for all their support.

GUITAR

Trevor Shipley is a musician from Baltimore City. He grew up just a few blocks from the arts district and has been performing, composing and teaching music locally since childhood. He got his start with theatre at the Fells Point Corner Theatre in Baltimore; he also engaged heavily in the theatre department at St. Mary’s College where he earned his undergrad degree; as well as working with the Rivals of the West theatre company at MICA where he was music director/composer for many productions. In recent years, Trevor has been performing, recording and touring with several local bands. He would like to thank his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Penelope, for their infinite love, patience and support; and also his parents, Jane and Christopher, who have encouraged and enabled engagement in the arts throughout his life.

PERCUSSION

Joel Santiago is a musician and interdisciplinary music artist — a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist based in Baltimore, Maryland. Besides his distinguished performance portfolio, what makes his artistry unique is that his projects are multi-media, combining music, art, poetry and animation to create a journey that represents the challenges and triumphs in his own life and experience.

DIRECTOR + MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHER

Mari Andrea Travis is a performer, director, choreographer, educator, and curator of cultural arts events, hailing from Baltimore, MD. She started her performing arts journey studying dance and etiquette at her family’s business started by her grandmother in 1968. She has directed and choreographed a number of productions at a myriad of venues of varying scales between Baltimore and DC. She directed and choreographed the first Fools and Madmen production, King Lear in 2018. Mari Andrea has held numerous assistant director positions between Baltimore Center Stage and Washington D.C.’s Studio Theatre. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Morgan State University and an MFA in Dance from The University of the Arts. She is the founder and artistic producer of Good Stuff On Stage, a performance art producing organization. She is currently the Training Programs Manager at Arena Stage.

People to thank: Travis and Bland families, Tiffany Ginyard, Lauren Bell, Kwame Kwei-Armah, the Baltimore theatre community.

STAGE MANAGER

Jalice Corral is a writer, producer, and stand-up comic from Baltimore. After studying in London and completing the Soho Theatre Writers Lab, she returned to Maryland where she works as a stage manager. Jalice is the artistic producer of the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory.

Fight Choreographer

Brad is a Baltimore based Scenic Artist, Sound Designer, Fight Choreographer, Director, Production Manager, and nerd who is thrilled to be working once again with Fools and Madmen. He is currently the Managing Director of Fells Point Corner Theatre, the Production Manager for the Performing Arts Department at CCBC, and the greatest stay-at-home dad his kids have ever known. He is passionate about justice, representation, indigenous sovereignty, and centering non-straight-white-cis-male stories and opinions everywhere possible. He himself is a straight-white-cis-male, so this bio is about as much of his story as he is comfortable with you caring about. He loves his wife and kids and would be nowhere without them. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire Brad Norris.

WRITING TEAM

Josh and Caitlin are theatre artists in Baltimore City dedicated to increasing diversity in classical theatre. After knowing each other through classical theatre for years, they began collaborating in 2017 to produce Shakespeare in a new way for an audience they didn’t see it serving. Together, they create hip hop adaptations of Shakespeare's plays under the name Fools and Madmen. They are guided by their belief that Shakespeare’s plays belong to everyone and that everyone should have the opportunity to access them.