Reyn Afaga is pleased to make his community theatre directorial debut with the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival. Previously, Reyn has produced several vaudeville benefit shows for Leeward Community College’s theatre program.
Reyn has previously assistant directed under Tony Pisculli for HSF’s 2020 Zoom production of Merry Wives of Windsor, and more recently worked on the assistant director team for Alani Apio’s Kāmau Trilogy, directed by Harry Wong III.
Reyn has trained as an actor and director under Betty Burdick, Sami Akuna, and the late Dr. Paul Cravath. Recently, Reyn has completed a comprehensive directing course led by Harry Wong III, sponsored by Kumu Kahua Theatre. Reyn was also raised by a wild pack of drag queens (under the command of Cocoa Chandelier), where he learned dance, drag, costuming, makeup, and hair.
Reyn has several aliases, to include his drag personas Bibingka Jones and Ualani Jones, as well as his stage name Jonathan Reyn.
Kirstyn Trombetta is a local actor and public school educator from Pearl City. She was recently seen Kimo the Waiter at Palikū Theatre and Haoleland at Kumu Kahua Theatre. Other stage credits include Waitress at Diamond Head Theatre, #iambadatthis at Kumu Kahua Theatre, Harold and Maude at Manoa Valley Theatre, Titus Andronicus at The Leeward Theatre, and The King and I at Hawai‘i Opera Theatre. Past HSF credits include Hedda Gabler, The Winter’s Tale, and Macbeth, which she received a Po‘okela award for Featured Female in a Play.
She hopes you enjoy both the sorrow and silliness that is Cymbeline!
Cheers to Shakespeare! Andy Valencia is thrilled to be back at The ARTS at Marks Garage for another round of the Bard. Some of her past productions in the HSF include Henry IV, Part One (2021), All’s Well that Ends Well (2018) and Twelfth Night (2016).
She has been in the recent Kumu Kahua productions Beretania Snapshots and Lovey Lee and was last seen on the West side in the Leeward Community College production She Kills Monsters.
Julia Avilla LoPresti is blessed to have spent the last 18 years as a public school Theatre Arts teacher for the Hawaii DOE, having directed over 25 musicals and plays for ‘Aiea Intermediate School’s Drama Club and Mililani High School’s Central Theatre Arts Academy, including Little Shop of Horrors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mary Poppins, and Guys and Dolls Jr.
Julia has her Masters of Arts in Theatre Production from Central Washington University and was recognized as the Central District Teacher of the Year in 2010. In 2013 Julia was featured in a commercial for the Hawaii State Teacher’s Association and in 2014 she earned a Po‘okela in Ensemble Performance for Flowers of Hawaii (KKT). Other stage credits include Haole Boyfriend (KKT), The Conversion of Ka‘ahumanu (KKT), Miss Saigon (PKT), and West Side Story (ACT).
Julia is a board member and former Chapter Director of Hawaii Thespians, helping to coordinate state-wide festivals and scholarship opportunities for middle and high school theatre students. She is absolutely thrilled to be in her first HSF production and she sends her love and mahalo to her family for their support.
Mikal Reese has been described by many as a high school graduate, cashier, dishwasher, community college student, and, of course, a friend. HSF will be his first foray into the world of theater.
Shane Chung is happy to be a part of Shakes Fest once again! Since graduating from Mid-Pacific Institute in 2016, they’ve trained at AMDA in both their LA and NY campuses. The first time they did Shakes Fest was with Tony Pisculli in 2016 speaking an invented language!
Shane is excited to be rejoining the theater community and is looking forward to working alongside this incredible cast.
Alten Kiakona (Cornelius, Lord 1) is one all hamajang mixed-plate of ethnicities and theatre artist backgrounds, born and raised in Oahu, Hawai‘i. Having worked and trained on stage as an Actor, and off-stage as a Sound Engineer, Publicity Assistant, Stage Manager, and House Manager, he’s excited to be coming back to the HSF stage for his second year.
Alten is a 2019 graduate of UHM with a BA in Theatre. Alten was last seen in last year’ production of One Uddah Mid’Summmah. He was also previously seen in several UHM productions, including Keiki Kalo, The Country Wife, A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream, The Cat in the Hat, and Twelfth Night, as well as CUCTF’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist, The Virtue in Propaganda, Almost, Maine, and In The Heights.
Biiiiiggg mahalo for supporting local theatre and listening to the story we have to tell!
Shayla-Ann Santos is an actor, stage combatant, and model born & raised on Oahu. Past performances include Machinal, The Stain, and Walters at Palikū Theatre as well as a stage combat assistant and actor for HSF’s Both Your Houses and Romeo and Juliet.
She’s also been in NCIS: Hawai‘i, Rescue: HI–Surf, and commercials. After receiving training at WCC, Second City, and iO, she’s excited to be apart of HSF again with an amazing cast & crew.
Victorino A. Santos Jr is an Actor going to make a name for Himself! This Guy LOVES acting and recently Graduated and got his Certificate in Acting. He has done four shows so far, his first being back In November 2023, Aloha Attire and Kahahawai/Massie. Cymbeline will be his fifth play and his first Shakespeare play.
Ariana Agodong (Pisanio) is a graduate of WCC’s Performing Arts Conservatory and is excited to do her first ever Shakespeare performance for the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, and doubling that, is most honored for it to be Cymbeline. She couldn’t be more proud, nor more excited, to perform alongside this amazing cast.
When not memorizing lines, you can find her hanging out with her friends, cooking, or binge-watching shows. She loves to meet new people, learn different languages, and learn quirky facts about the world.
Ari would like to thank her family, friends, and mentors for their constant love, support, and encouragement throughout her journey. To all, “May the gods direct you to the best.”
Enjoy the show!
P.S. Pisanio can do no wrong! He’s innocent!!
Jason Kanda’s first appearance with HSF was in the 2003 production of Twelfth Night at Palikū Theatre. More recently, he appeared in HSF’s Hedda Gabler and The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Pono Cummings (Caius Lucius) is excited to debut at the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival in Cymbeline. Hailing from Laie, he has performed in roles such as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night (BYU-Hawaii), Sky Mamma Mia (BYU-Hawaii), and Hiapo in Glitter in the Pa‘akai (UH Manoa).
Pono thanks his Shakespearean drag mother Reyn, his wonderfully silly cast and crew, his loving family, and Kaipo Dudoit for their support.
Jake Escoto is a singer, dancer, actor, choreographer, and stage combatant. Jake has been acting for over the past decade with the Nānākuli Performing Arts Center (NPAC) program and has over 30 production credits to his name with them.
For the past year, Jake has been participating/performing with the Hawai‘i Conservatory of Performing Arts at WCC as a student. Being in the Conservatory, Jake has had the opportunity to perform in LA for the KCACTF District 8 Festival. Additionally, while in LA, Jake also became an MTI (Musical Theatre Initiative) dance finalist recipient.
Jake’s other performance credits include: Kahahawai/ Massie (WCC), Lee Cataluna’s Aloha Attire (WCC), Antigone Now (WCC), and Medea (WCC).
Jake is very grateful to be on stage for his first HSF performance. “Enjoy!”
Sharon Garcia Doyle is a local theater artist having served both on and offstage in many capacities including management, design, and performance. She has designed costumes at Manoa Valley Theater, Honolulu Theater for Youth and Kumu Kahua Theater. She has performed at Honolulu Theater for Youth, Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, Kennedy Theater, Kumu Kahua Theater, Manoa Valley Theater and Playbuilders of Hawai‘i Theater Company.
Sharon has trained as a Lao Dan (老 旦) in Jingju (京 剧) with Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak and China National Actors of the First Rank Master Lu Genzhang and Master Zhang Ling. Additionally, she’s trained with David Smukler, Judith Koltai, and Gary Logan at the Canada National Voice Intensive.
She has served on several productions as voice, accent, and acting coach and holds an MFA in Theater from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Originally from Long Beach, CA, Brando Cutts is excited to be making his Hawaii stage debut with HSF and such a terrific cast.
A graduate of UC Irvine, he has appeared in productions throughout New York and Southern California. Some of his favorite roles include Dr. Faustus, Hamlet, Mark Antony in JC, and St. Peter in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Other theatre accomplishments include his work as a Discussion Facilitator at Center Theatre Group and as Artistic Director for The Long Beach Shakespeare Company. You can also see Brando at DHT, where he is the regular House Manager.
Muchos mahalos to Reyn, Brandon, and the wonderful people of HSF and The ARTS at Marks Garage.
Al Reyes is unsure how they got here, but nonetheless grateful to be here and honored to be supporting this talented cast. During the day, Al can be found working backstage at the Hawaii Theatre Center. At night, they can be found working backstage at various other theaters on island. In the rare moments Al escapes the clutches of theatre, they can be found with their partner Alex.
Selected credits: Lifespan of a Fact (MVT) Stage Manager/ Assistant Director, Rotterdam (TAG) Stage Manager, The Play That Goes Wrong (MVT) Jill/Deck crew, You're NOT Sick (Corpus Productions) Stage Manager, Both Your Houses (HSF) Vee/Stage Manager, Leviathan (Leviathan Dance) Stage Manager.