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Fall 2025 Directors & Cast Announcement

Fall 2025 directors and repertory cast at the American Shakespeare Center. Top row left to right: Directors K.P. Powell, Aidan O’Reilly, and Allie Babich. Cast members: Geoffrey Warren Barnes II, Maya Danks, Nick Ericksen, Britt Michael Gordon, Angela Iannone, Sara Linares, Joe Mucciolo, Isabel Lee Roden, Isabel Sanchez, and Christopher Seiler.

First loves. Fierce friendships. Flags aloft.

Whether you’re returning to the Blackfriars Playhouse or planning your first trip to Staunton, Virginia, this is a season built on big questions: What do we owe each other? What are we willing to risk? And who’s standing beside us when it counts?

Here’s your first look at the artists bringing these stories to life.

From Actor to Director

This fall, three artists who’ve lit up the Blackfriars Playhouse return to take the lead behind the scenes.

Fall 2025 directors at the American Shakespeare Center. Left to right: K.P. Powell directing Romeo and Juliet, Aidan O’Reilly directing The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Allie Babich directing The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read.

  • K.P. Powell directs Romeo & Juliet, a story that burns fast and breaks hard. He’s known at ASC for roles that hit with power and presence, Tybalt and Paris in Romeo & Juliet and a commanding turn in Macbeth. This fall, he brings that intensity to the director’s chair. 
  • Aidan O’Reilly takes on The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare’s earliest comedy. At ASC, he’s taken on over 50 roles in 30 productions, including Brutus in Julius Caesar, and Dracula in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Aidan brings quick timing, grounded humor, and heart to every story he tells. 
  • Allie Babich directs the world premiere of The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read. From Rosalind in As You Like It to Horatio in Hamlet, Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, and Mellida in Antonio’s Revenge, Allie has brought sharp intelligence and emotional depth to ASC’s fiercest roles. Now, she steps into the role of director, leading a brand-new tale about freedom, identity, and rewriting your fate. 

K.P. Powell, Aidan O’Reilly, and Allie Babich aren’t new to this company or this stage. They’ve played princes, rebels, and lovers. Now, they’re guiding the season as directors, shaping performances with the same care and fire they once brought to center stage.

Meet the Company: Veterans. Newcomers. All In.

Repertory theatre demands range, speed, and generosity. It takes artists who can play multiple roles, switch worlds, and stay rooted in the moment, all while supporting each other along the way.

Fall 2025 repertory cast at the American Shakespeare Center. Top row left to right: Geoffrey Warren Barnes II, Maya Danks, Nick Ericksen, Britt Michael Gordon, Angela Iannone. Bottom row left to right: Sara Linares, Joe Mucciolo, Isabel Lee Roden, Isabel Sanchez, Christopher Seiler. Productions include Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read.

This fall’s company brings back six ASC veterans: Christopher Seiler, Angela Iannone, Joe Mucciolo, Sara Linares, Britt Michael Gordon, and Geoffrey Warren Barnes II.

They’re joined by bold new voices, forming a company built on trust, momentum, and the kind of connection that makes the work sing.

Fall 2025 Cast

  • Geoffrey Warren Barnes II* – Benvolio, Balthasar (Romeo & Juliet); Launce, Antonio (Two Gentlemen); Quartermaster & others (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Maya Danks – Nurse, Montague, Apothecary (Romeo & Juliet); Silvia (Two Gentlemen); Anne Bonny (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Nick Ericksen – Romeo, Gregory (Romeo & Juliet); Thurio (Two Gentlemen); Pirate Band Musiker (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Britt Michael Gordon* – Prince, Paris, Musician (Romeo & Juliet); Proteus (Two Gentlemen); Captain Jack & others (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Angela Iannone* – Friar Lawrence, Police, Server (Romeo & Juliet); Lucetta, Outlaw 2 (Two Gentlemen)
  • Sara Linares* – Mercutio, Lady Capulet, Abraham (Romeo & Juliet); Julia (Two Gentlemen); Mary Read (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Joe Mucciolo* – Tybalt, Peter, Watchman (Romeo & Juliet); Valentine (Two Gentlemen); Pirate Band Musiker (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Isabel Lee Roden – Juliet, Sampson (Romeo & Juliet); Speed, Eglamore (Two Gentlemen); Pirate Band Musiker (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Isabel Sanchez – Chorus, Friar John, Security, Server (Romeo & Juliet); Panthino, Ursula, Outlaw 1, Servant (Two Gentlemen); The Kid (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)
  • Christopher Seiler* – Lord Capulet (Romeo & Juliet); Duke, Host (Two Gentlemen); Pirate Band Musiker (The Pirate Ballad of Bonny & Read)

Plan Your Fall Escape in Virginia

Staunton is always worth a visit, but in the fall, it feels like a postcard come to life.

The air turns crisp. The leaves start to blaze red. And just around the corner, the lights at the Blackfriars Playhouse warm the brick sidewalk.

Inside, the stories are bold. The connection is real. The people gathering around you? They’re your people—here to be part of something truly special. Theatre is a radical act of community, bringing us together in a shared experience worth remembering.

Whether it’s your first time or your favorite tradition, this is the season to lean in.

Opening Dates:

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