“Bringing Shakespeare’s Words to Life” – A Free Panel Discussion on Acting

Ray Chambers has worked as an actor and director with numerous regional theaters across the country since first training with The Old Globe in the mid-‘80s. For nearly two decades as an Associate Artist with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Chambers worked as an actor, director, writer, instructor and served as Director of the Master of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training Program at ASF from 2001 to 2009. His regional acting credits include title roles in Hamlet, Richard III, Coriolanus, King John, and Henry V and leading roles in Julius Caesar, The Winter’s Tale, and Henry IV. He is Head of Acting in the Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program.

Ruff Yeager is a Professor of Theatre Arts at Southwestern College where he is currently in rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet – his 25th production at the college. He is a founder of The Roustabouts Theatre Company and Artistic Director of the annual Plays by Young Writers festival for Playwrights Project. Among his San Diego regional directing credits are Diversionary Theatre, Intrepid Theatre Company, and Scripps Ranch Theatre. San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has honored him twice with nominations for the Craig Noel Award for Outstanding New Play. He won the award for his original play, “Bronze”.

Charlie Riendeau was the Assistant Director for the two Shakespeare Festivals at The Old Globe and for the first two Educational tours. Charlie is the former Artistic Director of both the Temecula Overland Players and the Ramona Hillside Players. Charlie received his B.A. from SDSU in Theatre (graduating with distinction), his teaching credentials for elementary and secondary school from UC Riverside, and a M.A. degree in Educational administration from SDSU. He won a Patté Award for Best Actor for playing King Henry in The Lion in Winter. He also played the title role of King Lear for the Society in our staged reading last fall.

Jacquelyn Ritz is an actor and director calling San Diego home since 2010. Shakespeare highlights include a season with Barto Shakespeare Chicago (The Tempest, A Comedy of Errors), People’s Theatre (Hamlet), Colorado Shakespeare Festival (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus) and Intrepid Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Regionally, she has performed at Goodman Theatre, Northlight, Royal George, Apollo, Drury Lane, Marriott Lincolnshire, Peninsula Players, Milwaukee Repertory, Asolo Center, and the Kennedy Center in Sondheim’s Bounce (dir. Harold Prince).