20 years after establishing a Tampa tradition, we are thrilled to take on what is perhaps Shakespeare’s best-know work. Romeo & Juliet runs Jan. 14 – Feb. 6 in the Jaeb Theater. Weekday field trip matinees are also available for middle and high school groups, with free admission available for qualifying schools. Each student group booked comes with a study guide and free visits to your class from our teaching artists before and after you attend the show.
Get a closer look at the cast!
Cornelio “Coky” Aguilera [he/him] (Friar Lawrence, et al)Having studied as an Acting Specialist at UW Madison, Coky moved to the Tampa area and has been working professionally with the following companies since 2012: Stageworks Theatre, A Simple Theatre, The Tampa Repertory Theatre, St. Petersburg Opera Company, RQL Productions, Your Real Stories Theatre, Jobsite, and The ThruLine Company. Coky also organizes the “Dreamer’s Teatro Crew,” a bilingual, theatrical group out of Dade City, in collaboration with the Farmworkers Self-Help Organization. It is his honor to be working with Outcast Theatre Collective since its inception.
Darius Autry [he/him] (Romeo) is a Tampa native and is thrilled to be Romeo in his debut performance with Jobsite. He was last seen at LAB Theatre Project as Rowan in the worldwide premiere of Skin Hungry. In Dubuque, Iowa, Darius has been seen as Lincoln in Topdog/Underdog, Martin in Seminar, and Woodson Bull III in Third. Darius’s most recent on-screen performance, Harvey, where he plays the character Harvey, can be found on multiple domestic and international streaming platforms.
Theron “T. R.” Butler [he/him] (Capulet/Apothecary)is thrilled to be part of Jobsite’s Romeo & Juliet as Capulet. A veteran performer with 30+ years of experience, T.R. moved to Tampa in 2013 from the northeast. He’s usually seen performing with local professional theatre companies including: Stageworks, Powerstories, and Tampa Rep. and holds an MBA and BFA in Acting. Selected credits include Town (Gnit), David Okello (Dionysus on the Down Low), and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Vote). T.R. received a Best of the Bay Critics Pick for his portrayal of Town by Creative Loafing and was nominated for Best Theatre Performance for 2021’s Dionysus on the Down Low at Stageworks, produced by Outcast Theatre Collective. T.R. is a proud board member of Outcast Theatre Collective, formed in 2018 dedicated to furthering performing opportunities for marginalized artists in theatre. He also serves on board of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County in Tampa.
Robert Spence Gabriel [he/him] (Paris, et al) attended the Theatre Conservatory at Chicago College of Performing Arts for musical theatre. He is a Latino actor born and raised in Tampa and has been performing in the Bay Area since he returned here in 2016. Most notably, he played Isaac in Jobsite’s 2018 production of Taylor Mac’s HIR. Robert is excited to be reunited with the folks at Jobsite once again, and wishes his cast mates “broken legs” as they open this show together. He sends a special thank you to his family and mentors and their continued support. Bay Area credits include: THE THREEPENNY OPERA (Jobsite), THE LION IN WINTER (freeFall), WAR OF THE WORLDS (freeFall), I AM NOBODY’S LUNCH (Turkey Creek Collective) Chicago: NEXT THING YOU KNOW (Steele Beam), ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS (CCPA).
Newt Rametta [he/him, she/her] (Benvolio) is a born and raised Tampa actor. He graduated from Howard W. Blake high school with a Master Certification in Theatre Arts and began performing in community projects such as All My Sons and Agnes of God as well as local performance group, Crazy Ransome Happenstance. After participating in Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, he moved to Orlando to pursue a costume career at the Disney theme parks. Then, when some unforeseen circumstances arose, he moved back to Tampa eager to get back on the stage. He is ecstatic to play as his middle school dream role.
Marlene Peralta [she/her] (Lady Capulet) graduated with her B.A in Theatre Arts from USF Tampa in May 2012. Afterwards, Marlene completed an Acting/Education internship at American Stage and in August 2014 won Best Monologue at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Notable roles include the Lady in Orange in The Space at 2106’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf, Margie in Now Circa Then at the Silver Meteor Gallery, and Minerva Mirabal in the bilingual StageWorks production of In The Time of the Butterfies. She was last seen at Jobsite as Bets in Occupation. Marlene would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her. Marlene would also like to thank the audience for supporting theatre in Tampa.
Martin Powers [he/they] (Mercutio, et al) is happily returning to the Jobsite stage after his last production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They has performed throughout Florida in theater, film, and commercial and owes his courage to Jasper, K, and his cats, of course. Dreams are children of an idle brain, nurture them and they can grow.
Kasondra Rose [she/her] (Lady Montague, et al) is a regional singer-songwriter and accidental quadruple- threat and is thrilled to be performing again with Jobsite! Her previous theater credits include Jobsite’s record-smashing productions of Shockheaded Peter and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the original cast of Crash Club, which premiered in West Michigan and was choreographed by Emmy Award® winner Joshua Bergasse and ensemble roles in shows including A Chorus Line, The Music Man, South Pacific and Carousel. She tap danced in an off-Off-Broadway production in New York and toured Europe as a dancer before making her way down to the Tampa Bay area where she’s become an accomplished vocalist. In addition to being selected for Cirque-du-Soleil’s casting database as “usable vocal talent,” Kasondra has released three albums of original music and has played shows in dozens of cities including Nashville, Chicago and St. Louis; she’s also a proud member of the Florida Björkestra! Over the summer, she was honored to be commissioned by Jobsite to create an original piece of work (aerial silks performance and original music/vocal composition) for their Digital Shorts series. When she’s not performing or training on aerial silks, Kasondra likes to sit at her desk and feel anxious.
Jared Sellick [he/him] (Peter, et al)is very excited for his debut on the Jobsite stage. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida as well as Gulf Coast State College. While at USF he performed as Gordon in the Student Theatre Production Board’s performance of Dead Man’s Cell Phone. During his time living in the panhandle he performed as Calvin in Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s production of A Wrinkle in Time. Other notable shows he participated in include: Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest, Leo in 4000 miles, and Fabian in Twelfth Night. He would like to thank his partner Danielle for all of her endless support. Enjoy the show!
Brian Matthew Shea (Montague, et al) is pleased to be returning to the stage with incredible Jobsite Theater. A four-time recipient of Creative Loafing’s “Best Of The Bay” in performance. His previous Jobsite credits include Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Henry V, Hand to God, Dancing and Lughnasa, A Skull In Connemara, The Tempest, The Lonesome West, The 39 Steps, Dracula and many more. He dedicates his performances to his beloved late parents, Peter and Pat Shea.
Katrina Stevenson [she/her] (Tybalt, et al/Costumes) most recently appeared onstage with Jobsite Theater in Hand to God (Margery), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), and in the air in Shockheaded Peter. Other memorable Jobsite performances include Edgar and Emily (Emily Dickinson), Orlando (Orlando), The Maids (Claire), Dancing at Lughnasa (Maggie), and The Tempest (Ariel). She has also been seen at Stageworks in The Great Gatsby (Myrtle) and Psycho Beach Party (Marvel Ann), and at American Stage in Intimate Apparel (Mrs. Van Buren) and It’s a Wonderful Life (Lana Sherwood). An award-winning costume designer, her costumes have been seen onstage in Shockheaded Peter, The Tempest, The Threepenny Opera, Gorey Stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The 39 Steps, and many more. Katrina holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida and a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Northern Colorado. When not at the theater, Katrina loves flying on aerial silks and running after her dogs, Tink and Sherlock.
David Warner [he/him] (Nurse/Prince Escalus)is thrilled to be making his Jobsite debut in Romeo and Juliet. A member of the Radio Theatre Project acting ensemble at St. Petersburg’s Studio@620, he has also appeared locally with Stageworks (The Chosen) and Gulfport Community Players (Parfumerie, The Business of Murder) and spent many years acting and directing in Philadelphia-area theater. A graduate of Harvard and Villanova, where he received an M.A. in theater, he was also a National Arts Journalism Fellow at Columbia University, where he studied with Anne Bogart. A writer and editor for registrytampabay.com, Sarasota Magazine and Creative Loafing, he lives with his husband, Larry Biddle, in St. Petersburg.
Kayla Witoshynsky [she/her] (Juliet) is making her Jobsite debut with her portrayal of Juliet and she is honored to bring such an influential character to life. She was last seen in A Shayna Maidel (Lusia) with Innovocative Theatre. Kayla has spent the last year working on her first album as a singer, guitarist, and lyricist for her musical project Wench. She is eternally grateful to her friends who inspire her by simply existing, her family for their loving support, and all her fellow cast and crew members.
The Production Team:
David M. Jenkins [he/him] is the Producing Artistic Director and a co-founder of Jobsite. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication (Performance Studies) from the University of South Florida, an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Florida, and a B.A. in Theater Performance, also from USF. He has recently directed productions of Shockheaded Peter, Henry V, Hand to God, Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Jobsite as well as Always … Patsy Cline and A Tuna Christmas for the Straz Center and Annie Baker’s The Aliens for Stageworks Theatre. He has been recently seen in DOUBT (Father Flynn), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], 1984 (O’Brien), Cloud Nine (Betty/Edward), A Skull in Connemara (Tom Hanlon), and Time Stands Still (James). He was the 2017 Theatre Tampa Bay Outstanding Director, and in 2014 was the recipient of the Best Director Award from CL’s Reader’s Poll and Best Director of a Musical in the BroadwayWorld Tampa Regional Awards. He also won the 2017 Outstanding Featured Actor (A Skull in Connemara) and the 2015 BroadwayWorld Regional Award for Best Actor (Times Stands Still). Creative Loafing has twice honored him as both Best Artistic Director and Best Actor. David has published articles in the scholarly journals Text & Performance Quarterly, Liminalities, and Departures in Critical Qualitative Research. In addition to his full-time work for Jobsite, David teaches interdisciplinary coursework in the Honors College at USF. He lives in Tampa Heights in a neat old house with his rad wife and a mess of critters.
Jo Averill-Snell [she/her] (Light Design) is delighted to work again with Jobsite. Regional theater audiences may have also seen her designs at freeFall, HCC Ybor, Stageworks, Tampa Rep, and Urbanite Theatre. Jo is the Artistic Director for Tampa-based literary performance troupe Improbable Athenaeum. She is a graduate of USF’s theater program. Love and thanks to husband (and actor/playwright) Ned Averill-Snell and our family.
Teah Banks [she/her] (Rehearsal Stage Manager) is grateful to be working with this wonderful cast and crew. She feels blessed to be a part of the Jobsite family and to have the privilege of seeing this production reach a level of theatrical splendor that is all its own. Watching this cast build and evolve their performance has only caused her love for them and this craft to grow. She hopes that if you have reached this part of her bio that perhaps you will consider checking out one of Jobsite’s many online streaming videos that aid in keeping the company’s content available to all. She would like to conclude this with a word of thanks for her wonderful mother Kelly and equally wonderful step-father Tom, without whom she would not be the person she is today.
Giles Davies [he/him] (Text Coach) was last seen in American Stage’s production of Romeo and Juliet in America. Prior to that, he was assistant director and text coach for Jobsite’s Henry V, and appeared in the Straz’s production of Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. He received his MFA from The Ohio State University. Favorite past Jobsite appearances include: Iago in Othello, Marquis de Sade in Quills, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Caliban in The Tempest, and Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Jeremy Douglass [he/him] (Composer) s a pianist, professional live mannequin, and leader of acclaimed megasuperband the Florida Björkestra. He’s been hailed as “punctual” and “inevitable”. His recent past sees him as music director for Jobsite Theater’s productions of LIZZIE: A Killer Rock Musical, The Threepenny Opera, Hedwig And The Angry Inch, and Shockheaded Peter. He’s composed original music for Jobsite’s productions of The Thanksgiving Play, Hedda, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], Othello, The Tempest, Meteor Shower, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shockheaded Peter, and with Björkestra cellist Tom Kersey co-wrote an original score for Jobsite’s Edgar & Emily. As founder of the Florida Bjorkestra, he’s brought to the stage the music of pop pioneers like Bjork and David Bowie (and also a musical from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) with his 24-piece ensemble of Tampa Bay area musical geniuses. He can be found at American Stage as musical director for their music improv team Definitely Not Murderers and instructor for Music Theater Improv workshops. He totally wrote this bio.
D Granke [they/them] (Combat Choreographer/Intimacy Coach) is a Director, Fight Director, and Intimacy Director based in Tampa Florida. Their Fight Direction has appeared regionally at Asolo Rep, Urbanite, American Stage, Jobsite, The Studio at Tierra Del Sol, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Tampa Rep, Stageworks, Opera Orlando, St. Petersburg Opera, Studio 620, and a couple other places local and national. Their Intimacy work has appeared at Urbanite, American Stage, Opera Orlando, Tampa Rep, and the Studio at Tierra Del Sol. Currently, Dan also serves as stage director for Unto These Hills outdoor drama in Cherokee NC. They hold a BFA from the University of Michigan, and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and teach movement and acting at the University of South Florida. They are certified as a teacher and fight director by the Society of American Fight Directors, and as an intimacy director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators.
Matthew Ray [he/they] (Production Stage Manager) has been with Jobsite since 2012 when he came on board as the company stage manager. He has worn many hats through the bay area including stage management (Jobsite, Stageworks, A Simple Theatre), directing (Almost an Evening, Stageworks: Tampaworks, TampaRep: TampaWright, Musings of a Postmodern Romantic), and designing (Jobsite, TampaRep). He would like thank his friends and family for their continued support throughout the years, and continually thankful to David Jenkins for his unwavering support and encouragement.
Tea Roberts [she/her] (Scenic Artist) is excited to be working with Jobsite, and has worked in various theaters as a scenic artist for the last two years. She would like to send a big thanks to Scott Cooper for starting her on the right path in the theatre world, to Rebekah Lazaridis for all of her wonderful mentorship and painting prowess, her endlessly supportive partner Hannah Langevin, and of course a huge thank you to her partner in paint Chloe Mastro!
Brian Smallheer [he/him] (Scenic Design/Technical Director) received his education from Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Polk Community College (Visual Arts), and University of South Florida (Theatre Design). He has been an Artistic Associate and designer for Jobsite since 1999. As a designer for Jobsite, his work has received two Best of the Bay awards; Best Lighting Design for Einstein’s Dreams (2011) and Best Local Set Designer (2014). He also received BroadwayWorld’s Best Set Design for Time Stands Still and Return to the Forbidden Planet. Other select design credits include Shockheaded Peter, Henry V, Hand to God, DOUBT: A Parable, A Skull in Connemara, LIZZIE, Lebensraum, Annapurna, Orlando, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Mindgame, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, boom!, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The March of the Kitefliers, Gorey Stories, subUrbia and Dracula. In what little spare time he has, Smallheer pursues his passion for visual arts by doing photography and painting. More info at his website bms-designs.com.
