Meet The Players




 Barry Friedman is a veteran of New York stage, comedy clubs, and improvisational theater. In the past two seasons at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, he played Varrus and Murellus in Julius Caesar, Old Porter in Servant of Two Masters, and Lancelot and Gobbo in Merchant of Venice. New York credits include Jake in Jules Feiffer’s “Grown-Ups” and Clerval in “Frankenstein” at Salamander Rep. Mr. Friedman trained with George Morrison, Paul Sills (the founder of Second City in Chicago), and Mike Nichols at the New Actors’ Workshop in New York and prior to that at SUNY Purchase in the undergraduate BFA program. He also leads group team-building experiences with improv games, called “Sir Playalot Playshops.”


















As of September 1st, 1983, Sam Gilstrap's impact on the human race had yet to be known, and yet the portents were favorable.  Today, Sam is tall, somewhat dark, and unbearably handsome.  His love affair with acting started late.  In fact as recently as 2003 he was still dreaming of being a psychologist. Happily, though, he has decided to contemplate insanity through the lens of his own navel, onstage.  With a Metro State BA in theatre in one hand and a pen in the other, Sam intends write the Great American Novel, adapt it into a play, and perform it wearing only suspenders and galoshes.  Wish him luck when you see him.  He'll need it.

Dayna Geiger grew up near Buffalo, NY.  She is a graduate of Binghamton University where she studied theater and biology, managed a traveling Children’s Dance Theater, and held the floor as a Residents Advisor.  In need of a serious weather upgrade after graduation, Dayna moved to Denver in 2001.  Her favorite performances have been in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Electra, HurlyBurly, Oleanna, and the world premiere of Cowgirls Blame it on Monday. Often cast as prostitutes and little boys, Dayna hopes to branch out soon. She is so thrilled to be performing with No Holds Bard, however, that she’ll happily play any role.


Jenni Graham popped out of the womb performing and has been showing off ever since. She trained at the William Esper Studio in New York and did lots of improv and outdoor guerilla theatre in addition to voiceovers and the occasional hand modeling.  She is obsessed with her two Chihuahuas, Bruiser and Grizzly Bear, is on a quest for the perfect delicious low calorie appetizer and seeks a little bit of Harpo Marx in every man she meets.








Michael Hockersmith's  absolute confidence in his acting abilities results from the accumulated loss of brain cells that occurs over a life well (if often unwisely) spent. Let's just say that playing Polonius in last year's NHB production of Hamlet was no stretch. After many common projects with founders John and Kate Kissingford and with music director Nancy Ziglar, he looks forward to more of the same sponteneity, joy, laughter, and fun. And of course, Mike thinks Shakespeare's okay, as playwrights go. When not acting Mike practices law in the small Colorado mountain town of Ouray, in a mostly futile attempt to support his daughters in the manner to which they have become accustomed. 










If you are a student loan officer, you should know that  this is NOT the Michelle Kaye that you've been looking for. No. This is Michelle L. Kaye, who has a different middle initial.  She is the one you've seen onstage as Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story, Dona Maria Elvira de Flores in Don Juan in Chicago, and Suzanne in Picasso att the Lapin Agile. You might also have seen her in that Furniture Row ad that helped her to pay off her own student loans. She spends her days counseling adolescents at an alternative high school in Denver, so she is delighted to be playing with No Holds Bard this summer, in a company of people who clearly know what use to make of the phrase "a bare bodkin."





John Kissingford (Head Coach) studied Shakespeare with scholars and actors at Princeton, Harvard, Middlebury, Oxford, and Florida Atlantic Universities before discovering the work Patrick Tucker, Neil Freeman, Demitra Papadinis, and others have done on the First Folio. Using their methods to perform such roles as Jacques and Orlando in As You Like It, Shylock in Merchant of Venice, and the title characters of Richard III and Hamlet convinced him that there is a world of delight encoded into the Folio texts that we have missed in our edited texts. He is very excited to explore this world with these amazing actors and you, the audience. Enjoy!
























Kate Kissingford (TeamManager) has played a whole bunch of roles: the title role in Sylvia, Lady Anne in Richard III, Roxanne in Cyrano, Portia in Merchant of Venice, Beatrice in Much Ado…. You may have seen her guest appearances on The Love Boat, 21 Jump Street, and Miami Vice; if so, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about correct dosage levels. Kate finds inner peace by enrolling in anger management courses (not taking them, just enrolling) and cleaning up the street after derelict dog owners. Oh, and acting Shakespeare, which she loves doing with this loopy group.



Sam Larson is definitely not his own brother. He is, instead, a dedicated, talented commediantarianist and an unbridled actor who is willing to do ANYTHING onstage (except sing and dance. Don't ask him to sing and dance). Between performances, he plays soccer,  baseball, and track and field occasionally, attends Sierra Middle School in Parker somewhat more often, and always, always cheers Todd Helton on to greatness.


Since landing a part in the chorus in No, No Nannette in 1992, Kevin Lowry has never stopped to think about life outside of theatre.  He receivied his BFA in Theatre from Millikin University in 2001 and headed north to Chicago.  After five years of courting audiences in such shows as Disturbed, Gorey Stories and True West he needed a break from the Windy City and headed West.  Stopping for a short time in Iowa he performed in The Sisters Rosensweig and the independent film, The Least Dangerous Game.  Kevin has also been known to play Santa Claus over the phone for children of all ages across the Continental United States and for the good ones in Canada. Kevin is glad to be getting back into Shakespeare and is as giddy as a school girl to get out and play.

Stephen Pearce is back for another season with No Holds Bard, wetter and wilder than ever. You'll recognize him from productions around Denver too numerous to list, as well as every burlesque show worth its salt. He lit up various parks and stages last summer as Benedicke in Much Ado about Nothing, and the Graverdigger in Hamlet. As Stephen likes to point out, performing burlesque is much like acting Shakespeare unrehearsed... only it pays better.



Lindsey Pierce is thrilled to again be a part of the experience known as No Holds Bard.  Last summer, she had so much fun that she thought surely it couldn’t be legal… and apparently it wasn’t.  Now, when not performing her community service or checking in with her parole officer, Lindsey can be seen acting and demonstrating at the Museum of Nature and Science.  You may also have seen her in such roles as Alexandra in On the Verge or Savannah in Future Girl at the Bug; or occasionally in a guest spot in Trunks at Buntport Theatre.  However, you would definitely not have seen her doing anything suspicious, questionable, or involving open flame at any time and any reports to the contrary will be vigorously denied.

After wresting an M.A. in Renaissance music from C.U. Boulder, Nancy Ziglar (Music Director) fled to Western Colorado, where she lives in grace and wabi sabi with her husband Mike. She has collaborated with him on various projects, among them many professional theater productions, the practice of tai chi, improvisation, symphony and chamber music, and many, many hikes in the San Juan mountains. Oh, yes, and raising two fabulous daughters.