Meet the girls

Carmen Mandley

Carmen-maria Mandley (Creator and Artistic Director) attended National-Louis University in Chicago Illinois and continued her training at Shakespeare and Company, studying with master teachers and scholars such as Tina Packer, Dennis Krausnick, Susan Dibble and Kevin Coleman. She then continued her training at the Dell’ Arte International School of Physical Theatre with Master Clown teacher Ronlin Foreman. She has been actively directing, teaching and performing Shakespeare for 18 years. Bringing the physical, textual, and spiritual to Shakespeare’s works is her passion. She is exhilarated to be able to bring this work to all who are willing to play. She thanks her partner in crime, Rebecca as well as all of those who have helped us along the way.

Rebecca Blum

Rebecca Blum (Managing Director) grew up in rural North Carolina . Unlike most of the students in her high school English classes, she fell for Shakespeare just as Romeo fell for Juliet. She studied theatre at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC and, though her career mostly focused on contemporary works, she was first able to perform in a few student Shakespearean productions. In 2005, she began working as a principle player with Bare Theatre in Raleigh, NC . She is most proud of her performances as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (a dream come true), Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Olivia in Twelfth Night, and Emilia in Othello.

Paying bills and creating a family have taken priority over pursuing a career in performance, but she is ecstatic to have a creative outlet in the Nickel Shakespeare Girls. She joined the troupe in 2006. Performing Shakespeare for those who already love the Bard is wonderful, but nothing compares to evoking joy from those who previously thought Shakespeare was best left on a shelf gathering dust. She is forever grateful to NSG, Seth, Eowyn, Havana and Carmen for indulging this love of her life.

Susannah Skiver

Susannah Skiver enjoyed a few brief, glorious days as an NSG in 2005, but often wishes her tenure had been longer. Since then she has lived in France, gotten a degree and worked at a nonprofit organization soliciting nickels (and checks) in a much more conventional, and much less fun, manner. She will soon travel abroad once again in search of further higher education, but would probably drop it all in a heartbeat to stand on her head reciting Hamlet. Vive les Nickel Shakespeare Girls!

Maura Clement

Maura first fell in love with Shakespeare when Carmen cast her as bloody, bloody Macbeth during camp the summer she was 15. She began to tour with the Nickel Shakespeare Girls in 2007 and had great flippin' fun touring the southeast. Maura headed off to school and received a BFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. She plans to pack up her britches and her tap shoes and head where ever the work takes her.

Heather J. Strickland

Heather J. Strickland is the Artistic Director of Bare Theatre. She has been working with Bare Theatre for six years in which she has directed, performed in, choreographed and produced several productions including Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Othello, The Tempest, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and The Crucible.

Heather received a degree in Theatre Arts from Flagler College and is a certified member of the Society of American Fight Directors, studying stage combat for over eight years under Fight Master Jeff A.R. Jones. Heather has worked with many local schools and performance groups as a Fight Choreographer and teacher, including Deep Dish Theatre Company, Ghost and Spice Productions, The Nickel Shakespeare Girls, Duke University, Durham School of the Arts, Durham Academy, East Chapel Hill High School and, of course, Bare Theatre.

Rosa Wallace

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Rosa began performing at the age of 4 in her church choir. She was heavily involved in educational and community theatre by the age of 11, and she continued that involvement during her attendance at WG Enloe High School for the Performing Arts. After dabbling in rock bands, visual art, and computer programming, the die was cast, and she subsequently earned her BA in Theatre with a Musical Theatre Concentration from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Rosa has been living, working, and traveling at home and abroad for the past four years. She currently hails from New York, NY and prides herself on being adaptable and well-traveled. She spends any and all free time on her other real job as a singer/songwriter.

Laura Jernigan

Laura Bess Jernigan is an actor living and working in NYC. Originally from the Raleigh, NC area, she joined NSG for a breif but wonderful time in her life. Laura grew up working with Carmen and was present at the birth of the NSG at their first NC Ren Faire. It has been absolutely amazing watching the girls grow and change into the amazing enterprise they are today. Laura is proud to have been a part of this group and continues to wow people with her ability to recite at least one speech from every play in Shakespeare's canon. And a few sonnets, too!

Anna Gettles

Anna Gettles started busking on the street as a Nickel Shakespeare Girl with Carmen-maria Mandley and Linnea Emigh. After the first year of NSG, Anna was hooked and performed on and off with these beautiful ladies for about 7 years. Anna has a BA in Theatre Performance from Appalachian State University and is now currently living and working in Portland, OR. Shouting Shakespeare to the sky while upside down is one of her most favorite things to do. One of her favorite Shakespeare quotes is "I fear too much rubbing, Good night my good owl".

Kacey Schedler

Kacey Reynolds Schedler was one of the "girls" for several years. Dealing with "Macbeth thighs" after a weekend may have been a low point, but who can't fall in love with: being with the best girls for some quality time (six hour car rides to Georgia), free-weight lifting exercise (Midsummer and Titus poses), and luxury outdoor living (listening to owls while snuggled next to another girl on an air mattress in the woods). She is so grateful to have been able to help bring the fun of Shakespeare to so many! While not lifting another girl over her head, Kacey works in the non-profit sector trying to save the world, and snuggles at home with her two big dogs and one lovely husband.

Laura Jernigan

Laura Bess Jernigan is an actor living and working in NYC. Originally from the Raleigh, NC area, she joined NSG for a brief but wonderful time in her life. Laura grew up working with Carmen and was present at the birth of the NSG at their first NC Ren Faire. It has been absolutely amazing watching the girls grow and change into the amazing enterprise they are today. Laura is proud to have been a part of this group and continues to wow people with her ability to recite at least one speech from every play in Shakespeare's canon. And a few sonnets, too!

Richard Butner

Richard attended his first renaissance festival in 2005, where he saw--or rather, experienced--the Nickel Shakespeare Girls. He found them enchanting, inspiring, and hilarious. In 2007 he joined the troupe, performing in the lanes at the Carolina Renaissance Festival, thus fulfilling a lifelong dream. Or, actually, a two-year-and-seven-month-long dream. He's easy to spot: the Nickel Shakespeare Girl not wearing a bodice. Whether flapping his arms in a fairy ballet or rebuking the gods as King Lear, he is honored to promote Shakespeare power and girl power whenever and wherever he can.