Casey Kaleba founded and runs Tooth & Claw. He has coordinated violence for opera, television, music videos, and more than 400 theatrical productions. That work includes arranging fights at the Guthrie Theatre, Spoleto Festival, Folger Theatre, Signature Theatre, Round House Theatre, Keegan Theatre, Wolf Trap Opera, Avant Bard, Hub Theatre, Washington National Opera, Source Festival, Olney Theatre Center, and Constellation Theatre. A company member with Rorschach Theatre and Brave Spirits Theatre, Casey has staged fights for knights, musketeers, princesses, zombies, wolves, pirates, ninjas, and at least one alien tentacle. Casey has trained with movement artists from across the globe, including Fight Directors Canada, the Society of Australian Fight Directors, British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat, Dueling Arts International, Dell’Arte, Combat Circus, Rapier Wit, and the British Academy of Dramatic Combat. Recently he has served as the audition choreographer for Marvel Universe Live. He holds an MA in Theatre History from the University of Maryland.
A Certified Teacher and Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors, Casey has taught theatrical combat workshops and courses for a wide range of programs. He has taught at the University of Maryland, Catholic University, University of Mary Washington, Old Dominion University, Chesapeake College, Davidson College, James Madison University, Montgomery College, University of South Carolina, the Virginia Governor’s School, and Virginia Theatre Association, as well as scores of high schools, festivals, professional development workshops, libraries, and camps. He has served as a teaching artist for the Shakespeare Theatre, Round House Theatre, English Speaking Union, and Folger Library. Casey has been a guest instructor for Fight Directors Canada and the Nordic Stagefight Society, and an instructor at the Paddy Crean Workshop – the largest international stage combat workshop. Casey is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

James is looking forward to his Shakespeare Opera Theatre debut as Amahl. Recent roles include Coachman in Pinocchio, Iago in Aladdin Jr., and Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka Jr. He also enjoys gymnastics and basketball.

Prized for his strong bass voice, Mr. Allen has performed with SOT since 2018, portraying King Claudius in Hamlet (2020), Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (2019), and covered Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitor (2018). Since 2020, he assumed a new role with SOT as Associate Producer for Audience Development.

Amy Baska is pleased to be working with SOT again. She previously was seen in SOT’s “Hamlet” as Horatio, and as every one of Henry VIII’s wives in “Elizabethian Entertainments.” Amy holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Hartt School, a degree that was a heck of a lot of fun to earn but in no way prepared her to be a tax paying member of our society. She has worked with a lot of DMV theatres, played music with a lot of regional bands, and saw a lot of shenanigans when she was working for IATSE Local 22. Word to my mother.

JáVonn B. Bright is an award winning, opera singer, conductor and speaker. The American baritone hails from Washington, District of Columbia. He is a proud alumnus of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He’s also studied at Morgan State University and The Boston Conservarory. Recently, he made history by being the first African American nominated by the Vatican courts to receive the prestigious “Medaglia Beato Angelico,” a medallion commissioned by Pope John Paul II, due to his excellent artistic presentation while touring Italy.

With international critical acclaim, Bright has had the privilege to tour extensively through the Americas, Caribbean and Europe. He has performed for dignitaries such as the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles), the Duchess of Cornwall (Princess Camilla), President Barack, Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. He has performed with acclaimed artist such as Patti LaBelle, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and American Soprano Karen Slack.

Jack is excited to reprise his role as Amahl after playing the part for the Shakespeare Opera Theatre in December 2019. Recent roles include Father Alex in Mamma Mia, George Banks in Mary Poppins Jr., and Michael Wormwood in Matilda, Jr. He also enjoys singing in the Honors Ensemble at his school.