Jessa Whitley-Hill was most recently seen in Pipeline Playwrights’ To Be Still as Jane, as Marci in Almost, Maine with The Arlington Players and Lottie in Enchanted April with the Providence Players. Other past roles include: Proof (Claire), A Bright Room Called Day (Agnes), and Peter & the Starcatchers (Sánchez, Hawking Clam). She also played Rona in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with the Starstuff Theatre Collective. Jessa is most proud of helping to build a community theatre and education program in her small hometown in West Virginia. She sends her thanks to the friends who support her and lovingly bullied her into getting back out there and auditioning again.
Based in Washington, DC, and lauded for “standing out with his confident baritone”, Vincent Fung makes his Shakespearean role debut as Paris and as cover for Friar Lawrence/Prince. He first appeared with Shakespeare Opera Theatre earlier this season as Schaunard in La Vie de Bohème. Recent engagements have taken him from Philadelphia to Prague, performing the roles of Vodník (Rusalka), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore), and Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro). Enjoying a versatile classical music career, Vincent sings with Washington National Opera and Washington Concert Opera, has performed with Washington Opera Society, and has been a soloist and chorister for various ensembles. Originally from San Francisco, he holds an Artist Diploma and a Master of Music from the Catholic University of America and studies voice with Rick Christman. Offstage, you might find Vincent strategizing over a board game, engrossed in a thrift or antique store, or trapped in an escape room near you!
Soprano Alicia Woodberry has been praised for causing “the magic to appear” (OperaGene), with a voice and presence that linger long after the final note. Recent highlights include Mimì in La bohème with Shakespeare Opera Theatre, Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos with Cedar Rapids Opera, and she looks forward to returning to the role of Gertrude for the upcoming performances of Hansel and Gretel. She has also appeared in works by Beethoven, Brahms, and Smyth with the Clarion Choir and the Cathedral Choral Society. A passionate advocate for new music, Alicia frequently collaborates with composer Garth Baxter, with whom she recorded From the Heart: Three American Women. Beyond the stage, she is an engaging educator at Opal Music Studio in Alexandria, VA. Originally from Illinois, Alicia is a proud dog mom to Ollie and loves to unwind by hiking and baking something sweet. She holds degrees from the Peabody Institute and Augustana College and is based in Washington, DC.
Justin Ramm-Damron, Bass-Baritone, has been described as a “Poised and characterful bass- baritone” (Opera Today) and known to give “a menacing performance” (KDHX). He is very excited to return to SOT for their production of Roméo et Juliette. Last summer with SOT he made his debut as Banco in Verdi’s Macbeth. Justin has performed roles with several reputable opera companies throughout the United States including Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera, Shreveport Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, Bronx Opera, Tundi Productions inc., Opera Magnifico, New Jersey Lyric Opera, and St Petersburg Opera. He is currently based in Waco, Texas and got his education at Northwestern University. When he is not performing he enjoys spending time with his beautiful girlfriend Olivia Currier (Gertrude).
Audiences will recognize Sonia from her star turn as Cassio in SOT’s 2022 production of Othello. Donning the mustache once again, this time as the ever-conniving Don John, she is over the moon to return to working with such a dynamic and talented cast and fantastic crew. Her love for Shakespeare and opera makes this company a perfect fit. Sonia splits her time between performing onstage and working behind the scenes for theatrical productions, both at the professional and community level. Most recently, she directed Our Town at Fauquier Community Theater to great acclaim. When she last tread the boards, ironically as Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, she earned a best supporting actress nomination. Sonia loves to spend her free time with her family, John, Gwen and Ellie. It’s their love and support that keeps her working in theater and moving forward, for which she’s eternally grateful.
Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, soprano Kelly Monteith graduated from Philadelphia’s Temple University with the Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. During her time at Temple, she performed the role of Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro and covered the role of Almera in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters. Other notable roles include Susanna (cover) in Le Nozze di Figaro and Annabel in the European premiere of Paul Richard’s Mondo Novo with the Vienna Summer Music Festival, as well as Celia in Handel’s Silla with Chicago Summer Opera. During her undergraduate studies at George Mason University, she performed in six mainstage productions, including Belinda (cover) in Dido and Aeneas and Leila in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe. Most recently, she was seen in the chorus of Opera Baltimore and Opera Delaware’s joint production of La Traviata. Hero in Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénêdict marks Kelly’s debut with Shakespeare Opera Theatre, and she is excited to perform in this beautiful and unique production.
A native of South Africa, Marieke de Koker is a New York City-based mezzo-soprano. Her 2022/23 season included Speaker in AGAMEMNON (Theatre for a New Audience), Cloud in the world premiere of Iceland (Overtone Industries), Liza Elliott in Lady in the Dark (Bronx Opera Outreach) and Giunone in La Calisto (Mannes Opera). Also In 2023 she won the DePaul Concerto competition with her original song cycle Never Again (2021) based on poetry by Valentine Kizito. In 2021 Marieke was an Emerging Artist at the Windybrow Arts Center in South Africa where she was interviewed on the ETV morning show. She has also appeared with RSG radio, Brooklyn Theatre TV, Gauteng Philharmonic, Career Bridges, Johannesburg Opera, Really Spicy Opera, Windy City Performing Arts, and the Art Song Preservation Society of New York, among others. She is delighted to be making her debut in the title role of Béatrice in Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénédict with Shakespeare Opera Theater.
Kirsten Nordland is a rising dramatic artist currently residing in Northwest Ohio. Most recently, Nordland joined the Toledo Opera Guild as a chorister for the 2023-2024 season. Her most recent credits include Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro with the Trentino Music Festival in Trentino, Italy; Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea at Bowling Green State University; and the Stewardess in Jonathan Dove’s Flight at NUOVA Vocal arts. Nordland is also an avid social activist & digital portrait artist. She strives to combine her passions to help serve the longevity of opera.
a DMV actor and passionate storyteller, Justin made his SOT debut in 2023 as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénédict, charming audiences with his amiable performance. An Army brat, Justin lived in Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Hawaii, and Tennessee before high school. After studying at Longwood University, he moved to Northern Virginia and has performed in Art of Murder, Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe, Finding Neil Patrick Harris, and Madame Quixota’s Last Words. By day, he’s a magazine editor for Tax Notes Today; by night, he enjoys hiking, video games, and horror novels. Thanks to friends and family for their support!
Praised for his “Deeply human Marcello” (La bohème) by Opera Codebar (Paris, France), JP Gorski reprises his role as Peter in SOT’s Hansel & Gretel. Audiences will recognize JP from roles such as Iago (Othello), Gregorio (Romeo & Juliet), the title role of Macbeth, and from Much Ado About Nothing where he portrayed the dual roles of Berlioz’s Somarone and Shakespeare’s Dogberry.
After graduating from James Madison University, JP studied at Bel Canto in Tuscany (Tuscany, Italy) where he performed as Figaro (The Barber of Seville), and the title role of Rigoletto. JP has performed with numerous companies including Charlottesville Opera (Virginia), Sarasota Opera (Florida), and Annapolis Opera (Maryland) where he appeared as Second Armored Man in The Magic Flute (November 2023) and The Commissioner in La traviata (March 2025).
JP currently works as a Branch Coordinator for ABC, an Apria company, and a data entry clerk for Reaching Potentials VA, LLC.