Phoenix Dalto
(Click to enlarge)

Before a recent rehearsal, Phoenix Dalto said that he's been coming to see CST shows for as long as he can remember, and he's thrilled finally to be in one! His family members, father Peter, mother Betsy, and sister Kalliope, are enthusiastic theater and Shakespeare fans.

In fact, Betsy and Kalliope love Shakespeare so much that they formed their own group at their local library in Tomkins Cove. Peter also has a theater background, and works for Rockland Center for the Arts. As a result, a partnership has emerged between CST and RoCA: some of the Rogues actors donned their Alice in Wonderland costumes from last spring's Twelfth Night and mixed and mingled at RoCA's Through the Looking Glass fundraiser.

Phoenix is a fourth grader at Stony Point Elementary School. In Julius Caesar, he plays a tribune in charge of the commoners, a member of the angry mob swayed by Mark Antony, and a soldier on the battlefield. He is really enjoying his first production from inside the cast, and is growing more and more confident while battling on stage with a real sword.

While talking about the play, Phoenix's smile is infectious. "I have the first line in the play," he said. "It’s 'Hence!' which means 'Go away.' And that's cool because people have just come to see the show and I tell them to go away!" Asked what he likes best about Julius Caesar, his face lit up. "It's really fun! I've learned a lot and made new friends too."

Come see Phoenix and all of the Knaves in Julius Caesar on December 3, 4, 10 & 11 at the Palisades Presbyterian Church, 117 Washington Spring Road. Call for info and tickets: 845-365-9709.

Excerpted from the CST Newsletter, Fall 2010