Ever since Yosha Ellis was a child he loved the theatrical arts. Ellis started his acting career in fourth grade. Many years later he has founded the non-profit Fog Lights Theater Company and is the artistic director. He is adapting his favorite pieces of literature into theater, and plans to direct for the rest of his life.

Ellis first got his exposure to theater when he attended the Summerfield Waldorf School, then transferred to a private Christian school where he performed in his first play “The Prodigal Cowboy” an adaptation of the biblical story of the prodigal son.

At age 12 Ellis auditioned for “All the Way Home”, directed by the Mendocino Theater Company; he got the part of The Third Boy. At 13 he was cast as Laime in a production of “The Field”, written by John B. Keane, where people started to notice his acting talent. From then on Ellis has been in 17 more shows working with Warehouse Repertory Theater, Opera Fresca, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Redwood Curtain and many others until a little over a year ago he founded Fog Lights Theater.

As the Artistic Director of Fog Lights Ellis suggested to the other board members reenacting the famous Shakespearian play “Hamlet”.

“I don’t know why it is that I came up with the idea of doing “Hamlet”.Besides the fact that it is considered by many to be the greatest theatrical piece ever written, ” Ellis said. “I chose to do “Hamlet” because many of today’s youth can relate to a lot of the themes that Hamlet portrays, like the parent-child relationship struggles of Hamlet and his father or the confused feelings that Ophelia and Hamlet have for each other.”

“Hamlet” is set to perform during the second weekend of March at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, where Ellis will play the lead and direct. After“Hamlet,” Ellis and Fog Lights Theater Co. plan on a performance of “Dracula” followed by the Shakespearean “King Lear” in San Francisco.

For all of the plays Yosha directs, he takes advantage of Facebook, posting in the ‘Auditions in Sonoma’ to find potential cast members.

Although “Hamlet” is the first play by Fog Lights, it is Ellis’ fourth time directing. Previously Yosha directed Shakespeare’s “Winter’s Tale,” “The Time of Your Life” by William Saroyan, and “Dollhouse” by Henry Gibson.

If all goes successfully Yosha plans on adapting Chekov’s “Three Sisters” which he dreams of one day directing. Yosha also plans on recreating “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.