THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE PRESENTS

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Director: Bernadette Sweeney
Composer/Music Director: Mark Plonsky
Scenic Designer: Jay Michael Roberts*
Costume Designer: Jamie Howard***
Lighting Designer: Kendall Skoog**
Projection Designer: Mike Post
Sound Designer: Lexia Pilutik
Stage Manager: Paige Wisneski***

*Partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, Area of Specialization in Scenery

**Partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre (Senior Project)

***Partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre (Junior Project)


ANY VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS PRODUCTION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.


LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The School of Theatre and Dance acknowledges that these are the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people, a number of whom are our colleagues, students, and friends. We honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come.

*Es mistéʔes qe es lʔ, ci łu l ,T,atʔ̓ ayaqn u Qlispélixʷ sqlixʷúʔulexʷs t Nłʔaycčstm Kʷtis
Snacx̓ ̣łqe̓ ym̓ ín. Qe es putʔem łu Sqélixʷ m̓ im̓ éʔeye̓ ms x̣ʷl ,olqʷštulexʷ łu x̣ʷl ,qł sqlqelixʷ.

AUDIENCE STATEMENT OF EMPOWERMENT
The School of Theatre & Dance recognizes that art can provoke; therefore, during the course of this performance, patrons are empowered to leave if themes or situations make them uncomfortable.


AUDIENCE ADVISORY
Atmospheric effects will be used in this production.

CAST (in order of appearance)

Ensemble and Mustardseed/Singing Fairy: Audrey Stenhouse
Ensemble and Puck: Rikky Johnson
Ensemble and Oberon: David Miller
Ensemble and Titania: Daria Porter
Ensemble and Cobweb/Singing Fairy: Emelia Tilleman
Ensemble and Moth: Jules Jensen
Ensemble and Peaseblossom: Chayten Pippin
Ensemble and Eglantine: Cubby Rodda
Ensemble and Woodbine: Jayden Dupler
Ensemble and Theseus: Kynan Moon
Ensemble and Hippolyta: Karlee Palagi
Ensemble and Egeus: Seth Campbell
Ensemble and Philostrate: Cassie Berg
Ensemble and Hermia: Lucy Schindler
Ensemble and Helena: Elise Clayton
Ensemble and Lysander: Andy Lottis
Ensemble and Demetrius: Morgan Davis
Ensemble and Nick Bottom [Pyramus]: Blake Sowers
Ensemble and Robin Starveling [Moonshine] : Kairi Lising
Ensemble and Peter Quince [Prologue]: Aiden Kelly
Ensemble and Francis Flute [Thisby]: Violet Nowlen
Ensemble and Snug [Lion]: Anthony Matury
Ensemble and Tom Snout [Wall]: Jackie Kleinsasser

Understudies: Macey Bauman, Ellie Haag, Wynter Kelley

SETTING

Athens, and a wood nearby

~This play is performed with a 15-minute intermission.~

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

This production is an extension of the teaching and learning outcomes in the acting studio and in the design studios. This play was originally crafted to be performed in daylight and to audiences seated on three levels; therefore, the design of this show brings the action into the house. Puck observes to the audience, “Lord, what fools these mortals be,” and we know that he is right! As an acting teacher and director, I like to call the challenge of performing Shakespeare 'an extreme sport for the actor.' Student actors work to rise to the challenge of a complex text, an extended playing time, a full ensemble, live music and a playful relationship to the audience.

In the acting studio and in rehearsal we used Patsy Rodenburg's seminal acting guide Speaking Shakespeare (2004) as it helps the actors ground their text work in breath, in the body and in a healthy vocal practice. In rehearsal we also incorporated the choreographic movement method of Viewpoints, led by assistant director Michael Beverley (MFA candidate in Directing). This play brings three worlds together with hilarious and unlikely outcomes—the fairy world, the formal world of the court and the everyday work of the average worker or 'mechanical'—we worked in the early stages of rehearsal to establish these worlds through movement, gesture, language and relationships, and through the music which was so beautifully composed by Mark Plonsky. The Midsummer creatives hope “we shadows have not offended” … thank you for joining us as we dream together through the magic of theatre.

~Bernadette Sweeney, Ph.D.

SCENIC DESIGNER'S NOTE

The spectacle of Shakespeare is the text. Imagine luxuriating in these words and this story over 400 years ago under vastly different parameters. The social and physical bounds in which the play lived influenced its style of writing and delivery. For the price of a single penny, a patron was afforded the extreme privilege of standing underneath the open sky in the elements and right at the actor’s feet. This raucous and often participatory bunch was dubbed the groundlings. Shows were performed in daylight. At that time, the actors were in conversation with the audience. The safety of the fourth wall and the current convention of sitting anonymously in the dark was not yet established. We have sought to recreate this relationship between the performer and the participant by breaking down the classic proscenium nature of the Montana Theatre and puncturing the audience with playable space. This bold move tasks the performer and director with imagining the play in three different staging styles: proscenium, thrust and alley. The conversation the performer has with the audience can now be shared as a friend in their midst. For the audience, it encourages a constant state of seeking the story and shifting perspective.

This immensely creative production team for A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings life to the magic from within Shakespeare’s text. The natural rules this world. Our imagery was pulled from Victorian botanicals, providing vivid luscious colors and a wild and dark ornamental beauty. The counterpart to this energy is the austerity of the court. Grand, orderly and stark, we imagined the similarities possible when a grand forest of columns transforms into a forest of stylized trees with the same wild movement of these exotic drawings. A component of projections was conceived to bolster the magical moments of the script and the question was posed: how do we bring in a world of projections that works together with the built environment and keep it present for the audience? In a fever dream that we would begin to loathe and love, often simultaneously, the boundary of our environment became a great curved screen pushed downstage as far as we could possibly facilitate. This gesture offers an entire world just beyond the plaster line of the proscenium. We beckon you to please sit forward in the luscious, patterned light that spills into the house and enjoy the magic of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

~Jay Michael Roberts, MFA Scenery Candidate

PRODUCTION STAFF

Production Manager: Jason McDaniel

Assistant Director/Fairy Movement Director: Michael Beverley

Fight/Intimacy Choreographer: Mark Plonsky

Fight Captain: Cubby Rodda

Intimacy Captain: Rikky Johnson

Rehearsal Dramaturg: Natalie Renk

Properties: Alicia Griggs**

Properties Assistant: Markus Charlson

Assistant Stage Manager: Kinsey Church

Select Photography: Bryan Ferriter

Technical Director/Scene Shop Manager: Brian Gregoire

Assistant Technical Director: Wilder Ayer

Charge Artist: Jay Michael Roberts

Scenic Artist: Alessia Carpoca

Scene Shop Staff: Wilder Ayer, Ben Meyers, Jay Roberts

Carpentry and Paint Crew: Ronnie Avansino, Emi Cerro, Dillon Deschamps, Imogen Greenslade, Ash Gregoire, Brady Grenfell, Alicia Griggs, Aiden Kelly, Elijah Miller, Mike Monsos, Trevor Monsos, Eli Reed, Natalie Samano, Alfred Tinsley, Scott Woods

Prop Shop Manager: Laila Sisson 

Costume Shop Manager: Jordan Draper

Cutters/Drapers: Jordan Draper, Brenna Holgate, Megan Johnson, Eleanor O’Brien

Costume Shop Staff: Emi Cerro, Brenna Holgate, Jamie Howard, Megan Johnson, Jessica Lang, Auna Noah, Eleanor O’Brien 

Costume Construction Crew: Macey Bauman, Faith Docusen, Codi Donniaquo, Ellie Gillard, Elsa Horgan, Sydney McClenning, Daria Porter, Aaron Prati, Hallie Racicot, Paige Wisneski, Lillian Young

Costume Crafts: Brenna Holgate

Light/Sound Shop Manager & Lead Electrician: Spencer Perry

Assistant Lead Electrician: Rae Scott

Projection Engineer: Mike Post

Light Shop Staff: Terry Jorgensen, Kendall Skoog, Scott Woods

Light Hang and Focus Crew: Ronnie Avansino, Wilder Ayer, Jason Bernardi, Julia Duarte, Sarah Fulbright, Brenna Holgate, Kendra Miller, May Mills, Trevor Monsos, Eleanor O’Brien, Cubby Rodda, Rae Scott, Jade Shumway

Light Board Operator: Macey Bauman

Projection Operator: Wynter Kelley 

Sound Board Operator: Ellie Haag

Scenery/Props Crew: Wilder Ayer, Mia Edwards, Kendra Miller, May Mills, Alayna Williams

Wardrobe Crew: Jasper Crumley, Gabe Malek, Marin Masar, Aaron Prati, Jade Shumway

House Manager: Walker Winterburn 

**Partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre (Senior Project)

SPECIAL THANKS

Dr. Adam Collins and Dr. David Cody, School of Music
Bryan Ferriter
Ruby and Saoirse Ferriter
Dr. Pamyla Stiehl

TALENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT 2023-2024

Andy Lottis's headshot

Andy Lottis

Andy Lottis is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre Performance here at the UM School of Theatre and Dance and is honored to be the 2023-2024 Talent Scholarship recipient. Growing up in Southeast Portland, Oregon, Andy always loved a few things: making and telling stories, stretching the limits of his imagination, and being the center of attention. He found his way into performance through many avenues. His parents spent a lot of time filling the house and their lives with music. Andy’s best friend in middle school got him into theatre, which he pursued through high school right into UM in Fall 2020.

Andy has been involved in the School and many productions, the first of which was Welcome to the Void as Kris. Following that he did One Lane Bridge as an ensemble member, had a brief run as Detective Keller and ensemble in She Loves Me, and was a member of Zootown Cabaret in Spring 2022. (He encourages anyone curious to ask him why his time in She Loves Me was a “brief run.”) Following that, Andy was Bobby in Cabaret, performed in two dance pieces in Dance Underground, was a member of Zootown Queer Cabaret, and attended the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival as a part of UM’s first official group. Andy was an ensemble member in Zootown Cabaret’s November 2023 production of 35mm: A Musical Exhibition. He is thrilled to be playing Lysander in this production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Andy’s passion for theatre and the arts stems from his compassion and empathy. He describes himself as a people person. His time and work in theatre has given him abundant opportunities to meet new people and gain new perspectives on life; he takes great pride in bringing life to the stories of other people and their humanity. Most recently, as Bobby in Cabaret, he got to dive into 1930s Berlin and its club life. Being a queer person and playing Bobby, a queer man in character, gave Andy the chance to really define what it means to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community and to explore the impact that can be made today by telling the terrifyingly real stories of characters like Bobby in the Holocaust.

Andy has also maintained his love of music. If time and money were infinite resources, Andy would be supplementing his education with as many degrees in music as possible. He can usually be found wearing headphones, listening to something and trying to dissect all the parts. He hopes to produce and release his own music and is currently working on a song for his senior project.

Andy would like to thank his parents, Brian and Annette, for always supporting him and jumping on board, even when none of them had any idea what they were signing up for. He would like to thank his best friend, Anna, for knowing him and being his anchor, even over 500 miles away. He also thanks every audience member and every scholarship donor for their support for and appreciation of the performing arts.

Lastly, he would like to thank John DeBoer for taking a scared little 18-year-old—failing his first course and unsure of his place in the world—and helping him discover his confidence and self-worth.

UM THEATRE AND DANCE STUDENTS SUPPORTED BY

Charles Ross Capps, Sr., and Agnes Ranjo Capps Scholarship; George & Louise Caras Scholarship; James Caras Family Scholarships; Sarah Crump Memorial Scholarship; Alexander & Virginia Dixon Dean Scholarships; Janice Stenslie Foster Endowed Scholarship; Riki Gordon Scholarship; Donal Harrington Scholarships; Jim Kriley Memorial Scholarship; Mary Cardell Moore and Robert & Florence Cardell Awards; Ivan Morrison Scholarship in the Arts; Mott Ranch Scholarship; Odyssey of Our Stars Scholarships; Sarah Ottley Memorial Scholarship; Patron Scholarships; Rachel Sprunk Smith Scholarship; Sheila M. Sullivan Scholarship; Talent Scholarship; Theatre Scholarships; Thespian Scholarships; UM Dance Days Scholarships; May Carol Zeman Award


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THE BUCKET BRIGADE

Help fund performing-arts education for the talented students you saw on stage tonight … or didn’t see because they were backstage or at another rehearsal! On your way out the door, meet some of the show’s performers and, if you desire, contribute to the School of Theatre and Dance Patron Scholarship by dropping off a small donation. The performers and donation buckets will be at the PARTV Center exits. Thank you for supporting the arts and the University of Montana School of Theatre and Dance!

FACULTY AND STAFF

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS AND MEDIA
Jennifer Cavanaugh and Michael Musick, Co-Deans

SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE
DIRECTOR:
Mike Post
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR:
Heidi Jones Eggert
FACULTY:
Alessia Carpoca, Brooklyn Draper, Jordan Draper, Heidi Jones Eggert, Brian Gregoire, Jeanine Hedström, Michael Legg, Tara McFarland, David Mills-Low, Mike Monsos, Faith Morrison, Charlie Oates, Mark Plonsky, Mike Post, Tarn Ream, Michael Rohd, Laurel Sears, Pam Stiehl, Bernadette Sweeney, Katie Thompson
STAFF:
Sharon Collins, Marie Fahlgren, Jessica Lang, Erin McDaniel, Jason McDaniel, Spencer Perry