A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare’s hilarious fairytale about the fickleness of love comes to life on our stage just in time for spring. Spend the evening in an enchanted forest filled with fairies, a quartet of confused royals, and a troupe of actors desperately trying to put on a play for the king. This Treehouse production is appropriate for ages 12 and up and is adapted and directed by Ashley McGlothren.

SYNOPSIS

Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia but she only has eyes for Lysander. Bad news is, Hermia's father wants Demetrius for a son-in-law. On the outside is Helena, whose unreturned love burns hot for Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander plan to flee from the city under cover of darkness but are pursued by an enraged Demetrius (who is himself pursued by an enraptured Helena). In the forest, unbeknownst to the mortals, Oberon and Titania (King and Queen of the faeries) are having a spat over a servant boy. The plot twists up when Oberon's head mischief-maker, Puck, runs loose with a flower which causes people to fall in love with the first thing they see upon waking. Throw in a group of labourers preparing a play for the Duke's wedding and the complications become fantastically funny.

SETTING

Late 1930’s in Athens, Greece.

A Note From The Director

“Lord what fools these mortals be!”

I don’t know of a better line that sums up the past year or so in our world. There are so many parallels I could draw in this directors note about Shakespeare’s works and the state of our current world. The plague, theatre, Shakespeare, COVID, it’s all there somewhere in my brain. But like a lot of you, my brain is tired.

But it’s a happy tired.

Theatre is my passion and being able to get back in here and do what I love has been truly like a breath of fresh air. Being blessed with an exceptionally talented cast has been the icing on the cake. They really made my job very easy. My goal was to present a show that reminds us that magic really is around every corner (whether we want it or not sometimes). This delightful cast, in my humble opinion, has helped me achieve that goal. I think you’ll find the next couple of hours to be a fun escape from the world around you.

I am long time lover of Shakespeare and have had the pleasure of acting in and directing a number of his works. Midsummer has always had a special place in my heart and I was delighted to have the chance to bring it to life for my directorial debut at PLT.

I hope you enjoy the show and have a wonderful time in the forest!

Stay safe, stay well.

-Ashley McGlothren, Director

About The Director

Ashley started acting at the age of 13 and has been acting and volunteering in the Pensacola area since 2017. She graduated with her BA in theatre from UWF in 2010 and took some time away from the stage to get married and have her daughter. In 2017 she founded the small nonprofit theatre company, Arrant Knavery, which specializes in producing classical and under-produced works while mixing theatre with philanthropy. She is also the co-host of the theatre-based podcast, The Stage Moms.

Ashley’s recent stage credits include Lady Macbeth in Arrant Knavery’s 2019 production of Macbeth, Blanche in Pensacola Little Theatre’s 2017 production of Night Watch, and Blanche DuBois in Pensacola State College’s 2017 production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Her favorite directorial credits include Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Lysistrata, and Macbeth. As a self-taught graphic designer she has over 5 years of professional design and marketing experience and currently serves as the marketing director at Pensacola Little Theatre.

Crew

Director - Ashley McGlothren
Assistant Director - Gavin Parmley
Stage Manager - Brandi Hicks Lane
Assistant Stage Manager - Cliff Pressley
Stage Design - Kayla Stephenson
Sound Design - Ashley McGlothren
Lighting Design - Drew Mcrary
Light Operator - Addie Boyd-Quina
Sound Operator - Choh Man Teng
Costume Designer - Mindy Iverson
Costume Assistants - Michele Barber, Alyssa Iverson, Wade Iverson
Properties - Carla Rhodes
Backstage Crew - Kaitlyn Geri
Set Construction and Painting - Carol Mankins, Barry Boyd, Pete Fenger, Madison McGlothren, Cast and Crew.
Production Coordinator - Cristina Fenger
PLT Artistic Director - Kathy Holsworth
PLT Technical Director - Kayla Stephenson

Cast

Anna Queen as helena

Anna is a sophomore at Pensacola State College. She was last seen in Our Town as Mrs. Gibbs, and Machinal as The Telephone Girl. This is Anna’s first production on the Pensacola Little Theatre mainstage.

carsen campbell As hermia

Carsen is a BFA acting major at the University of West Florida. Some of her previous roles include Martha in The Children’s Hour, Cassandra in Women of Troy, and Yenchna in Fools. This is her first performance at Pensacola Little Theatre.

jacob summers as lysander

Jacob has been performing since high school. He has performed all over the Pensacola area in both plays and musicals such as Deborah Brevroort’s Women of Lockerbie. Jacob is very excited for his first performance at Pensacola Little Theatre.

r. james philpott AS demetrius

James is very excited to be in his first play at Pensacola Little Theatre. His last performance was in his school’s Christmas play in third grade.

gabe moshe as theseus/oberon

Gabe performed a number of plays with his Shakespeare acting troupe for two years. He is excited to be doing theatre again after a two year break.

alena swango as titania/hippolyta

Alena recently graduated with her A.A. in theatre from Pensacola State College. Her most recent roles include Mrs. Webb in Our Town and Mina in Dracula, A Real Pain in the Neck.

nicolas fenger as puck/PHILISTRATE

Performing at Pensacola Little Theatre and in the Pensacola area for the past five years, Nic was last cast as Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh. He is thrilled to be back onstage working with this talented cast and crew. Other favorite roles include Templeton in Charlotte’s Web, Fleance in Macbeth, Caesar in Julius Caesar, and a member of the cartoon magic in Schoolhouse Rock LIVE!.

janea Hundley as nick bottom

Janea has participated in several shows in the Pensacola community. Her recent roles include ensemble in Machinal at Pensacola State College, Head Elf in Miracle on 34th Street, and Howie Newsome in Our Town at Pensacola State College. Janea hopes that her performance brings you some laughter in these hard times.

river russo as egeus/peter quince

River first appeared in the Pensacola Little Theatre Academy’s 2017 production of Anne Frank and Me as David Ginseng. Since then he has appeared on the PLT stage numerous times. His performances include Laurie in Little Women, Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, and Skin Horse in The Velveteen Rabbit. In addition to performing, River enjoys teaching improv and acting for kids at Pensacola Little Theatre.

ella jane hoffmaster as Snout/mustardseed

Ella Jane is a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School. She was last cast as Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh. Ella Jane has been a student in the PLT education department for several years, and is a member of The Academy as well as serving as a summer camp counselor. She is very thankful to be working with such a talented cast and crew.

christian Lewis as snug/peaseblossom

Christian has always had a passion for theatre. From starring in local musicals to performing in spring plays, she has enjoyed every show she has been in. This is her first time performing at Pensacola Little Theatre, but she hopes for many more in the future.

sarah campbell as starvling/moth

This is Sarah’s first production with Pensacola Little Theatre. She just recently moved from Alabama and has had a love for acting since her freshmen year in high school. Sarah loves to make people happy and is excited to share her love of theatre.