NGU Theatre Presents ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Billingsley Theatre
Posted on: April 12, 2023
Tigerville, SC (April 12, 2023) NGU Theatre will present William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” April 13-15 and April 20-22 at The Billingsley Theatre. Showings will begin at 7:30 p.m. nightly.
“This is a play about love and how humans are led around by their hearts. Often that can lead us astray and into mischief,” said Director Amy Dunlap, associate dean for the School of the Arts at North Greenville University. “It’s a play about mistaken identity and the foolishness of giving our hearts away before we know what we’re doing.”
One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedic works, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is accessible and easy to follow, according to Dunlap.
“It’s a show that people really like and are familiar with,” she said. “In our department, we try to do something from Shakespeare every other year to expose our students to the magnificence of the work and the amazing opportunities to experience heightened language and rich, fully-developed characters.”
“The script is very funny,” Dunlap continued. “We’ve had to stop rehearsals many times because the actors are laughing so hard they can’t get themselves back under control. We’re hoping the audiences will experience that as well.”
The cast features: Chappie Stanley (Theseus, Duke of Athens), Katherine Liederbach (Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons), Collin McCarter (Egeus, father to Hermia), Ben Howard (Philostrate, Master of Revels), Carmen Wells (Hermia, daughter to Egeus), Lydia Kytle (Helena), Josh Gasdia (Lysander), Jacob Jones (Demetrius), Abigail Thomas (Quince, a Carpenter; Prologue), Caleb Wright (Snug, a Joiner; Lion), Logan Stewart (Bottom, a Weaver; Pyramus), Seth Atkins (Flute, a Bellows-mender; Thisby), Keely Lyons (Starveling, a Tailor; Moonshine), Sarah Delanuez (Snout, a Tinker; Wall), Dylan Thompson (Oberon, King of Fairies), Alyse Barrett (Titania, Queen of Fairies), Kale Morse (Puck, or Robin Goodfellow), Meghan Mosher (Peaseblossom, a fairy), Chloe Holmes (Cobweb, a fairy), Isabelle Western (Moth, a fairy), Gabby Godoy (Mustardseed, a fairy), Hannah Lewis (Firefly, a fairy), and Jenna Hansard (Snout, understudy).
Directed by Dunlap, the crew for the production consists of Dr. Bess Park (set and lighting design), David Vierow (technical director), Cynthia Lohrmann (costume designer), Liam Riley (assistant to the costume designer), Mikey Murray (dramaturg, sound board operator), Renee Drake (make-up/hair designer, graphic designer, costume assistant), Sarah-Parker Martin (sound designer, house manager), MJ Greene (dramaturg), Alyse Barrett (assistant to the scenic designer), Isabelle Western (prop master, make-up assistant), Meghan Frady (assistant stage manager), Emery Powell (stage manager), Meredith Wirth (light board operator), Abigail Thomas (harpist), Jacob Jones (fight captain), Keely Lyons (make-up assistant), Jenna Hansard (scenic charge), and Anna Faith Major (assistant house manager).
Dunlap said she is excited to bring this Shakespearean classic to life.
“Sometimes, when people read Shakespeare in a high school English class, they’re really bored, or they just don’t get it, or they can’t follow the language,” Dunlap said. “The truth is, Shakespeare wasn’t meant to be read. It was meant to be performed. You can’t really get a full grasp of what the text means until you see it on its feet.”
“The students just love what they do and have a passion for it. That shines through in all the productions that we do,” she said.
With biblical themes throughout the play, Dunlap said NGU is the perfect place to tell this story.
“We have a perspective of redemption and recognizing God in all that we do,” she said. “’A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is not an overtly Christian piece, but it has themes of forgiveness and the difference between God’s love and human love. Being able to recognize these themes in all that we do makes us uniquely situated to touch people’s lives in a different way.”
To purchase tickets to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” click here.
About North Greenville University
NGU offers more than 125 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic. To learn more, visit ngu.edu.
