A Northglenn Youth Theatre production of

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

August 2-4, 2024

Directed by Patrick Berger

DIRECTOR’S NOTES & BIO

Thank you so much for coming to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream! The cast, crew, creative team, and all of us here at NYT working on the show are so excited to share it with you.

Shakespeare is an exciting endeavor for NYT, as we have yet to tackle the Bard’s works in original form. For this first endeavor, we wanted to pick A Midsummer Night’s Dream not only because it is one of the more famous works, but also because of its underlying questions – what are our dreams trying to tell us? What is real? What is illusion? And at the core of it – what is trust?

I recently read that the opposite emotion of anxiety is trust. The more we learn to trust, ourselves or others, the less anxious we will feel. Although the play does not outright answer these questions, it does show us some exciting ideas around these questions that are sure to make you laugh, cry or feel something. So, taking our cue from Will Shakes – whether you are a poet, a lover or a lunatic – may your imagination bring forth good dreams tonight after we tell our tale.Huzzah!

Patrick Berger
Director

Patrick is honored to be directing his first production with NYT after helping to bring fifteen NYT stories to life on the Parsons Theatre stage. At Northglenn Arts, Patrick helps guide and support all the Arts and Culture programs and has been doing so for the last three years. Before working at Northglenn Arts, Patrick was leading the audience development initiatives at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Before moving to the Denver region, he was working in NYC with educational program connected to Broadway, Off Broadway and beyond. He is extremely proud to have been helping to lead Open Doors, the only Arts Education program to ever receive a Tony Honors Award, when it received the honor. As an artist and director, his specialty is physical theatre, clown, commedia and devised theatre. He has directed and performed on stages across the United States with original works, classic and more for and with young performers.

Photography, videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

CAST

Peter Quince … Ainsley Lindeman

Titania … Aksel Gangji

Flute/Egeus … Bella Newton

Snug … Chloe Hinton

Bottom … Desireé Kennison

Snout/Philostrate … Georgia Hessel

Starveling/Oberon … Layla Stark

Lysander … Max Bales

Theseus … Max Gray

Helena … Kathryn Palmer

Hippolyta … Rylee Putroff

Robin/Puck … Sydney Williams

Hermia … Wren Gray

Demetrius … Zöe Harrison

Fairies… Georgia Hessel, Chloe Hinton, Bella Newton, Ainsley Lindeman

CREATIVE TEAM

Director … Patrick Berger

Stage Manager … Veronica Legler

Asst.Stage Manager … Natasha Gangji

Choreographer … Lauren Russell

Costume Manager … Sloane Crazybear

Set Designer … Andrew Machovec

Lighting Designer … Amanda Fisk

Sound Designer … Wren Tran Ryder

Props Manager … Jerod Fink

Projections … Sam Morin

Technical Crew …

Amina Frazier

Ani MacNicol

Brycen Cosgrove

Jayden Middleton

Kai Roth

Katherine Alvarado

Leo Strabala

Lincoln Witham

Mack Dunn

Maverick Witham

Payton Jessup

Rachel Crosby

Rohan Newman

Tom McVeety

NORTHGLENN ARTS STAFF

Executive Producer Michael Stricker

Artistic Producer   Patrick Berger

NYT Program Director    Kimberly Jongejan

Technical Director   Daniel Mori

Assistant Technical Director   Wren Tran Ryder

Patron Services Coordinator Candice Marchese

Marketing Manager  Terra Mueller

Box Office

Ian Guerra

Inbar Shavit

Russel Francisco

Thank you to all the parent volunteers and amazing helpers. We couldn’t do this without you.

CAST BIOS

‘Love looks not with the eyes’

Max Bales

Lysander

Max is thrilled to be back for their eighth show at NYT!! Max would like to thank their family and friends for supporting them. Some credits include Chicago (Amos), The Little Mermaid (Scuttle), Heathers (Bill Sweeney), Freaky Friday (Ensemble), Macbeth (Macbeth), Oz (Wicked Witch), Be More Chill (Ensemble).

Wren Gray

Hermia

This is Wren’s 2nd production at NYT. Previous shows: The Lightning Thief, Mary Poppins, and Missoula Theatre shows. They will attend Front Range Comm. College in the fall.They enjoy playing guitar, hiking, drawing, singing, and reading. Wren would like to thank their family and friends for their support, and is grateful to work with such a wonderful and talented cast and crew.

Zöe Harrison

Demetrius

Zöe is thrilled to be taking part in her thirteenth show with NYT. Previous credits include Game of Tiaras (Cinderella), Newsies (Splasher), and Seussical (Mrs. Mayor). She will be attending New York University in the fall to major in sociology. She would like to thank her dad for supporting her.

Kathryn Palmer

Elena

Kathryn is excited to be back at NYT for her 6th show! Previous credits include Little Shop of Horrors, An Avalanche of Murder, Newsies, and Seussical. Apart from theatre, Kathryn enjoys using love potions on her friends and watching the hijinks that ensue amongst them. She would like to thank her family for their ongoing support!

Layla Stark

Oberon/Starveling

Layla will be a freshman at Legacy High this fall. She is 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 excited to play Oberon in her first Shakespeare play! Previous shows Alice In Wonderland, Willy Wonka, Servant of Two Masters, Game of Tiaras, and Percy Jackson. She loves reading, writing, and cats, and thanks her parents for always being supportive.

Aksel Gangji

TitanIa

Aksel is thrilled to be in his 9th NYT show. Previous shows include Newsies and Enchanted Book Shop. He has a newfound love for the technical theater and was backstage for Percy Jackson and Honk. Aksel will attend Rocky Top Middle in the fall and thanks his supportive family and the the directing team for making the show possible!

Rylee Puttroff

Hippolyta

Rylee is thrilled to be in this production. Previous shows include: Newsies, Game Of Tiaras, and Descendants. Rylee will be attending Summit Academy as a senior in the fall. In her free time, she enjoys: training dogs, napping, sewing, collecting hobbies and being a scare actor in the fall. She would like to thank her mom and friends for their support.

Max Gray

Theseus

Max is overjoyed to be a part of her first NYT production and has been a part of a variety of Missoula Theatre shows. She will be a freshman at NGHS in the fall. Max likes to play sports, dance and bake treats for her family.Max would like to thank her family for encouraging her and helping her run lines. She would also like to thank her friends for their constant support and encouragement.

‘Up and down, up and down

I will lead them up

and down

I am feared in field in town

Goblin, lead them up and down ’

Sydney Williams

Puck (Robin)

This is Sydney’s 6th NYT production. Previous shows include Honk, Madagascar, and Game of Tiaras. She just finished 7th grade at Century Middle where she participated in their theater program. She also likes running 5k races with her dad, traveling, and spending time with friends. She would like to thank all her family for the love and support they show.

Georgia Hessel

Snout/ Philostrate

Georgia is excited to be in her 1st NYT show. Previously she has performed in Seussical and The Little Mermaid. Georgia is in 7th grade and enjoying the thrill of home school with her two brothers. She likes reading a good book (Harry Potter) and volunteering at her church. Georgia would like to praise God for giving her the opportunity to grow for the glory of His name.

Bella Newton

Flute / Edges

Bella is excited for her 2nd NYT show, having previously been in Game of Tiaras. She’s been doing theatre since she was 8 years old and will be a senior at the Performing Arts School on Broadway, where she’s a part of theatre, choir, band, and the National Honor Society. She loves listening to music, watching movies, or goofing off with her friends.

Ainsleigh Lindeman

Peter quince

Ainsleigh is excited for her 1st NYT show. She will be a senior at Mountain Range High where she participates in theatre. She had fun in roles for Chateau la Roach, NY Broadway Musical, Adams Family and assists with tech. Her parents and sister will be cheering her on. She works as a lifeguard, loves movies, and hanging with her friends and her many animals at home.

Desireé Kennison

Bottom

Desireé is ecstatic for her 3rd NYT show! Previous shows include The Game of Tiaras and The Lightning Thief. As a sophomore at Eagle Ridge Academy, she balances her studies with her role as the Secretary of the Commerce City Youth Commission and interned with Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center. She extends heartfelt thanks to her brother, David, for being her biggest fan!

Chloe Hinton

Snug

Chloe is thrilled to be in her 8th NYT show! Previous NYT shows include Shrek, Honk, Madagascar, Enchanted Bookshop, Alice , Willy Wonka, and Winnie the Pooh. Other performances of Toy Camp, Big Bad: The Musical, and James and the Giant Peach. Chloe just finished 7th grade at Bromley East Charter in Brighton. She would like to thank the cast and crew for being so supportive and kind.

‘Lord what fools these mortals be’

PLOT SUMMARY

ACT 1

A group of working folks are preparing a play of the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe to present before Duke Theseus for their wedding day. Nick Bottom is to play the lover Pyramus, while Flute begrudgingly agrees to play Thisbe. At the Palace, Duke Theseus prepares for their marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Egeus, one of the Lords, come to ask for the Duke’s help. Their child, Hermia, will not agree to marry Demetrius because they love another, Lysander. The Duke asks Hermia to be obedient, and offers three options: marry Demetrius, die or accept a celibate life as a nun. Naturally upset with the offer, Lysander and Hermia plan to elope and share their secret with Helena, Hermia’s friend. Helena is desperately in love with Demetrius, who goes to Demetrius to share the plan and follow the two.

ACT 2

Oberon – King of the Fairies—has recently quarreled with the queen, Titania. Oberon begins to plot a way to get revenge on Titania and sends the fairy servant, Puck, to fetch a purple flower with juice that makes people fall in love with the next creature they see. Afterwards, Oberon overhears Helena and Demetrius arguing in the forest. Oberon tells Puck to anoint ‘the Athenian’, so Demetrius will fall in love with Helena. Puck mistakes the Athenian and puts the flower juice on the eyes of the sleeping Lysander. Who, when woken by Helena, immediately falls in love with them and rejects Hermia. When Demetrius rests, Oberon puts magic juice on his eyes, which makes him also fall in love with Helena.

ACT 3

The workers’ rehearsals in the woods are overheard by Puck, who plays a trick on them by giving Bottom an ass’s head. After frightening the others away, Bottom is lured towards the sleeping Titania whom Oberon has anointed with Puck’s magic flower juice. On waking, the fairy queen falls in love with the ass . Meanwhile, Demetrius and Lysander, still under the spell of the flower juice, pursue Helena. Hermia is jealous and confused. Oberon and Puck watch the chaos, and Oberon commands Puck to put it right again. The lovers’ arguments have tired them all out as they have chased one another through the woods. The four lovers fall asleep, exhausted. Puck places restorative juice on Lysander’s eyes.

ACT 4

After an afternoon of being pampered by Titania’s fairies, Bottom falls asleep. Oberon restores Titania’s sight and wakes them (thank goodness). After expressing dismay at the sight of Bottom, they reconcile with Oberon. Bottom’s ass head is removed, and they return to the city to rejoin the workers as they prepare to perform their play. The lovers are woken by Theseus and Hippolyta who are out for a stroll in the forest. Lysander sees Hermia and falls in love with them once again.

ACT 5

Happily reunited (Lysander with Hermia and Demetrius with Helena), they agree to share the Duke’s wedding day. The play of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ is presented before the wedding guests. As the three couples retire to bed, Puck and the fairies return to bless the palace and its people.

UPCOMING AUDITIONS

Auditions are by appointment only. Visit NorthglennARTS.org for specifics on what to prepare, to schedule your audition, and all the 2024-25 audition opportunities.

Northglenn Youth Theatre Jr.

Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother’s Spell

SIGN-UP START –SEP 16

AUDITIONS – OCT 28-NOV 1

CALL BACKS – NOV 2

PERFORMANCES – JAN 24-FEB 2

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Northglenn Youth Theatre 

Sister Act

SIGN-UP START – Now!

AUDITIONS – AUG 19-21

CALL BACKS – AUG 24

PERFORMANCES – NOV 15-24

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Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon

SIGN-UP START – SEP 16

AUDITIONS – OCT 28-NOV 1

CALL BACKS – NOV 2

PERFORMANCES – JAN 24-FEB 2

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Something Rotten

SIGN-UP START – DEC 24

AUDITIONS – FEB 4-6

CALL BACKS – FEB 8

PERFORMANCES – APR 25-MAY 4

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NYTA Registration for September – December 2024 Camps and Classes is open!

Take center stage with the Northglenn Youth Theatre Academy Fall Classes & Camps! From learning new acting techniques to perfecting your dance moves, this fall is all about unleashing your inner star and building your actor’s toolbox.
For more information on winter camps and classes visit NorthglennARTS.org/education.

UPCOMING

Sugar Skull – A Dîa de Muertos Musical Adventure

October 6 1pm & 4pm

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Northglenn Youth Theatre Jr.

James and the Giant Peach Jr.

Sep 27-29

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Northglenn Youth Theatre

Sister Act

NOV 15-24

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Northglenn Youth Theatre 30th Anniversary Gala

NOV 23

Where celebration meets impact

Your presence and support will directly contribute to the Northglenn Youth Theatre Scholarship Endowment, ensuring that financial contributions go directly to young actors in Northglenn.

Tickets at NorthglennARTS.org or call 303-450-8888