A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Aug 16

Oct 26-27-28 (Columbus Performing Arts Center)

Nov 2-3-4 (Multipurpose Theatre Lab)

Press Release: Lord Denney’s Players to Perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

(Columbus, OH). The theater company housed in the English Department of the Ohio State University returns to the stage for their tenth production with a new rendition of Shakespeare’s classic comedy directed by Associate Professor Sarah Neville.

Lord Denney’s Players was founded in 2014 to provide an opportunity for Ohio State undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty to engage in hands-on learning and research around the annual production of an early English play. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio of 1623, our student-driven production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream adapts the text of the play as it appears in that volume, which features richly detailed stage directions and interesting textual variations. This unique production will occur in two venues, mimicking the ways that Shakespeare’s plays were first performed publicly before being invited to court to perform before Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

Since 2014, students from over 50 OSU majors have participated in LDP productions, from Atmospheric Science to Zoology, working on all elements of theatre from design to promotions. Shanna Jaggars, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of OSU’s Student Research Lab, who plays Hippolyta in the production, says that OSU is “lucky” to have a program like Lord Denney’s Players:

“As an undergraduate English major back in the 1990s, I found live performance is vital for students to truly understand the meaning, humor, and depth of Shakespeare’s language. And when students commit together to the ambitious project of performing a two- or three-hour play live for an audience -- and they see that project through successfully! -- the benefits in terms of personal confidence and interpersonal collaboration are profound and lifelong.”

The company’s first weekend of shows will run October 26-28, 7:30 pm at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549, Franklin Ave). A second weekend will run from November 2-4, 7:30 pm in the Multipurpose Theater Lab of OSU’s brand-new Theatre, Film & Media Arts Building (1932 College Rd.). This second venue is to serve as the company’s “royal performance,” performed in an intimate playing area before a smaller audience. General admission is $10, student admission $5. Tickets go on sale on October 5, 2023.

Each show will be followed by a talkback with the cast and crew. Tickets are now on sale: visit Tickets for more information (English majors get in free).

Cast and Crew↓

CAST

Cobweb | Kya Angle, a freshman majoring in Math and Music
Demetrius | Aidan Berry, a junior majoring in English.
Starveling | Milo Bumgarner, an alumnus who majored in Psychology.
Hermia | Maddie Green, a sophomore majoring in English.
Snout | John Hicks, a freshman majoring in English.
Flute | Sam Hicks-Jirkans, a freshman majoring in Economics/
Puck | Evan Hopkins, a senior majoring in English
Hippolyta | Shanna Jaggars , AAssistant Vice Provost, Research.
Snug | Josie Luck, a sophomore majoring in English and Psychology.
Oberon | Scott Major, a junior majoring in Zoology.
Bottom | Caroline McCoy, a sophomore majoring in Chemistry
Helena | Analese Mitson, a junior majoring in English
Peter Quince | Lindsay Rogers, a senior majoring in English
Lysander | Sammy Sallerson, a senior majoring in English
Titania | Mikayla Schutte, a graduate student in English
Thesus | Antony Shuttleworth , Assistant Professor of English
Egeus | Victoria Smith, a graduate student in Theatre, Film, and Media Arts
Mustardseed | Lexi Strickland, a junior majoring in Political Science and Japanese
Peaseblossom/Philostrate | Taylor Thompson, a junior majoring in English
Moth | Libby Wallace, a junior in English and Dance

CREW

Director | Sarah Neville associate professor, English and Theatre, Film, & Media Arts
Assistant Director | Jane Dimel, a senior with a major in English and minor in Professional Writing.
Dramaturge | Evan Hopkins, a senior majoring in English
Dramaturge and Front of House | Jacob Grandstaff, a fourth-year Medieval and Renaissance Studies Major and English and History Minor.
Fight Choreographer | Adam Baglereau , department of Theatre, Film, & Media Arts.
Set Design | Aidan Berry, a junior majoring in English.
Set Design | Olivia Balough, a senior student majoring in English.
Stage Manager | Cat McMahan a second year MFA candidate in Fiction and Co-Art Editor for The Journal
Assistant Stage Manager | Ali Sebenoler, a junior majoring in English and French.
Assistant Stage Manager | Jade Josie, a fourth-year English and Spanish major.
Assistant Stage Manager | Josie Luck, a sophomore majoring in English and Psychology.
Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant Choreographer | STaya Woerner, a senior majoring in Neuroscience and English.
Props Manager and Lighting Tech | Amanda Diaz Guevara, a junior majoring in English.
Costumes | Natalie Kosky, a senior majoring in English and minoring in Film Studies.
Costumes and Front of House | Sierra Williams, a Sophomore majoring in English.
Costumes and Front of House | Emma Cliff, a sophomore majoring in English.
Costumes and Front of House | Grace Kerin, a second-year student majoring in English and Creative Writing.
Costumes and Front of House | Liz Victor, a sophomore English majoring.
Costumes and Music | Analese Mitson, a junior English English
Music | Sammy Sallerson, a senior English major.
Sound Design | Madison Stanley, a third-year English major.
Promitions | Camden Wegner, a senior majoring in English.
Set and Program | Saynab Ahmed, a senior on the English Education Track.
Intimacy Director | Ryan Heitkamp Academic Advisor, Theatre
Poster Design | Ladini Wallace, asenior majoring in Theatre with a minor in World Literature.