William Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Note From the Director
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a classic play by Shakespeare that explores magic and love in a comedic style. It follows multiple plot lines including lovers, not so lovers, and mechanicals. And what better way to display the comedy, magic, and love than Vegas in the 70s. Let the neon world pull you in as you watch the magical Puck turn the lovers' world upside down, as finding each other may mean losing a dear friend. Find joy in the mechanicals, who have the fright of their life, as they prepare a show for the duke. And listen to the music of the not so lovers, Titania and Oberon, as they fight over the life of her fairies’ son.
Being set in Vegas in the 70s the characters are based around iconic performers and styles of that period. The original Shakespearean script paired with the music and world of the 70s adds a deeper connection and understanding to the play. From Elvis, to Cher, to Queen, the music will bring you more and more into the world of magic, love, and comedy.
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Stephen Svoboda & Caira Goldstein
Cast List
Puck, Jack Mills
Oberon/Theseus, Benjamin Neiberlein
Demetrius, Zach Abraham
Lysander, Nick Talion
Hermia, Kamryn Mohney
Helena, Gretta Griesbach
Titania/Hippolyta, Elayna Brock
Egeus, Amy Berger
Bottom, Ben Pollizi
Snug/Lion, Sarah Zapola
Peter Quince/Prologue, Taylor Yunker
Flute/Thisbe, Jackson Helmholtz
Starveling/Moon, Khadijah Kennedy
Snout/Wall, Chantress DeWitt
Philostrate, Audrey Warren
Female Fairies, Natalie Joritz,
Riley Ameel, Zaria Keys, Lexy Saxon
Male Fairies, Audrey Warren,
Garrett Hummel, Gage Hill
The Dog, Gershwin
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Production Team
Director, Stephen Svoboda
Assistant Director, Caira Goldstein
Stage Manager, Anna Gerber
Assistant Stage Manager, Gavin Buurma & Natalie Joritz
Choreographer, Caira Goldstein
Lighting Designer, Daisy Long
Master Electrician, Ben Pollizi
Light Board Operator, Jordan Kline
Technical Director, Ben Bodart
Sound Board Operator, Bri Clark
Costume Designer, Hannah Schoen
Costume Shop Manager/Stitcher, Elaine Gittinger
Hair & Makeup, Lizzie Bowman
Wardrobe Hand, Bailee Coss
Scenic Designer, Allison Gonzales
Scenic Charge, Bri Clark
Props Master, Martina Dimiduk
Meet the Cast
Zach Abraham is a sophomore at Heidelberg University this fall. He is currently pursuing a degree in both Musical Theatre as well as Business Administration. Zach is beyond excited to play the character of Demetrius in this production. Zach is also a member of Hei-Notes, the Honor’s Activity Board, and the Make-a-Scene Improv group on campus. Zach would like to thank his family in Marion, as well as his musical theatre family here in Tiffin. Zach wishes everyone to break a leg with A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
Riley Ameel is a freshman this year and so far is loving it at Heidelberg. Not only can you find her on stage you can also find her on the volleyball court. Some of Riley’s favorite parts she has played include Audrey from Little Shop, Margot from Legally Blonde, and Logan from 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This is Riley's second show at Heidelberg and she can't wait for you to see her play the ABBA Cher fairy! Riley would like to thank her parents and sister for always supporting her.
Amy Berger is thrilled at the opportunity to appear with the newest group of talented Berg theatre students as her last (brief) visit was pre-pandemic in Oedipus Rex (Tiresias). Other favorite Heidelberg productions include Diary of Anne Frank (Mrs. Frank), Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Siobhan), and Fiddler on the Roof (Golde). As a Tiffin resident, Amy is also active with the Ritz Players and Fort Findlay Playhouse.
Elayna Brock is a Junior musical theatre major at Heidelberg University, she has appeared as the Sphinx, in the Greek Plays, Joan in Fun Home, Torrey in Freaky Friday, Ashlee in Dance Nation, ensemble member in Heathers, Maria in 9 to 5, Alice Beineke in The Addams Family, and most recently, Hippolyta/Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Elayna is excited to be back on the stage once again this year, but she couldn’t do it without the love and support of her friends and family. She also wants to thank the amazing cast and crew for their hard work and dedication.
Chantress DeWitt is a sophomore musical theatre major from Cardington, Ohio. During her time here at Heidelberg, she has been involved both on and off stage. She has performed in Elf, Heathers, 9 to 5, and most recently The Addams Family. She helped off stage with Puffs and just got done stage managing The Cake. Chantress would like to thank the cast and crew of this production for being amazing and putting in so much hard work. She would also thank her friends and family for their support!
Gershwin is so excited to be in this production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His previous acting credits include this same role in another production of Midsummer, and the dog who died aboard the ship in the Ritz’s production of Titanic (Thanks, Riley </3). Gershwin would like to thank his Dads, Stephen and David, for letting him be in this production. He hopes you all enjoy the show as much as he does!
Gretta Griesbach is a Junior Theatre Major here at Heidelberg University. She has been performing in productions all throughout middle school and high school. She has performed on the Heidelberg stage in She Kills Monsters, Freaky Friday, Elf, Dog Sees God, Heathers, 9 to 5, Addams Family, My First Time, and Pride and Prejudice. Gretta is super excited to be back acting on the stage and would like to thank everyone for their support for this production! She wants to especially thank the cast and crew for their hard work and dedication towards this amazing show!
Jackson Helmholtz is a freshman musical theatre major from Dexter, Michigan. He has been in multiple productions at Heidelberg University including The Addams Family, My First Time, Pride and Prejudice, The Cake, and now A Midsummer Night's Dream! He hopes you enjoy the show!
Gage Hill is a second-year musical theatre major from Clyde, Ohio. In the past he has performed in shows at Clyde High School, Bellevue Society for the Arts, and at Heidelberg University. He has been in Seussical the Musical, Guys and Dolls, Beauty and the Beast, and Freaky Friday (Twice), among others. This is a weird show for me for sure because it’s set in an era and style I never really explored so I’m definitely having a few new experiences with the style.
Garrett Hummel will be portraying one of the fairies in this production. He is a junior theater major. Other Heidelberg performances include The Addams Family, Heathers, Freaky Friday and Elf. He has also been involved in Black Swamp productions of Clue The Musical and Psych. Garrett also had roles in the movies, The Legend of Holcomb Road and Amorette Hotel.
Natalie Joritz is thrilled to partake in another Shakespeare production. She is a sophomore musical theatre major hailing from Garfield Heights, Ohio. Previous stage credits include Kitty Bennet/Georgiana Darcy (Pride and Prejudice), Angelo (The Comedy of Errors), and Saloon Girl Ancestor (The Addams Family). She also stage managed Dance Nation here last year. Outside of theatre, Natalie is involved with the Hei-Notes show choir, Make-A-Scene improv troupe, Heimonics a cappella group, and is in the honors program. Love goes out to her friends and family for all their support, the creative team who made this production possible, and Pit Stop for being a great resource on late nights. Enjoy the show!
Khadijah Kennedy is a Freshman Musical Theatre and Pre-Law double major at Heidelberg. She is originally from Louisiana, but she moved to Warren, Ohio four years ago. Enjoy the show!
Zaria Keys is a freshman and is currently double majoring in Psychology and Theatre with a concentration in Acting. This is her third performance in the Heidelberg Theatre Program. She enjoys all things art, music, and theatre. She is very excited to continue in Heidelberg’s program and plans to pursue a career in theatre. Zaria wants to thank everyone who had a hand in the making of this magical show!
Jack Mills is a sophomore musical theatre major. He is a part of Heidelberg’s Heinotes, and Heidelberg’s improv group, Make-a-Scene. He has performed in Heidelberg’s production’s Dance Nation as Luke, Josh in 9 to 5, Lucas in The Addams Family. He assistant directed a student directed play in the Blackbox theatre called My First Time. He is very excited to play the role of Robin Goodfellow or Puck, in Heidelberg’s production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer’s Night Dream. He wants to thank his friends and family for their continuous support. He would also like to thank the cast and crew of Midsummer for their hard work, dedication, and being such great role models, and great people to work with. Hope you enjoy the show!
Kamryn Mohney is a musical theatre major and a business minor hoping to achieve her MBA at Heidelberg University. Kamryn is a third year student and debuted on the Gundlach Theater stage as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret as a freshman. A few other roles Kamryn has enjoyed while being at Heidelberg, is Medium Allison in Fun Home, Ellie Blake in Freaky Friday, and Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. Her favorite role was Heather McNamara in Heathers. Kamryn is extremely excited to star in her first play at Heidelberg. She is a part of Hei Notes here on campus. Kamryn would love to thank her friends and family for all of their support. She has been involved with theatre since the seventh grade and is delighted to continue her journey at Heidelberg.
Benjamin Neiberlein is a sophomore from Hudson, Ohio, majoring in Theatre at Heidelberg University. He has been in productions before at his local hometown theatre, Young Actors Studio including productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Mamma Mia!, and Aladdin. This is his 6th production at Heidelberg. His favorite roles performed were Count Dracula and Sweeney Todd. When not on stage, he enjoys painting and playing piano. He has also done volunteer work for Weathervane Community Playhouse in Akron, Ohio, helping out with set construction of Kinky Boots. He is also associated with Sigma Tau Nu Fraternity and Hei-Notes on campus.
Ben Pollizi is a junior musical theatre major here at Heidelberg and is so glad to be back on-stage performing! This semester he is performing in Midsummer as Bottom, in the ensemble of Cinderella, and in The Saga, as well as designing the lights for The Cake and The Saga. He serves as the master electrician for the theater as well. Previously he has played Oliver in Puffs, Beethoven in Dog Sees God, Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, along with many other roles over his time here. He hopes you enjoy the show!
Lexy Saxon is a second semester freshman acting major. A Midsummer's Nights Dream will be her third production here at Heidelberg University. She is originally from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Lexy hopes you thoroughly enjoy the show and come to see more shows in the future!
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Nick Talion is a junior at Heidelberg and is so excited to return to Gundach for yet another production! He has been in previous productions here at Gundlach such as Cabaret (Ernst), She Kills Monsters (Miles), Dog Sees God (CB), My First Time, and most recently Pride and Prejudice (Darcy). He would like to thank his friends and family for all the support and for helping him make it this far, as well as the entire cast and the directors for making this show a memorable one!
Audrey Warren is a freshman Musical Theatre major. Some of her previous roles include The Cat in the Hat (Seussical), Paul (Moon Over Buffalo), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Twelfth Night), and Prairie Woman Ancestor (The Addams Family). Audrey is honored to share this experience with such an amazing cast, and she’d like to thank Stephen Svoboda for trusting her.
Taylor Yunker is a second semester freshman here at Heidelberg. Taylor is a musical theatre major as well as a member of Hei-Notes, Heimonics, and the Make-A-Scene improv group. She has previously been an ensemble member in The Addams Family and an actor in the play My First Time. She loves every opportunity she gets here and would like to thank all of her friends and family for constantly supporting her.
Sarah Zapola is a senior from Huron, Ohio and a History and English Writing double major. She is the current President of the Heidelberg Historians, and is graduating in May of this year. She has performed in several Heidelberg Theater productions during her four years on campus, first in Mamma Mia! as a Yia-Yia, Oedipus Rex as a Chorus Member, Lysistrata as Ismenia, and Dog Sees God as CB’s Sister. She’s excited to return to the stage as Snug the Joiner in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This will be Sarah’s last show at Heidelberg. She hopes all of you enjoy the show!
Meet the Production Team
Lizzie Bowman is a fourth year student at Heidelberg, majoring in Musical Theatre with a minor in History and Business. While attending Heidelberg, Lizzie has functioned as dance captain for Freaky Friday, 9 to 5 and assistant stage manager for Addams Family. This will be her first time being a Hair & Makeup head for a production. Lizzie is very excited to be working with such a wonderful production team.
Gavin Buurma is a Senior Musical Theatre major, with a minor in Business Administration from Willard, Ohio. He is typically found on-stage, but is very excited for the opportunity to be the assistant stage manager for Midsummer. It is his first time assistant stage managing a main stage show. He would like to thank his friends and family, especially his mom, for all of their support. The cast and crew have worked incredibly hard throughout the pandemic to continue to make art safely, enjoy the show!
Anna Gerber is a senior theatre major at Heidelberg University. She is thrilled to be stage manager for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Last summer, Anna worked at Porthouse Theatre as a microphone and sound technician. At Heidelberg, she has been stage manager for Pride and Prejudice, Elf, and Fun Home. She has worked sound on Addam’s Family, 9 to 5, and Heathers. Anna was also assistant director for 9 to 5 and was props master for Puffs. She would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support.
Caira Goldstein is in the MBA program at Heidelberg University. She has an undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre. She was previously in Heathers, Elf, Fun Home, Lysistrata, Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, Cabaret, acted/assistant directed/choreographed Dance Nation, and was a part of many more shows here at Heidelberg. She performed in the masterclasses of Tom Cippulo and Jeff Blumenkrantz and directed a Drew Gasparini album review. She would also like to thank Stephen and David for giving her these wonderful opportunities. Caira thanks you for your endless support throughout her time at Heidelberg and hopes you enjoy the show!
Hannah Schoen is a Senior musical theatre major at Heidelberg. Since coming to Heidelberg she has done The Music Man, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, The Penguin Tango, Lysistrata and Oedipus, She Kills Monsters, Elf, Puffs, Heathers, 9 to 5, The Addams family, Rocky Horror, Pride and Prejudice and now A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also been involved in Hei-notes, has worked wardrobe and designing in previous shows and is a member Alpha Psi Omega. She hopes to continue to learn more about acting, singing and costume design in the future here at Heidelberg and in her career. Thank you and enjoy the show!
Stephen Svoboda is currently an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Heidelberg University, where he teaches coursework in acting, script analysis, musical theatre direction, play direction, theatre history and criticism. He is responsible for curriculum and course development in The School of Music & Theatre as well as being responsible for the artistic and programmatic development of Gundlach Theatre. He served as the Executive Artistic Director of the Redhouse Arts Center from 2011-2016. Previously, he served as the Executive Artistic Director of the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. While at the Redhouse Arts Center, Stephen developed unique partnerships with a variety of organizations throughout the state, including a multi-million-dollar contract with the Syracuse City Schools that made The Redhouse the regional leader in arts education and integration. In addition, while at the Redhouse he created a repertory company of artists, designers and community members that enabled him to produce, in a typical year, over 16 productions, 300 classes and cultivate relationships with communities typically underserved by arts including urban youth and families and adults with disabilities. Prior to working in regional arts centers, Stephen taught at the University of Miami, where his students and colleagues ranked him as one of the best teachers in the College of Arts and Sciences. He created a BFA in Playwriting and Directing track that focused on developing young dramatists through devising, growing, and staging new works, while celebrating the great diversity of student voices.
His play, Odysseus Died from AIDS, was developed in Miami and received its world premiere at the New York International Fringe Festival, where the production was awarded “Best Ensemble.“ Odysseus Died from AIDS was published in the anthology Plays and Playwrights 2005, by the New York Theatre Experience, and received its international premiere in 2007 in Athens, Greece with a subsequent production in Seoul, South Korea in 2008. In March 2011, the Red House production of Odysseus DOA had a limited engagement run at Theatre Row Studios in NYC. Odysseus DOA had its regional premiere in 2012 at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, where the production was awarded “Best Play in Connecticut” by Broadway World. The Penguin Tango, premiered at the 2006 New York International Fringe Festival in The Actor’s Playhouse. The production was awarded “Best of the Festival” and extended as part of the Fringe Encore Series in the Lion Theater at Theatre Row. It was recently revived and revised on the Redhouse stage as part of the 2014-2015 season. Reconstructing Mama, a new musical written with N. David Williams, premiered Off Broadway at The Theatre Row Studios in August 2006. Stephen works internationally with The Harambe Project to help do HIV/AIDS education and prevention and orphan care throughout Africa.