A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CAST BIOS

Madeline Andree (Mote) is a freshman theater and performance major at Purchase College. This will be her second time performing in a non-dance related show and she is happy to be sharing this experience with her peers and professors.

Olivia Armon (Helena) is a second year junior in the Playwriting and Screenwriting program! She is very excited to be a part of this project! Purchase credits include Rough With Love (Nancy), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Marcy), and now A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Olivia is so proud of every member of the cast for how hard they have all been working to get this show up and running! She wants to thank Michi and Peter for making this all possible and for letting her play such a fun and incredible role. Enjoy the show!!

Eli Bettmann (Titania) is a sophomore Theatre and Performance major. They are an actor, costumer, and drag artist. Recent credits at Purchase include makeup design for senior project Purchase Retold, makeup design for the Spring 2024 main-stage Angels in America and costume design for senior project The Haunting of Campbell House. You can see Eli play Queen Elizabeth I in the upcoming fall 2024 main-stage Orlando. Eli is incredibly grateful to play Titania in this production and they hope you enjoy!
Insta: @lunamothkowitz

Alyssa Bella (Philostrate/Mustardseed) is a sophomore Theatre and Performance major.

Devon Breese (Lysander) would like to thank Destiny for making it all possible.

Carly Brennan (she/her: Tom Snout/Peaseblossom/Votress) is currently a freshman Theater and Performance and Creative Writing double major. Past credits include Theory of Relativity (Ensemble), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Dumaine), and most recently here at Purchase, The Haunting of Campbell House as Alex! She is so excited to share Acting the Classics’ performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with everyone, and would like to extend a huge thank you to the cast for helping to make this all possible. She hopes that everyone enjoys the show!

Sydnee Byrne (Cobweb) is a first year Theater and Performance major, who is excited to be a part of her first Purchase College production! Past credits include Meg March in “Little Women,” Susie Salmon in “The Lovely Bones,” and Hunyak in “Chicago!”

Rory Flynn (they/them: Starveling and Puck u/s) is a freshman theater-performance major and film minor. In high school, Rory played roles such as Mad Hatter in Alice and Wonderland, and Fester Addams in the Addams Family musical. For their role as Fester, they received a nomination from the Roger Rees Awards for outstanding performance in a musical theatre production. This is Rory’s first experience with performing a Shakespeare piece and is excited to continue their acting journey through the program at Purchase for the next three years.

Maverick Gazzillo (he/him: Peter Quince) is a senior. He was cast in a student film titled The Party Movie.

Neena Govea (Hippolyta) is a sophomore at SUNY Purchase. With a passion for acting since middle school, this marks her fourth performance at SUNY Purchase. She loves to sing and dance, infusing her performances with vibrant energy. Beyond the stage, Neena aspires to become a film actress once she graduates from Purchase. She is thrilled to be part of an incredible cast and hopes the audience will enjoy the show.

Ari Laurie (They/Them: Francis Flute): Ari is very excited to bring Flute to the Humanities stage in a cool, fun, modern ACCESSIBLE way! They are making their lighting debut on this show, as well taking on “Accessibility Coordinator” for the first time. Building “Midsummer” has been a blast, and they’re ecstatic to share their art with their loved ones (You, in the audience!) after a semester of hard work. Thank you to Peter for guidance through lighting, Michi for offering a space to create accessible theatre, and Glo for helping pull those props (Lol!) CHECK OUT OUR ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE!!

Hope Lowery (she/her: Hermia) is a sophomore Theatre and Performance major. Recent credits at Purchase include costume designer for senior project She Kills Monsters and Rona Peretti/Marcy Understudy in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. You can see Hope play Sasha in the upcoming fall 2024 main-stage Orlando. Hope loved getting to play Hermia in this production and she hopes you enjoy!

Franki Mastrone (Bottom) is a junior Theatre and Performance transfer student, and has been performing in dance and musicals for as long as they can remember. Some of Franki’s favorite past roles include Kiersten Van Horne in Sonnets For an Old Century by José Rivera, and Judy/Avery in Judy’s House by Jorin Clougherty. This is her first year at Purchase, and she is so happy to have found such a beautiful community of theater artists. Much love and many thanks to Michi, Peter, Lily and everyone involved in this delightful production!

Samantha Oest (she/her: Snug/Fairy Chorus) is a first year THP Major from Forest Hills, NY. She is incredibly thrilled to be making her Purchase Stage Debut in A Midsummer Night’s Dream! She was most recently the A1 and Social Media Manager for Judy’s House. She has also performed in 2 shows for the SUNY Purchase Improv Club. She hopes to seek more opportunities in Theater and Performance in the coming years! Many thanks to Michi, Peter, Lily, and everyone who has ever believed in me and helped me get to where I am today. Unlike a circuit, a person can grow. #ActuallyAutistic

Isabela (Izzy) Ragano (Puck) is an actor and writer based in New York. She truly believes in the word of the bard and spent the summer studying with the Prague Shakespeare Company in the Czech Republic.

Christian Smikle (Demetrius) is a THP major and aspiring actor. This is my first big production here at Purchase. I am the second born out of four brothers. I intend on going far and making my mark in the entertainment industry.

Kaiya Thompson (First Fairy) is a freshman Theater and Performance student and is thrilled to be performing in her first play here at Purchase College.

Marshall Vargas (Egeus/Stage Manager) is a THP Freshman. He has had a love for acting since middle school, and is very excited to present this project that he and his classmates have been working so hard on.

Daniel Velasquez (he/him: Oberon): A junior, soon to be senior, who is excited to be performing in the Humanities Theatre. This is the first time he has played a lead character and has been brimming with energy since the start of the semester. Break a leg, Daniel!

Viola Velonis (Theseus) is a student of literature and art. This is her third ever theater performance.

Lily Wolpert (she/they: assistant director and book-holder): Lily is so honored to have been brought on to this production. They’re a junior Theatre and Performance major with a concentration in directing. Since being at Purchase, Lily’s directed two pieces for POV fest her freshman and junior year, and co-directed an independent production of Ride the Cyclone. She’d like to thank her friend Isabela for connecting me with Michi for this opportunity, Michi and Peter for being such amazing mentors, and this awesome cast for welcoming me with open arms!

*Anthony Archer (swing) is a junior Theatre and Performance major.

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College.