
Free Admission!
A Midsummer Night's Dream performs
September 4-5th at 6:30p
September 6th at 4:00p
Riverview Park Amphitheater
Independence, OR
The show runs approximately 120 minutes including an intermission
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September 5th's performance will be ASL Interpreted, sponsored by Maps Credit Union
Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets to celebrate the end of summer with us!
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Set in the 1970's, with music and designs inspired by famous artists like ABBA and Fleetwood Mac,
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a family friendly event!
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Local vendors will be selling food and drinks before the show, or grab dinner from a downtown restaurant!​
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Baobab Southern Kitchen is selling dinners to-go to bring to the show, see below for more info!
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Vendors will be set up around an hour and a a half before the show!
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This project is made possible, in part, by funding from the Polk County Cultural Commission and Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation
Baobab Southern Kitchen, our silver production sponsor, will be selling Take-Out Dinners to bring to the Amphitheater at the Indy Commons Kitchen across the street.
(154 S Main St, Independence, OR 97351)
Pre-Order from the set menu here and select your pick-up time at checkout. We recommend selecting a time between an hour and half an hour before the show, so you have time to pick your spot at the amphitheater! To navigate the menu on the website click on "Theatre Dinner (Takeout) on the left hand navigation bar.​​

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The menu features Southern-inspired comfort food made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, blending the rich flavors of Southern cuisine with a Pacific Northwest twist.
On Saturday, September 6th, Baobab will be hosting a Heritage & Harvest Festival Supper on Sept 6th after the show from 4p-6p. If you’d like to have dinner after the Sunday’s show, select the 6p seating! Buy tickets here
Production Sponsors
2025 Silver Sponsors

2025 Bronze Sponsors



Are you or your business interested in becoming a Production Sponsor? Contact Jay Sharma at jays@strutsandfretstheatre.org
Production Partners
Production Team Of
A Midsummer Night's Dream

Director
Hannah Fawcett+ (she/they)
Hannah is the founder of Struts & Frets Theatre Company. She is an actor, singer, and teaching artist with a focus on intersectional Shakespeare and classical texts, which she is so excited to bring to her work as Artistic Director of S&F.
She has worked as an actor and teaching artist at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, ShakespeareAMERICA Institute, and the Oregon Center for the Arts. Her favorite roles at S&F include Imogen in Cymbeline and Rosalind in As You Like It, among others.
She holds a BFA in Performance from Southern Oregon University, and is currently a Guest Artist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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Composer
Terry Kitagawa+ (he/him)
Terry is an actor, musician, director, designer, and technician. Most recently, As an actor, he has worked for companies like the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the 5th Avenue Theatre, Oregon Children's Theatre, and Stumptown Stages, to name a few.
Select directing credits include Assistant Directing for Mimi O'Donnell, Off-Broadway at 59 E 59 Theaters, and A Persistent Memory by Jackob Hofmann and directed by Jessi D. Hill at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row. He has directed work in NYC as well as in the Willamette Valley.

Stage Manager
Jake Geissinger+ (he/him)
This is Jake’s third show with Struts and Frets and he has recently joined the company as the managing director. He is so grateful to return to stage work and have the opportunity to be part of such an amazing production team and acting company. After studying performance at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California (class of 1993), Jake went back to school in 1996 to the University of Oregon, graduating in 1998 with a bachelor of arts. Jake worked in production at Riverside Theater in Florida and Arena Stage in Washington, DC before shifting his focus to family and raising three children with his amazing wife, Yvette. For the last few years, Jake has been the stage manager for the twice yearly dance recitals at Dallas Ballet and Academy of Dance and most recently was the stage manager for Daddy Long Legs in 2024 for Struts & Frets!

Technical Director
Jay Sharma + (he/him)
Jay is a consultant at Columbus Consulting, specializing in project management, budgeting, and IT and program integration.
He was last seen as Laurie in Little Women and behind the scenes has done lighting and sound for Daddy Long Legs, All’s Well That Ends Well, and The Winter’s Tale. Jay holds his MA in Theater Studies from Central Washington University.
Cast/Crew Of
A Midsummer Night's Dream

Nick Bottom
Jeff Baer (he/him)
Jeff has been active in Oregon theater for 40 years, from high school and college productions to community theater at Pentacle to professional gigs at the Elsinore just before the pandemic. His onstage work includes musical theater, comedic and dramatic productions. Some of his favorite roles include Riff in West Side Story (1998), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (1999), Feste in Twelfth Night (2002), Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me, Kate (2005), Macduff in Macbeth (2014), Amos in Chicago (2015), and George in Of Mice and Men (2016), all with Pentacle Theatre, and Ralphie's dad ("The Old Man") in A Christmas Story at the Elsinore (2018 and 2019). Jeff has been with Struts and Frets for several years, most recently in 2023's production of A Winter's Tale as the Old Shepherd. This is Jeff's 2nd turn as Nick Bottom in a S&F production of Midsummer, the first back in 2019. Jeff is a newly-retired high school English teacher, leaving the faculty of Dallas High School after 33 years in the Language Arts department. He lives in West Salem with his wife Kluane and son Zachary.

Francis Flute
Robert Alan Barnett (he/him)
Bob is thrilled to be back at Struts and Frets! He was last seen as Antigonus in “The Winter’s Tale” being chased by a bear! Other recent shows include Colonel Melkett in “ Black Comedy”, Colonel Mustard in “Clue”, Arthur Birling in “An Inspector Calls”, Chris Bean (The Director) in “The Play That Goes Wrong”, Malvolio in “Twelfth Night” and Henry in “The Fantasticks”. Other favorite roles include Atticus Finch, Sherlock Holmes, Ebenezer Scrooge, John Barrymore, William Gillette, Judas, and God. He appears briefly in the Reese Witherspoon film, Wild and can also be seen on Grimm and Leverage. He has performed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Cleveland Play House and the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival among others. But he is most proud of Laurie, his wife of 40 years, his two daughters, Sheena and Halley, and his grandson, Jayden.

Puck/ Philostrate
Maddie Blanchard+ (she/they)
This is Maddie’s fifth season with Struts & Frets! They have previously been seen on S&F’s stage as Helena in All's Well That Ends Well, Amy March in Little Women, and Tom Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other performance credits include Minka Lupino in Murderers with Snowy Range Summer Theatre, KHawk in Black Sky with Relative Theatrics, and Feste in Twelfth Night with Valley Shakespeare. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Western Oregon University. Find her on Instagram! @mmaddieblanchardd

Helenus
Lex Bolsinger (they/them)
This is Lex Bolsinger’s 3rd season with Struts and Frets, their last production with Struts & Frets was the Winter Show: Daddy Long Legs. Their most notable roles are Tilly in She Kills Monsters and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing at Western Oregon University. Also seen as Molly in Shakespeare in Love at Valley Shakespeare Theatre. Recently, they have received their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting at Western Oregon University. Lex hopes to create and make art that enacts change. Always striving to create opportunities for everyone. "Not a single person should be left out of the theatre, and theatre for me has always been a gateway of opportunity. I cannot wait to share that with everyone.” You can find Lex and all the work they do on Instagram @lexywexyb.

Robin Starveling
Alyssa Cokinis (she/they)
​Alyssa is a writer/theatre artist from Iowa, currently living in Salem. This is her first season with S&F! She was last seen off-off Broadway at the Little Shakespeare Festival (FRIGID New York) as Desdemona in The Lark and the Nightingale, a sapphic Shakespeare adaptation of Othello and Romeo and Juliet that she co-wrote with Mindy Mawhirter. Other selected acting credits include Grow Learn Play (Theatre 33), Love in the Time of Corona (Along the Edge Arts Festival Hong Kong), Drunk Hamlet, The Vagina Monologues, and others. As a playwright, their work has been produced or staged in NYC; Ashland, OR; Shanghai, China; Bloomington-Normal, IL; Columbus, OH; and Iowa City, IA. She is also the founder/editor of some scripts, a literary magazine dedicated to scripted works, which published the anthology Monologues by LGBTQIA+ Writers for LGBTQIA+ Actors in 2023. Alyssa has an MA in Intercultural Communication Studies from Shanghai Theatre Academy, a BA in Theatre Arts and English from the University of Iowa, and has studied with instructors from the Grotowski Institute. You can find more about her creative work at www.alyssacokinis.com

Theseus/ Oberon
Claire Coulson+ (she/they)
Claire is thrilled to be celebrating their eighth season with Struts & Frets—especially by returning to the very show where it all began! They were most recently seen as the Witch in Big Fish at Pentacle Theatre. Other S&F credits include Dear Brutus, A Christmas Carol, Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice), Anatomy of Gray (Rebekah), Little Women (Meg), and most recently, All’s Well That Ends Well (Countess). Favorite past productions also include The Cake, Little Shop of Horrors, and Macbeth.
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Offstage, Claire serves as the Youth Program Coordinator for a local nonprofit supporting queer youth, designs costumes at North Salem High School, and facilitates DEI workshops aimed at fostering safe, accessible, and equitable spaces for marginalized communities throughout the Willamette Valley.
They are endlessly grateful for their two incredible teens, Ell and Olivia, whose love, inspiration, and unwavering support are their “ever-fixed mark.”

Fairy Ensemble
Cynthiann Garrison^ (she/her)
This is Cynthiann's 1st show with S&F. She is re-entering acting from tech this year. She goes to school at Dallas High School.She acted in her high school's last show And Then They Came For Me Remembering The World Of Anne Frank, by James Still. She has done tech for her school for the last 3 years. She loves to do theater and band in her free time. She plays multiple instruments.

Hippolyta/ Titania
Sarah Glasgow (she/her)
This is Sarah’s first season with S&F. Most recently, she played Arcadia in a staged reading of Our Utopia with Bag&Baggage Productions. Selected credits include the ensemble for Romeo and Juliet, U/S Katherine in Love’s Labour’s Lost, U/S Hannah in The Way the Mountain Moved at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Tippy in Tippy: Stories from the River with The Imposters Theatre Co, and Stage Directions for a staged reading of Primary User with the Ashland New Plays Festival (ANPF). After completing a year as the founding intern, Sarah worked as an administrative assistant for ANPF for three years and assisted with technical direction for the 2020 virtual Fall Festival. Sarah holds a BFA in Performance from Southern Oregon University and an M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Pacific University. She lives in the Portland area at the whim of her cat, Madam.

Lysander
Graham Glazner (he/him)
This is now Graham’s 2nd season with S&F. Last summer, Graham was seen on stage as Robin Hood in Ken Ludwig's Sherwood which was performed at Western Oregon University. He also played Bertram in All’s Well That Ends Well with S&F. Graham is a student at Oregon State University studying Computer Science. He will be going into his 4th and final year there. Graham enjoys playing various TTRPGs with his friends, and is currently a part of a mini campaign which his friend is recording to be released as a podcast. Graham is on Instagram @gra.ham_sandwich

Hermia
Elliot Grass (she/her)
This is Elliot’s fourth season with S&F! She has been previously seen in All’s Well That Ends Well as the Duke of Florence/Rinaldo, Anatomy of Gray as June Muldoon, and The Winter’s Tale as Emilia/Dorcas, as well as understudying Jo/Beth in Little Women. She was also recently in Western Oregon University’s production of Nora: A Doll’s House as Nora 3. When she’s not acting, Elliot enjoys photography, sewing, and especially playwriting. Her favorite things to write are one-acts, but she also does experimental short film scripts, and the occasional full-length piece, with the latter all still being works-in-progress. She’s very excited for this production of Midsummer, and is grateful to be working with such a magnificent company of people.

Fairy Ensemble
Zoe Jaramillo^ (she/her)
coming soon!

Snug
Laura Killip (she/her)
This is Laura's second project with S&F. Her first production with S&F was as the Music Director for "Daddy Long Legs". Laura is a teacher, music director, singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, actress, and fine arts administrator. Laura is also the founder of Meadowlark Performing Arts, offering private voice lessons, performance opportunities, and creating original children's theatre. You can check her out at https://www.meadowlarkperformingarts.com/ or find her on instagram @meadolarkperformingarts.
She is the Theatre Music Director at Dallas High School and the Music Teacher at the Heritage School in Salem. She holds a Masters degree in Music from WOU and works for Polk County's Extension office as 4H support. She lives in the Willamette Valley with her partner, Mike, cat, Gwen, and dog, Sasha.

Fairy Ensemble
Harper Lindemann^ (she/her)
This is Harper's first play, and she is very excited to be a part of the cast. Harper lives and attends school in Dallas. Harper is also involved in competitive cheer and soccer. Harper enjoys singing along with the radio, creating art projects that take over the house, and spending time with her cats Snowball and Squeakers.
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Demetrius
Cole Richardson (he/him)
This is Cole's second season with S&F, appearing previously as Florizel in The Winter's Tale. Cole grew up in Dallas, worked in the theatre program at Dallas High School, and went on to earn his BFA in Acting from Western Oregon University. He is so excited to be able to bring Shakespeare's words to his home in the Willamette Valley. Some favorite credits include Will Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love with Valley Shakespeare Company, Chuck in She Kills Monsters, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, and many characters in The Laramie Project at Western Oregon University. Cole's first ever play was A Midsummer Night's Dream at Dallas High School when he was in the fourth grade. It is the show that made him fall in love with theatre and he has adored Shakespeare ever since. You can find him on Instagram @cole_richardson29

Egeus/ Tom Snout
Jeff Seeley
This is Jeff’s debut with the Struts & Frets company. Born and raised in Dallas, Oregon, Jeff got his foot in community theatre at a tender age of 17 at Pentacle Theatre where he has appeared over the years, in 26 productions. Favorites include Noises Off, Death of a Salesman, God’s Country, The Immigrant, Voice of the Prairie, and The Taming of the Shrew. At Albany Civic Theatre, Jeff’s appeared in such productions as Ladies of the Camellias, Fuddy Meers, and Les Liaison Dangereuses. A graduate from (then) Western Oregon State College, Jeff performed and directed before getting his Bachelor’s in the arts. “Working with the incredible talents in this production has spurred my love of performing more than I can express in words. I dedicate this production to my mom, who crossed in 2022 and my best friend, partner in crime, partner for life, my dearest Darla. Eight on the side, Kitty.”

Singer/ Fairy Ensemble
Avery Stanley (she/her)
This is Avery's first show with Struts and Frets! She is so excited to get to work with such a wonderful cast and crew. Avery just graduated with a BFA in theatre education from Western Oregon University. While at school, Avery took part in several shows, some of her favorites being Spring Awakening (Ana), John Proctor is the Villain (Raelyn), and Sherwood:The Adventures of Robinhood (Assistant Director). In her free time, Avery loves to pursue dance, and has had her choreography appear in Much Ado About Nothing (WOU), WOU'S 2025 Drag Show, and the Magic Flute (Apple Box Children's Theatre).

Peter Quince/ Fairy
Emma Thurston (she/her)
This is Emma's first production with S&F. Other recent performance credits include Cathy Hiatt in The Last Five Years at Compass Productions, Sleeping Beauty in Disenchanted! at The Elsinore Theatre, and Pickles in The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia! both at Pentacle Theatre. Emma has also assistant directed several productions at Pentacle Theatre, including The Mousetrap and She Kills Monsters. Between her own creative projects, Emma works as a health insurance educator and enjoys supporting her husband's artistic endeavors the same way he supports hers. For their next joint project, they will be welcoming their first child arriving this fall! You can find Emma on instagram @emmaa.christine

Props Manager
Sam Aebi^ (he/him)
coming soon!

Sound/ QLAB Technician
Virgil Baxter^ (any/all)
This is Virgil’s 1st season with S&F. She has been very involved with the theater, doing tech for the spring show at DHS or running lights for WOUs summer show last year. They are a current student at Dallas Highschool and are entering their junior year.

Lighting Technician
Amelia Borchard^
This is Amelia's 1st season with S&F. She has been a part of the tech team at DHS for the past 2 years. She is a current student at Dallas Highschool and is entering their junior year

Asst. Director/ ASM
Emmaleigh Hausler (she/her)
This is Emmaleigh’s 1st season with S&F. She has wanted to work on an S&F production for a long time, but none of the previous shows ever aligned with her busy schedule. Emmaleigh began her journey in theatre as a stage manager for the DHS Theatre program. She is now attending Loyola Marymount University in LA as a Theatre Arts Major. Emmaleigh prefers to stay behind the scenes; you will never catch her on stage. Over the past three years, Emmaleigh has taken on numerous positions and worked on 22 different productions. On top of working as an ASM/AD for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she is also currently working as the stage manager for LMU’s production of Escobar’s Hippo, and as the props master/designer for The Del Rey Players’ production of Blood at the Root. You can check out her LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaleigh-hausler-0369b5288, or find her on Instagram @emmaleighhausler

Production Assistant/ Scenic Artist
Finn Mendez (they/them)
This is Finn's first season at S&F. They have done tech and scenic design for several shows at Albany Civic Theater (Ride the Cyclone, And Then There Were None, Dial M For Murder). Most recently, they acted in The Lamb and The Icarus Paradox at the Cascadia Creative Conservatory this summer. Other credits include Moritz in Spring Awakening at Albany Civic Theater, as well as The Yellow Boat, Twelfth Night, Mamma Mia!, The Play That Goes Wrong, and Mary Poppins at McNary High School. They currently attend Chemeketa Community College in Salem. In their free time, they enjoy painting, crafting, frolicking in the woods, collecting shiny things, and spending time with their three cats

Scenic & Props Artisan
Alicia Scherer (she/her)
This is Alicia's 2nd season with S&F; her first was back in 2018! She has been a scenic artist for the last decade at Western Oregon University, Enlightened Theatrics, Dallas High School, and Pentacle Theater. She has recently painted the sets of Big Fish, The Prom, and Shrek the Musical at Pentacle. Alicia loves any day that she gets to hold a paint brush or build an insane prop. She is tremendously proud of Bottom's Donkey Head in this particular production. Most days you can find her filming or editing a wide variety of content @AliciaOnSet.