Midsummer Program | App Shakes

Allyson Smith (Tom Snout/Wall/Moth) is a 2020 graduate of EKU with a BA in Communication and a certificate in Theatrical Performance. Her previous summer Shakespeare productions include The Tempest (Adrian Francisco), Romeo & Juliet (Abram), and Twelfth Night (Tech). Some of her favorite roles include The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch), The Secret Garden (Martha), Annie (Grace), and Love’s Labours Lost (Moth). Allyson would like to dedicate her performance to all her family and friends who continue to love and support her, as well as her wonderful father in heaven, happy birthday.

Samuel Lockridge (Theseus/Titania) is an actor, musician, sound designer, and arts administrator based in Lexington. Samuel is a co-founder and director of Afterculture Theatre which has created site-specific immersive productions since 2015. This is his first AppShakes production. Samuel would like to thank his marvelous cast mates, his family, his dog Apollo, and his brilliant partner Rebecca for all of their love and support.

Alexander Brewer (Robin Starveling/Moonlight/Cobweb) is from Lexington, KY. They are proud to return to the AppShakes' stage and were previously seen in Romeo & Juliet (Lady Montague/Friar John). Other shows they have enjoyed around the area include Shakespeare in Love (Robin/Frees) with Woodford Theatre, And Then There Were None (General MacKenzie) with EKU's APO chapter, and Spring Awakening (Georg/Dieter) with EKU Theatre, though sadly due to the pandemic only their fellow cast members know how fantastic that show would have been. They would like to thank you, personally, for coming out to enjoy live theatre after a stressful year!

Adam Holhubner (Egeus) is from Hebron, Kentucky and is an intern with Appalachian Shakespeare. This is his first show with AppShakes but he has been acting since middle school. His favorite roles he’s played are Joe Zutty from Working and King Sextimus from Once Upon A Mattress. He would like to thank the AppShakes staff for the wonderful learning opportunity, his family and friends for always supporting him, and his wonderful girlfriend Marissa for helping him and the show succeed.

Sydney Marks (Peter Quince/Mustardseed), from Baltimore, Maryland, is thrilled to be working with the Appalachian Shakespeare Company again. She has performed in AppShakes’ shows since the company’s founding in roles such as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet and Stephano in The Tempest. Offstage, Sydney is a high school theatre teacher in Baltimore. She would like to thank the cast and crew for their dedication to this production, and her family and Michael for their love.

Mary Rose Stelzer-Weise (Philostrate/Changeling Child) is a recent EKU grad from Richmond, Kentucky, and this is her first show with AppShakes. Her favorite and only other theatrical role was The Jester in EKU’s Once Upon a Mattress. She would like to thank her fellow intern, Adam for all his help and encouragement, the cast and crew for their kindness and friendship, her family, especially her mother, for their constant love and support, and her roommate, Addison for the tutu.

David Bellnier (Francis Flute/Thisbe/Peaseblossom) is from Knoxville, Tennessee, and currently lives in Lexington where he works as a barista and baker. David debuted with AppShakes as Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing. Some of his favorite roles include Vince in Buried Child, Astolfo in Life is a Dream, and Eddy in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He would like to thank all of his loved ones for their support.

Jonathan Hibbard (Bottom/Pyramus) is from London, Kentucky, and is Appalachian Shakespeare’s head of costume design. He has performed in and designed for almost all of AppShakes’ shows since the company’s founding. Jonathan has been acting since he was a child and his favorite roles include Fagin from Oliver and Don Armado from Love’s Labors Lost. He would like to thank his lovely girlfriend Lenée for all her love and support.

Evan Daulton (Demetrius) is from Somerset, Kentucky and regularly works with The Appalachian Shakespeare Center. He has performed in The Tempest as Ariel and Romeo & Juliet as The Prince. He was also the Cinematographer and Editor for The Appalachian Shakespeare Center’s Feature Length puppet film, Twelfth Night, or What You Will. He’d like to thank his fellow cast members for their love and support as well as his dog, Ripley Rey, for keeping him humble.

London Dailey (Hermia) is from Northern Kentucky and has been an actress at Appalachian Shakespeare since her debut professional role as Romeo in 2018. A few of her favorite roles include Mae in You Got Older, Marie in The Ow of Pre-K, and Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid. London has accepted a job as a Scenic Art intern at Florida Repertory Theater and is ecstatic to be moving south soon after Midsummer's close. Special thanks to her AppShakes family for always welcoming her with open arms, and to her Mom, Sister, Step-Father and Grandparents for their unwavering love and support.

Matthew Johnson (Puck) is the Director of the Appalachian Shakespeare Center, the area head of Musical Theatre, and an Associate Professor of Music at EKU. Matt has directed all the past AppShakes shows, as well as designing scenery and sound for many of them. A professional actor for the last 28 years, some favorite roles include Falstaff, Hamlet, Pseudolous, and Francis Henshall. Special thanks to Millie and Ollie Johnson for mining meaning from the chaos.

Wylie Caudill is from Cynthiana, Kentucky, although, some speculate he was born in Fairyland because of how much he likes to twirl. This is Wylie‘s fifth production with the Appalachian Shakespeare Center, buts it’s his first time enjoying it. Outside of being a thespian, Wylie is a professional paint slinger. Headlines mistakenly refer to him as an artist. Wylie asks that you keep an eye out for emerging star, Sydney Marks. She gives a performance of a lifetime. But not her lifetime. Your lifetime. As her monologues will take up most of it. Lastly, Wylie would like to take this time to let his boyfriend know that Wylie is gay. Wylie hopes that his boyfriend will be accepting.