Meet the Cast of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Austin Davis, Rachel Lewis, Samatha Savoie, Justin McLendon

Samantha Savoie (Arle) is a senior who is both homeschooled and dual enrolled at NWFSC. She has participated in a number of productions including the Rocky Bayou Christian School performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the NWFSC productions of Beauty and the Beast and Dance Facets. Samantha loves to dance and is a member of the Calling Christian Dance Company. She teaches at the Ballet Conservatory and Destin School of Music and Dance where she has trained for almost fifteen years. Samantha also enjoys singing and acting, and is currently involved in the NWFSC voice scholarship program. She has enjoyed acting in and directing neighborhood productions since a young age. Her acting instruction has primarily come from her participation with Emerald Coast Theater Company. From her beginnings as a student at an ECTC spring camp to volunteering with the company’s summer camps, Samantha is now excited to be a member of the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As she prepares for college, Samantha looks forward to pursuing her passion with a career in the performing arts.

Austin Davis (Buffo) is excited to premier in his first production with Emerald Coast Theatre Company as Buffo! His previous roles include Guildenstern in Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Paul Bratter in Barefoot In the Park, Sebastian in Twelfth Night and originated the role of Riccard in Gulf Coast State College's original production of The Miracle of the White Leaves. Austin graduated from Gulf Coast State College this spring with his associates degree in theatre and will be apart of the BFA Acting program at the University of Central Florida this coming Fall. Austin would like to thank Nathanael Fisher for giving him this unique opportunity to perform in such an engaging and fun show! He would also like to thank Jason Hedden for his brilliant training without which he would never have gotten where he is today. His parents for being the most supportive by simply understanding that they won't understand and letting him do what he needs to do to succeed. His friends for their apt ability to replace stress with joy and lastly, Jenny for allowing him to spend their time together learning lines. She truly is an inspiration.

Rachel Lewis (Celestina) is a native of Destin, FL and this is her first show with ECTC. She is happy to be home after gaining her BFA from the University of West Florida this May, and is currently attending school to become a licensed massage therapist. Rachel has been active in the local theatre community since age 10. Beginning with the Emerald Coast Children’s Community Theatre (The Oz Theatre) directed by Darla Briganti-Kain, followed by the department at Fort Walton Beach High School, led by Christa Whittaker.

A recent graduate of the University of West Florida, Rachel received a Bachelor in Fine Arts, specializing in Musical Theatre. While at UWF, she appeared in several shows including The Threepenny Opera (Mrs. Peachum), Pericles (Lychorida), Illyria (Viola), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Edwin Drood). While in Pensacola, Rachel also became involved with Pensacola Shakespeare Theatre under the direction of Sam Osheroff, and began as a featured actor in the outdoor series Shakespeare & Champagne: Bubbles and Brawls, in which several scenes were performed. She also enjoyed the experience as a fairy in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2013. During her junior year at UWF, Rachel had the honor of joining a group of theatre students for the first year of a new study abroad program developed by Howard Reddy, a music and theatre professor of UWF who hails from Carlow, Ireland. The Irish Experience took the group through Ireland over 3 weeks in the summer of 2014, where they produced two one-act plays at the Carlow Arts Festival. The following fall, led by Irish director Paddy Behan, UWF produced Martin McDonaugh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane, in which Rachel played Maureen. While at UWF, Rachel involved herself in productions not only as an actor, but also as assistant musical director to Tom Baroco (Floyd Collins), assistant stage manager (Christmas Carol ’14), and props master (Christmas Carol ’14). Additionally, she served as Student Representative to the Department of Theatre in her junior/senior year and as teaching assistant for Voice Production, Acting, and sight singing lab for Musical Theatre Theory. Rachel has enjoyed the wonderfully collaborative nature of this project, and would like to thank Nathanael Fisher and the entire production cast and crew.

Justin McLendon (Leandro), a Panama City local, is thrilled to be returning to the stage, especially with the Emerald Coast Theatre Company. Justin has been passionate about theatre since he was very young, performing in musicals and plays in school and in the Panama City community. After graduating from Bay High School’s Theatre MAGNET program with honors he attended New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL and received conservatory training and eventually a Bachelor’s in the Fine Arts for Acting, Summa Cum Laude.While in South Florida, Justin’s professional theatre credits included: The New Ones: One Man Show Festival (Miami New Theatre), Knish Alley (Broward Stagedoor), Quetzal’s World (Miami Metro Zoo), Final Meow: Original One Man Show, Billboard (The State Theatre Project), House of Yes, Orphans (Alliance Theatre Lab). Justin also was a company actor and did multiple tours with Fantasy Theatre Factory, where he performed educational theatre and circus for children. Justin has a variety of circus skills including juggling, plate spinning, unicycling, stilt walking, and more. He has performed and taught circus with the Rainbow Circus, Cirque Dreams Entertainment, and Sixth Star Entertainment in Miami and also at French Woods Festival for the Performing Arts in the state of New York, and appears as a guest instructor at the Rehearsal Room in Panama City. Justin co-starred on an episode of the USA Network show Burn Notice while working in Miami, has also done various state and local commercials, and can even be seen unicycling in the movie Dancin’ Its On, which was filmed in Panama City Beach. After moving back to Panama City, Justin’s theatre credits included: Urinetown (Summerstock Productions), The Big Goodbye (Gulf Coast State College), and a company actor for the short-lived Sherlocks Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.When he is not on stage, Justin works by day as a financial service specialist for a regional financial institution. He has done work with Junior Achievement to assist bringing financial education into public schools. Justin hopes to utilize his background in the arts and the financial world to one day pursue a type of theater management role where he could provide sound artistic and business counsel, or even oversee operations. Justin looks forward to more opportunities to continue working with ECTC, because this company is finally bringing a level of professional art and ethic that the Panhandle has not yet seen!

Our Stage Manager and Understudy

Cana Sylvester (Stage Manager/Understudy) attended Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) in 2012 on a technical theatre scholarship, and received her Associate in Arts after one semester. Following graduation, she completed an eight-month Disney College Program internship at the Walt Disney World Resort as an attractions and entertainment cast member; her work in Orlando with the families of Give Kids the World and the Make-a-Wish Foundation inspired her to continue and advance her work with children. She currently attends Florida State University Panama City, and will receive a Bachelor of Science in elementary education in December 2015. Since returning to Panama City, Cana has returned to GCSC as a volunteer and a technician to support and show appreciation for their Visual and Performing Arts department. Her most recent project with GCSC, Miracle of the White Leaves: The Musical, was presented to 1700 third-grade students to promote STEAM in education. Cana has worked with Emerald Coast Theatre Company (ECTC) since October 2014, beginning as stage manager for A Dicken's Christmas and continuing as stage manager for ART. She is grateful to continue working with ECTC as stage manager/ensemble understudy for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and to teach the ECTC & GCSC Summer Theatre Camp “The Wizard of Oz,” in June.

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