Three former Pensacola theater alumni to make New York City debut

Three former theater alumni, including one who now spends most of her time directing, will make their New York City theatrical debuts with a production of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" as part of FRIGID NYC's LIttle Shakespeare Festival.

PLT alumni Katherine McCrackin and River Dakota, who played the key roles of Jo Jo March and Laurie in a 2018 PLT production of "Little Women," star in the "Much Ado About Nothing" production directed by Megan Lummus.

Both Lummus and McCrackin identify as autistic people, and Lummus said her production will "put a neurodivergent-affirming spin on" Shakespeare's late 16th century comedy. The cast features performers with other disabilities − McCrackin has a physical disability and said is chronically ill.

"We want to make the rehearsal and performance space assessable to everyone," said Lummus, a 2016 graduate of Niceville High School who would go on to earn a dual degree in Film and Theatre from Keen State College in New Hampshire. She performed in one Pensacola Little Theatre production and has worked on performances at The Gordon Community Arts Center in Pensacola and other regional spaces. Her Shakespeare production included an accessibility survey at the start of rehearsals to understand the performers' needs, from making sure water is available or making accommodations for people who can't stand for long periods of time. Lummus has directed various performances, including her own productions.

McCrackin, a Pensacola High School International Baccalaureate graduate (2020) would later study political science, health advocacy and theater at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. McCrackin and Lummus are now roommates living in Worcester, Massachusetts.

"This is a way to create our own way of theater with other disabled people and give them an opportunity,'' McCrackin said. "Sometimes if you have a physical disability, you can have challenges in our theaters."

"Much Ado About Nothing" tells takes place in Italy and tells of the romantic and comedic ventures that take place on an Italian harbor town.

"Ours will be unique," Lummus said of her production. "The leading couple is gay, so that already changes it a little."

She said the production will "focus on the gay dynamic," as well as themes as "invisible disabilities" and the nature of gender and sexual dynamics.

Dakota now lives in Philadelphia, but travels to Pensacola frequently, including each winter when he works with Pensacola's Winterfest.

"I really love working with Megan," he said. "She's taken something like 'Much Ado About Nothing' and flipped it on its head. It's been this fun, ditzy comedy but she brings in these undertones that are more nuanced. She's found multiple layers to it."

Lummus' production of "Much Ado About Nothing" will run Aug. 9 through Aug. 11 at UNDER St. Marks Theater in NYC's East Village.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Three former Pensacola theater alumni to make New York City debut