Aryn Hillman Blossoms as Beth in Mid-Winter Break

Aryn Hillman (right) as Beth, discussing boys with Madison Krumins as Juniper (middle) and Jurze Egres as Eve (left)

When you are in the “middle” of something, it always has great potential for transformation.  Whether you’re talking about a mid-life crisis, middle school, or mid-winter, the “mid” is what makes it interesting:  the transition from here to there is fraught with uncertainty, and the outcome still hangs in the balance.  Such is the case with Mid-Winter Break, a family friendly musical comedy coming to the Farmington Players Barn Theater on June 2 – 4, 2017. 

Just as middle school students grow up quickly as they make the transition from childhood to young adulthood, several cast members have blossomed in the two years since Mid-Winter Break was first performed in Waterford in 2015.  Aryn Hillman, who plays Beth, had just turned eleven about a month before the show originally went up.  Now 13, Aryn says, “I was interested in doing the show again because I was excited to see the revisions that had been made and see if any other returning cast had changed as much as I had. This is now my eighth performance and I know that in just the past two years, I have matured a lot. I was excited to come be a part of the show with new skills and a new perspective.”   Ayrn describes her character Beth as being “quite similar to me. She can be sassy when she wants to be, but can also be a little … blank from time to time.  Like Beth, I'm in 8th grade, and my friends have become kind of boy crazy. I’ve had to give a lot of advice to friends in the same or similar situations as Juniper.  Though the responses Beth and I would give when asked for advice about guys are vastly different.”  

Aryn knows audiences will enjoy Mid-Winter Break for multiple reasons:  “One reason is the humor. It's all family friendly, but can still make people of all ages crack up. Another reason would be the familiar frustration with middle school. I don't know about everyone, but I’m in 8th grade, and I could not be more excited to get out of middle school and head to high school. Finally, the show is just fun in general. From the absurdity of the dreams, to the musical numbers, I think it should leave everyone with big smiles. Everyone in the cast is very talented, and once you combine that with amazing directors like Kandi [Krumins] and Dave [Reinke] who are doing everything they can to make this show great, I think there's no way you can't enjoy the performance!”

Aryn is from Waterford and among her favorite things are music, theater, creative writing, drawing, singing, and linguistics. And you might not know this about Aryn:  “If I could have any superpower, I would want teleportation. If I got stuck on a deserted island I would bring my phone, a portable charger, and cooler packed with drinks and ice cream. If I could visit any country for two weeks, I would pick South Korea.”

Reserved seats for Mid-Winter Break are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by calling the box office at 248-553-2955.  All tickets are only $12 and show times are as follows: Friday, June 2, 8pm;  Saturday, June 3, 8pm; and Sunday, June 4, 2pm.  One weekend only!