A Quantum Dream

The Aurora Project

Two people face the viewer. On the right, a woman smiles slightly, her eyes closed. On the left, a person with a short beard has their eyes open, looking directly at us. Text reads "A Quantum Dream presents The Aurora Project a play by Bella Poynton "
  • June 25th-28th 2026 at the Zootown Arts Community Center
  • Evening performances: Doors at 7PM, show at 7:30PM
  • Saturday and Sunday Matinees: Doors at 1:30PM, shows at 2PM
  • General Admission $15
  • Open Captions at Friday evening and both Saturday performances
  • A Talkback with the production team will follow Friday and Saturday evening performances
  • This show runs about two hours including one ten-minute intermission.

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

Nora: Riley Netzley-Hale

Constantine: Kian Bertin

The Gatekeeper: Ann Peacock

The Designer: James Cox

Questry: Casey Flum

Nora (alternate): Kaylee DeMontigny

The role of Nora will be played by Kaylee DeMontigny at the matinee performance on Saturday, June 27th

PRODUCTION TEAM

Directed by Reggie Herbert

Produced by Reggie Herbert and Meg Elizabeth Denny

Scenic, Lighting and Costume Design by Meg Elizabeth Denny

Sound Design and Music by Reggie Herbert

Technical Director: Meg Elizabeth Denny

Stage Manager: Kinsey Sternad

Production Assistants: Roslyn Knight and Gregory Daggett

Makeup and Run Crew: Kaylee DeMontigny

Set Construction: Joe Kirk

Fight Direction by Mark Plonsky

Audio Describer: Meg Elizabeth Denny

Caption Operators: David Johnson and Jasmine Sherman

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Bella Poynton, Smiling young woman with fair skin, long dark brown hair parted to the side, hazel eyes, subtle makeup, and soft red lipstick, wearing a bright yellow top against a light blurred background.

BELLA POYNTON is a playwright, dramaturg, actor, and theatre historian from Buffalo, NY. Her plays have been published with Sam French/Concord Theatricals, Broadway Play Publishing, Next Stage Press, Applause, and Smith & Kraus. Her wroks have recently appeared in The Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2024, The Best Men’s Monologues of 2024, The Best Ten-Minute Plays of 2019, The Best American Short Plays 2018-2019, The Weirdest Plays of 2020, and WE-US: Monologues for Gender Minority Characters.

Bella’s scholarly work has been published in Theatre/Practice, Global Performance Studies, Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Texas Theatre Journal, and Comparative Drama. She currently serves as senior co-chair of the Playwriting Symposium at the Mid America Theatre Festival, manager of the Playwrights’ Wing at First Look Buffalo Theatre Company, and the Vice President of ARTA (Association of Regional Theatre Artists of Western New York.)

Bella’s plays have been produced and developed at the Bechdel Group, MadLab Theatre, Alleyway Theatre, The Great Plains Theatre Festival, The Pittsburgh New Works Festival, The Antaeus Company, Otherworld Theatre Company, Road Less Traveled Productions, 3rd Act Theatre Company, Kitchen Theatre Company, Panndora Productions, Theatre Viscera, Post-Industrial Productions, First Look Buffalo Theatre Company, ART of WNY, Bennington Theatre, and the Mid America Theatre Conference, among many among others. Additionally, her plays have enjoyed many university level productions and development opportunities at collegiate institutions such as Kent State University, Bloomsburg University, Eastern Illinois University, Oklahoma City University, Tulsa Community College, and the University at Buffalo.

Bella’s ongoing book project titled Robot Dramaturgy explores the history and cultural significance of robotics and A.I. in theatrical performance, and their journey towards personhood framed through dramatic action. Other research interests include science, technology, and the posthuman in performance as well as the history of new play development. Bella is an Assistant Professor of Theatre History, Criticism, and Playwriting at SUNY Oswego State University.

SAVE THE DATE! DECEMBER 9TH-13TH FOR OUR NEXT SHOW!

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Director’s Note:

What happens when you can’t let go of something? What happens when you break a promise? When the institutions that shaped us also confine us? If you think you had an answer for all of those questions, think about how those answers would change if you mapped them out over ten million years. The Aurora Project is beautiful and tragic in equal measure, and I invite you to engage in this story with us with that full knowledge. When we avoid what we know must come, we prevent our ability to return home, to ourselves. We’ve worked incredibly hard on this production andwe’re so grateful you’re here. I invite you to feel everything in its entirety as this story unfolds with the actors and your fellow audience members.
-Reggie

MEET THE TEAM

Kian Bertin (he/they), Constantine

Against a starry nebula background is the headshot of an actor. They have intense eyes with dark eyeliner and are looking off to the left with a slight smile. Text reads Kian Burtin - Constantine graphic button button

Kian Bertin is thrilled to make their acting debut at A Quantum Dream as Constantine in The Aurora Project. After spending their childhood deeply immersed in the Arts, their love of performance never truly left. It instead found a home at the table, where playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and other RPGs fueled their passion for storytelling and character. They are grateful to their family for their endless support, and extend an extra special thank you to their partner, Katie Deyott, whose encouragement brought them back to the stage where they belong.

Riley Netzley-Hale (she/her) as Nora

Against a starry background, a woman smiles broadly in a headshot. Her shoulder length brown hair blows lightly in a breeze. Text reads Riley Netzley-Hale: Nora

Riley Netzley-Hale  is continually awestruck at the opportunity to bring this Nora to life for Missoula and cannot wait for everyone to experience this beautiful story. She got to work with A Quantum Dream in their last production of Future Tripping as the understudy for Detective Berry and fell in love with everything AQD works for and presents. She is thankful for such an amazing community to work with and be supported by as this little valley she calls home.

James Cox (he/him), The Designer

A black and white headshot of a man with a short goatee. He has a slight smile and intense eyes. Text reads James Cox designer

James began his acting journey (besides a couple of shows in high school) with community theater in Butte, where he performed for many years with various troupes, including one he co-founded, and helped lead the Orphan Girl Children’s Theater for many years.  After a hiatus when he moved to Missoula and through the covid theater shutdown, he began again with MCT, MissCast, and AQD.  James is delighted to work with A Quantum Dream a second time, having been the understudy for Dad in Future Tripping last year.  He also played the dad in A Curious Incident and the boyfriend’s dad in Addams’ Family.  He is beginning to sense a trend.

Ann Peacock (she/her), The Gatekeeper

( 30 years ag

A headshot of an older woman with chest length pale blonde hair. She smiles broadly at the viewer and wears tortoiseshell glasses. Text reads: Ann Peacock: Gatekeeper

Ann Peacock has been a local Missoula actor since the 90’s  ( 30 years ago! How is that even possible?!) Her most recent role was Mother Jones in The Trial of Mother Jones. She is thrilled to be working with A Quantum Dream again on another wonderful sci-fi play. And she is equally thrilled to be a part of such a stellar cast and crew!! 

Casey Flum (they/he), Questry

A man with short hair grins at the camera. He wears a black hoodie and has one hand behind his head. Text reads "Casey Flum - Questry"

 Casey is super excited to debut with A Quantum Dream as Questry. This character means so much to him and he is delighted to share them with everyone coming to the show. He has been acting since 2023 and spends most of his free time either watching or performing in as many shows as he can. Casey is incredibly grateful for the support of his friends and family that have helped him through his acting journey and he cannot wait to see what the future holds. 

Kaylee DeMontigny (she/they), alternate for Nora

A headshot of a smiling woman with long golden brown hair and bangs. She wears a plaid shirt. Text reads Kaylee de Montigny Nora Alternate

Kaylee de Montigny has a love for physical media, playing games, and making art with her friends. She has recently graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Montana. You may have seen them as Mrs. Hubbard in Murder on the Orient Express, Evangeline Harcourt in Anything Goes or Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods.

Kinsey Sternad (she/her), Stage Manager

Kinsey is thrilled to be working with A Quantum Dream on this galactic production! She obtained a degree in theatre from the University of Montana, and has now worked as a stage manager on a variety of shows! This is her first production with A Quantum Dream, and hopefully not the last. She also loves to dance, direct, and act. Not all at once though, she’s not insane. Kinsey is so grateful to be given the opportunity to work with such a cosmically cool cast and team on this production! 

Reggie Herbert (he/him), Director, Music and Sound Designer

Headshot of Reggie Herbert, a white male in his early thirties. He has long brown hair undercut on the sides, a reddish beard and striking blue eyes. He looks fixedly into the camera with the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth

Reggie is a blind artist who obtained his Master of Fine Arts in theatre from the University of Montana in 2021. He is one of five blind artists in North America to hold this degree. He founded A Quantum Dream in 2023 with Meg Denny to produce the kind of work that impacts him the most and wanted to share it with the Missoula community. Reggie is a leader in the National Federation of the Blind and has been playing music in various bands in the Missoula area since 2009. Reggie also proudly serves on the board of directors for the ZACC. He is grateful for the opportunity to work with such fine artists, but especially to you for coming and sharing in this beautiful story with us.

A QUANTUM DREAM STAFF AND BOARD

Reggie Herbert, co-founder and artistic director

Meg Denny, co-founder, lead audio describer and treasurer

Erin Peacock, secretary

Kateena Bell, board member

Joe Kirk, board member

Dylan Bellardinelli, board member

Jasmine Sherman, audio describer and accessibility assistant

ZACC SHOWROOM STAFF

Joe Kirk, Program Director

Daina Grand, Showroom manager

Noah Glover, Technical Director

Malcom Contreras, Sound Technician

A Quantum Dream would like to thank all ZACC staff, board and volunteers.

ABOUT A QUANTUM DREAM

A Quantum Dreamis a 501C3 non-profit theatre company that creates contemporary science-fiction theatre with an eye toward accessibility. We provide accessibility consultation and audio description services and provide a few acting classes a year.

Special thanks to John Howard, Summit Independent Living Center and BASE Missoula

Additional thanks to MissCast Productions

A Quantum Dream would like to extend extra special thanks to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington foundation for helping to subsidize their upcoming season.

Visit us at aquantumdream.org

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR DREAM

MANIFESTING THE FUTURE//THE FUTURE IS FOR EVERYONE

A Quantum Dream makes contemporary, ambitious theatre in Missoula and refuses to treat accessibility as optional.

We are currently the only provider of live audio description for blind and low-vision audiences in Montana. When we’re not there, that access doesn’t exist.

We create science fiction performance that asks bigger questions, and we build inclusive practices into the work from the start, not as an afterthought. Alongside our productions, we offer accessibility consulting, disability awareness training, and inclusive classes that bring more people into the room.

Your support helps build an arts community where more people can actually experience what’s happening onstage and shape the future we want to see in the world.

Your contribution helps:

  • Keep our work affordable and accessible
    • Support classes and community programming
    • Provide tuition for those who otherwise couldn’t participate
    • Bring ASL interpretation to future productions
    • Keep live audio description available in Montana
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THANKS TO OUR MISSOULA GIVES DONORS

Suzanne Demmerinis, Monica Rouse, Charlie Oates, Erin Peacock, Roslyn Knight, Tanner Mirabelle, Elizabeth Rouse, Jessie Ballard, Ben Weiss, Jeremy Meine, Kera, Sarah Justice, Jasmine Sherman, Heaven Raines, Wendy Nelson, Kimberly Mize, Ed W.,

Get in touch with us at hello@aquantumdream.org .