Samantha as Sylvia

It’s time to give a warm welcome to Samantha Reece, who is joining The Naples Players (TNP) for the very first time in Sylvia. After a long break from theatre performing due to the pandemic, she is delighted to be back at it with our dynamic team of staff and volunteers.

Originally born in Florida, Samantha moved to Iowa when she was six years old. “In middle school our town had ‘melodramas’ for the small town festivals. We would do these silly comedies that were prerecorded so we would be on stage lip syncing them. I loved theatre so much I continued in high school and then went on to be a theatre major at the University of Northern Iowa.” In college, Samantha got to perform in Rent and Spring Awakening and says that her love for theatre “definitely began with a love of musicals.”

After graduating in 2016, Samantha did community theatre and started directing. “That was all pretty promising, but then the pandemic happened and things came to a halt. I decided to move to Naples as my aunt, uncle, and cousin live here. I was supposed to move in October but Hurricane Ian pushed my arrival back to November. I knew I wanted to get involved with theatre again and heard about The Naples Players from a Google search.  I saw that they were auditioning for Sylvia and was excited for the opportunity to do a feel-good show!”

Showing up at a new theater can be intimidating after a big move, but Samantha feels like she walked through the right doors at TNP. “The audition was really fun. I have never felt more liberated during an audition before. In small town Iowa community theaters, everyone knows everybody, so not knowing anyone here was really freeing. I also felt really welcomed by everyone, especially Esther (Snyder, Executive Assistant).”

At the time of this interview, Samantha was in her very first week of rehearsals.  “It’s intense! Jessica (Walck, Director of Sylvia) called it an ambitious rehearsal schedule. I’m coming from collegiate theatre which happened at a much slower pace! But this faster pace is really good and it’s helping us find things quickly.”

For Samantha, Sylvia is about connections. “That’s the word that comes to mind for me. The loss of one connection and the gaining of another kind. This loss and gain can be paradoxical to each other. Kate doesn’t quite get what she wants in the end, but learns to live with it. I think the play is about the desire for connections and how that all evolves in a person.” 

Another bonus about taking part in Sylvia for Samantha is the chance to be in something more jovial.  “A lot of my past shows were tragedies or very dramatic. Even the musicals I was in were both really sad. I’m happy to be in something more lighthearted. Even though Sylvia is a real, relatable story in a very unreal way – I’ve never played an animal before!”

Samantha also works for Super Science and Amazing Art at Fleischmann Park where she helps kids create artwork. She says, “I really love nature and getting outside always clears my head.  Everything outdoors here in Naples is very nostalgic to me because it reminds me of my early childhood in Florida.”

As far as the future goes, Samantha’s mind is open to the possibilities! “I’m excited to see what The Naples Players is announcing for next season.  My plans are to go with the flow.” Talking about dream roles, she says, “I would love to be in Sweeney Todd – or anything Sondheim really, or The Last Five Years.”  At present, Samantha says, “I feel so welcomed by everyone here. Everyone I have met has been incredibly kind, open, and encouraging. I’ve really missed theatre people and it’s nice to be around that energy again!”