Ashley Directs And Then There Were None at Tallahassee State College

“The fascinating thing about this story is that before the show even begins…the outcome is known: and then there were none.”

When I wrote this in my director’s notes for And Then There Were None (ATTWN) at Tallahassee State College I thought I was just cluing the audience in on the not so subtle plot of the show. I didn’t realize that this would be something I needed to remind myself of. As I sit here on the first rehearsal-less night I’ve had for the past 2(ish) months, I can’t help but reflect on the amazing experience that this production was.

I had been itching to get back into a theatre in some way, shape, or form, and when TSC announced their season and I saw that they were the year off with ATTWN, I knew I had to jump at the chance to at least share my vision with whoever would end up reading my application. Similar to how auditioning feels like a chance to perform as an actor, it felt so good to work my director brain and share a creative idea (particularly for a story that I’ve loved since middle school). And then I got the email that I would actually have the opportunity to bring that vision to life and the past four and a half months have blurred together in the most wonderful and beautiful trip to Soldier Island.

To my cast: thank you so much for your collaboration and professionalism throughout this entire process. Each of you had the monstrous task of bringing such iconic characters from Agatha Christie’s most famous work to life and you did so not only masterfully, but you made them your own. Having a blueprint for a character is challenging, but you all found the balance of honoring the people Christie brought to life on the page and making them your own as you walked out on the stage. Thank you for taking every note (remember to CHEAT OUT), for humoring me with every request for a vocal non-verbal, for almost always following all of my hidden instructions in our run note emails, and for coming in with a positive attitude and allowing us to simply be artistic and creative during our rehearsals.

To my crew and designers: thank you so much for helping bring Soldier Island to life so beautifully on the Turner Auditorium stage. I know I had a lot of crazy asks to help make this show safe but impactful. Exploding soldiers, live fire, unusual end of show lighting effects, eerie music to send chills up people’s spines…the list goes on and on. And you all were so open to the process every step of the way. I am so thankful for every conversation we had, for all of your wonderful ideas, and the beautiful work that each of you put into making this show as beautiful as it was.

A special thank you to my Stage Manager Miles who did a wonderful job keeping me on track and also just a general stage management shout out because we do not thank our stage managers nearly enough. They are the hardest working people in the industry. Everyone go thank a stage manager.

To Tallahassee State College: thank you for trusting me with your wonderful students and space. Thank you for trusting me with the start of your 2025-2026 theatre season. I hope that this is the start of a beautiful creative collaboration and just the beginning of a fabulous season.

And finally, to everyone who came out to support our production: thank you. We would not be able to do what we do without your support for the arts. Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to spend a little over 2 hours with us and escape from the stress of the outside world only to stress about who is going on a killing spree in 1930s England. Thank you for allowing us to share our story with you and I hope that you will continue to let us do so in the future.

To view our virtual program:

And Then There Were None Virtual Program.pdf

Download PDF • 5.29MB

To view our production photos taken by Melina Myers: