The Bardlings

The Bardlings, a student theatre company, is a by-audition or interview-only theatre training program for up-and-coming actors, designers, stage managers, and technicians. The program consists of training and rehearsals, including working on or performing in The Winter’s Tale as part of the February 2026 Southern Shakespeare Festival.

Students accepted into the program receive focused acting, musical theatre, voice, movement, and technical theatre training as well as diverse practical experiences. 

Bardlings gain experience, knowledge, and skills by:

• Rehearsing with and coached by professional directors and educators.
• Attending workshops, guest lectures, and field trips, all led by theatre and visiting artists.
• Participating in community outreach opportunities throughout the school year.
• Performing in and working on a full production included in the 2026 Southern Shakespeare Festival in February.

For more information, contact Christine Hansen at christine@southernshakes.org.

Alice Moore

Audie Wasman

Drew Johnson

Estelle Luke

Hadlee Smith

Haiden Smith

Isaac Miller

Miriam Hall

Rafael Collins

Robin Morrow

Samantha Diaz de Villegas

Sevda Fahim

Thomas Stuart-Tilley

Willow Broadfoot

Xavi Diaz de Villegas

Zade Sinnadurai

Zak Hopkins

If you have questions about our programming, contact Christine Hansen at christine@southernshakes.org.

Christine Hansen (Bardlings Director, pictured at left) is a director and actor with a diverse array of theatrical experiences; from playing Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Linda in Death of a Salesman, and Julie in Sugar Babies, to writing, directing, managing, and performing at Mountain River Ranch (a wild-west themed dinner theatre west of Jackson Hole, WY) to devising theatre based on the works of Chekhov and T.S. Eliot. Christine is also an experienced teacher, having held positions at Idaho State University, Pinellas County Center for the Arts, and currently Florida State University. She holds a BFA in Performance from Point Park University, an MA in Performance Studies from ISU, and an MFA in Directing from FSU. Christine’s devotion to the growth of aspiring actors is unfailing, and her aim to make each rehearsal process gratifying and successful for all is constant. This passion is clear in her desire for her cast and crew to share her favorite phrase, “Again, please!” Christine is also mom to her incredible daughter, Davey Remi, and fur babies Calamity Jane (CJ), Barnaby, and Cornelius. She is overjoyed to have the opportunity to join the Southern Shakespeare Festival team as co-director of the Bardlings with the incomparable Phil Croton. 

Phil Croton (Bardlings Assistant Director, pictured center) was born and raised in London, and attended The Italia Conti Drama School, making his West End debut at the tender age of eleven, flying around the stage as John Darling in Peter Pan at the Scala Theatre–and he was cast again in the same role the following year! He also appeared on television in A Play for Today for the BBC and in minor roles in films and television, but his true love always has been live theatre. He has worked in Theatre in Education, in the UK, for Freshwater and Konflux Theatre companies. He was also the Head of the Education Dept. for the Theatre Royal in Bury St. Edmunds. He is working to instill a love of Shakespeare to the children and young adults in Tallahassee through frequent in-school workshops and as an Assistant Director of The Bardlings. Phil has appeared in such diverse roles as Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons and R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Other roles include leads in A Chorus of Disapproval, Separate Tables, The Real Inspector Hound, and The Typist. He has also directed various productions including The Donahue Sisters, Humble Boy, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre Royal Youth Company, Maria Marten). He appeared as Oberon/Theseus in Southern Shakespeare’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2014.