Check out our virtual video of Sara Evans’ cover of ‘Every Little Kiss’ then come see us perform that and so many other hits by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Brandy Clark, The Chicks, Dwight Yoakam, Lee Roy Parnell and the Eagles this Sat, July 1st!
10 actors portraying 60 roles 2 yrs in the making. 200 plus interviews. Most of us over 35. Know the Name. Matthew Shepard. Unfortunately all of us know the nature of a hate crime.
Have we done are part as a society. Politically. Spiritually
June is Pride month and we must honor those fallen heroes of history. And teach the lessons to those who are willing to learn.
C. Connie Hurst:
JUL 1 AT 2 PM – JUL 8 AT 3:30 PM
OLD FORT, BEYOND THE VALE – Outdoor Performance
Free Outdoor Performance commissioned by Catherine Moore with The 150 Project. Written and produced by Dream On Theatre Works. The one act play depicts the history of the town featuring community members and professional actors through narration and live action. General seating at The Stepp Cabin. Hats, chairs, umbrellas and water recommended. The show is based on 150 years of history, folklore and humor to commemorate Old Forts sesquicentennial. Donations to benefit the theatre are gratefully accepted.
D. Jeff Catanese:
Montford Park Players Continues Summer Season with Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Produced by Montford Park Players at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre
Show Dates: June 23 – July 22 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays @ 7:30pm
Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre 92 Gay St. Asheville, NC
Montford Park Players, an Asheville theatrical tradition, is proud to announce their upcoming production William Shakespeare’s classic Twelfth Night. All performances will be held at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre at 92 Gay Street in the heart of Asheville’s historic Montford District, from June 23rd through July 22nd on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at montfordparkplayers.org and are, as always, FREE.
Twelfth Night is a beloved Shakespearean masterpiece that combines mistaken identities, hilarious pranks, and a touch of romance. Set in the fictional land of Illyria, the play tells the story of Viola, a young woman who disguises herself as a man to navigate the complex web of love and deception. Filled with wit, music, and memorable characters, Twelfth Night promises an evening of laughter and entertainment for audiences of all ages.
Director Fable Wilde Day, who acted in last year’s runaway hit, Much Ado About Nothing, has long been a fan of the play. Bringing this comedy to the stage has long been a dream of hers.
“Montford Park Players is proud to present Twelfth Night as part of our summer season,” said Managing Director John Russell. “We invite the community to join us for an unforgettable evening of Shakespearean comedy under the stars. Every time we produce this play it is one of our best-attended of the season, and is always a crowd favorite. Our talented cast and crew have worked tirelessly to bring this timeless classic to life, and we are excited to share their efforts with the Asheville audience.”
Director Day has assembled an all-star team of Montford regulars for her cast and crew. Audrey Savitt, Devyn Ray, Aaron Ybarra, Eric Vik and Dwight Chiles form the core of featured actors. Joining them are Emily Drake, Patrick Nguyen, Blaine Weiss, Spike Thompson and many others.
In the hands of Day, Twelfth Night promises to be a visual spectacle, while also bringing the laughs. As Russell put it, “I hope that people come out to enjoy this great work and get their summer off to a fun and funny start.
Montford Park Players has been presenting Shakespeare and other classical works to the Asheville community since 1973 and has since grown to be one of Western North Carolina’s most beloved and well-known cultural attractions.
For more information or to obtain tickets, go to montfordparkplayers.org, or call at (828) 254-5146.
E. Ellen Pappas:
Come see the fabulous musical ROCK OF AGES at Hendersonville Theatre opening July 7th. Great music and a fabulous cast. You’ll even get to see my artwork on the set!
JOE CARROLL LEADS STUDENTS THROUGH A CURATED IMPROV EXPERIENCE TO BRING ABOUT AWARENESS AND CULTIVATE GROWTH.
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IMPROV 1: SCENIC IMPROVISATIONIMPROV 1 IS AN INTRODUCTION TO IMPROVISING IN A SCENE. THROUGH GROUP GAMES AND EXERCISES, STUDENTS WILL PRACTICE LISTENING, BEING PRESENT IN THE MOMENT, EXPLORING IMPULSE/SPONTANEITY, TRUSTING THEIR INSTINCTS, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT OF “YES, AND” IN IMPROVISATION. COST: $250 DATES: SUNDAYS, JULY 9TH-AUGUST 27TH, 2023 | TIME: 3:30-5:30P LOCATION: 573 FAIRVIEW RD, UNIT 21A, ASHEVILLE, NC 28803
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IMPROV 2: SCENE TOOLSIMPROV 2 FOCUSES ON TECHNIQUES THAT WILL TAKE YOUR IMPROV SCENES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE DIFFERENT WAYS TO EDIT SCENES, CREATE GROUPS SCENES, AND MAKE STRONG INITIATIONS THROUGH CHARACTER AND SPACE WORK. ** PRE-REQUISITE: IMPROV 1 OR PREVIOUS IMPROV WITH APPROVAL FROM INSTRUCTOR. COST: $250 DATES: SUNDAYS, JULY 9TH-AUGUST 27TH, 2023 | TIME: 5:30-7:30P LOCATION: 573 FAIRVIEW RD, UNIT 21A, ASHEVILLE, NC 28803
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PERFORMANCE LAB IMPROV PERFORMANCE LAB IS A DROP IN PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP. IMPROVISERS WILL RECEIVE CUSTOMIZED INSTRUCTION TO IMPROVE UPON THEIR PERSONAL GOALS. STUDENTS WILL BE ASKED TO SHARE THEIR PERCEIVED STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN IMPROV. THEIR ANSWERS WILL PROVIDE THE JOURNEY FOR THEIR CLASS EXPERIENCE. CLICK IMAGE TO PURCHASE 8 AN 8 CLASS PACK FOR $200 COST TO DROP IN TO CLASS: $30 AT THE DOOR DATES: MONDAYS | TIME: 5:30-7:30P LOCATION: 573 FAIRVIEW RD, UNIT 21A, ASHEVILLE, NC 28803
G. Joe Carroll:
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2023 AT 7 PM
BMCA Improv Showcase
H. Joe Carroll:
FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2023 AT 7:30 PM
Liars Club: An Evening of Fake Storytelling
Join us for an evening filled with lies! Local comedians will take to the stage to share the lives of fictional people in whatever way that they see fit. Hosted by Marlene Thompson
Featuring: Donnie Bishop Joe Carroll Cayla Clark Peter Lundblad Kevin Murphy Page Ragan
Opening July 13 for 9 performances only at the intimate BeBe Theatre in downtown Asheville: What would you do if your blind date goes very, very wrong? Not, we hope, what Nova and Roald do in the world premiere of Travis Lowe’s “Some Notes on Dating During Outbreak,” a dark comedy presented by The Sublime Theater, starring Lauren Otis, Olivia Stuller, and Alex McDonald Villarreal, directed by Steven Samuels. Info/tix: https://bit.ly/snoddo
Knowledge Fusion: Stand-Up Comedy & Small Business
Can learning Stand-Up Comedy help you be more successful running a small business? You bet it can! From finding your voice, to trimming material to its core, to handing being on stage, Stand-Up Comedy has lessons you can use to start and grow your business.
The heart of this event is a 90 minute, highly-interactive, class on Stand-Up Comedy followed by 30 minute discussion of how to apply what we learned to running a small business. After the official event ends at 6, there will be an unofficial gathering at New Belgium Brewing in the River Arts District.
Join Deep River, Asheville’s Premier Country Vocal Group, for an evening of Eagles + Country Hits for a memorable American music journey!
Do you like 60’s country like The Everly Brothers? 80’s country like Kathy Mattea and Dwight Yoakam? 90’s country like The Chicks?
Or maybe your taste runs more towards the Eagles greatest hits like Take It Easy, I Can’t Tell You Why and Hotel California?
Well, don’t worry ‘cause our 8-piece band (including 4 Asheville Music School instructors) will play all of these artists and songs and many more in the best listening room in Asheville, AyurPrana (formerly Ambrose West) on Haywood Rd in West Asheville near Beacham’s Curve
Click on the link below to buy your tickets now!
For tickets:
C. Jeff Catanese:
Montford Park Players Opens 51st Season with World Premiere Wendy and Peter
Wendy and Peter by Skyler Goff
Produced by Montford Park Players at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre
Show Dates: May 26-June 17 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays @ 7:30pm
Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre 92 Gay St. Asheville, NC
Montford Park Players, an Asheville theatrical tradition, is proud announce their upcoming World Premiere of Skyler Goff’s Wendy and Peter. All performances will be held at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre at 92 Gay Street in the heart of Asheville’s historic Montford District, from May 26th through June 17th on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at montfordparkplayers.org and are, as always, FREE.
A brand-new take on the classic tale of Peter Pan, Wendy and Peter follows that play’s Wendy Darling into adulthood and on the frontlines of World War I. Even as she tells the children under her care the stories of her childhood adventures, she gets whisked back to Never Never Land with Peter and Tinker Bell to once again see raucous Lost Boys, the mysterious Druids and the dastardly Captain Hook. This adaptation has all of the family-friendly magic you’d expect, while asking what growing up means to a young girl in a world run by boys.
For more information or to obtain tickets, go to montfordparkplayers.org, or call at (828) 254-5146.
Casting for this beautiful play next weekend. First to come, first to audition. Cold readings from the script. To peruse the script, email conniehurst112@gmail.com
E. Steven Samuels:
Original songs played on banjo, guitar, and resonator guitar. A baker’s dozen of characters of different genders and races. One man, one hell of a show: “Robert Returns,” June 2 & 3 at Story Parlor in West Asheville. Info/tix: https://bit.ly/3NA6XXZ
F. Jimmy Ferraro:
FUNDRAISER for The COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY and The AMERICAN LEGION
Fresh off her performance as the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which Broadway World said was, “Simply Outstanding,” and star turn in The Legend of Georgia McBride, Delighted Tobehere is out to prove she is the ultimate Broadway baby. Delighted is celebrating two decades of drag, and after 20 years of delighting audiences worldwide – and on America’s Got Talent – she is ready for her big break on Broadway!
In Hello, Daddy!, Delighted is pulling out all the stops to prove she has what it takes and will even do WHATEVER it takes to get the role – any role. Even if that means showing you some of her special skills. *wink wink* She won’t quit until she is a star…on Broadway! Hello, Daddy! will feature songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Wicked, La Cage Aux Folles, and more! All of your favorite Broadway hits combined with Delighted’s signature talent, wit, and charm, makes this a show you will not want to miss! Get your tickets today! You’ll be DELIGHTED you did!
Approximate Run Time: 90 minutes Rating: PG-13 due to adult content
Delighted Tobehere is a tour de force in the drag world, celebrating 22 years as a vocalist, comedian, emcee, activist, and motivational speaker. A self described “Queen of all Trades,” Delighted combines celebrity illusion, vocal impressions, live vocals, lip sync, comedy, intelligence, and quick wit to wow audiences from corporate functions to pride festivals. In 2015, she wowed the judges on America’s Got Talent with a rendition of bass country singer Josh Turner’s “Your Man”, garnering yes votes from all of the judges. Recently she starred as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at The Warehouse Theatre in Greenville, SC, where BroadwayWorld described her performance as “simply outstanding!” Throughout the year Delighted tours internationally to sold out houses with her celebrated one-woman shows including She Haw, Hello Daddy!, Drag 101, Simply Delighted, and Divariety. Every winter she has an annual residency at Act2PV in Puerto Vallarta. Along with giving masterclasses and lectures at universities, presenting at corporate DEI events, and touring her shows, Delighted has been a featured presenter at two TEDx events, continuing her mission of encouraging people to live in the moment, live a better life, love themselves, and each other. You can follow Delighted on all social media platforms at @queendelighted. www.imdelightedtobehere.com
H. Connie Hurst:
Dream On Theatre Works
Please email conniehurst112@gmail.com for more information or to peruse the script
AUDITIONS ARE Saturday, May 13th, 2-4pm and Saturday, May 20th, 2-4pm. PERFORMANCES ARE Saturday, July 1st, 2pm and Saturday, July 8th, 2pm. Casting the following roles. All roles are double/triple cast. Male Narrator #2/Reporter – any age, any ethnicity. Female Narrator #3/Geneva/Frankie Poteat – any age, white. Male Narrator #4/Burnett/Pardo/Man – any age, any ethnicity. Old Sandlin/Samuel Davidson/Dr. Baker – male, 50-65, white. Mary Davidson/Woman#1 – any age, white. Liza/Farm Girl/Wife of Town Resident – female, 20-40, black. Major Wm. Davidson/McCanless/E.W. Parker – male, any age, white. Young Sandlin/Posse Member/Lytle/Soldier – male, 20-30, white. Town Resident/Albert Joyner – male, any age, black. ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE WELCOME
Read the story of David and Goliath. The story is about courage and resiliency.
Individuals can build personal resilience at work and home by achieving a healthy work-life balance. This means taking care of yourself. Try reducing the hours you stare at your phone or other devices.
When dealing with hard times or trauma, get quiet and ask yourself, “What can I learn from this experience? The answer may be courage, resiliency, or peace, for example.
Build healthy relationships with others. The five closest people you hang out with can build or destroy your resiliency.
Fear is not your friend. It’s essential to fear appropriate things like danger, but often, it’s a “story” that you hear inside your head.
Learn coping skills or tools. Seek a professional expert if needed. You can also contact spiritual leaders, Rabbis, church leaders, and mentors for help.
Keep a journal and acknowledge all the wins you have in your day, even the small ones.
Find outlets for stress that are healthy. For example, you can watch a funny movie, join a gym, attend an art class, or go for a walk in the woods.
Remember that there are no challenges in life but opportunities. I learned this while becoming a certified Life Coach.
Research books that are about resiliency. One book I like is, Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.
Dawn Marie Westmoreland
HR Consultant, Author, Speaker, Life Coach, and Syndicated Radio Talk Host
B. Yermi Kurkus Consulting Group (YKC) and Weichert Realtor’s Unlimited partner together to host a monthly meetup and unique networking event known as a LinkedIn Local.
The meeting is typically held at Weichert Realtor’s Unlimited on 802 Fairview Rd #3000, Asheville, NC 28803
LinkedIn Local AVL (which stands for Asheville) is run on the premise of taking our online connections that are typically formed on media platforms such as LinkedIn (which is the most typical one since it’s targeted to business professionals) and taking those connections offline to meet in a casual-like transformative manner. The structure of such an event is based on the know, like, and trust factors and the connect, learn, and prosper structure.
The key difference between transformational networking and transactional networking is that most networking events tend to be very transactional – people are there to give out their business cards and pitch what they do, expecting to get business out of the interactions. In some of these types of events, it works. However, in a transformational type of networking event, we focus entirely on the person in front of us, with no expectations of anything in return. We look to form true and authentic relationships that over time flourish and grow into long-term and long-lasting professional relationships that may or may not result in business. As Co-Author of The Go-Giver Series, Bob Burg is often quoted saying “All things being equal, people often do business with, and refer business to, those that they know, like, and trust.” – Through these types of transformational networking we add immense value, we impact lives, build relationships, we are authentically ourselves, and we are open to receive from others that are in our group. This networking event is much less focused on business and more focused on building long-lasting relationships that may potentially end up with doing business or referring business to one another.
Our next event is scheduled for Thursday, May 18th, 2023 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm – Light refreshments are served.
To learn more or to sign up to be on our email list for upcoming events, feel welcome to reach out to yermi@yermikurkus.com
Dr. Jauhar is a cardiologist who writes frequently about medical care and public health.
When my father was declining from Alzheimer’s disease, one of the things my siblings and I used to argue about was whether to correct his confusions.
For example, my father, in his impaired state, expected his live-in aide to work for room and board and would lash out at her (and us) whenever he learned that she had been paid. My siblings tended to think that it was fine to lie to him about matters like this if it helped him (and us) get through one of his rancorous moods.
I fought against this practice as a matter of principle. As a doctor, I had seen how even well-meaning deception, such as withholding bad news, could be damaging. To me, a healthy relationship with our father, even in his debilitated state, could be based only on truth and trust. Small lies, even if told with the best of intentions, would undermine his dignity and erode what little connection we had left with him.
As it happens, the disagreement between me and my siblings mirrored a larger debate in the medical community over the past few decades about how best to treat dementia patients. Should the ethical demands of truth-telling give way to the everyday needs of dementia care? Or is telling the truth always the best way to uphold the dignity of patients and serve their mental health?
Though I began the journey through my father’s illness with the view that being straight with him was paramount, my experience caring for him, as well as research and reporting I did for a book, led me to change my position. I now think that lying can be the best strategy a dementia caregiver can use, not just practically but also morally. Deception, I now believe, may uphold a different conception of the patient’s dignity — respecting the integrity of his worldview, however askew it may be.
Lying to dementia patients was consistently discouraged until the 1980s or 1990s. Instead, so-called reality orientation was the norm: forcing dementia patients to face hard truth even if it entailed considerable anguish — that a loved one was really dead, for example, or that the patient was now living in a nursing facility and would never go home. The idea was to provide the person with a greater understanding of his or her time, place and surroundings. It was a view about treatment but also about the ethics of care and respect.
But in the 1990s, an English homemaker named Penny Garner, whose mother, Dorothy, had dementia, began to advocate a new approach. Ms. Garner noticed that allowing Dorothy to have her perspective, no matter how absurd, kept her calm and happy.
This was the genesis of an approach often known as therapeutic deception (an earlier concept was called validation therapy), which encouraged caregivers to go with the flow of a patient’s thoughts, even if they were wrong or deluded or in conflict with reality. Caregivers were told they should not introduce fictions that patients didn’t already hold but should not fight against their comforting delusions either. Ms. Garner introduced her system as a volunteer at a hospital, and it was eventually laid out in a book by her son-in-law, the psychologist Oliver James.
Not surprisingly, many experts disagreed with this approach. The British Alzheimer’s Society has issued the following statement: “We struggle to see how systematically deceiving someone with dementia can be part of an authentic trusting relationship in which the person’s voice is heard and their rights promoted.”
Nevertheless, Ms. Garner’s idea is now being used in dementia care facilities in the United States, Canada, France and other countries. While doing research on Alzheimer’s, I took a handful of trips to such facilities, including one in the Netherlands just southeast of Amsterdam. The Hogeweyk, as it is called, introduced an innovative model of care when it opened a “dementia village” in 2009. Its 150 or so residents, most with advanced disease requiring round-the-clock support, could move freely through the buildings and outdoor spaces, albeit under the watchful eye of cameras and 250 or so caregivers.
The residents live in individual houses, each with a distinctive style — haute bourgeois or Craftsman, for example — selected to match their tastes and preferences before they were moved to the village. During the day, they can wander about, watched over by the caregivers who run the supermarket and the hair salon and so on. They can go to the market with a caretaker, encouraged to believe that they are helping him shop for the evening meal. If they get lost, there is always someone around who will help them get home.
The amenities in the village are extraordinary, but during my visit I was skeptical. Wasn’t the facility a sort of Potemkin village, with its carefully curated homes and caretakers posing as gardeners? Wasn’t it a stage set, like in the movie “The Truman Show,” designed to convince residents of something that wasn’t true — that they were still at home?
My guide took exception to my questions. “That is not lying,” he said. “It is dealing with dementia the way it is.” He went on: “If a patient is asking for her daughter, and you know the daughter isn’t coming, you say, ‘She will come in a couple of hours.’”
It was better to validate a resident’s perspective than to futilely try again and again to reorient it, he explained. If a resident wanted to go home and you knew it wasn’t possible, it was better to distract the person, even if it meant letting him wait at a fake bus stop till he got tired and forgot what he was waiting for.
In the course of visiting nursing homes and talking with doctors, as well as doing the hard work of caring for my father, I became sympathetic to this view. I still don’t believe that we should be lying to our loved ones with dementia as a matter of course. However, I have come to learn that the relationship between ethics and treatment in dementia is a complicated one. The demands of truth-telling exist in tension with other moral imperatives, such as consolation, reassurance and empathy.
For me, this shift in perspective began the day that my father expelled his aide, Harwinder, from his house after he learned again that she had been paid. I went over to the house to try to reason with him. I knew that if Harwinder stopped working for him, that would surely be the end of his independent living. He would end up in a locked memory unit like so many other dementia patients.
When I drove up to the house, Harwinder emerged to meet me. She told me that after my father kicked her out, she sneaked back in and hid in a closet in the guest room so she could keep an eye on him till I showed up.
I asked her to stay in the driveway and I went inside. After giving my father some lunch, I took him upstairs for a nap.
When he was nodding off, I went downstairs and motioned for Harwinder to follow me up to the bedroom. She was standing behind me when my father opened his eyes.
“Look, Dad, Harwinder came back,” I said. He eyed her suspiciously.
“She says she is sorry,” I said. “She told me she will work for free. No money. Just food and shelter.”
His face relaxed, and I discerned a faint smile. “OK,” he said to her. “Please come in.”
Come audition!! Still need more actors who can play characters in their 30s.
C. Jeff Catanese:
The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for Treasure Island, by Honor Moor. Directed by David Doersch.
Auditions for Treasure Island will be held at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre at 92 Gay St.
The time for auditions is April 15th at 10am. Actors will be required to stay after their monologue for scene work. Actors may additionally be required to return at 10am on the 16th for movement, combat and musical ability auditions.
The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Community theatre is at its best when it fully embraces and engages its FULL community, not just one portion.
BIPOC actors, we need you.
LGBTQIA+ actors, we need you.
Actors with disabilities, we need you.
Actors of all ages, we need you.
Treasure Island will be performed Fridays through Sundays, July 28th-August 26th at 7:30 pm. Rehearsals will begin in May and continue until opening.
Actors should prepare and memorize a classical monologue of no longer than 60 seconds. Actors will then be broken out into groups for scene work.
A large cast is needed and the breakdown is as follows:
BREAKDOWN COMING SOON
All characters are open to actors of any race, ability, gender, or age unless otherwise noted. Genders and sexualities of characters will be molded to fit the actors who best suit the role, with consideration of the other actors on stage.
All characters will be asked to sing and dance (nothing hard or complex, its pirate shanties y’all) and play instruments if they are able.
Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should send an email to info@montfordparkplayers.org and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!
D. Victoria Lamberth:
Opening: FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2023 AT 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Savannah Sipping Society
Hendersonville Theatre
By: Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, Jamie Wooten
Directed by: Beth Norris
In this delightful comedy, four unique Southern women, all needing to escape the sameness of their day-to-day routines, are drawn together by Fate—and an impromptu happy hour—and decide it’s high time to reclaim the enthusiasm for life they’ve lost through the years. Over the course of six months, filled with laughter, hilarious misadventures, and the occasional liquid refreshment, these middle-aged women successfully bond and find the confidence to jumpstart their new lives. Together, they discover lasting friendships and a renewed determination to live in the moment—and most importantly, realize it’s never too late to make new old friends.
Approximate Run Time: 2 hours Rating: PG due to mild adult themes
This project is supported by Exceptional Papers, Inc, the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Arts Council of Henderson County and the City of Hendersonville.
E. Janice Verttucci Schreiber:
Opening May 5 … Ovation Theatre Arts Collective, in partnership with the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, is presenting a production of Let Me Down Easy. This play was originally presented Off-Broadway in 2009. The show was written, conceived, and performed by Anna Deavere Smith. Original music was composed for the production, and projections were used. It was compiled from interviews that the playwright conducted.
The characters featured in the verbatim theatre monologues include healthcare professionals, theologians, artists, athletes, and activists. They speak of the body as a battleground, a tool, a weapon, a joy, and a burden.
The primary concept of the production focuses on mind, body and soul as three components that serve and celebrate each other. As humans we do not always achieve a connection between these, resulting in personal, institutional and societal breakdowns. The play is built on the reflections of each character, sharing honestly about their physical, mental and spiritual health. In them, both the vulnerability and resilience of the body, mind, and soul are fully visible. The play is Verbatim Theatre, a documentary theatre style that is based on the spoken words of real people. The text is taken exclusively from interviews and uses the actual words of the interviewees which actors utilize in their delivery, including “ums”, “ahs” etc…
The themes of this play are for mature audiences, so Let Me Down Easy is an 18+ show.
Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime and seating is general admission. Online ticket sales end 1 hour prior to showtime, but there may still be tickets available for purchase in the BMCA office. Call 828.669.0930 for information on tickets.
F. Chuck Fink:
We’ve had an overwhelming response to registering for seats for this show , Tales & Music of the Blueridge featuring Michael Reno Harrell and Josh Goforth, April 20th at The Weaverville Community Center.
If you would like to be added to a wait list for this special show, please email chuck fink at chuck.storyville@yahoo.com. He will add your name in the order your request was received. People on the wait list will be seated at 6:55 on 4/20 in the order their name is on the wait list.
G. Rodney Smith:
369 Monologue and Short Play Festival features nine evenings filled with fifteen heart-warming, dramatic, funny, heart-breaking and provocative theatrical pieces. 369 Monologue and Short Play Festival runs 4/6-22, featuring 3 weekends, 6 short plays, and 9 monologues. No two evenings will be the same, and neither will you. Join us as we mix and match 15 intriguing plays and monologues, including the work of Cooper Bates, award winning writer of the one man play “Black When I Was a Boy” – an honest, moving, and even humorous look at a complex, fascinating, and powerful autobiographical recollection of Cooper’s own coming of age in a small predominantly White community in Hill City, Kansas (population 1500),- and his newly released sequel, “Black’d Out”. Lateasa Bond, Kirby Gibson, Daniel Henry, Righteous Luster, Lauren Otis, Simone Roos Snook, Rodney Smith, Sharvis Smith, Alexandra McPherson, Alexander McDonald Villarreal round out a talented cast of local actors.
I am offering a very special ONE DAY ONLY special promotion of my novel, which will help to get it on the AMAZON BEST-SELLER LIST in its category! You can help, by buying a copy of my book for just 0.99. THAT’S RIGHT – LESS THAN ONE DOLLAR! The promotion will be just on LAUNCH DAY which is April 11th, 2023. PLEASE HELP, and pick up a copy of my book for less than a dollar – hey, it’s a win/win! With great gratitude for your support, Madison https://www.amazon.com/World-Beyond-Redbud…/dp/B0BW7SKN38/
NEW ROMANTIC COMEDY PLAY EXPLORES THE SPLINTER IN YOUR HEART
After a glorious Chicagoland premiere of Splinter: A Romantic Comedy in Wheeling, IL, the play will be performed again at Puth Family Theater of Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston, IL at 1702 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL 60201 on Saturday April 29th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday April 30th at 6:00 p.m.
For tickets ($30) and for more information please visit our Facebook page.
The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Community theatre is at its best when it fully embraces and engages its FULL community, not just one portion.
BIPOC actors, we need you.
LGBTQIA+ actors, we need you.
Actors with disabilities, we need you.
Actors of all ages, we need you.
Twelfth Night will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 23rd-July 21st at 7:30 pm. Rehearsals will begin in mid-April and continue until opening.
A large cast is needed and the breakdown is as follows:
All characters are open to actors of any race, ability, gender, or age unless otherwise noted. Genders and sexualities of characters will be molded to fit the actors who best suit the role, with consideration of the other actors on stage.
All characters will be asked to sing and dance (nothing hard or complex, its pirate shanties y’all) and play instruments if they are able.
VIOLA (woman, cis or trans) is tossed ashore in a strange land and presents as a cabin boy for safety. She quickly falls in love with Captain Orsino.
CAPTAIN ORSINO is a powerful and noble pirate lord and true ruler of Illyria, despite it technically being the king’s land. He is lovesick for Captain Olivia.
CAPTAIN OLIVIA runs the local inn in the wake of losing her father and brother. She is rich, fearsome, and good with a sword.
SEBASTIAN/SEBASTIENNE (gender depending on casting) is Viola’s twin, and baffled by how many people in Illyria think they know him already.
MALVOLIO is the straitlaced and haughty first mate of Captain Olivia. He pines for her but looks down on her crew.
FESTE is a traveling bard, jester, and clown making his living in Illyria. They enjoys playing tricks on the straitlaced and haughty. They miss their banished lover.
THE BANDMATES are a few lost souls who follow Feste and accompany their antics. Must play Instruments. Don’t have to speak. Can play various small roles.
TOBY BELCH is Captain Olivia’s drunkle uncle. He plots for a marriage for Olivia and is a walking bisexual dumpster fire.
MARIA, part of Captain Olivia’s crew, has a sharp wit and a trickster spirit. She is pining for Toby.
ANDREW AGUECHEEK is a “special friend” of Toby Belch. He tries to woo Olivia at Toby’s request because he lacks the capacity for original thought.
ANTONIO was banished from Illyria due to the king’s antiquated laws on love, but following Sebastian, he returns to the land of his lost lover.
VALENTINE is a member of Captain Orsino’s crew. Also plays GUARD.
CURIO is a member of Captain Orsino’s crew. Also plays GUARD and SAILOR.
Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should send an email to info@montfordparkplayers.org and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!
Bright Star, written by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, runs April 21-May 14, 2023.
Set in Asheville and our very own Blue Ridge Mountains, Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, they discover a stunning secret with the power to transform their lives forever.
A Peddler Knocked by RoseLynn Katz will be read on April 8 at Hendersonville Theatre. A Peddler Knocked is a love story interwoven with a look at interfamilial prejudices set in early 20th century Appalachia.
J. Ethan Henry:
ASHEVILLE MUSICAL THEATRE
Tick,Tick…Boom!
July 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. July 22 at 2:00 p.m.
Before Rent, there was Tick, Tick… Boom!. This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning composer of Rent, is the story of a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theatre. Containing fourteen songs, ten characters, three actors, and a band, Tick, Tick… Boom! takes you on the playwright/composer’s journey that led to a Broadway blockbuster.
TICK, TICK… BOOM! Is presented through special arrangement with Musical Theatre International (MTI).
In this beautiful season of light rising, we will plant the seeds of our sacred intentions for the new season of our life, inviting in new levels of renewal and rebirth.
Adora will lead the group in sacred alchemical journeys, stories of the multiple Mary Magdalene pilgrimages to Southern France she has led. This immersive experience will awaken and activate a deeper connection to the Divine Feminine within you.
Join us at the Bend of Ivy Lodge to Experience:
• Love Frequency DNA Activation Mary Magdalene Healing Meditation
• Light lunch of delicious, local organic cuisine
• Sacred anointing with rare aromatic formulas created by Adora associated with Mary Magdalene
• Crystal healing medicine for ancestral lineage healing
Learn, experience and integrate energy clearing, vibration lifting practices that you will take home with you to transform your life of abundance each and every day.
You are the keepers of sacred magic, the template of the divine feminine, protector of the Holy Grail, the goddess, the Holy of Holies. She is known by many, many names, including Mary Magdalene.
Keepers of the sacred flame, you are being called to come together in community to be held, seen, to heal your wounds, our wounds of separation, of struggle, and profound forgetting.
Together we will awaken, shift, heal, and evolve, stepping forward with our unique light, truth, and expression of the divine and physical form. As we heal one and awaken, we heal the many lifting, the planetary vibration and the collective consciousness.
Together, we will unite all the aspects of her beauty, wisdom, power, and grace, and we will RISE as one, shining in our greatest love.
The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Community theatre is at its best when it fully embraces and engages its FULL community, not just one portion.
BIPOC actors, we need you.
LGBTQIA+ actors, we need you.
Actors with disabilities, we need you.
Actors of all ages, we need you.
Twelfth Night will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 23rd-July 21st at 7:30 pm. Rehearsals will begin in mid-April and continue until opening.
A large cast is needed and the breakdown is as follows:
All characters are open to actors of any race, ability, gender, or age unless otherwise noted. Genders and sexualities of characters will be molded to fit the actors who best suit the role, with consideration of the other actors on stage.
All characters will be asked to sing and dance (nothing hard or complex, its pirate shanties y’all) and play instruments if they are able.
VIOLA (woman, cis or trans) is tossed ashore in a strange land and presents as a cabin boy for safety. She quickly falls in love with Captain Orsino.
CAPTAIN ORSINO is a powerful and noble pirate lord and true ruler of Illyria, despite it technically being the king’s land. He is lovesick for Captain Olivia.
CAPTAIN OLIVIA runs the local inn in the wake of losing her father and brother. She is rich, fearsome, and good with a sword.
SEBASTIAN/SEBASTIENNE (gender depending on casting) is Viola’s twin, and baffled by how many people in Illyria think they know him already.
MALVOLIO is the straitlaced and haughty first mate of Captain Olivia. He pines for her but looks down on her crew.
FESTE is a traveling bard, jester, and clown making his living in Illyria. They enjoys playing tricks on the straitlaced and haughty. They miss their banished lover.
THE BANDMATES are a few lost souls who follow Feste and accompany their antics. Must play Instruments. Don’t have to speak. Can play various small roles.
TOBY BELCH is Captain Olivia’s drunkle uncle. He plots for a marriage for Olivia and is a walking bisexual dumpster fire.
MARIA, part of Captain Olivia’s crew, has a sharp wit and a trickster spirit. She is pining for Toby.
ANDREW AGUECHEEK is a “special friend” of Toby Belch. He tries to woo Olivia at Toby’s request because he lacks the capacity for original thought.
ANTONIO was banished from Illyria due to the king’s antiquated laws on love, but following Sebastian, he returns to the land of his lost lover.
VALENTINE is a member of Captain Orsino’s crew. Also plays GUARD.
CURIO is a member of Captain Orsino’s crew. Also plays GUARD and SAILOR.
Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should send an email to info@montfordparkplayers.org and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!
E. Jimmy Fearraro:
On April 5th…
Pay your respects,
OR ELSE!!!
Jimmy Ferraro presents
“FUNERAL for a GANGSTER”
An Interactive/Musical/Comedy/Murder/Mystery DINNER SHOW
Wednesday, APRIL 5th at 6pm
at the HENDERSON INN
201 3rd Avenue West
Hendersonville, NC
It’s 1928…the Roaring 20’s, known for dangerous bootlegging and notorious gangsters. The scene is a speakeasy, As a dear friend of Vito’s, you have been invited to pay your honorable respects to the family. They include Joey “The Lump,” Frankie “Marbles” and the proprietor of the club, Ruby “Fingers” Marzetti. And of course, Lena, the heartbroken widow.
Or is she?
Great Food, Singing and Dancing and Prizes and FUN!!!
YOU BE the DETECTIVE !
Delicious 3 Course Gourmet Dinner and Show ~ $80.00 pp/++
From the collective that brought us the incredible production of “Shirley Valentine” last year, comes a moving piece of verbatim theatre by Anna Deavere Smith, “Let Me Down Easy.” We are excited to partner again with local theatre group, Ovation Theatre Arts Collective, on this play set to hit our theatre May 5-14. “Let Me Down Easy” reflects on the importance of the connection of mind, body, and spirit, through a series of monologues based on transcripts from actual interviews. Come celebrate the strength of human resilience.
G. Victoria Lamberth:
Hendersonville Theatre proudly presents Asheville’s progressive ensemble, the Jon Stickley Trio, as April’s intimate Hometown Sound concert. The Jon Stickley Trio is rooted in bluegrass, but also incorporates Gypsy jazz, grunge, folk-punk and jam-band styles. This genre-defying and cinematic instrumental trio, who’s deep grooves, innovative flatpicking, and sultry-spacy violin moves heads, hearts, and feets “…churns out a mixture of bluegrass, Chuck Berry, metal, prog, grunge, and assorted other genres—all thoroughly integrated into a personal style,” writes Guitar Player Magazine. With inspiration ranging from Green Day to Duran Duran to Nirvana and the Grateful Dead, the Trio has released several albums on the Organic Label and is currently touring nationally.
Jon Stickley plays flat-pick guitar; Lyndsay Pruett plays violin; Hunter Deacon plays drums. The trio began as a group of friends in Asheville, North Carolina.
Stickley is known for his rapid-fire flat-picking and his ability to blend different musical elements from across the board to create a sound that is all his own. The Durham native has been with various bands throughout the years, including Colorado’s legendary Broke Mountain.
Pruett is an extremely diverse fiddle player whose influences include bluegrass, swing, classical, Latin styles, country, and hip hop. Lyndsay has a BM in Commercial Violin Performance from Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
Deacon, who is both classically trained and boasts heavy jazz influences, joined the trio in 2018. From Knoxville, Hunter studied with drummer Keith Brown and received a BM in Studio Music and Jazz from the University of Tennessee.
H. Jeff Catanese:
The Montford Park Players is pleased to announce auditions for Treasure Island, by Honor Moor. Directed by David Doersch.
Auditions for Treasure Island will be held at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre at 92 Gay St.
The time for auditions is April 15th at 10am. Actors will be required to stay after their monologue for scene work. Actors may additionally be required to return at 10am on the 16th for movement, combat and musical ability auditions.
The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Community theatre is at its best when it fully embraces and engages its FULL community, not just one portion.
BIPOC actors, we need you.
LGBTQIA+ actors, we need you.
Actors with disabilities, we need you.
Actors of all ages, we need you.
Treasure Island will be performed Fridays through Sundays, July 28th-August 26th at 7:30 pm. Rehearsals will begin in May and continue until opening.
Actors should prepare and memorize a classical monologue of no longer than 60 seconds. Actors will then be broken out into groups for scene work.
A large cast is needed and the breakdown is as follows:
BREAKDOWN COMING SOON
All characters are open to actors of any race, ability, gender, or age unless otherwise noted. Genders and sexualities of characters will be molded to fit the actors who best suit the role, with consideration of the other actors on stage.
All characters will be asked to sing and dance (nothing hard or complex, its pirate shanties y’all) and play instruments if they are able.
Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should send an email to info@montfordparkplayers.org and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!
I. Janice Vertucci Schreiber:
RUMORS! To Infinity and Beyond! All taking place due to the antics of these four couples! Come join them at the Weaverville Community Center for The Artisan Players staged
reading on March 26, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. Get there early to grab your seat! Performance is free, but donations are graciously accepted.
Musical Theatre/Cabaret style pianist (that reads music) for 2 weekends in June in Hendersonville. PAID position.
Please send your resume ASAP to:
murdermystery4hire@yahoo.com
B. Connie Hurst:
Tickets are selling fast. Get yours.
C. Ellen Pappas:
GG PAGLIACCI presents:
Commedia dell’arte
THE LOVERS
and
AMBROSE
Friday, March 24, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Asheville Community Theatre at 35Below
$5 Tickets at ACT box office 828-254-1320 or on the day of the performance
D. Jimmy Ferraro:
On April 5th…
Pay your respects,
OR ELSE!!!
Jimmy Ferraro presents
“FUNERAL for a GANGSTER”
An Interactive/Musical/Comedy/Murder/Mystery DINNER SHOW
Wednesday, APRIL 5th at 6pm
at the HENDERSON INN
201 3rd Avenue West
Hendersonville, NC
It’s 1928…the Roaring 20’s, known for dangerous bootlegging and notorious gangsters. The scene is a speakeasy, As a dear friend of Vito’s, you have been invited to pay your honorable respects to the family. They include Joey “The Lump,” Frankie “Marbles” and the proprietor of the club, Ruby “Fingers” Marzetti. And of course, Lena, the heartbroken widow.
Or is she?
Great Food, Singing and Dancing and Prizes and FUN!!!
YOU BE the DETECTIVE !
Delicious 3 Course Gourmet Dinner and Show ~ $80.00 pp/++
Music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. The California Sound, Motown, New York Beat, the British Invasion! Come sing and dance with us – in costume (poodle skirts, greaser jackets, hippie, glam rock, disco!) If you like! We LOVE this music and so will you.
Friday, April 14, 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 15, 7:00 pm
Attic Salt Theatre
2002 Riverside Drive
Suite 42-O
Asheville, NC 28804
Starring: Ryan Garcia, Carol Duermit, Jessica Johnson, Kim Haley, Ellen Pappas.
The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Community theatre is at its best when it fully embraces and engages its FULL community, not just one portion.
BIPOC actors, we need you.
LGBTQIA+ actors, we need you.
Actors with disabilities, we need you.
Actors of all ages, we need you.
Twelfth Night will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 23rd-July 21st at 7:30 pm. Rehearsals will begin in mid-April and continue until opening.
A large cast is needed and the breakdown is as follows:
All characters are open to actors of any race, ability, gender, or age unless otherwise noted. Genders and sexualities of characters will be molded to fit the actors who best suit the role, with consideration of the other actors on stage.
All characters will be asked to sing and dance (nothing hard or complex, its pirate shanties y’all) and play instruments if they are able.
VIOLA (woman, cis or trans) is tossed ashore in a strange land and presents as a cabin boy for safety. She quickly falls in love with Captain Orsino.
CAPTAIN ORSINO is a powerful and noble pirate lord and true ruler of Illyria, despite it technically being the king’s land. He is lovesick for Captain Olivia.
CAPTAIN OLIVIA runs the local inn in the wake of losing her father and brother. She is rich, fearsome, and good with a sword.
SEBASTIAN/SEBASTIENNE (gender depending on casting) is Viola’s twin, and baffled by how many people in Illyria think they know him already.
MALVOLIO is the straitlaced and haughty first mate of Captain Olivia. He pines for her but looks down on her crew.
FESTE is a traveling bard, jester, and clown making his living in Illyria. They enjoys playing tricks on the straitlaced and haughty. They miss their banished lover.
THE BANDMATES are a few lost souls who follow Feste and accompany their antics. Must play Instruments. Don’t have to speak. Can play various small roles.
TOBY BELCH is Captain Olivia’s drunkle uncle. He plots for a marriage for Olivia and is a walking bisexual dumpster fire.
MARIA, part of Captain Olivia’s crew, has a sharp wit and a trickster spirit. She is pining for Toby.
ANDREW AGUECHEEK is a “special friend” of Toby Belch. He tries to woo Olivia at Toby’s request because he lacks the capacity for original thought.
ANTONIO was banished from Illyria due to the king’s antiquated laws on love, but following Sebastian, he returns to the land of his lost lover.
VALENTINE is a member of Captain Orsino’s crew. Also plays GUARD.
CURIO is a member of Captain Orsino’s crew. Also plays GUARD and SAILOR.
Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should send an email to info@montfordparkplayers.org and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!
) will play all of these artists and songs and many more in the best listening room in Asheville, AyurPrana (formerly Ambrose West) on 
Male Narrator #2/Reporter – any age, any ethnicity. 
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