April 1st through May 26th, 2022

Get in a video audition for your chance to join us ALL SEASON LONG! There are auditions for THREE of our upcoming shows all going on RIGHT NOW! We want you to be a part of our 50th Season, so we hope you’ll come out and bring us your talent! Actors should submit initial audition information online through our website at https://www.montfordparkplayers.org/about-us/volunteers-page/ and may do so at any time. The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Please note all dates and deadlines: For auditions for The Little Prince, directed by Jason Williams, the submission deadline is midnight Friday, April 8, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Saturday, April 23. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Little Prince will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 10 – Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Dwight Chiles, the submission deadline is 11:59pm Sunday, April 24, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Friday and Saturday, April 29 & 30 from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. Much Ado About Nothing will be performed Fridays through Sundays, July 15 – Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for The Three Musketeers, directed by Rodney Smith, the submission deadline is midnight Sunday, May 1, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheater on Saturday, May 7, with a rain date of Saturday, May 14. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Three Musketeers will be performed Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 19 – Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 pm. Submission deadlines for Hamlet will be announced later, through our newsletter and social media. Specific instructions for audition submissions: On the website above, click on the link below “Actor Season Audition Form” Sign in to your Google account (required as most information will be shared in Google documents) Fill out and submit the form – if you have a headshot and/or resume (not required), please upload them as part of your application. Record a short (90 second) video – you can do so on your phone. For As You Like It, a Shakespearean monologue is preferred. IMPORTANT: please name your video with your name, not the default title; ex. “Smith, John Video” On the website, click on the link below “Actor Season Video Upload Link” and upload your video. Directors will review each application and video, and will contact prospective actors for callbacks. Important: This season, the Montford Park Players will require that all persons involved with any show must be fully vaccinated, or present a request for exemption, stating the reasons. The Executive Director, in consultation with the director, will make the final decision on the selection or non-selection of any person who is not fully vaccinated. Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should sent an email to [email protected] and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!

Did you know our staff had a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn what kind of wildlife inhabits the Park and their important roles in the ecosystem. Some of our best teachers have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

You can also attend one of our weekly garden workday events:
Pearson Garden and Nursery Garden workdays Wednesdays from 3-5pm. Located at 408 Pearson Dr. in Montford. Please click this link to sign up. Contact [email protected] for more information. 

Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden Wednesdays 2:45-4:00pm, 60 Ridgelawn Rd. Please click this link to sign up. Contact [email protected] for more information. 

Lucy Herring Elementary School Peace Garden (formerly Vance Elementary School) in West Asheville.  Workdays Tuesdays 2:45-3:45. The garden will again be closed to the public from 8 AM- 2:30 pm so that classes can use the garden for outdoor learning. Please contact  [email protected] for questions and to RSVP

**We give away free produce donated by Mother Earth Food every week at our Sharing Table Mondays after 3 pm

Does your little kid have a big imagination and lots of energy? Then this class exploring the fundamentals of theatre is just for them! During this 8-week class, students will explore favorite storybook characters and bring them to life through acting, creative movement, and music! This high-energy class will celebrate your young artist’s creativity, develop skills in improvisation, public speaking, and expression, and release creative energy in a meaningful way. With new material every semester, this class can (and should) be taken multiple times!

Instructor: Tania Battista

Notes: This class will be held outdoors when the temperature allows. When indoors, all students and staff will be required to wear masks. 

Our Youth Production Classes offer youth theatrical instruction from the first audition to the last curtain call! All productions listed are performed by youth in middle and high school. We will be offering TWO sessions of The Giver – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage!

Registration for both sessions will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available. 

Directed by: Janice Schreiber
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons March 7-May 4, 2022 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, May 9 – Thursday, May 12, 2022; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 6:30 pm

Our Youth Production Classes offer youth theatrical instruction from the first audition to the last curtain call! All productions listed are performed by youth in middle and high school. We will be offering TWO sessions of The Giver – 1 session for middle school students, and one session for high school students. Classes will meet afterschool, and each session will end with two performances on the Mainstage!

Registration for both sessions will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Tuition will be $350.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available. 

Middle School Cast:
Please note: Advanced level memorization is required for this class. Most roles will not be split and the number of lines each performer will be expected to memorize may be larger than in past middle school Youth Performance Classes.

Directed by: Michael Jorizzo
Classes/rehearsals: Meet Monday and Wednesday afternoons March 14-May 11, 2022 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Tech Week: Monday, May 16 – Thursday, May 19, 2022; 4:30-6:30 pm each night
Performances: Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 2:30 pm and Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 6:30 pm

Hone your acting, singing, and dance skills in this class that dives into Broadway repertoire. With a focus on vocal technique, storytelling through song, and ensemble-based performance, this class will celebrate each actor’s individuality and boost their confidence to make more bold choices on and off stage. With new material every semester, this class can (and should) be taken multiple times!

Instructor: Anna Kimmell

Notes: This class will be held outdoors when the weather allows. When indoors, all students and staff will be required to wear masks. 

Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Story Parlor
April 13, April 20, April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18*
*Final class on May 18 runs from 6:30-9:30pm
Make up class reserved for May 25

Story Parlor presents Creativity Lab: a six-week exploration of the creative process, common blocks and obstacles, and ways to kickstart and sustain creative momentum.

Focused on the process and the act of doing, opposed to product or outcome, Creativity Lab explores ways to overcome fear, embrace curiosity, and channel our muse in all creative endeavors.

The six-week workshop is experiential, hands-on, and tactile. The Lab will utilize exercises to help cultivate imagination, innovation, and creativity. Each class will focus on a different part of the creativity process all while building a tool kit for dealing with obstacles in our way, creating positive habits for growth, and investigating the ways our personal narratives intersect with our work.

Registration Includes:

A guidebook with supplementary readings, exercises, and activities

A custom Story Parlor notebook

Access to Creativity Mixers

Who Should Attend:

Anyone looking to kickstart or follow-through with a creative project

Anyone wanting to discover more about their habits and approach to creativity

Anyone hoping to learn more about the process of being creative

Anyone wishing to make creativity a part of their daily life

Anyone looking to explore the intersection of art and the human condition

Anyone interested in identifying their core values’ intersection with creative goals and aspirations

Anyone wanting a creative community in which to play, explore, and experiment

Best known for her iconic role as Shirley Feeney in the hit television series, “Laverne & Shirley,” Cindy Williams is a versatile actress and comedienne who overcame a challenging childhood to pursue her love of acting and found stardom. Cindy shares her memories and hilarious backstage tales in “Me, Myself & Shirley” covering a lifetime in entertainment. Her storied career includes working with Oscar-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, George Cukor, Roger Corman, and Jack Nicholson, in several films including two nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: “American Graffiti” and “The Conversation.” Her friends and co-stars include Penny Marshall, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Henry Winkler, Richard Dreyfus, Gene Hackman, Dame Maggie Smith, and Robert Duval. Come hear the stories, the secrets, the embarrassing moments, and the highs and lows of Cindy’s life in Hollywood, (and maybe relive a favorite scene or two)!   “Me, Myself & Shirley” is 90 minutes without an intermission.

https://www.memyselfandshirley.com/

NC State Parks’ Year of the Tree continues with a celebration of spring trees. Break out your camera and capture the transformation of trees from winter to spring as they show off their gorgeous blooms throughout the next few months. You may even win a prize for your efforts!

GREAT PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO 3 WINNING ENTRIES

1st Prize: The winning photo will be our Facebook cover photo for two weeks, and the photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park, two boat tour tickets from Lake Lure Tours, and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

2nd Prize: After the first place photo, the second place photo will be our Facebook cover photo for one week. The photographer will receive two annual passes to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

3rd Prize: The third place photographer will receive two adult day passes (or one family pack of day passes) to Chimney Rock State Park and dinner for two at the Old Rock Café.

CONTEST RULES:

1. There is no fee to enter the contest. All photographs must be taken of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park only in areas accessible to guests between April 1, 2022 – May 31, 2022.
   The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers.
2. Up to three photos per person can be submitted via any of the following ways to be eligible to win:
   • Facebook: First, like the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park page. Next, send us a private message including your contact information specified in rule #3.
   • E-mail: If you don’t have access to social media, you may email your digital photo with your contact information specified in rule #3 to [email protected].
3. Every entry should be clearly labeled with the photographer’s name, city & state, a brief photo caption, an email address and the best phone number to reach you.
4. Photos should be available at a minimum resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels (1 MB minimum) to be eligible to win. Photos taken via smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices are welcome if they meet minimum requirements.
5. For entries showing human faces, you must list their name(s) and have written permission from any photographed person(s) to use their image.
6. Entries should reflect the photographer’s interpretation of the theme. Emphasis will be placed on quality, composition and creativity. All entries may be used in promotions of Chimney Rock and park-related activities.
7. Digital images can be optimized but not dramatically altered with photo editing software. Black and white photographs are welcome.
8. Finalists will be chosen by Chimney Rock staff and the winner will be voted on by the public. Decisions regarding winners are final.

Winners will be notified personally and announced on Chimney Rock’s social media. For more information, call 1-828-625-9611, ext. 1812 or email us at [email protected].

Turn the Dallas Asheville into a giant game board with this fun scavenger hunt adventure. Combine the excitement of the Amazing Race with a two and a half-hour city tour. Guided from any smart phone, teams make their way among well-known and overlooked gems of the city, solving clues and completing challenges while learning local history. Start when you want and play at your pace. Price is per team, not per person. Find details and Redeem your ticket as a Prepaid Code online at www.UrbanAdventureQuest.com.

It can be ruff out there for our canine companions, but we have pawsitively great news. Buncombe County’s first-ever dog park is now open at our Sports Park in Candler. While this is a soft open, the park features two fenced-in play areas; one for large dogs and one for smaller pups. “We do have plans to add other amenities and water fountains,” exclaims Recreation Services Program Coordinator Mac Stanley. “People are very excited about this new opportunity. Since it was announced, we have gotten letters of support as well as many emails questioning when will the project be completed.”

So join us in a round of apaws as we celebrate the opening of this new venue for hot dogs and cool people. “It’s an amazing place to bring your dog to run free without a leash and interact with other dogs,” says Stanley. “One of my favorite aspects of this new dog park is being able to cultivate a community. Hopefully, this dog park will be instrumental in connecting dogs as well as people within the community.” Paw-yeah, sounds great.

Location: Buncombe County Sports Park, 58 Apac Circle

Hours of operation: Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (same as the Sports Park)

Dog park drools rules
Dogs must be:

• On a leash at all times until safely in the fenced-in dog park area
• Vaccinated, licensed, and in good health
• At least four months old to enter
• Wearing a collar with ID tags
• Under voice control of their human and not aggressive

Humans must:

• Be with dogs at all times
• Remove dogs at first sign of aggression
• Pick up poop and dispose of it in receptacles provided
• Be liable for any and all injuries caused by their dogs

Not Allowed:

• Pronged, spike or choke collars
• Aggressive dogs, aggressive humans, or dogs in heat
• Unsupervised children 12 years of age or younger

Recreation Services’ Lake Julian Park Rangers have assembled a new paddle boat fleet that is ship-shape and ready to hit the water. “We have received and assembled 17 brand new paddle boats to complete our fleet of 20 boats at Lake Julian Park,” notes Park Ranger Matt Dixon. “This is a great addition to the park and will be an enjoyable amenity for our park patrons for years to come.”

Lake Julian Park offers paddle boat rentals for $12/ hour and $8/half hour. The boats are available to rent every day the park is open (weather permitting), up until 2 hours before park closing time. Head over to the park on the next sunny day and make your own splash. Learn more at buncombecounty.org/parks.

April 1st through May 26th, 2022

Get in a video audition for your chance to join us ALL SEASON LONG! There are auditions for THREE of our upcoming shows all going on RIGHT NOW! We want you to be a part of our 50th Season, so we hope you’ll come out and bring us your talent! Actors should submit initial audition information online through our website at https://www.montfordparkplayers.org/about-us/volunteers-page/ and may do so at any time. The Montford Park Players is committed to gender-neutral and race-conscious casting. ALL are welcome and invited to participate! Please note all dates and deadlines: For auditions for The Little Prince, directed by Jason Williams, the submission deadline is midnight Friday, April 8, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Saturday, April 23. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Little Prince will be performed Fridays through Sundays, June 10 – Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Dwight Chiles, the submission deadline is 11:59pm Sunday, April 24, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheatre on Friday and Saturday, April 29 & 30 from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. Much Ado About Nothing will be performed Fridays through Sundays, July 15 – Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 pm. For auditions for The Three Musketeers, directed by Rodney Smith, the submission deadline is midnight Sunday, May 1, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person at the amphitheater on Saturday, May 7, with a rain date of Saturday, May 14. The director will contact each pre-selected actor with specific times. The Three Musketeers will be performed Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 19 – Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 pm. Submission deadlines for Hamlet will be announced later, through our newsletter and social media. Specific instructions for audition submissions: On the website above, click on the link below “Actor Season Audition Form” Sign in to your Google account (required as most information will be shared in Google documents) Fill out and submit the form – if you have a headshot and/or resume (not required), please upload them as part of your application. Record a short (90 second) video – you can do so on your phone. For As You Like It, a Shakespearean monologue is preferred. IMPORTANT: please name your video with your name, not the default title; ex. “Smith, John Video” On the website, click on the link below “Actor Season Video Upload Link” and upload your video. Directors will review each application and video, and will contact prospective actors for callbacks. Important: This season, the Montford Park Players will require that all persons involved with any show must be fully vaccinated, or present a request for exemption, stating the reasons. The Executive Director, in consultation with the director, will make the final decision on the selection or non-selection of any person who is not fully vaccinated. Anyone who is interested in a technical role only (stage management, lights, sound, etc.) should sent an email to [email protected] and include your background, if any. We welcome all volunteers!

Did you know our staff had a wild side? Join a Park naturalist to meet some of our live Animal Ambassadors and learn what kind of wildlife inhabits the Park and their important roles in the ecosystem. Some of our best teachers have feathers, fur, shells or scales!

What goes on behind the curtains? In this course students learn the ins and outs of technical theatre and backstage work, including safety, basic light and sound board operation, and stage management. Students will then put their skills to practice by covering technical and backstage roles during Youth Production Class performances of The Giver. Students will split tech and performance dates so some scheduling conflicts may be accommodated. Tuition will be $225.00 – payment plans and scholarships will both be available.

Classes: Mar 17-May 5, 2022 | Thursdays at 4:30-6:00 PM

Tech Week (Group 1): May 9-12, 2022 | Monday through Thursday| 4:30-6:30 PM
Tech Week (Group 2): May 16-19, 2022 | Monday through Thursday| 4:30-6:30 PM

Performances (Group 1): Saturday, May 14 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, May 15 at 6:30 PM
Performances (Group 2): Saturday, May 21 at 2:30 PM and Sunday, May 22 at 6:30 PM

Registration will begin on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

Ages 12+

Lauded by UK music review platform Three Chords and the Truth as sounding like she was “…born to gypsy poets and raised in the mountains by Emmylou Harris,” Asheville, North Carolina songstress Jane Kramer has garnered international recognition for the sultry, heartrending originality of her vocals and for the heavy-hitting lyrical eloquence of her songwriting.

With deep roots in the musical traditions, culture and lore of her beloved Appalachia, Kramer’s songs are introspective, gracefully gritty and fiercely memorable. They elegantly sweep listeners down the gravel roads and southern coastal highways, midnight truck stops and lonely motel rooms of “hard learning” and lead home to the wooded Blue Ridge Mountains with moving acceptance of our flawed human experience. Kramer’s live performances are equally as poignant and engaging; rich with accessible, warm, often hilarious storytelling and gracefully lifting the veil between audience and performer.

After a seven year stint as founding member, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter in the nationally-touring, Asheville-based all female Appalachian folk outfit, The Barrel House Mamas from 2003-2010, Kramer recorded and released her first solo album, Break & Bloom, in Portland, Oregon in 2013. Following the February 2016 release of her acclaimed sophomore solo studio album, Carnival of Hopes and her roots and folk radio nationally-charting third studio album, Valley of the Bones, Kramer has been touring nationally and internationally, playing for sold-out audiences in listening rooms, theaters, pubs, festivals, living rooms and arts councils in support of the record. This has gained her a loyal following from Portland, Oregon to Scotland, U.K to Florence, Italy.

A former social worker, domestic violence crisis counselor and avid humanitarian, Kramer continues to perform and teach about the songwriting process in women’s prisons, shelters for the unhoused, programs for at-risk youth, classrooms, hospitals and animal shelters, sharing her message of music as a powerful tool for healing, connection and compassion.

Quoted as “…an artist on the rise” by acclaimed American songwriter Mary Gauthier and as “…a voice that can only be described as one of the purest in modern Americana” By Dave Stallard of Blue Ridge Outdoors, Kramer has performed with such well-known artists as Joan Osborne, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, Gretchen Peters, Appalachian troubadour Malcolm Holcombe, Shawn Mullins and Maria Muldaur.

Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award

Written by Tracy Letts

Directed by Stephanie Hickling Beckman

A vanished father. A pill-popping mother. Three sisters harboring shady little secrets. When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears, their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. Mix in Violet, the drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you’ve got a major play that unflinchingly—and uproariously—exposes the dark side of the Midwestern American family.